New Years Eve....my big plans consist of a few glasses of wine, some leftovers and a little crochet while watching a movie. That is how I hope 2011 will be; nice and relaxed, and easy. I have no resolutions per se. Just like most people they are usually never fulfilled.
I have proposed a New Year Task. My task is to de-clutter my house and my life. Each month will be designated to a different room in the house. I will have the entire month to declutter-/organize/redecorate. I figure if I spread it out over the year, the task won't seem so daunting. If I get an area done before the end of the month, I might move on to the next or take a break.
My first room(s) will be the dining room and formal living room/library. This may be my most complicated area. I need to paint and buff out the wood floor. It's the only room I haven't repainted since Joe and I got married. Not to mention moving (4) 7' bookcases full of books. I'm already exhausted and I haven't even started. I just have to keep repeating: one day at a time.
Only a few more hours until the task begins. I'll let you know how I do next New Year's Eve.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Please Make It Stop
There is a show called "Teen Mom". Apparently showcasing teen Mom's and their trial and tribulations. If the series successfully showed how hard it is to be a Mother let alone a teenage Mother there may be some redeeming value to it. As it is, all it does is launch these girls to celebrity status, sending the message; if you get pregnant as a teen you too can be on TV. I have to admit I have never seen the show and never will. I have however seen excerpts from it. In addition, one of the more infamous Moms is from Indiana. What a great claim to fame for our state. I heard on the news tonight the Mom from Indiana is paid $280,000.00 a year to be on this show. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!!!! What is wrong with people. There are hard working people trudging to dead end jobs everyday so they can pay their bills, yet a socially unfit immature dumb ass teenager makes hundreds of thousands of dollars for being a socially unfit immature dumb ass teenager. All I can do is shake my head and cry.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Some Times It Works Out
I am very excited my home phone broke. It is still usable but the caller ID button/phone book and scroll button doesn't work on one of the handsets. The best part???? I purchased the extended warranty and the phone is still covered. I bought the phone at Radio Shack. I spent $80.00 on the phone and $20.00 on the extended warranty. The warranty also included new batteries every six months for the two years. The batteries alone cost more than $20.00. I am one month away from the warranty expiring. I called Radio Shack, they took my info and told me to send the phone back. Once I take the phone to Fed Ex and they scan it in, Radio Shack is notified I dropped it off and I get a refund gift card via email within 24 hours for the price of the phone plus tax. SCORE!!!!! This is one time I am glad I purchased the extended warranty.
It's A Belated Christmas Miracle
OM frickin G! (I heard that on Cake Boss and I thought it was hilarious) Anyway, I have been struggling with Medicaid and Medicare ever since my Mother and Mother-In-Law have been in a Nursing Home. If you have ever tried to get information or get anything resolved with either agency, you know what I mean. It's a nightmare. After my most recent circle jerk with Medicaid I was so frustrated, I filed a complaint with the Attorney General under Insurance Fraud. I knew that wasn't really the right place to complain to, but I didn't know where else to start. I figured at the very least it would get their attention. I didn't hear anything for over a month; then I received a letter. It stated their agency was not the correct agency to handle my claim but it had been forwarded to the agency that would be able to take care of it.
When my husband saw the letter with the return address of Attorney General he thought for sure we were both going to jail (for what, I don't know).
About a week after I received the letter I received a phone call and an email from someone in the office overseeing Medicaid Administration. I was shocked!!!!! I have never had a more pleasant and productive conversation with someone in a government office in my life. She was not only going to take care of my Mother-In-Laws issues (for which the complaint was filed) but my Mother's as well. She has also reassured me she would be keeping in contact with me on a weekly basis until the issues are resolved. Maybe I'm being gullible, but I believed her. A little bit of faith has been restored in my otherwise negative opinion of the government. While it's far from perfect it is nice to know there are avenues of resolution that do work.
Hopefully I am not getting too excited too soon. I will hold off on the fireworks until everything is resolved, but at least there is a spark waiting to ignite!!!!
When my husband saw the letter with the return address of Attorney General he thought for sure we were both going to jail (for what, I don't know).
About a week after I received the letter I received a phone call and an email from someone in the office overseeing Medicaid Administration. I was shocked!!!!! I have never had a more pleasant and productive conversation with someone in a government office in my life. She was not only going to take care of my Mother-In-Laws issues (for which the complaint was filed) but my Mother's as well. She has also reassured me she would be keeping in contact with me on a weekly basis until the issues are resolved. Maybe I'm being gullible, but I believed her. A little bit of faith has been restored in my otherwise negative opinion of the government. While it's far from perfect it is nice to know there are avenues of resolution that do work.
Hopefully I am not getting too excited too soon. I will hold off on the fireworks until everything is resolved, but at least there is a spark waiting to ignite!!!!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Please At Least Say Hello
Isn't the point of a Walmart greeter to greet you when you walk in the door?? Otherwise they would call them Walmart person standing at the doorway not wanting to make eye contact or not having the social skills to interact with people.
Honestly I could care less if a person is at the door to greet me when I walk in to shop. However, if Walmart is going to pay someone to stand at the door to "greet" people, then they should at least train them to say hello.
I have been to Walmarts where there have been cute little 'ol men so happy to see me and make sure I have a shopping cart. That's fun, it makes me smile.
Today I was greeted by a sad little woman, not looking at me or even responding when I said hello. Maybe it was just a fluke and I caught her on a bad day.
I had to go out of the store and then return because I forgot something only to find a new greeter at the door. I was full of anticipation hoping this new greeter would give me a smile and a hardy HELLO! No such luck, she was as sullen as the last person.
You know times are tough when Walmart can't even hire a greeter that actually fulfills their job description.
Honestly I could care less if a person is at the door to greet me when I walk in to shop. However, if Walmart is going to pay someone to stand at the door to "greet" people, then they should at least train them to say hello.
I have been to Walmarts where there have been cute little 'ol men so happy to see me and make sure I have a shopping cart. That's fun, it makes me smile.
Today I was greeted by a sad little woman, not looking at me or even responding when I said hello. Maybe it was just a fluke and I caught her on a bad day.
I had to go out of the store and then return because I forgot something only to find a new greeter at the door. I was full of anticipation hoping this new greeter would give me a smile and a hardy HELLO! No such luck, she was as sullen as the last person.
You know times are tough when Walmart can't even hire a greeter that actually fulfills their job description.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
A Time To Cull
Culling: The process of removing animals from a group based on specific criteria..... I'd never heard of that word until I started raising chickens, and in the 4 years I have had chickens it has never been an issue until now.
My first flock consisted of 10 hens. 5 were killed by predators, 2 died for unknown reasons, 2 are still healthy but not laying eggs, and 1 is on it's way out as we speak. My second flock of 27 which are less than a year old are all healthy, happy and laying eggs.
So here's the problem...I never had to worry about weeding out the inferior hens because it was pretty much taken care of nature's way. Now that I have 30 chickens it's not productive to have hens that don't lay. If I was a true farmer, I would have no problem culling the 2 old hens and the 1 sick hen. (Culling is just a softer way to say kill.) I can't bring myself to do it. I also have 2 roosters that are of no use except they are pretty and fun to watch. Most roosters are killed soon after they are hatched because they have no production value.
At first, my excuse for not getting rid of them was I couldn't find someone to do it for me. There are no commercial butchering companies locally that would butcher and dress the chickens. Now however; I have at least 2 people willing to do it for me but I can't bring myself to turn them over to them. My issue with this is seeing them as pets, not livestock. I wouldn't kill my dog just because he stopped fetching, so how can I kill my chickens for not laying eggs.
I can see it now.....3 years down the road I will have 100 chickens of which only 30 lay eggs; which means I have 70 pet chickens. I'm so pathetic. I'm really hoping nature will continue taking care of things for me. Like maybe lightening striking only the non laying chickens. That would be perfect.
My first flock consisted of 10 hens. 5 were killed by predators, 2 died for unknown reasons, 2 are still healthy but not laying eggs, and 1 is on it's way out as we speak. My second flock of 27 which are less than a year old are all healthy, happy and laying eggs.
So here's the problem...I never had to worry about weeding out the inferior hens because it was pretty much taken care of nature's way. Now that I have 30 chickens it's not productive to have hens that don't lay. If I was a true farmer, I would have no problem culling the 2 old hens and the 1 sick hen. (Culling is just a softer way to say kill.) I can't bring myself to do it. I also have 2 roosters that are of no use except they are pretty and fun to watch. Most roosters are killed soon after they are hatched because they have no production value.
At first, my excuse for not getting rid of them was I couldn't find someone to do it for me. There are no commercial butchering companies locally that would butcher and dress the chickens. Now however; I have at least 2 people willing to do it for me but I can't bring myself to turn them over to them. My issue with this is seeing them as pets, not livestock. I wouldn't kill my dog just because he stopped fetching, so how can I kill my chickens for not laying eggs.
I can see it now.....3 years down the road I will have 100 chickens of which only 30 lay eggs; which means I have 70 pet chickens. I'm so pathetic. I'm really hoping nature will continue taking care of things for me. Like maybe lightening striking only the non laying chickens. That would be perfect.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
You Mess With My Mom, You Get Me!
A few days ago I wrote about the issue at the Nursing Home with the TV in my Mom's room which belongs to her roommate. I had a suspicion the problem was being generated by the daughter of the roommate. Today my suspicion was confirmed. Apparently the daughter had to buy a new TV because the screen of the first TV went out. She attributed it to the fact the TV was used too much. Funny thing .....She did this before my Mom was even there! Today when I walked in to Mom's room, the TV was moved at an angle away from Mom's side of the room. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Words cannot convey how pissed I was. What a pompous little bitch (the daughter, not the roommate). I can say that with certainty because I have met her. I couldn't decide what kind of person she was in the brief three times that I had talked to her before all this hoopla, but there always seemed to be incongruity between her words and her actions. I guess my instincts were correct.
This whole issue is so ridiculous my brain can't process it. All I know is she is messing with my Mom. Nobody messes with my Mother and gets away with it. How can someone be so cruel to a 90 year old woman. I never said anything when the roommates belongings encroached on my Mom's side of the room or when she got in to Mom's candy. It really didn't matter. Today it mattered and I turned into a stubborn 10 year old. I measured the floor space and found the middle of the room. Everything of hers that was on Mom's side was pushed over. I'm going to rearrange the room (I have to get permission from Social Service first) so Mom won't even have to look in the direction of her roommates TV. It's gonna be awesome when both TV's are on different channels with the volume up.
I know I should let it go and be adult about it; and I will in time. But this is my Mother we are talking about. My sweet never hurt a fly, give you the shirt off her back, Mother. Every time I think about it I want to put my boot in daughter's ass.
This whole issue is so ridiculous my brain can't process it. All I know is she is messing with my Mom. Nobody messes with my Mother and gets away with it. How can someone be so cruel to a 90 year old woman. I never said anything when the roommates belongings encroached on my Mom's side of the room or when she got in to Mom's candy. It really didn't matter. Today it mattered and I turned into a stubborn 10 year old. I measured the floor space and found the middle of the room. Everything of hers that was on Mom's side was pushed over. I'm going to rearrange the room (I have to get permission from Social Service first) so Mom won't even have to look in the direction of her roommates TV. It's gonna be awesome when both TV's are on different channels with the volume up.
I know I should let it go and be adult about it; and I will in time. But this is my Mother we are talking about. My sweet never hurt a fly, give you the shirt off her back, Mother. Every time I think about it I want to put my boot in daughter's ass.
Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?
I have learned a lot about chickens over the course of the last few years and it is very interesting to me how their little society parallels human society. The term "pecking order" which is often used in human society obviously came from watching chickens. They really do have a structure to their little flock. My flock is no exception. There is the leader (Rocky) who is a huge rooster. The downtrodden of the bunch are the Buff Orphingtons; they are the only ones that get their tail feathers picked off by the others. Then you have the outcast which is also a rooster (Sheldon). He is smaller and a big bully so he is often by himself. All of the rest are the followers; only causing a stir every once in awhile. For the most part, however; the followers mind their own business.
Last evening when I went to lock up the girls for the night, all of the young chickens were still out in the barn running around. My two old girls were already up on their roost and ready for bed. Even old chickens turn in early.
The old adages that come from chicken behavior now make sense to me. For instance: "don't count your chickens before they hatch." Mainly because not all chicken eggs are viable. "Don't get your tail feathers ruffled." If you try to take an egg out from under a hen, they will fluff up their tail feathers as a sign of agitation and warning. "Cocky", or "cock of the walk." Roosters strut around like they own the place. "Hen pecked" is a good one. The hens will seek out a weaker hen and pick at the feathers on their rump. Once they start picking they don't usually stop. If pecked at long enough, they sometimes die. I could go on and on but you get the idea.
