Monday, December 28, 2009

Because it could be you... or me....

The next time you see a woman in a store somewhere looking a bit disheveled - perhaps she is in sweats... maybe they look stained, or even wet. Her hair might lack brushing, her coat is buttoned wrong, her eyes glassy with bags.
Don't judge.

;)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Happy!

The "Holidays" are upon us.

I understand that this can be a difficult time of year.
Try not to stress. Don't let others expectations make you tense.

Drink wine, be merry.
Eat too much, loosen your belt.
Give freely of your heart.
Presents are optional.

Friday, December 18, 2009

We've had a decoration malfunction

Or more accuratly we have had a complete and utter Christmas tree failure.

I have never seen anything quite like this. But every single needle...every one... fell off this tree.

When we first discoved the problem, we started to take the lights off.


Before we even got them all off - there were no needles left.


We literally had to shovel out bags full of needles.



____
I suppose I should add. I went back to the Christmas tree place yesterday. It's a local farm where you can cut your own or they have some pre-cuts. We have been going there for years. The fated tree was a cut your own. Ferris cut it down for us, and when we got it home it seemed perfectly fine.
Guess it wanted to stay in the forest. Who knew.
The guy there said he never heard of such a thing, where every needle came off- but quickly helped me pick out a new tree and got it into my trunk.
All is well and Christmas is saved.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Can I get workman's comp?

During the course of the day I spend a great deal of time on conference calls.
I had been using speaker phone, but recently I got a new headset.
I just love it.

I have also developed a re-newed love for Orbit bubble mint gum.
It's tasty and refreshing, plus I can blow bubbles with it.

This, however, is not a suggested activity when wearing a headset on a conference call.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Really... in Connecticut... I mean really?

I have seen this article referred to on several blogs now.
I wanted to post this picture - because it's incredible, and it's close to home.

These guys showed up at a menorah lighting ceremony of a local town green.



I mean seriously... how stupid are these guys. First of all they have masks on. Clearly they are not very proud of what they are doing.
At least those wacky 'family first' people at the gay rights demonstrations show their faces.
So then, when people start yelling at them and joining the group lighting the menorah to show support - these three knuckles heads get in their car and take off.

Um... if you're gonna protest something shouldn't you at least stick around.

My gentile wife and I are hoping to attend the lighting on Wednesday evening. We would like to show our support of this wonderful tradition which celebrates light and hope - and that hate of any kind will not be tolerated.

Those boys better watch out if she has her wooden spoon with her.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

Don't let these early snow storms fool you.
Many people here decided this snow was too early to worry about. They assumed the following warm days following would melt it all away.

They are mistaken. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
Allow me to explain.

This storm was an excellent example.

We woke to about 6 inches of snow on Wednesday morning.
By the time I finished my first cup of coffee the precipitation had turned to rain.
This is where most folks sat down with newspaper and got a second cup.

I sprang to action.
You see. The rain got those 6 inches of snow very wet. It was too much snow to be washed away. So the snow simply absorbed as much rain as it could and the rest sat underneath puddling.
Overnight the temps drop. With so much snow mixed with the rain, the temps don't even need to be that low.
Now ..if this were powdery snow - no worries. But this was basically water disguised as snow. So what we got was a solid freeze.
Ice.
And if you didn't shovel.
Several inches of it.

This ice is gonna be around for awhile.

It's also a great time to remind you to make sure and clear the snow several inches off the paved surfaces, well into your lawn. That way any melting that happens during the day gets absorbed. If allowed to melt out onto your driveway - those rivers and puddles freeze up overnight for slick conditions for many, many mornings.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

2010 nears

We have no calendar for next year ... so of course this means we can't make any plans past December.

I really need to get out to a store today.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

open studio sunday

There was wine - there was paint - there was knitting.













A good time was had by all. If you consider black dogs with purple paint a good time.
(think Cat in the Hat)

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

how to make weese happy

The technician who came to diagnose our heating problems this week has been to our house several times over the years for parts replacements and general service. He is familiar with our system and our old house. He often notices changes we've made and will compliments us on our choices. He seems wise and considerate in his care.

After he had a good look at the problem and fiddled with some parts and made some adjustments, he stood and looked thoughtfully at our 30 year old system.

He placed his hand tenderly on the boiler and told me it might just be time to replace the whole thing now.
I gulped.
He gently showed me all the different issues we were dealing with and how if we were to fix many of these we would most likely have to do all that work again when the unit finally stopped working. And that day was inevitable.