I have, however; solved the age old question of: "which came first the chicken or the egg?" It was the chicken of course. Without the chicken to sit on the egg to incubate it, it wouldn't survive. I'm glad that is finally settled.
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Last evening when I went to lock up the girls for the night, all of the young chickens were still out in the barn running around. My two old girls were already up on their roost and ready for bed. Even old chickens turn in early.
The old adages that come from chicken behavior now make sense to me. For instance: "don't count your chickens before they hatch." Mainly because not all chicken eggs are viable. "Don't get your tail feathers ruffled." If you try to take an egg out from under a hen, they will fluff up their tail feathers as a sign of agitation and warning. "Cocky", or "cock of the walk." Roosters strut around like they own the place. "Hen pecked" is a good one. The hens will seek out a weaker hen and pick at the feathers on their rump. Once they start picking they don't usually stop. If pecked at long enough, they sometimes die. I could go on and on but you get the idea.
I have, however; solved the age old question of: "which came first the chicken or the egg?" It was the chicken of course. Without the chicken to sit on the egg to incubate it, it wouldn't survive. I'm glad that is finally settled.
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Friday, December 24, 2010
The Moments That Take Your Breath Away
I never thought I would be reduced to tears in a Best Buy store. But it happened. I was standing in the customer service line along with 4 or 5 other people and one man in military fatigues. There was a little boy probably 2 years old in a camo jacket looking intently at the soldier. Another man walked over to the soldier and shook his hand and thanked him for his service. After seeing a lot of people behaving badly recently, this was a welcome change. The little boy kept looking at the soldier and his Father noticed. The Father says: "that's pretty cool huh? The little boy shakes his head yes. The Father then says "maybe we should shake his hand and thank him." The boy seemed a little timid so the Father shook the soldiers hand. Then this little 2 year old walks up to the soldier and puts out his hand, never taking his eyes off of the soldier. It was the most moving moment I have witnessed in a long time. That was my Merry Christmas moment.
Most people reading this are aware that my Mother is in a Nursing Home (which I hate). She's seems to be doing well with their care. I have my doubts at times, but I have to admit I try not to see the bad things. They are short staffed just like everywhere which really sucks since their business is to "take care of" the infirmed. Isn't that what you call an oxymoron? I will say they do call anytime there is an issue; which I know is a requirement by law, but it makes them accountable.
I got a call yesterday. (My heart sinks a little every time they call because I never know if it's going to be bad news.) The nurse proceeds to tell me that she thinks I should get a TV for Mom. She was apparently watching her roommates and the aides went to turn it off and she yelled at them not to. To back track a little, I didn't get Mom a TV when she first moved in because her TV was an old model and very large (space is limited). Plus the roommate has at least a 32" flat screen placed right in the middle of the room. There isn't really an issue of fighting about what to watch, because I don't think either of them care. It's just company. I figured if I brought in a TV for Mom it would be crazy loud and she wouldn't be able to work it anyway. Since the large TV was there I didn't see the harm in her watching it. I am assuming Mom's roommates daughter is behind this. She actually put a note on the TV that states: "Turn off the TV if Irene is not in the room". Underlying meaning: don't let the roommate watch her TV. Doesn't this seem a little petty? Or am I being too sensitive? Uuuuuuugh, drama at the Nursing Home.
I will get Mom a TV....anything to make her happy. All I can say is her roommate better keep her damn hands out of my Mother's candy. How's that for petty!
I got a call yesterday. (My heart sinks a little every time they call because I never know if it's going to be bad news.) The nurse proceeds to tell me that she thinks I should get a TV for Mom. She was apparently watching her roommates and the aides went to turn it off and she yelled at them not to. To back track a little, I didn't get Mom a TV when she first moved in because her TV was an old model and very large (space is limited). Plus the roommate has at least a 32" flat screen placed right in the middle of the room. There isn't really an issue of fighting about what to watch, because I don't think either of them care. It's just company. I figured if I brought in a TV for Mom it would be crazy loud and she wouldn't be able to work it anyway. Since the large TV was there I didn't see the harm in her watching it. I am assuming Mom's roommates daughter is behind this. She actually put a note on the TV that states: "Turn off the TV if Irene is not in the room". Underlying meaning: don't let the roommate watch her TV. Doesn't this seem a little petty? Or am I being too sensitive? Uuuuuuugh, drama at the Nursing Home.
I will get Mom a TV....anything to make her happy. All I can say is her roommate better keep her damn hands out of my Mother's candy. How's that for petty!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
I never really understood why there had to be a policy made like the military; "don't ask, don't tell". What difference does it make??? If a person decides to join the military to help protect our country why should we care about their sexual orientation . The only people that would care are the homophobes out there. That is one phobia I have zero tolerance for. If a gay person dies in the line of duty it is no less tragic or heroic than when a straight person dies. Besides; "gay" and "straight" doesn't define a person. It's who they are and what they offer to the world around them that matters. Soooo GET OVER IT PEOPLE! Thank goodness the government finally did.
To Quote Ross Matthews on Chelsea Lately: "We're here, we're queer, and we do your hair!" That guy is HILARIOUS!
To Quote Ross Matthews on Chelsea Lately: "We're here, we're queer, and we do your hair!" That guy is HILARIOUS!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Addendum To December 4th Post
No wonder the Salvation Army bell ringers are happy. They are getting paid. I'm pretty sure it's only minimum wage, however; some things I have read infer they get a percentage of the take. It's not that I don't think they should get paid. Standing out in the frigid cold deserves compensation, however; it takes away from the "Good Will To All" mystique of Christmas. Seeing those people out there ringing their bell and singing and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas just makes you want to give because they are giving. Well the old adage: "nothing is free" certainly rings true. "Rings" true....hahahaha..get it? Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel less guilty for not giving every time I pass a red can. There is that guilt thingy again. We do an awful lot in the name of guilt.
In all fairness though, I guess some of the ringers are volunteers. I'll keep that in mind next time I pass a red can.
In all fairness though, I guess some of the ringers are volunteers. I'll keep that in mind next time I pass a red can.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Shopping Cart Rage
I seriously wanted to knock over an old lady pushing a shopping cart in Toys R Us. First of all I should have never been in that store. It is not good for my mental status. I thought I would brave it since it was the middle of the week and it's not time for last minute shopping yet. Who knew that many people would be shopping on a Wednesday. Who knew so many stupid people would be shopping on a Wednesday. Toy R Us shopping carts are quite large so they take up most of the aisle. No way are two cart going to fit in one aisle at the same time. So, of course every aisle I wanted to go down was blocked by someone. All of the sudden I see an open lane. A straight shot to the front of the store. I position myself for a speedy exit when all of the sudden an old lady comes out of a side aisle and cuts me off. She then proceeds to leisurely walk and stop to browse while taking up the entire aisle. I had Nicholas with me so I had to be nice, but I so wanted to ram her cart and push her out of the way. I finally made my way past her when she made a right turn. She was oblivious to the fact there was a line of 4 people behind her; or maybe she just didn't care. If I am going to continue to try and shop in public then I guess I'm going to have to adopt that "I don't care" attitude. I wanted to get out of the store as soon as possible so her and I wouldn't be on the road together. If she drives her cart that way I'm sure her car is not much different. I thought I was home free until I was exiting the parking lot. Here comes this 20 something girl, talking on her cell phone, smoking a cigarette and driving on the wrong side of the lane attempting to cut me off so she could get a close parking spot so her fat ass didn't have to waste any steps. I was poised to floor it and run her car back to where she came from, until I noticed she had a small child in the backseat. Poor innocent child she is unaware that her Mother is an inconsiderate ass; or maybe she knows and secretly wishes I would have run her over.
I wouldn't really do most of the stuff I have mentioned, they are just fleeting thoughts to make me feel better. However; if I continue to shop from now until Christmas those fleeting thoughts are more likely to become an impulsive act. So I'm staying home so I can stay out of jail. I have no patience for rude people especially this time of year.
Christmas shopping.....bah humbug!
I wouldn't really do most of the stuff I have mentioned, they are just fleeting thoughts to make me feel better. However; if I continue to shop from now until Christmas those fleeting thoughts are more likely to become an impulsive act. So I'm staying home so I can stay out of jail. I have no patience for rude people especially this time of year.
Christmas shopping.....bah humbug!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Change Is Good; But It's Also Annoying
Thanks Google, Microsoft and Face Book etc... for updating your hardware; but do you really have to change the format of the page every time???? I get used to where everything is on a page and then it gets updated to improved my Internet experience, and I have to learn it all over again. Maybe that is a good thing because it keeps my brain cells activated. It is still none the less annoying.
Monday, December 6, 2010
That Ship Has Sailed
It finally happened at 51 years old, (1,617,255,554 seconds old). I was not the one that everyone thought didn't look their age. That torch has been passed on to my daughter. Amanda and I were getting a mani/pedi. The technician asked Amanda if she is a runner (she has strong calves). Amanda said yes and proceeded to talk about her running and running while pregnant. When the tech learned that Amanda had a child she acted shocked and told Amanda: "You have a baby, I thought you were one of the high school students getting ready for semi-formal. You look so young." There is no disputing the fact that Amanda does look young. It's just that used to be me! I was the one people would say looked young. I used to be able to use my physical attributes to get the advantage. Not anymore. As they say, "that ship has sailed". Son of a...
Now I have to rely on my smarts and wits to get the advantage. Oh shit, I'm in trouble. Showing a little cleavage was so much easier than having to think. Now if I do that I run the risk of being arrested for disgusting exposure (not to be confused with indecent exposure which is much more provocative).
I know what I need to do now.....quit hanging out with anyone younger than me. If I start hanging out at the Senior Citizens center I would no doubt be one of the younger ones. I could rise back up in the ranks.
Carry on Amanda use it to your advantage and enjoy it while it lasts. As they say...If you got it, flaunt it before it fall to low that no amount of push up will help. Maybe "they" don't say that, but "they" should.
Now I have to rely on my smarts and wits to get the advantage. Oh shit, I'm in trouble. Showing a little cleavage was so much easier than having to think. Now if I do that I run the risk of being arrested for disgusting exposure (not to be confused with indecent exposure which is much more provocative).
I know what I need to do now.....quit hanging out with anyone younger than me. If I start hanging out at the Senior Citizens center I would no doubt be one of the younger ones. I could rise back up in the ranks.
Carry on Amanda use it to your advantage and enjoy it while it lasts. As they say...If you got it, flaunt it before it fall to low that no amount of push up will help. Maybe "they" don't say that, but "they" should.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Shopping Sucks
Today was case in point why I hate hate hate Christmas shopping. Joe and I went to Sears because there were a few things specific to Sears we needed and we figured we could get some other presents since we'd be there. So, we have over $500.00 worth of items we were going to purchase. We found out if we waited until 6:00pm we could get an additional 10% off of everything. A $50.00 savings appealed to me so we decided to get some coffee and look around the mall until it was time. It was a little after 4:00pm so we had quite a bit of time to kill.
10 minutes till 6 we decided to head into the store and gather our purchases to receive our $50.00 discount. As you can guess all didn't go well. First we had a sales person that was seasonal and temporary so he didn't really know a table saw from a band saw. Maybe there are a lot of people that don't know the difference, but if you work in the tool section you really should know. Secondly, our purchases were not ringing up correctly on the register. Discounts that were supposed to happen weren't, items advertised were not the same as what they had to offer. Needless to say I was about ready to go postal. I remained calm and just said "forget it, I will spend my money elsewhere!" If I have learned anything about shopping in this current climate, it's you need to be educated about what you are buying ahead of time because the salespeople usually don't know shit (especially this time of year) about what they are selling. If I hadn't know that the new Wii systems came with 2 games, I would have overpaid for the system they had to offer by $50.00 (it was an old version that came with only one game).
Sears, you suck! All was not lost however, Joe and I had fun just walking around and spending time together. Plus we ended up buying a new set of sheets that we are both pretty excited about (not at Sears) .....Satin sheets with leopard print (get your mind out of the gutter). The Satin part was Joe's idea because he doesn't like getting caught up in cotton sheets. The leopard print was my idea. I figured if we were going to buy cheesy satin sheets then they needed to be even more cheesy and be an animal print. I can't wait to try them out and see who slides out and falls on the floor first.
10 minutes till 6 we decided to head into the store and gather our purchases to receive our $50.00 discount. As you can guess all didn't go well. First we had a sales person that was seasonal and temporary so he didn't really know a table saw from a band saw. Maybe there are a lot of people that don't know the difference, but if you work in the tool section you really should know. Secondly, our purchases were not ringing up correctly on the register. Discounts that were supposed to happen weren't, items advertised were not the same as what they had to offer. Needless to say I was about ready to go postal. I remained calm and just said "forget it, I will spend my money elsewhere!" If I have learned anything about shopping in this current climate, it's you need to be educated about what you are buying ahead of time because the salespeople usually don't know shit (especially this time of year) about what they are selling. If I hadn't know that the new Wii systems came with 2 games, I would have overpaid for the system they had to offer by $50.00 (it was an old version that came with only one game).
Sears, you suck! All was not lost however, Joe and I had fun just walking around and spending time together. Plus we ended up buying a new set of sheets that we are both pretty excited about (not at Sears) .....Satin sheets with leopard print (get your mind out of the gutter). The Satin part was Joe's idea because he doesn't like getting caught up in cotton sheets. The leopard print was my idea. I figured if we were going to buy cheesy satin sheets then they needed to be even more cheesy and be an animal print. I can't wait to try them out and see who slides out and falls on the floor first.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Tis The Season To Feel Guilty
Yes, it's that time of year again. The smell of cinnamon and pine and cookies baking is in the air.....AND the time to bring on the guilt. Don't deny it! You have felt guilty one time or another during the Holidays. Guilt that you can't visit every family member, guilt about not being able to afford gifts; but buying them anyway because it's what's everyone else does. Guilt because you can't buy your child every toy he/she wants. Guilt because you have to work that day to put food on the table. Guilt for not putting change in every time you pass a Salvation Army bell ringer. (BTW some of those bell ringers are the happiest people I've ever seen standing in sub zero temperatures.) Then there is the stress of all of the planning and shopping.
What a bunch of crap we have gotten ourselves into over one day a year. Not to mention the guilt and the stress have nothing to do with the reason for the season. I hate hate hate the guilt.
That is how I feel about a month before Christmas. Then as it approaches I find myself getting caught up in all of the festivities. I actually get a little excited about the planning. Not the shopping though; I'm never excited about the shopping. Online shopping is the best thing that has ever happened to the commercial side of Christmas.
I will do my Christmas shopping under the guise of helping to stimulate the economy. That makes me feel a little better. I will try to do what I can and not feel guilty about what I can't get done in time. I will keep in mind the reason for the season and maybe I will get through this Christmas season fairly sane.
What a bunch of crap we have gotten ourselves into over one day a year. Not to mention the guilt and the stress have nothing to do with the reason for the season. I hate hate hate the guilt.
That is how I feel about a month before Christmas. Then as it approaches I find myself getting caught up in all of the festivities. I actually get a little excited about the planning. Not the shopping though; I'm never excited about the shopping. Online shopping is the best thing that has ever happened to the commercial side of Christmas.
I will do my Christmas shopping under the guise of helping to stimulate the economy. That makes me feel a little better. I will try to do what I can and not feel guilty about what I can't get done in time. I will keep in mind the reason for the season and maybe I will get through this Christmas season fairly sane.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Photo Collage Decoupage
Creating a Photo Collage on Paper Mache Letters
1. Select the photos you want to use and either scan them or upload them to your computer. I use Picasa 3 to lay the pictures out in a collage form so that when I print them I can get different sized photos plus I can print more pictures on less paper. You can download Picasa 3 for free. It's a really nice photo organizer and editor.
2. Once the photos are selected and ready to print, have them printed on a laser printer (a toner printer). If you don't have one, places like Office Depot and Kinkos have them. If you use an ink jet printer, the colors will bleed and fade. I just download my photos to a flash drive and take it to Office Depot and they will print them out for you. It cost me $1.81 to print these photos. ( I had them laid out in collage format on three 8.5 x 11 sheets.)
3. Purchase a pre-made paper mache letter or design object. I got mine at JoAnn Fabrics.
4. Begin to tear or cut apart your photos. You can be more contemporary and straight cut all of your pictures or do like I did and tear them out for a more vintage look. If you tear them, tear the paper toward you. This will create a subtle white frayed edge. One of the photos I tore out, then crumpled the paper into a ball and then straightened it back out. That creates a vintage look to the photo like it was a treasured photo that had been carried around and looked at a lot.
5. You can dry arrange your photos on your letter to make sure everything will fit. I don't usually do that because I am impatient and what to start gluing. I am kind of a random and impulsive crafter, but if you want to do it right and don't want to have to run out and print more photos you probably should do this. Or....print extra photos and just wing it like I did!
6. You may want to paint the letter with acrylic paint first in a color of your choice. That way if you want to leave spaces between the photos, the color will show through. Again I was impatient and I painted in a few places after I glued the photos. It worked, but not the best way to do it.
7. I use Mod Podge as the glue and sealer. You can use white glue I guess, but I have never tried it. I like the Mod Podge because it dries fast and it comes in matte and gloss finishes. There are a bunch of different formulas of Mod Podge but I just use the basic cheapest one.
8. Brush the glue onto the letter where you want to put the picture and then place the photo and rub out the air bubbles. You have limited time to reposition the photo because the Mod Podge dries pretty fast. I use a bone folder to smooth out the air bubbles, but you can use your finger or even the side of a smooth pen. If you need to you can add a little Mod Podge here and there to get it to stick.
9. When all of your photos are on, let it dry completely (about 15 mins.). If you want an antique look, you can brush on an antiquing medium and wipe it off, or even use a little brown acrylic paint diluted with water and brush that on an wipe it off. First test you antiquing technique on a place that may not show to make sure you will like the results.
10. After all of your photos are on and it is how you want it to be when it's finished, it's time to layer on the Mod Podge. 3 layers would be the minimum. I usually use 5 or more. The picture of the "V" that I did doesn't have any layers added to it yet. You could just do 1 layer if you like that look. Just make sure it dries completely before adding the next layer. The Mod Podge goes on white and then turns clear when dry. If you don't let it dry between layers it may have a milky appearance.
The instructions sound like a lot of work, but it really isn't. I just tried to be detailed so you wouldn't make the mistakes that I already have.
Have fun! This would make a great last minute Christmas gift.
Eggs, Is There A Difference? You Bet Your Sweet Ass There Is!
Haven't been here lately. Not that I don't have plenty to say, I just don't have the time. I have been spending a lot of time tending to my chickens. Now that I have 30, there is a little more to do (a lot more poop). They obviously drink more water and eat more grain. Plus my chickens are pretty spoiled. I make sure they have lots to do so they don't get bored and start attacking each other. I really like taking care of the chickens and all that it entails. I don't even mind shoveling the shit! I can see however, why mass production and factory farms came about. The more chickens you have, the more time consuming and expensive they become. If I was raising my chickens just for income from the eggs I would be broke by now. $2.00 a dozen does not even begin to pay for the feed and supplies I need to properly take care of them. If I wanted to make money, I would make my operation more efficient; leave out a lot of the amenities that my chickens enjoy and charge more for my eggs. If I do that, I decrease the quality and value of the egg. Factory farms are around for the simple fact of supply and demand. A low income family is not going to pay $2.00 a dozen for eggs from me. They will buy them at the grocery store for $.85 a dozen on sale. This is one time however that you get what you pay for. You can buy "organic" "cage free" "free range" eggs in the grocery store and pay over $3.00 a dozen. Most of the times in that case you are not getting what you paid for. All of those terms are very ambiguous. There are definitions of all of those by the USDA. The producers can get around those definitions by interpreting there own version. For instance, "free range" requires the chickens to have access to the outdoors. My chickens definitely do. They run all over my yard. Mass producers can get away with calling their eggs free range if they have an open door that in theory the chickens can get outside. That door may be on one end of a chicken house that houses 1000 chickens. Yeah, the door is there and they have access to it, but the chickens at the other end of the chicken house are never going to make there way to the door to get out. Even if they do get out, there isn't room for them to do anything and there is no vegetation for them to forage in. It's kind of like interpreting the Bible. People will skew the facts to how it will best serve them (that is whole other story I won't get into). Product labeling is really a joke. It's all about marketing and making money. The only way to decipher the labeling is to read the ingredients list and know what you are looking for. In the case of eggs you have no real way of knowing if the labeling is correct short of visiting the facility that produced them.
Am I promoting my eggs? Not really, I can only serve a dozen or so people because my farm is very small. What I am promoting is education regarding the food we buy. Everyone (including me) runs to the grocery to get a few things with little regard to how it was made or produced. We are letting these big corporations take over our lives and control our basic needs of nourishment. We don't concern ourselves with how the cow was raised and processed for the hamburger we are buying. We just know we need hamburger to make our chili. I don't propose becoming fanatic and boycotting everything. I just think people should be making more conscious choices about the food they eat. If you have a choice to buy your food from local farmers do that instead of getting it from Walmart. Changes don't have to be big to make a difference. I probably won't become a vegetarian anytime soon. I love meat too much. I have however started to buy from a local farm that has grass fed beef. It makes me feel better when I can say I made my own decision about what is good for me to eat, not what big factory says is good for me.
Am I promoting my eggs? Not really, I can only serve a dozen or so people because my farm is very small. What I am promoting is education regarding the food we buy. Everyone (including me) runs to the grocery to get a few things with little regard to how it was made or produced. We are letting these big corporations take over our lives and control our basic needs of nourishment. We don't concern ourselves with how the cow was raised and processed for the hamburger we are buying. We just know we need hamburger to make our chili. I don't propose becoming fanatic and boycotting everything. I just think people should be making more conscious choices about the food they eat. If you have a choice to buy your food from local farmers do that instead of getting it from Walmart. Changes don't have to be big to make a difference. I probably won't become a vegetarian anytime soon. I love meat too much. I have however started to buy from a local farm that has grass fed beef. It makes me feel better when I can say I made my own decision about what is good for me to eat, not what big factory says is good for me.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
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Sunday, August 8, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
17 Weeks
The baby chicks are now 17 weeks old. They should be getting ready to lay. The roosters are already ready to lay them. The chasing has begun. The roosters try to be sly by acting like they have something to eat and when the hens come around they jump on them. How annoying! I've got to get my video camera out. I could have the next viral video out there; those chicks are funny!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Almost!
Almost done! I need to add some dirt and grass seed around the edge and I want to add flagstone around the edge of the pit and garden area to cover up the holes. Haven't used it yet. Waiting for the rain to stop so I can break it in.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Project Number 5,247
Last year, Joe dug a fire pit in the side yard area. He lined it with rocks, and it looked really nice. I should have left it alone! I thought it would be nice to have a designated area to put chairs so they wouldn't have to be moved every time Joe mowed. See, I was really looking out for him.
I rented a sod remover, which was a lot of fun. Then I had a friend come over with a bobcat to level the area off and dig it a little deeper. (Should have skipped the sod remover and just went with the bobcat.) Anyway, I decided to border the area with cement blocks. I picked the blocks because they are cheap and also because that is what I made my raised garden beds from.
5 days later and about 3000 lbs, this is what it looks like.
I have a vision of the finished product (kind of). I pretty much winged it as I went. I probably should have drawn up some plans, but a true artist creates as the spirit moves them. There will be pea gravel around the pit area and I'm putting a garden area at one end.
I'll show you the finished product as soon as I am done. Joe says no more projects! I haven't told him about the building plans I have for a cute little garden cottage. I'll wait a few weeks to spring that on him.
I rented a sod remover, which was a lot of fun. Then I had a friend come over with a bobcat to level the area off and dig it a little deeper. (Should have skipped the sod remover and just went with the bobcat.) Anyway, I decided to border the area with cement blocks. I picked the blocks because they are cheap and also because that is what I made my raised garden beds from.
5 days later and about 3000 lbs, this is what it looks like.
I have a vision of the finished product (kind of). I pretty much winged it as I went. I probably should have drawn up some plans, but a true artist creates as the spirit moves them. There will be pea gravel around the pit area and I'm putting a garden area at one end.
I'll show you the finished product as soon as I am done. Joe says no more projects! I haven't told him about the building plans I have for a cute little garden cottage. I'll wait a few weeks to spring that on him.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Out Of The Mouths Of Babes
I had Jax with me the other day while shopping at Walmart. We were in the back waiting to pick up something that I had ordered. A young handsome black guy dressed in a white shirt and tie; whom I am assuming was a store manager, came around the corner and asked if I had been helped yet. Before I could say anything, Jaxon piped up and says: "You look nice!" Are you kidding me??? I was so proud! Sweet and colorblind, you gotta love it. I got the best service I have ever received at Walmart.
Kids are a product of their environment, so kudos to you Amanda and Brad.
BTW, I wouldn't have said he looked nice. I would have said "damn you look HOT". Because he did.
Kids are a product of their environment, so kudos to you Amanda and Brad.