He turned and panned the room and said - "You know, really - its not that hard of a job, maybe 4 or 5 hours. The biggest concern of mine would be ...your basement floor is so clean."

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

It's only money

My frugal wife and I were discussing an important matter over email yesterday.
After much back and forth, a little research, and some calculating, we had come to a decision... she replies:

"We've been fortunate.

Although, a cruise would have been fun..."


So, rather than a cruise with foofy cocktails and warm beaches, we'll instead warm our souls... or the living room as it were -

We expect her on Thursday. We are busily preparing for her arrival.

Monday, November 30, 2009

why?

Why would you put music on your website?
Do you really think anyone wants to hear your music?

We don't.

Just so you know.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

They're back!

What to do when the day care closes for a week?
Hmm.
Call the aunties with large amounts of accrued vacation days of course!

On our first night we had a tandem bath time with grandma.


Then at 5 a.m. this morning I sang Christmas carols over coffee.
With blinking antlers of course.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

Are you busy doing some holiday cleaning?

Remember to clean under your furniture and especially make sure it's pristine under your sofa and chair cushions.

You can be sure a nephew will lose a binky, your uncle will drop his swizzle stick or the toddlers just might want to make a cushion fort.
If so, you'll be ready!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Real life IS like the LWord

I wrote once about how surreal (and fantastic) it was that on the LWord show UPS delivery people were all women, hot - and oh, just happened to be lesbians.
And of course they would sleep with you if you were so lucky as to be home when your package was delivered.

So I had to laugh today - I was out in the front lawn tending to the fall leaves.
Here I am cruising around on my 15HP lawn tractor, in the requisite barn coat with heavy gloves -check, work boots -check... also sporting an incredibly cute hat.

I notice a UPS truck driving up the street. Its slows. Sure enough... it comes to a stop in front of our house. The driver jumps down off her seat and gives me a wave as she goes into the back of her truck... whooo weeee. Stunning.

Of course, I leap off my tractor (lucky me ...didn't fall off) to retrieve the package.
And oh my...that smile, those eyes.

Here is where the story deviates...ya know, slightly... at least in real life. I toss the package on the porch and jump back on the tractor as the UPS truck pulls away.

Isn't life grand.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

it does what!?

That's what I said to my mother the other night when she recommended a neti pot for my current sinus stuffiness. I had never heard of one... because yes, I do live under a rock and am very happy there, thank you very much.

So she described to me what it would do. The whole in one side out the other concept.
It completely fascintated me.
So of course - I ran right out and got one.

wow.

Have you ever used one of these things.
Freaky...
and mildly addictive.

Monday, November 16, 2009

more reality TV... really... I mean really

People - please stop watching this trash on television, making it so popular that they continue to come out with ideas one more stupid than the other.

Only we can make a difference.

Open your windows, pick up your TV and heave it right out the window.
(for those of you with large screen HD TV's - you may need to open the door).

You must realize we are a few seasons away from The Running Man* -- don't you?




*...the novel describes a science fiction dystopia where market capitalism and television game shows have spiraled out of control...

Friday, November 06, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

When raking leaves, try to pick the windiest day possible.

Give your neighbors a good laugh.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

a follow up

where do you go when you are all dressed up?

to the liquor store of course!

What I found disturbing about my chipmunk-ness was just how well my normal wardrobe fit into the costume.
I dress ...like a chipmunk.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

we were supposed to be raking

The leaves were wet on Saturday.
And it was showering intermittently.

So my creative wife decided to have some Halloween fun.


After she finished painting herself...

She helped me to release my inner chipmunk.


Happy Halloween

Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

It surprises me when I hear people saying they 'hate' to do laundry.
Then I realize that if I spent and entire day doing laundry I might feel the same way.

Instead of spending all day Saturday running loads of laundry and folding and stacking and storing, try this --do one load each evening or every other evening during the week.

To do one load of laundry takes only several minutes over the course of your regular evening. Here are some tips to make the whole process seamless.

- Gather your load in the morning and toss it in the machine in your way out to work.

- When you get home - flip on the washer and go make dinner.

- After dinner - toss the clothes in the dryer and go tidy the kitchen.

- When you get ready to sit down for the evening, grab the load from the dryer and fold while you watch a show, help with homework or listen to music.

- Just stack the folded clothes in the basket and set them near the stairs or hallway to your room.

- When you head to bed, take the basket and stick those couple items away in drawers and closets.

Without really doing much extra - you're done. By the time the weekend comes, the laundry is under control leaving you time to go do something fun.