BTW, I wouldn't have said he looked nice. I would have said "damn you look HOT". Because he did.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
I Have A Dream
Long time, no write....again. I have lots to say, but no time to type. Facebook is much easier these days. Add a few little snippets every once in awhile and then move on. This story however needs a blog. Sooooooo, I decide to sell my motorcycle. I think I was on the ebay, craigslist selling train and wanted to sell anything I thought would bring me some cash. I hadn't ridden my motorcycle since last year and for some reason I was feeling a little apprehensive about riding it. I listed it on craigslist and in the newspaper. I got the usual idiot responses from craigslist the first couple of days, then nothing. I thought for sure it would sell quickly because it's cheap, low mileage and it's perfect riding weather. I didn't have any responses until I was in Colorado. Joe called me with the number of a guy that was interested. I call the guy and I could tell by his voice that he wasn't a youngster. He was also a little confused about my listing because he thought I was selling the bike for $4000 and he decided he was going to buy a bike for $3500. I assured him I was selling my bike for $2700. I could tell he needed to mull that over a little bit so we ended our call.
I was still in Colorado when he called me back again. I saw a number on my phone as a missed called, so I called it to see who it was. "Hi, you called my cell phone and I was wondering if it was for me or a wrong number." "You don't know who this is do you?" I tell him "No I don't." He says "well, it's your secret lover." Interesting! "You must be really secret because even I don't know who you are." So, he tells me who it is and proceeds to tell me that he looked up my bike listing again and sure enough "you are selling it for $2700." He wants to take a look at it. I talked to him for probably 20 minutes. He's a really friendly guy and he tells me about all of the motorcycles he has owned; last one being a Gold Wing. Somehow the subject of age came up. I find out he is 84 after he asked how old I am. 84 and he wants to buy a motorcycle. Who am I to judge, more power to him. I got home from Colorado and I gave him a call. He stopped by the house and looked at the bike. I was in the process of leaving to meet Dreama at the hospital for a procedure. I told him that and he just kept talking and talking. His nephew was with him and he finally told him: "get in the car, she's got to go!" He calls me again and says he wants to ride the motorcycle and asks me if I could bring it to a parking lot somewhere so he could try it. I didn't think selling a motorcycle involved this much work. I have a soft spot in my heart for older guys so I agreed to meet him at Homestead High School parking lot. After much chit chat he finally sits on the bike. The first thing he says is: "I hope I don't drop it!" REALLY? "me too" I say. I gave him the run through of the controls and then he whips out his drivers license to show me that he has a motorcycle endorsement. Funny thing, he couldn't see it to read it. I had to show him where it was typed on
the card. I wanted to say: "my Mom is almost 90 and in a nursing home and she has a valid drivers license but that doesn't mean I'm giving her the keys to my car." I should have been really nervous by then, but I figured oh well, that's what I have insurance for. He revs the engine a little (like all boys do), and he starts out slowly, goes 10 feet and stops. "I can't do this." (thank God!!!) He told me he was really sorry he put me through all this. Honestly, I really didn't mind because he was a little sweetheart! So then he's sitting there on the bike and he says: "I don't want you to think I'm making up a story or just saying something to be nice, and I'm not trying to get in your pants or anything. But when you told me you were 50 and I saw you, I would have never guessed you were over 30." That was the funniest, sweetest and kinda ickiest thing I ever heard and I loved him even more.
Before he left he told me to call him sometime to let him know how I am doing. You don't meet many people like him anymore. I don't think our chance encounter had much to do with selling a motorcycle. He is 84 but in his head he is still that young man that rode motorcycles most of his life. The body may give out, but our hearts and our heads are still living in the prime of our life. He gave it a shot, but he realized that he is probably done with his riding days. But if he hadn't of tried he never would have known and always wondered. He may not be happy about it, but at least he can move on now to something else. As for me, I hadn't ridden my bike since last year and for some reason I was afraid to ride it. When he wanted me to meet him with the bike and I agreed, I was pretty much forced to ride it. Funny thing, once I got on it I felt very comfortable and that thrill kicked in. I might not sell it now.
The moral of this story is: No matter how old someone gets, they still have dreams and desires. Don't discount them. Unless of course their dream is to shove chocolate ice cream up their nose and eat it as it drips out.
I was still in Colorado when he called me back again. I saw a number on my phone as a missed called, so I called it to see who it was. "Hi, you called my cell phone and I was wondering if it was for me or a wrong number." "You don't know who this is do you?" I tell him "No I don't." He says "well, it's your secret lover." Interesting! "You must be really secret because even I don't know who you are." So, he tells me who it is and proceeds to tell me that he looked up my bike listing again and sure enough "you are selling it for $2700." He wants to take a look at it. I talked to him for probably 20 minutes. He's a really friendly guy and he tells me about all of the motorcycles he has owned; last one being a Gold Wing. Somehow the subject of age came up. I find out he is 84 after he asked how old I am. 84 and he wants to buy a motorcycle. Who am I to judge, more power to him. I got home from Colorado and I gave him a call. He stopped by the house and looked at the bike. I was in the process of leaving to meet Dreama at the hospital for a procedure. I told him that and he just kept talking and talking. His nephew was with him and he finally told him: "get in the car, she's got to go!" He calls me again and says he wants to ride the motorcycle and asks me if I could bring it to a parking lot somewhere so he could try it. I didn't think selling a motorcycle involved this much work. I have a soft spot in my heart for older guys so I agreed to meet him at Homestead High School parking lot. After much chit chat he finally sits on the bike. The first thing he says is: "I hope I don't drop it!" REALLY? "me too" I say. I gave him the run through of the controls and then he whips out his drivers license to show me that he has a motorcycle endorsement. Funny thing, he couldn't see it to read it. I had to show him where it was typed on
the card. I wanted to say: "my Mom is almost 90 and in a nursing home and she has a valid drivers license but that doesn't mean I'm giving her the keys to my car." I should have been really nervous by then, but I figured oh well, that's what I have insurance for. He revs the engine a little (like all boys do), and he starts out slowly, goes 10 feet and stops. "I can't do this." (thank God!!!) He told me he was really sorry he put me through all this. Honestly, I really didn't mind because he was a little sweetheart! So then he's sitting there on the bike and he says: "I don't want you to think I'm making up a story or just saying something to be nice, and I'm not trying to get in your pants or anything. But when you told me you were 50 and I saw you, I would have never guessed you were over 30." That was the funniest, sweetest and kinda ickiest thing I ever heard and I loved him even more.
Before he left he told me to call him sometime to let him know how I am doing. You don't meet many people like him anymore. I don't think our chance encounter had much to do with selling a motorcycle. He is 84 but in his head he is still that young man that rode motorcycles most of his life. The body may give out, but our hearts and our heads are still living in the prime of our life. He gave it a shot, but he realized that he is probably done with his riding days. But if he hadn't of tried he never would have known and always wondered. He may not be happy about it, but at least he can move on now to something else. As for me, I hadn't ridden my bike since last year and for some reason I was afraid to ride it. When he wanted me to meet him with the bike and I agreed, I was pretty much forced to ride it. Funny thing, once I got on it I felt very comfortable and that thrill kicked in. I might not sell it now.
The moral of this story is: No matter how old someone gets, they still have dreams and desires. Don't discount them. Unless of course their dream is to shove chocolate ice cream up their nose and eat it as it drips out.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My Girls Have Arrived!
My baby girls are here!!!!! Joe and I picked them up from the post office on Sunday. I felt like an adoptive mother waiting to be united with her baby(s). My babies however, came in a 12"x12" box.
The postal worker had to retrieve the chicks from another area of the warehouse, I could here them peeping a half a block away. I was so excited that Joe had to drive home so I could bond with my new babies and keep them warm. I sat on them like any good mother hen would do...(not really). I peeked inside the box a little scared at what I might see. Day old baby chicks are pretty fragile and need to be kept warm. I was anticipating that some may have died in transit. Much to my surprise and relief, they were all alive!
We got them home and I took them out of their box one by one and dipped their little beaks in the water dish and made sure they took a drink. I was happy to see how active and healthy they all appeared to be. They were all running around exploring their new surrounding. Still not having steady legs, they fell over and ran into each other a lot. I could have sat there and watched them for hours.
I ordered 25 chicks (that is the minimum they would send). I received 27. They usually throw in a freebie in case one does die and I also opted to receive a free surprise "exotic" chick of their choosing. In all, I have 8 varieties of chickens. They are: Red Star, Black Star, Buff Orpington, Buttercup, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Barred Rock and my exotic variety that I think is a Lakenvelder
They should all be hens, but I could be surprised. Time will tell since I don't know how to sex chickens (nor do I really want to know).
The postal worker had to retrieve the chicks from another area of the warehouse, I could here them peeping a half a block away. I was so excited that Joe had to drive home so I could bond with my new babies and keep them warm. I sat on them like any good mother hen would do...(not really). I peeked inside the box a little scared at what I might see. Day old baby chicks are pretty fragile and need to be kept warm. I was anticipating that some may have died in transit. Much to my surprise and relief, they were all alive!
We got them home and I took them out of their box one by one and dipped their little beaks in the water dish and made sure they took a drink. I was happy to see how active and healthy they all appeared to be. They were all running around exploring their new surrounding. Still not having steady legs, they fell over and ran into each other a lot. I could have sat there and watched them for hours.
I ordered 25 chicks (that is the minimum they would send). I received 27. They usually throw in a freebie in case one does die and I also opted to receive a free surprise "exotic" chick of their choosing. In all, I have 8 varieties of chickens. They are: Red Star, Black Star, Buff Orpington, Buttercup, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Barred Rock and my exotic variety that I think is a Lakenvelder
They should all be hens, but I could be surprised. Time will tell since I don't know how to sex chickens (nor do I really want to know).
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Life & .....
Aging sucks for man as well as beast. Poor Bear! Bear is 16 which is like 112 in people years?? He's deaf, blind, incontinent, shaggy, has nubs for teeth, stands lopsided, coughs all the time, and has a bad heart. He still however; gets up to greet whoever enters the garage. He also still patrols as the ever vigilant watch dog, even though most of the time his nemesis happens to be a moving branch on a tree.
I took him to the vet today because his cough is getting worse. I told the vet I needed some guidance as to what to do. I don't want him to be in pain, but I don't think he is ready to give up yet. The vet assured me he wasn't suffering. That made me feel better. The vet adjusted his meds and I came home with my shaggy, blind, deaf and feeble dog.
The day that Bear stops chasing the chickens (chasing as in taking two steps toward them and falling down) that is the day I'll know he's done. For my sake I hope to find him dead of natural causes curled up in his cardboard dog house. I can't bear the thought of being the one to take away his final breath by lethal injection. I've watched people die before; and that's terrible enough. I watched Joe's Golden Retriever; Al, be put down and that was devastating (poor Al). While I know euthanasia for animals is mostly a humane thing, it's still unnatural and it's bothersome.
I don't like being in this holding pattern of life and death. I certainly don't mean to compare animal life to human life as being on equal ground. While I have compassion and respect for animal life, I would choose a human life over an animal any day of the week.
I'm in the middle of typing and I just get a call from the nursing home where my Mom is. When I see the number on the caller ID I brace myself a bit, not knowing what I will hear when I pick up the phone. As long as I don't answer, everything is still ok. All that can change after I say "hello". This call wasn't about my Mom, it was about Joe's Mom. Dreama will be a new resident of the nursing home this afternoon. She had a stroke last week and is no longer able to live in the assisted living facility that she has lived in for upwards of 8 years (maybe more). The paperwork needs to be done for her admission. I am now pretty much an expert on elder care paperwork after stumbling through it with my Mom. I don't know if Dreama knows yet that she is going to be a permanent resident of the nursing home. She will not be happy (who would). She is a little more vocal about her feeling than my Mom, so I am a little scared. Not that I'm afraid of Dreama, I'm afraid that she will not do well. She is used to being around her friends and being social. She unfortunately will be more isolated at the nursing home especially since she cannot get around on her own. My Mom on the other hand actually did better when she went to the nursing home because she went from being isolated in her room at the assisted living place to having more people around all the time.
I don't really like this time of my life. It feels so unsettling. There is such a huge spectrum of issues and emotions; from birth to death.
I know what Bryan will say: "Mom, don't forget your sayings!" You're right Bryan. I will "Embrace The Journey" and take it one day at a time.
I took him to the vet today because his cough is getting worse. I told the vet I needed some guidance as to what to do. I don't want him to be in pain, but I don't think he is ready to give up yet. The vet assured me he wasn't suffering. That made me feel better. The vet adjusted his meds and I came home with my shaggy, blind, deaf and feeble dog.
The day that Bear stops chasing the chickens (chasing as in taking two steps toward them and falling down) that is the day I'll know he's done. For my sake I hope to find him dead of natural causes curled up in his cardboard dog house. I can't bear the thought of being the one to take away his final breath by lethal injection. I've watched people die before; and that's terrible enough. I watched Joe's Golden Retriever; Al, be put down and that was devastating (poor Al). While I know euthanasia for animals is mostly a humane thing, it's still unnatural and it's bothersome.
I don't like being in this holding pattern of life and death. I certainly don't mean to compare animal life to human life as being on equal ground. While I have compassion and respect for animal life, I would choose a human life over an animal any day of the week.
I'm in the middle of typing and I just get a call from the nursing home where my Mom is. When I see the number on the caller ID I brace myself a bit, not knowing what I will hear when I pick up the phone. As long as I don't answer, everything is still ok. All that can change after I say "hello". This call wasn't about my Mom, it was about Joe's Mom. Dreama will be a new resident of the nursing home this afternoon. She had a stroke last week and is no longer able to live in the assisted living facility that she has lived in for upwards of 8 years (maybe more). The paperwork needs to be done for her admission. I am now pretty much an expert on elder care paperwork after stumbling through it with my Mom. I don't know if Dreama knows yet that she is going to be a permanent resident of the nursing home. She will not be happy (who would). She is a little more vocal about her feeling than my Mom, so I am a little scared. Not that I'm afraid of Dreama, I'm afraid that she will not do well. She is used to being around her friends and being social. She unfortunately will be more isolated at the nursing home especially since she cannot get around on her own. My Mom on the other hand actually did better when she went to the nursing home because she went from being isolated in her room at the assisted living place to having more people around all the time.
I don't really like this time of my life. It feels so unsettling. There is such a huge spectrum of issues and emotions; from birth to death.
I know what Bryan will say: "Mom, don't forget your sayings!" You're right Bryan. I will "Embrace The Journey" and take it one day at a time.
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Julie! I hope those kids of yours are taking care of you today. You deserve it. I hope you have a wonderful day, wish I could share it with you. I love you bunches! Eat some cake for me, I love me some cake.
Random Thoughts
Ever wish you could remove your face, put on your makeup and then put your face back on??? I do, it would be so much easier. Just wondered.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
To Do List
Gardening like a mad woman, trying to get a jump start on the season. I made myself a greenhouse over my raised bed garden. I used the flexible fiberglass tent poles as the frame and then covered it with clear plastic. I'll report on that later when I have it up and running.
I'm also Building a roost for the new chickens and getting the barn ready. The baby chicks will actually be in the basement for the first few weeks so I can regulate the temperature better. Anybody out there that is going to be raising chickens I have a tip for you. Don't pay $40 for the brooder starter packages that they advertise. It usually consists of a heat lamp and feeding items along with a piece of flexible cardboard to put around the area you will be keeping them to help keep the heat in. You can get heat lamps really cheap at TSC and even Walmart. You can also get the flexible cardboard at PakMail for .20 a foot. I got everything I needed for around $15.
Let's see...what else am I doing???? Oh yeah, I have to clean the chicken poop out of the garage, restain the playset, clean out the gutters, cut Bears hair, fix the fence I broke with the tire, blah blah blah.
Gotta go!
I'm also Building a roost for the new chickens and getting the barn ready. The baby chicks will actually be in the basement for the first few weeks so I can regulate the temperature better. Anybody out there that is going to be raising chickens I have a tip for you. Don't pay $40 for the brooder starter packages that they advertise. It usually consists of a heat lamp and feeding items along with a piece of flexible cardboard to put around the area you will be keeping them to help keep the heat in. You can get heat lamps really cheap at TSC and even Walmart. You can also get the flexible cardboard at PakMail for .20 a foot. I got everything I needed for around $15.
Let's see...what else am I doing???? Oh yeah, I have to clean the chicken poop out of the garage, restain the playset, clean out the gutters, cut Bears hair, fix the fence I broke with the tire, blah blah blah.
Gotta go!
Happy Birthday
I'm a week behind again! I can't help it...too much to do, so little time. I missed 2 birthday's!!! Brad Bingman and my Bryan's. Sorry guys!
Happy Birthday Brad! Wish I could have been in Colorado to share some of that pig with you. You can come labor day and make us a pig for our party. That would be awesome! I hope you had a wonderful Birthday! I'll see you in a month.
Bryan what can I say. You're my baby boy! I wasn't too concerned about blogging your Birthday since I was actually here and you were spoiled rotten over the entire weekend. 29 Already...WOW! I am very proud of you and I love you very much even though sometimes you are annoying and you are teaching it to your sons. Happy Birthday B!
Happy Birthday Brad! Wish I could have been in Colorado to share some of that pig with you. You can come labor day and make us a pig for our party. That would be awesome! I hope you had a wonderful Birthday! I'll see you in a month.
Bryan what can I say. You're my baby boy! I wasn't too concerned about blogging your Birthday since I was actually here and you were spoiled rotten over the entire weekend. 29 Already...WOW! I am very proud of you and I love you very much even though sometimes you are annoying and you are teaching it to your sons. Happy Birthday B!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Big Wheels Keep On Turnin.....
The surprise is over. I came home from Florida 2 weeks early and I didn't tell Bryan. He always tries to make me feel guilty for missing his birthday every year. Now he can't complain. I've been so busy since I've been back I'll probably forget his birthday. I'd never live that down.
I go from nothing to do in Florida to so much to do I don't know where to start. I've been cleaning out the barn; shoveling lots of chicken poop. I have to get ready for my new baby chicks that are coming in mid April. Then there is the yard and garden that needs started. Etc. etc. etc......
I have some tires that have just been sitting in the barn. With Brad's urging I have decided to try to sell them. I checked with a local tire dealer and apparently it will be worth my while to sell them. Since they have been in the barn the chickens have used them as a laying nest. I thought I'd better clean off the poop and straw before I put them on CraigsList.
In the process of getting the tires from the barn to the garage I invented a new game. It's called "Where will the damn tire go!" I rolled the first tire out of the barn and headed for the house. There is a little hill right outside the barn so the tire took to rolling a little faster. I thought: oh good, the tire will roll to the garage and I won't have to push it. No, not good. The hill is not smooth and neither is the ground so the tire took on a life of it's own. It's started rolling faster and faster and....there is a spot where the pasture fence is broken and the tire rolled right through there, into the pasture and disappeared (it's the pasture with all of the overgrown trees and brush). I stood there at the top of that little hill by the barn thinking: what the hell just happened??? I didn't run after it because I figure it would stop before it got to the fence. Remember Newton's laws of motion? "An object in motion will stay in motion unless an outside force acts upon it." By golly that is true! It took me 10 minutes to find that stupid tire; fighting overgrown thorny bushes the entire time. Once I found it I had to push it up hill through the thorny bushes and to the garage.
Three tires to go and I'm certainly not going to make that mistake again...or am I?
This time I pointed the tire more toward the garage thinking that if it got away from me it would be heading in the right direction. Wrong again. It started off in the same direction at a little different angle. This time I started chasing it. I pushed on the tire figuring it would fall over on it's side and therefore stop. All it did was wobble a little and keep on going. I pushed it 2 more times with the same effect. It was heading for the part of the fence that was not broken. Well, it wasn't broken, but it is now. The tire hit the fence with a loud CRACK! At least it stopped the tire.
Time for the third tire. By now I have figured out that I can't let the tire get any momentum at all by the hill. So, I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping it under control but it still starts to roll faster. I was bound and determined not to let this one get away, so as soon as it started to go faster I knocked it over. It still took me two tries to push it down. I got the forth tire to the garage uneventful.
Between shoveling poop and chasing tires I am exhausted. I did more today than I have in the last month. I was so tired this evening that I drove the car to the mailbox. I just couldn't bring myself to walk that far.
I should have no trouble sleeping tonight. I just hope I can get out of bed in the morning.
I go from nothing to do in Florida to so much to do I don't know where to start. I've been cleaning out the barn; shoveling lots of chicken poop. I have to get ready for my new baby chicks that are coming in mid April. Then there is the yard and garden that needs started. Etc. etc. etc......
I have some tires that have just been sitting in the barn. With Brad's urging I have decided to try to sell them. I checked with a local tire dealer and apparently it will be worth my while to sell them. Since they have been in the barn the chickens have used them as a laying nest. I thought I'd better clean off the poop and straw before I put them on CraigsList.
In the process of getting the tires from the barn to the garage I invented a new game. It's called "Where will the damn tire go!" I rolled the first tire out of the barn and headed for the house. There is a little hill right outside the barn so the tire took to rolling a little faster. I thought: oh good, the tire will roll to the garage and I won't have to push it. No, not good. The hill is not smooth and neither is the ground so the tire took on a life of it's own. It's started rolling faster and faster and....there is a spot where the pasture fence is broken and the tire rolled right through there, into the pasture and disappeared (it's the pasture with all of the overgrown trees and brush). I stood there at the top of that little hill by the barn thinking: what the hell just happened??? I didn't run after it because I figure it would stop before it got to the fence. Remember Newton's laws of motion? "An object in motion will stay in motion unless an outside force acts upon it." By golly that is true! It took me 10 minutes to find that stupid tire; fighting overgrown thorny bushes the entire time. Once I found it I had to push it up hill through the thorny bushes and to the garage.
Three tires to go and I'm certainly not going to make that mistake again...or am I?
This time I pointed the tire more toward the garage thinking that if it got away from me it would be heading in the right direction. Wrong again. It started off in the same direction at a little different angle. This time I started chasing it. I pushed on the tire figuring it would fall over on it's side and therefore stop. All it did was wobble a little and keep on going. I pushed it 2 more times with the same effect. It was heading for the part of the fence that was not broken. Well, it wasn't broken, but it is now. The tire hit the fence with a loud CRACK! At least it stopped the tire.
Time for the third tire. By now I have figured out that I can't let the tire get any momentum at all by the hill. So, I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping it under control but it still starts to roll faster. I was bound and determined not to let this one get away, so as soon as it started to go faster I knocked it over. It still took me two tries to push it down. I got the forth tire to the garage uneventful.
Between shoveling poop and chasing tires I am exhausted. I did more today than I have in the last month. I was so tired this evening that I drove the car to the mailbox. I just couldn't bring myself to walk that far.
I should have no trouble sleeping tonight. I just hope I can get out of bed in the morning.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
It Will Never Change
I had a hard time getting to sleep again last night. No, it wasn't because of the bed. It's because of Sandra Bullock. I feel so bad for her! She seems so open and genuine that I feel like I know her. She's the type of woman I would love to have as a best friend. What was her husband thinking?????? If you saw the Oscars, she made the most touching acceptance speech; talking about how her husband has her back. They showed Jesse and he had tears in his eyes. At the time I thought they were tears of love and devotion. It turns out they were tears of: "Oh shit I am in such trouble."
I do give him credit for admitting his mistake right off. It's the people that deny, deny, deny (like John Edwards) that I have the most disdain for. It's humiliating enough for the spouse in the first place and continuing to lie prolongs the agony.
This is for all of the famous people that cheat and think they can get away with it: "REALLY!!!!!" First of all, be a little more particular in your choices. Slutty down on their luck models and waitresses will do anything to make money, including sell you out. You would think that would be common sense, but apparently not.
Normally I don't care what you celebrity types do, but don't mess with Sandra Bullock.
I do give him credit for admitting his mistake right off. It's the people that deny, deny, deny (like John Edwards) that I have the most disdain for. It's humiliating enough for the spouse in the first place and continuing to lie prolongs the agony.
This is for all of the famous people that cheat and think they can get away with it: "REALLY!!!!!" First of all, be a little more particular in your choices. Slutty down on their luck models and waitresses will do anything to make money, including sell you out. You would think that would be common sense, but apparently not.
Normally I don't care what you celebrity types do, but don't mess with Sandra Bullock.
Do What You Gotta Do For The Sake Of Sleep
I have evil drapes and they may be ruining my marriage.
I bought some drapes for the windows in the bedroom at the condo. Previously there was nothing there. I liked the view and it was nice to wake up and have the ocean be the first thing I laid my eyes on in the morning. Joe, however; was disturbed by the fact that as soon as the sun came up he would wake up. Being the ever subservient and dutiful wife that I am, I bought some drapes so Joe might be able to sleep a little later in the morning.
Since I have installed the drapes I have not been able to sleep, averaging only two to three hours over each of the last three nights. I am convinced that the drapes are to blame. It could have something to do with the size of the bed and my fluctuating body temperature as well, but it's easier to blame the drapes.
When we first bought the condo and needed a bed, we figured since we weren't down here that much we would buy a queen size bed and save some money. We are used to a king size. That was a big mistake. Between me, Joe and the dog we barely fit. It doesn't help that I am now having a harder time controlling my body temperature (yes it's menopause ass holes). Joe puts off enough body heat to make a family of three comfortable. It's like sleeping next to an oven set at 400 degrees with the door open.
So, it's finally happened. We have become that couple. You know, the couple that everyone feels sorry for because they are sleeping in separate beds. The couple that you assume must have major problems if they don't even sleep in the same bed. I finally get it. While I'm sure the aforementioned may be true in some cases, more than likely the couple are in that situation for practical reasons. There is nothing worse than sleep deprivation. Having a grumpy sleep deprived spouse is no way to live.
We slept apart last night and.......we both slept like babies. Well maybe not babies. We slept like a man having to get up and go to the bathroom every two hours and a woman with hot flashes having to put the cover on or off every two hours. So, for us we slept well!
I assume that once we get home to our king size bed everything will go back to normal. For now we will be apart for the sake of sleep.
"Good night Joe". "Good night Patti". "Good night Ellie". "Good night John Boy." "Who?" "Never mind, go to sleep."
I bought some drapes for the windows in the bedroom at the condo. Previously there was nothing there. I liked the view and it was nice to wake up and have the ocean be the first thing I laid my eyes on in the morning. Joe, however; was disturbed by the fact that as soon as the sun came up he would wake up. Being the ever subservient and dutiful wife that I am, I bought some drapes so Joe might be able to sleep a little later in the morning.
Since I have installed the drapes I have not been able to sleep, averaging only two to three hours over each of the last three nights. I am convinced that the drapes are to blame. It could have something to do with the size of the bed and my fluctuating body temperature as well, but it's easier to blame the drapes.
When we first bought the condo and needed a bed, we figured since we weren't down here that much we would buy a queen size bed and save some money. We are used to a king size. That was a big mistake. Between me, Joe and the dog we barely fit. It doesn't help that I am now having a harder time controlling my body temperature (yes it's menopause ass holes). Joe puts off enough body heat to make a family of three comfortable. It's like sleeping next to an oven set at 400 degrees with the door open.
So, it's finally happened. We have become that couple. You know, the couple that everyone feels sorry for because they are sleeping in separate beds. The couple that you assume must have major problems if they don't even sleep in the same bed. I finally get it. While I'm sure the aforementioned may be true in some cases, more than likely the couple are in that situation for practical reasons. There is nothing worse than sleep deprivation. Having a grumpy sleep deprived spouse is no way to live.
We slept apart last night and.......we both slept like babies. Well maybe not babies. We slept like a man having to get up and go to the bathroom every two hours and a woman with hot flashes having to put the cover on or off every two hours. So, for us we slept well!
I assume that once we get home to our king size bed everything will go back to normal. For now we will be apart for the sake of sleep.
"Good night Joe". "Good night Patti". "Good night Ellie". "Good night John Boy." "Who?" "Never mind, go to sleep."
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I Need Me Some Eggs
These last two weeks can't go by fast enough. I hate to wish my life away, but I need to get home. Yah, I miss everyone terribly but what I really miss are my eggs. Yes, my eggs from my chickens.
I remember when I first tried fresh eggs from a friends chickens, I couldn't eat them. Part of the problem from those eggs was that they were from Araucana chickens which lay blue eggs. In addition, whatever they fed them turned their yolks an almost neon yellow. They just seemed a little unnatural. So when I decided to raise chickens of my own I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to eat their eggs. That worry didn't last long when I tried them. It is amazing to me how much better they taste than store bought eggs.
I brought some of my girls eggs to Florida with me, but they are now gone. I actually had to buy old white eggs from the grocery. When I say old, I mean old. Grocery store eggs are probably already four weeks old by the time they are purchased by the consumer and most of their flavor is gone. I had one egg from my chickens left and the store bought eggs. I cooked them side by side. Their was no comparison. The funny thing now is that it grosses me out to eat the store bought eggs now that I know more about them and have had fresh eggs.
I'm only kidding about missing my eggs more than my family. The egg shortage is no where near the creamer fiasco which was close to a matter of life and death. If you don't know what I'm talking about with the creamer thing, then you haven't been following my blog. My blog is like a TV show; you have to read every post or you won't be able to follow the convoluted story line of randomness.
Any who.... I'm missing my girls and their ova.
I remember when I first tried fresh eggs from a friends chickens, I couldn't eat them. Part of the problem from those eggs was that they were from Araucana chickens which lay blue eggs. In addition, whatever they fed them turned their yolks an almost neon yellow. They just seemed a little unnatural. So when I decided to raise chickens of my own I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to eat their eggs. That worry didn't last long when I tried them. It is amazing to me how much better they taste than store bought eggs.
I brought some of my girls eggs to Florida with me, but they are now gone. I actually had to buy old white eggs from the grocery. When I say old, I mean old. Grocery store eggs are probably already four weeks old by the time they are purchased by the consumer and most of their flavor is gone. I had one egg from my chickens left and the store bought eggs. I cooked them side by side. Their was no comparison. The funny thing now is that it grosses me out to eat the store bought eggs now that I know more about them and have had fresh eggs.
I'm only kidding about missing my eggs more than my family. The egg shortage is no where near the creamer fiasco which was close to a matter of life and death. If you don't know what I'm talking about with the creamer thing, then you haven't been following my blog. My blog is like a TV show; you have to read every post or you won't be able to follow the convoluted story line of randomness.
Any who.... I'm missing my girls and their ova.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy Anniversary
10 years, TEN YEARS, X years,IIIIIIIIII YEARS. Joe has actually put up with me for 10 years of marriage. Honestly, they have been 10 pretty easy years relatively free of conflict and turmoil. Anyone that says their marriage is perfect is a big fat liar, but as far as marriage goes mine is pretty perfect for me. Joe knows how not to push my buttons. That is a good skill to have since once my button is pushed it's hard to shut it off. I will definitely admit that I am the more emotional of the two of us. Joe tends to keep things in, but when he does blow it's not a pretty sight. Since most people have never seen that side of him it's kind of shocking if they happen to witness it. I find it a little funny because he's not very good at being mad. His normal demeanor and being mad just don't go together. It's like watching a newborn calf walk for the first time.
Joe and I met when I started working at the Rehab Hospital right after I graduated from nursing school. He would do rounds at the hospital and he was always so nice to me and and all of the staff (not like a lot of the doctors that think they are above everyone). Whenever he showed up I always tried to make sure I made myself available in case he needed anything. We bonded one day discussing some patients scrotum. (To some people that may seem weird, but to medical people it's totally a normal conversation).
One day I was at my med cart with a couple of other nurses. Joe was alone in the dictation room. I told my fellow nurses I was going to ask him out. None of us knew if he was married or not. I tried to do research but apparently Joe was a pretty private person because no one seemed to have any scoop. I got up my nerve and walked straight in to the dictation room. I asked him out, he gave me his answer, I went back to my med cart. My fellow nurses stood there with mouths open; not believing I really did it. "What did he say????" "He said no." "Oh my gosh, really?" "He said he was flattered but he has a girlfriend."
I was disappointed, but I thought it was really noble of him to not betray his girlfriend. It was also liberating to be the one asking for a date instead of the one only going out with the idiots that were asking me. I had recently dated a guy that I ended up having to get a restraining order on. Obviously the story does not end there.
I started dating a guy that I knew from high school. I think I figured he would be safe since I'd known him a long time. They used to call him "lyin Brian". I knew about that nickname, but for some reason I ignored the implications. He truly was the biggest liar that I had ever met. He would lie about stuff that didn't even need to be lied about. In the beginning I ignored it. I knew in the back of my mind that this guy was bad for me, but I hung in there for 10 months. Thank God I had the strength and sense to kick him to the curb. During those 10 months I had switched jobs and was now working at Parkview in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care.
I didn't have the opportunity to see Joe anymore since I now worked on the other side of town and honestly I hadn't really thought about it anymore. One day I was in a room with a patient and I see Joe walk by the door. I called out to him, but he didn't hear me (little did I know that him not hearing me would become a pattern). I came out of the room and hollered at him down the hall. He and everyone else heard me and he turned around. We chatted for a moment and he says: "remember a while back you asked me out?" "Yah". "Are you still interested?" "Sure." I gave him my phone number.
Two weeks later he finally calls me (knowing him now, I am sure he over thought that decision for those two weeks. He doesn't do things spur of the moment). We finally went on our first date (which discussing it with Joe now, neither of us remember. We're pretty sure that it was dinner and a movie). When he came to my house to pick me up Amanda answered the door. Amanda would have been about 14. She came upstairs to get me and says: "there is a grandpa at the door." Hilarious! The rest is history.
I found out later that he was actually looking for me at Parkview that day. It wasn't a chance meeting. That sly dog!
So Happy Anniversary to us! And here's to many more, CHEERS!
Joe and I met when I started working at the Rehab Hospital right after I graduated from nursing school. He would do rounds at the hospital and he was always so nice to me and and all of the staff (not like a lot of the doctors that think they are above everyone). Whenever he showed up I always tried to make sure I made myself available in case he needed anything. We bonded one day discussing some patients scrotum. (To some people that may seem weird, but to medical people it's totally a normal conversation).
One day I was at my med cart with a couple of other nurses. Joe was alone in the dictation room. I told my fellow nurses I was going to ask him out. None of us knew if he was married or not. I tried to do research but apparently Joe was a pretty private person because no one seemed to have any scoop. I got up my nerve and walked straight in to the dictation room. I asked him out, he gave me his answer, I went back to my med cart. My fellow nurses stood there with mouths open; not believing I really did it. "What did he say????" "He said no." "Oh my gosh, really?" "He said he was flattered but he has a girlfriend."
I was disappointed, but I thought it was really noble of him to not betray his girlfriend. It was also liberating to be the one asking for a date instead of the one only going out with the idiots that were asking me. I had recently dated a guy that I ended up having to get a restraining order on. Obviously the story does not end there.
I started dating a guy that I knew from high school. I think I figured he would be safe since I'd known him a long time. They used to call him "lyin Brian". I knew about that nickname, but for some reason I ignored the implications. He truly was the biggest liar that I had ever met. He would lie about stuff that didn't even need to be lied about. In the beginning I ignored it. I knew in the back of my mind that this guy was bad for me, but I hung in there for 10 months. Thank God I had the strength and sense to kick him to the curb. During those 10 months I had switched jobs and was now working at Parkview in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care.
I didn't have the opportunity to see Joe anymore since I now worked on the other side of town and honestly I hadn't really thought about it anymore. One day I was in a room with a patient and I see Joe walk by the door. I called out to him, but he didn't hear me (little did I know that him not hearing me would become a pattern). I came out of the room and hollered at him down the hall. He and everyone else heard me and he turned around. We chatted for a moment and he says: "remember a while back you asked me out?" "Yah". "Are you still interested?" "Sure." I gave him my phone number.
Two weeks later he finally calls me (knowing him now, I am sure he over thought that decision for those two weeks. He doesn't do things spur of the moment). We finally went on our first date (which discussing it with Joe now, neither of us remember. We're pretty sure that it was dinner and a movie). When he came to my house to pick me up Amanda answered the door. Amanda would have been about 14. She came upstairs to get me and says: "there is a grandpa at the door." Hilarious! The rest is history.
I found out later that he was actually looking for me at Parkview that day. It wasn't a chance meeting. That sly dog!
So Happy Anniversary to us! And here's to many more, CHEERS!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Shells
Joe and I took an evening walk and picked up some shell on the beach. I brought them back and put them in a cup of water to soak awhile and clean them up. A few hours later I rinsed them and put them on the counter to drain. That night I happened to glace at the shells and I noticed that one of the shells was about a foot away from the rest of the shells. I notice the little wet trail and then I see the antennas. IT'S ALIVE!!!
I had grabbed a shell that still had a creature in it. It's easy to tell if you have a normal size shell whether or not there is an animal in it. The shells on our beach are teeny tiny (pea size and smaller) so it's not as easy to tell.
I couldn't let the little guy die, so I put on my robe, grabbed the flash light and headed for the beach. The tide was out so I had to find a moist area to put him in. Do you know how dark it is on the beach at night?? It's darker than dark. It's can't see your hand in front of your face dark! It's run as fast as you can back to the condo dark! I hope little snail dude appreciates this.
These are some shells I have collected. They are all the same kind of shell just different sizes. I love the teeny ones!
I had grabbed a shell that still had a creature in it. It's easy to tell if you have a normal size shell whether or not there is an animal in it. The shells on our beach are teeny tiny (pea size and smaller) so it's not as easy to tell.
I couldn't let the little guy die, so I put on my robe, grabbed the flash light and headed for the beach. The tide was out so I had to find a moist area to put him in. Do you know how dark it is on the beach at night?? It's darker than dark. It's can't see your hand in front of your face dark! It's run as fast as you can back to the condo dark! I hope little snail dude appreciates this.
These are some shells I have collected. They are all the same kind of shell just different sizes. I love the teeny ones!
I Should Have Left It Alone
Addendum to yesterday's post.
I decided I needed to finish at least some of the chores I started. I finished sweeping the carpet and the tile.
(Side note: Do not under any circumstances install white or beige or any light colored tile flooring. Unless of course you like sweeping or if you have a maid. It shows every hair and every crumb. I hate it!) back to the story....
I thought I should tackle the light fixture in the kitchen that I ignored before. The light fixture is actually florescent tube lights that are covered by a drop ceiling with semi transparent plastic tiles. I have installed a drop ceiling before so I know how it works. I figured this would be a piece of cake. I removed the tiles with no problem and cleaned them.
(Another side note: I have to sweep the floor again since everything that was on top of the tiles fell on the floor. Poor planning on my part.)
So I am attempting to put the tiles back and I get one tile in ok. I start to put in the second tile and everything fell down on my head; track and all. I got the track put back together and reinstalled and began putting the tiles back in again. This time everything fell down on my head and one of the plastic tiles broke. Perfect! Another attempt.....fell down again. On my last attempt I had three of the four tiles in and again everything fell down and another tile broke. I give up!!!!!
Now I have to drive 80 miles round trip to visit a Lowes to buy two pieces of $2 tiles. I could go to Home Depot which would shave off about 10 miles of my trip, but they pissed me off once so I refuse to shop there.
You've heard of the sayings: "let sleeping dogs lie", Leave well enough alone, If it's not broke don't fix it, and Don't a poke a skunk. Those pretty much sum up what I should have done (or not done) in regards to the ceiling tiles.
I decided I needed to finish at least some of the chores I started. I finished sweeping the carpet and the tile.
(Side note: Do not under any circumstances install white or beige or any light colored tile flooring. Unless of course you like sweeping or if you have a maid. It shows every hair and every crumb. I hate it!) back to the story....
I thought I should tackle the light fixture in the kitchen that I ignored before. The light fixture is actually florescent tube lights that are covered by a drop ceiling with semi transparent plastic tiles. I have installed a drop ceiling before so I know how it works. I figured this would be a piece of cake. I removed the tiles with no problem and cleaned them.
(Another side note: I have to sweep the floor again since everything that was on top of the tiles fell on the floor. Poor planning on my part.)
So I am attempting to put the tiles back and I get one tile in ok. I start to put in the second tile and everything fell down on my head; track and all. I got the track put back together and reinstalled and began putting the tiles back in again. This time everything fell down on my head and one of the plastic tiles broke. Perfect! Another attempt.....fell down again. On my last attempt I had three of the four tiles in and again everything fell down and another tile broke. I give up!!!!!
Now I have to drive 80 miles round trip to visit a Lowes to buy two pieces of $2 tiles. I could go to Home Depot which would shave off about 10 miles of my trip, but they pissed me off once so I refuse to shop there.
You've heard of the sayings: "let sleeping dogs lie", Leave well enough alone, If it's not broke don't fix it, and Don't a poke a skunk. Those pretty much sum up what I should have done (or not done) in regards to the ceiling tiles.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Inside My Head
I noticed that my crochet stuff was all a mess on the floor, so I decided I would straighten it up. I started straightening and noticed the flowers I had crocheted last night. I stopped straightening and started to match buttons to my flowers to see what looked good. Couldn't pick a button, but decided that I needed a hat pattern to crochet that the flowers would look good on, so I went to the Internet. Before looking for patterns I checked my email and Facebook. I figured I would check on the hat pattern later. I pick up some of the trash that I gathered from my crochet area and went to throw it away. I saw that a pan on the stove needed washed so I put down the trash (on the counter) and took the pan to the sink. I saw that the counter was dirty so I started washing it and decided that there is too much stuff sitting around so I started to put things in cupboards and I noticed that there are finger prints all over the cupboard doors. I proceed to wipe them down. I look up and see bugs in the light fixture and I decide I am going to clean out the bugs. My mind suddenly switches to the fact that I could paint the cupboards. Maybe not completely, but I could put designs on them. Maybe even paint one door with chalk board paint. I go back to organizing and I find a cookbook. I spend probably 5 minutes looking up recipes. I wipe off the bookshelf and take the talking parrot that normally sits on top and I take it outside to the deck. I play with it for awhile. Then I just sit and look out at the water. I remember I was cleaning. I start to vacuum. I get the carpets halfway done when I think of an idea for my blog. I decide that instead of forgetting it I would type it right then.
After spending approximately one hour on the computer blogging about Windows 7 and googling whether or not I was the only one that thought that about Microsoft commercials (FYI I'm not the only one) and looking up everything that popped into my head...... I never finished cleaning up my crochet, never got a hat pattern, forgot to put the trash in the trash can and never even attempted to clean the bugs from the light. The cupboards are half clean as is the floor and the pan is still in the sink. Over the coarse of two hours I never really accomplished anything except write my blog.
Can you spell ADHD.
After spending approximately one hour on the computer blogging about Windows 7 and googling whether or not I was the only one that thought that about Microsoft commercials (FYI I'm not the only one) and looking up everything that popped into my head...... I never finished cleaning up my crochet, never got a hat pattern, forgot to put the trash in the trash can and never even attempted to clean the bugs from the light. The cupboards are half clean as is the floor and the pan is still in the sink. Over the coarse of two hours I never really accomplished anything except write my blog.
Can you spell ADHD.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wondering About What Doesn't Matter
Do you ever spend way too much time wondering about things that don't matter one little bit?
I want to know something about the Microsoft Windows 7 commercial. They have all of these people taking credit for inventing Windows 7, and they show flashbacks of when they came up with the idea. Why are the people in the flashbacks different looking than the actual people? Are they the same people with more makeup or are they different people all together? If they are different people, then why? It makes no sense to me.
Here is one more thing that perplexes me: How come sometimes my pen works when I write in my check register and sometimes it doesn't. (It's not the pen either because it will write on other paper, just not the checkbook register.)
I want to know something about the Microsoft Windows 7 commercial. They have all of these people taking credit for inventing Windows 7, and they show flashbacks of when they came up with the idea. Why are the people in the flashbacks different looking than the actual people? Are they the same people with more makeup or are they different people all together? If they are different people, then why? It makes no sense to me.
Here is one more thing that perplexes me: How come sometimes my pen works when I write in my check register and sometimes it doesn't. (It's not the pen either because it will write on other paper, just not the checkbook register.)
The Theme Is.....Random
I think my Internet connection works or doesn't work based on the weather. I know it sound weird, but yesterday it was really really windy and the connection was slow and sometimes wouldn't even connect. The weather today is calm and it works like normal. It's a total wireless connection so maybe there is some truth to that. I'm going to take advantage of it while I can.
As I participate in my everyday life, things come up and I think: "ooh I'm going to have to blog about that". I forget a lot of stories by the time I'm sitting in front of my computer ready to type. My blogging life has now seeped into my dreams. I was dreaming last night, and in my dream I remember saying that I needed to blog about the events that had just happened. True to real life I don't remember what I was dreaming about that I needed to blog about.
Blogging has become a little more difficult for me. I feel a responsibility to produce interesting,funny, emotional and poignant blogs to entertain my three readers. Problem is, my life is not always interesting and funny or poignant. Sometimes I start writing something and quit halfway through because it doesn't seem like something anyone would want to read.
I blog under the assumption that I should have a blog theme. Entries that pertain to a certain subject. I think that's is what makes it difficult. In my mind I try to put things in a well defined box, but my blog is not about one thing. It's totally random. Like me! Light bulb moment.....That is my theme: random.
I feel so much better. I have a theme. My first blog two years ago addressed the question of a theme, now two years later it is finally defined. This may be confusing to some people but in my mind it makes total sense. I have continued direction for my blog. I was running out of energy and now I have renewed energy.
In a nut shell; you never know what you are going to get. It may be funny or it may be totally stupid. It may be an entire page, or it may be one sentence.
So you see, writing this blog now makes it ok for me to write something completely lame and it won't matter because now you know what you are getting in to, and you are reading of your own free will.
You have been warned.
As I participate in my everyday life, things come up and I think: "ooh I'm going to have to blog about that". I forget a lot of stories by the time I'm sitting in front of my computer ready to type. My blogging life has now seeped into my dreams. I was dreaming last night, and in my dream I remember saying that I needed to blog about the events that had just happened. True to real life I don't remember what I was dreaming about that I needed to blog about.
Blogging has become a little more difficult for me. I feel a responsibility to produce interesting,funny, emotional and poignant blogs to entertain my three readers. Problem is, my life is not always interesting and funny or poignant. Sometimes I start writing something and quit halfway through because it doesn't seem like something anyone would want to read.
I blog under the assumption that I should have a blog theme. Entries that pertain to a certain subject. I think that's is what makes it difficult. In my mind I try to put things in a well defined box, but my blog is not about one thing. It's totally random. Like me! Light bulb moment.....That is my theme: random.
I feel so much better. I have a theme. My first blog two years ago addressed the question of a theme, now two years later it is finally defined. This may be confusing to some people but in my mind it makes total sense. I have continued direction for my blog. I was running out of energy and now I have renewed energy.
In a nut shell; you never know what you are going to get. It may be funny or it may be totally stupid. It may be an entire page, or it may be one sentence.
So you see, writing this blog now makes it ok for me to write something completely lame and it won't matter because now you know what you are getting in to, and you are reading of your own free will.
You have been warned.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Happy Belated Birthday
During my month long blogging dry spell, I missed two birthdays. Karl and Lorrie. Sorry about that guys! So this is your belated Happy Birthday wish.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Happy Birthday
Today is Connor, Addison and Harrison's birthday. 4 years old! Hard to believe. You can talk about them all together (which one has a tendency to do since they are triplets); however, they are very individual and unique. Separate, their little personalities evolve. Together, they are a force of nature like a tornado that picks up energy as it goes along. So much fun to be around! I Love you sooooo much guys! Have a wonderful birthday! I can't wait to see you.
Not The Worst Thing You Could Eat
I am not a bad Grandma! I would never do anything dangerous or unhealthy to or around my grandchildren (If you don't count the time Bryan and I let Julian be the first to try out the go cart and he ran into the wire fence.) Actually since Bryan was there it was technically his call and therefore his fault (I'm just saying).
This brings me to recent events involving dog food and Jaxon. First of all I did not offer Jax the dog food. I'm not even sure why he thought to try it in the first place. I think he may have been watching Ellie eat and figured maybe he would try it too. I saw him take a piece and chew it. I figured that would be the end of it. Not so, next thing I knew he had a handful and was eating it like popcorn. I asked him if it was good and he enthusiastically says: "YEAH!"
Now, I understand that most people would take the dog food away from him and tell him not to eat it. We have already established that I am not like most people, so I was weighing my options. It's not like he's eating glass. The dog food is healthier than most food kids generally eat. Plus it was Science Diet small bite dog food so he wouldn't be likely to choke on the pieces. Then I had to think about what if he goes to some one's house and sees the dog food bowl and says: "Oooh that looks like Science Diet mind if I have some?" That could be embarrassing for Amanda and Brad (but incredibly funny). Then there is the possibility that he tells everyone that Nanu lets him eat dog food. It could ruin my reputation. Wait...who am I kidding, reputation be damned, that would be hilarious. There was only one real downside to his eating the dog food. He would have to contend with Ellie.
Sure enough, I'm in the other room and I hear Ellie growl and Jax say: "ouch!" What followed was a conversation that I never thought I would be having.... "What happened?" "Ellie bit me!" "Were you eating her food?" "yeah". "dogs don't like it when you bother them while they are eating." "I was eating it and she just bit me". "It's her bowl, I'll get you a bowl of your own." "Yah!" I made up the last sentence I didn't really get him his own bowl. I just let him eat out of the dog food container. No, I didn't do that either but I wanted to. Actually maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I'm not saying.
As far as I can tell he suffered no ill effects from eating the dog food; however, when I called the other day I could hear him howling in the background. Amanda said he was pretending he was a coyote. I swear I never fed him a live animal so I am not responsible for the coyote tendencies.
Just to put every one's mind at ease I copied the dog food ingredients directly from the Science Diet website. Compare that to the ingredients on the fruit snacks label and see which one is worse.
Chicken
Brown Rice
Whole Grain Wheat
Cracked Pearled Barley
Soybean Meal
Chicken Meal
Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid)
Dried Egg Product
Natural Flavor
Whole Grain Oats
Remaining Ingredients
Apples, Cranberries, Soybean Oil, Peas, Carrots, Dried Beet Pulp, Iodized Salt, Flaxseed, Broccoli, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract
This brings me to recent events involving dog food and Jaxon. First of all I did not offer Jax the dog food. I'm not even sure why he thought to try it in the first place. I think he may have been watching Ellie eat and figured maybe he would try it too. I saw him take a piece and chew it. I figured that would be the end of it. Not so, next thing I knew he had a handful and was eating it like popcorn. I asked him if it was good and he enthusiastically says: "YEAH!"
Now, I understand that most people would take the dog food away from him and tell him not to eat it. We have already established that I am not like most people, so I was weighing my options. It's not like he's eating glass. The dog food is healthier than most food kids generally eat. Plus it was Science Diet small bite dog food so he wouldn't be likely to choke on the pieces. Then I had to think about what if he goes to some one's house and sees the dog food bowl and says: "Oooh that looks like Science Diet mind if I have some?" That could be embarrassing for Amanda and Brad (but incredibly funny). Then there is the possibility that he tells everyone that Nanu lets him eat dog food. It could ruin my reputation. Wait...who am I kidding, reputation be damned, that would be hilarious. There was only one real downside to his eating the dog food. He would have to contend with Ellie.
Sure enough, I'm in the other room and I hear Ellie growl and Jax say: "ouch!" What followed was a conversation that I never thought I would be having.... "What happened?" "Ellie bit me!" "Were you eating her food?" "yeah". "dogs don't like it when you bother them while they are eating." "I was eating it and she just bit me". "It's her bowl, I'll get you a bowl of your own." "Yah!" I made up the last sentence I didn't really get him his own bowl. I just let him eat out of the dog food container. No, I didn't do that either but I wanted to. Actually maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I'm not saying.
As far as I can tell he suffered no ill effects from eating the dog food; however, when I called the other day I could hear him howling in the background. Amanda said he was pretending he was a coyote. I swear I never fed him a live animal so I am not responsible for the coyote tendencies.
Just to put every one's mind at ease I copied the dog food ingredients directly from the Science Diet website. Compare that to the ingredients on the fruit snacks label and see which one is worse.
Chicken
Brown Rice
Whole Grain Wheat
Cracked Pearled Barley
Soybean Meal
Chicken Meal
Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid)
Dried Egg Product
Natural Flavor
Whole Grain Oats
Remaining Ingredients
Apples, Cranberries, Soybean Oil, Peas, Carrots, Dried Beet Pulp, Iodized Salt, Flaxseed, Broccoli, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I Lost My Pants
Don't fret, my pants were lost only for a little while. There was some drama on the high seas the other day. I was taking my afternoon excursion to the beach and marina when I happened upon two guys and a girl visibly wet and the two guys had no shirts on. Under normal circumstances this would not be that abnormal; however, it was only 40 degrees and extremely windy. Other people were hanging around helping put a canoe on shore. I thought I would stick around and eavesdrop to see if I could find out what was going on. I didn't have to eavesdrop very hard because there was a guy on his boat on a cell phone talking loudly about how he rescued some capsized canoers and some were still missing. That explained the wet and shirtless people. I went up to them to find out what happened and if they needed anything. They told me their story of how they started out from Everglade National Park in Everglade City and were heading to Pavilion Island to camp overnight. The waves got really big and capsized their boat. They lost all of their supplies and none of them were wearing life jackets. There were six other people with them but they had no idea where they were. They were in three other canoes. One of the guys was telling me his tale and how at one point he was "done". They didn't speak very good English so I had a little trouble following them. I realized that by "done", he meant dead or at least almost. Luckily someone out fishing found them and brought them in.
First of all I can't believe that the National Park would rent canoes to them and give them a permit to camp when the weather was so bad. It was so windy that the bay in front of our condo had waves. If there was waves in the bay, then the Gulf must have been terrible. Secondly, what part of "life" jacket don't you get. Yes, life jackets can be cumbersome and a pain to wear, but you damn well better believe if I was in a canoe in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico I would be wearing one. Hell, I wore mine in two feet of water on my little kayak adventure. If I fall out of my boat, I want to be alive when the sea monster comes to eat me. In my conversation with the trio it became very evident that what they needed was something to keep them warm. I figured that out from looking at their blue lips. I went home and got them some blankets. Blankets won't make you that warm when your clothes are wet so back I went to look for something for them to wear. Joe and I don't keep a lot of clothes down here so we didn't have much to choose from. I had to give up my favorite orange sweats and Joe gave up his favorite fuzzy pants. That was ok though because we were helping out our fellow man.
The rest of their party was located unharmed and they were all reunited about 6 hours after the beginning of their ordeal. I went back to check on them before they left and told them I was glad they were all ok and not to worry about the clothes. What was I gonna say? "Can you please strip and put on your wet clothes so Joe can have his favorite fuzzy pants back". I assured Joe that I would buy him some new favorite fuzzy pants.
The next day later in the afternoon, we came home to our blankets and clothes neatly folded by our door. That was sweet! They made a special trip back here just to bring us our old ratty clothes and blankets. What a happy ending. Everyone survived and Joe got his fuzzy pants back. It's a Chokoloskee miracle.
First of all I can't believe that the National Park would rent canoes to them and give them a permit to camp when the weather was so bad. It was so windy that the bay in front of our condo had waves. If there was waves in the bay, then the Gulf must have been terrible. Secondly, what part of "life" jacket don't you get. Yes, life jackets can be cumbersome and a pain to wear, but you damn well better believe if I was in a canoe in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico I would be wearing one. Hell, I wore mine in two feet of water on my little kayak adventure. If I fall out of my boat, I want to be alive when the sea monster comes to eat me. In my conversation with the trio it became very evident that what they needed was something to keep them warm. I figured that out from looking at their blue lips. I went home and got them some blankets. Blankets won't make you that warm when your clothes are wet so back I went to look for something for them to wear. Joe and I don't keep a lot of clothes down here so we didn't have much to choose from. I had to give up my favorite orange sweats and Joe gave up his favorite fuzzy pants. That was ok though because we were helping out our fellow man.
The rest of their party was located unharmed and they were all reunited about 6 hours after the beginning of their ordeal. I went back to check on them before they left and told them I was glad they were all ok and not to worry about the clothes. What was I gonna say? "Can you please strip and put on your wet clothes so Joe can have his favorite fuzzy pants back". I assured Joe that I would buy him some new favorite fuzzy pants.
The next day later in the afternoon, we came home to our blankets and clothes neatly folded by our door. That was sweet! They made a special trip back here just to bring us our old ratty clothes and blankets. What a happy ending. Everyone survived and Joe got his fuzzy pants back. It's a Chokoloskee miracle.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Happy Blogaversary
How appropriate for me to start blogging again today. Today is my 2nd year blogaversary.
Going Up? Maybe Not
Apparently my three loyal followers are upset with my lack of blogging. It's nice to know that I am missed, or at least my rantings are missed. I get in a funk about this time every year and I just don't have anything to say. I really think it's because I get homesick. Who would have thought that a loner like me would miss being around my family (even Sarah!). Just kidding Sarah. I haven't teased you in awhile so I just had to throw that in.
The weather here in Florida has sucked! That makes the isolation even worse. Today is the first day since we've gotten back that the weather has been normal. It's funny how my mood can be so influenced by weather.
Today I have been doing repairs. There is always something that is broken or not working every time we come down here. There was some kind of leak causing the ceiling in the hall to be discolored. I finally figured out that it was the upstairs bathtub spigot. The caulk was deteriorated and so the water was getting into the wall behind the shower. So, I caulked the spigot. While I had the caulk out, I caulked around the sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms and where ever else it looked like it needed caulk. Joe was out kayaking so he didn't get caulked.
My biggest complaint regarding the condo is the elevator. It sounds so pretentious to say you have an elevator in your house. Well, let me tell you there is nothing pretentious about it. It is a royal pain in my ass! It has never worked properly. We have put an obscene amount of money into repairs all for nothing. Joe is still determined that he is going to get it fixed. I would love to just have it taken out. I could even make it into a storage area. Anything but an elevator. Besides....really??? an elevator for one flight of stairs. How ridiculous! The few times it has worked, the only things I put in it were groceries or luggage. Every time we have it fixed I feel like we are just throwing money down the shaft. "Here Joe, I have an extra $100. Open the elevator door and throw it in." I see the elevator repair guy show up and I think: "crap, there goes my new range." The burners only have one temperature; high. That's ok, I can't cook food but if the elevator gets fixed I can put my purse in it so I don't have to carry it downstairs. Yeah!
Maybe if I offered to carry Joe up and down the stairs he would give up on trying to get it fixed. Or I know, I could rig it so Joe got stuck in it for awhile. He would be so traumatized that he would rip the elevator out then and there. That would be evil, but it is a thought.
The weather here in Florida has sucked! That makes the isolation even worse. Today is the first day since we've gotten back that the weather has been normal. It's funny how my mood can be so influenced by weather.
Today I have been doing repairs. There is always something that is broken or not working every time we come down here. There was some kind of leak causing the ceiling in the hall to be discolored. I finally figured out that it was the upstairs bathtub spigot. The caulk was deteriorated and so the water was getting into the wall behind the shower. So, I caulked the spigot. While I had the caulk out, I caulked around the sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms and where ever else it looked like it needed caulk. Joe was out kayaking so he didn't get caulked.
My biggest complaint regarding the condo is the elevator. It sounds so pretentious to say you have an elevator in your house. Well, let me tell you there is nothing pretentious about it. It is a royal pain in my ass! It has never worked properly. We have put an obscene amount of money into repairs all for nothing. Joe is still determined that he is going to get it fixed. I would love to just have it taken out. I could even make it into a storage area. Anything but an elevator. Besides....really??? an elevator for one flight of stairs. How ridiculous! The few times it has worked, the only things I put in it were groceries or luggage. Every time we have it fixed I feel like we are just throwing money down the shaft. "Here Joe, I have an extra $100. Open the elevator door and throw it in." I see the elevator repair guy show up and I think: "crap, there goes my new range." The burners only have one temperature; high. That's ok, I can't cook food but if the elevator gets fixed I can put my purse in it so I don't have to carry it downstairs. Yeah!
Maybe if I offered to carry Joe up and down the stairs he would give up on trying to get it fixed. Or I know, I could rig it so Joe got stuck in it for awhile. He would be so traumatized that he would rip the elevator out then and there. That would be evil, but it is a thought.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Happy Birthday
Happy belated Birthday Kyled. I know you are not in an ideal situation to celebrate a birthday, but just know that the Ft. Wayne clan loves you and is thinking about you!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
My Valentine
It's about time for Joe and my's annual Valentines Day tradition. We go to a store that has a nice array of Valentine's Day cards and we select the perfect one for each other. We exchange cards right there in the aisle, ohhh and ahhh, then put the cards back. The sentiment is there, but it doesn't cost any money and the card it's sitting around the house waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. It's romantic in it's own little twisted way. I'm not into the flowers and candy thing either. If Joe really wanted to surprise me with something special, he could bring me a bouquet of an assortment of yarn. I would be his Valentine forever!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A Stitch In Time (Or Not)
I like doing things for myself instead of paying to have it done. It's very satisfying knowing I saved a hundred bucks or so by installing my own garbage disposal or repairing other misc items and saving money on the service calls. I know however when to call a professional. I don't do anything electrical beyond changing out a light fixture or switch, and sometimes it does end up cheaper to hire someone especially if I don't have the right kind of tools for the job. So, when it came up that I needed a formal dress cut off and hemmed, I thought: piece of cake. There is no reason to send the dress to a seamstress when I have a perfectly good sewing machine right here. I started out by cutting the length. So far so good. Then, with the piece I cut off I practiced different stitches and different tensions. Why I thought I could hem the dress when I couldn't even get the practice right; I don't know. After having to cut off my crappy work twice I figured I'd better stop or I would end up with a mini dress. Did I mention that the material is stretchy knit and chiffon, not easy to work with. So I gave up on the hemming and I did what any person would do in this situation. I glued it. It was too late to take it somewhere to have it hemmed (I need it tonight) so I took some clear drying craft glue and painted it along the bottom edge of both layers. That way it won't fray and it will give the illusion of a tiny hem. Brilliant if I do say so myself. I will eventually take the dress to a real professional, but in the meantime this will work fine. I already have my story ready to tell the seamstress: "I bought this dress at a second hand store and look what some idiot did to the hem. Can you fix it?" In the future I will leave the complicated sewing projects to the professionals.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
New Gadget
Do you like my little fish tank? I screwed up and erased the hangman game and when I tried to get it back, it's no longer available. I thought the fish would be relaxing. If you left click on the fish it will feed them and whereever you put the arrow, the fish will follow it. Technology is amazing!
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