Monday, October 26, 2009

happy happy day

29.
o my.

you do realize that now you can say "pushing 30"

Happy Birthday - TheDaughterTheTherapist!


Does anyone else see the interest in the fact that these kids just purchased a station wagon?
hmmm.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day


Don't forget to clean your washer and dryer as you do your other appliances.

Just because your machines may be tucked away in a closet or the basement is no reason to let grime and lint build up.

You don't want your home laundry to look like an unkempt public laundry mat. Any place were cleaning is the primary purpose (such as your bathroom and kitchens) should be maintained to the highest of standards.

An excellent example of this is when Ferris comes home from his college apartment* and says "Why do I feel so much cleaner when I get out of our shower here at home."

For top loading washers - wipe the area around the tub and up under the lid. Any dirt left here can be transferred to your clean clothes. For front loaders - be sure to occasionally wipe the inside of the glass door and all around and under the door gasket. Mold and mildew can develop here if left moist. Also with front loaders be sure to run bleach loads regularly. Clean the top and around the dials of both types of machines to keep them looking new and shiny.

For the dryer - lint is really the enemy. To keep lint at a minimum, be sure not to use too much detergent. Clean the lint after EVERY load. And every so often vacuum out any areas you can reach where lint may collect. You can even buy a special attachment for the vacuum to reach way in under the lint screen.
Remember excess lint in the dryer is a fire hazard.

The outside of the dryer should only require the occasional wiping off. If you have laundry detergent spills there ...for goodness sakes - wipe them up immediately.

Your laundry machines take very little exterior abuse, and can look like new even after a decade of use with minimal care.

* a most tidy college apartment I might add

Thursday, October 22, 2009

umm...

Today the house is filling up with ladybugs.

What the hell...
What's with all 'the nature'

Perhaps this is Mother Nature's way of making me look forward to the dead of winter.

Nice try.
I'll just get out the vacuum now.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

please just tell me to shut up

but seriously.
How many chipmunks do you see in a day?
No, really -- I want to know.

I have seen 4 so far today.
It's 1:00 pm.
And I have been inside most of the day.

This can't be good.


*note... the chipmunks I saw were outside

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Picture this

If you haven't read yesterday's post, please do first.
Go ahead, I'll wait.........

It's a beautiful day out, so we've let the fire in the wood stove die down for the day. I went out to gather more firewood for tonight, as I anticipate it will get chilly when the sun sets.

I am being very cautious as I take each log - as you can well imagine.
My cell phone was in my pocket.
On vibrate.

Do you have a visual?

Monday, October 19, 2009

a chipmunk encounter

I am getting really tired of rodents around here.

This morning I went out to the wood pile... ya know, to gather wood.
We have a rather large wood pile left over from last seasons stocking up extravaganza.
So, granted the wood has been there for awhile.

There was a chipmunk under the last log I grabbed to fill my cart. I screamed - he ran.
We both moved on with our day.

A few minutes later, safely back in the house I realize I had forgotten the ash drawer down by the wood pile. As I rounded the corner of the garage to approach the wood storage area - a chipmunk screamed at me. Have you ever heard one? They sort of chirp. This chirping rodent was clearly not happy.

As you may know we have already spent some time attempting to decrease the chipmunk population around here.
There is really only one thing left to do.

Yes... I spent the afternoon surfing realtor dot com.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

G'nite

yes...I meant to post last night.
oops.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

yes people... more babies pictures

Today we had a Sunday afternoon party - we had the fam over for the 1:00 game - oh and to celebrate my birthday. Which is today. I am 48 now.
(let me know if you need my address or paypal account)

My amazing wife supplied me with a custom mimosa this morning while we had 5 minutes where The Girls overlapped their nap times.
We didn't have any orange juice so she creatively substituted with baby pear juice.
I think we have a new cocktail here folks. This one is a keeper.

(Notice the bottle drying rack in the back ground. My SIL brought that with all the baby toys. She knows me very well. I just love the thing)

After that some folks came over - here is The Daughter The Therapist snuggling with Thing1 and Thing2.


and... more gratuitous pictures.



Saturday, October 10, 2009

our baby play with the babies

Ferris suprised us by coming home for the weekend.
The babies were very happy!


Friday, October 09, 2009

another day in babyland

Today will go down as the day of the poop.

My goodness -- there was so much pooping today.
My well travelled wife thinks its because they have truly settled in (you know how it can be when you're away from home...).

To get out of the house and have some fun, we took the girls to I kea today.
Babies just love I kea.
We have their nifty double stroller - which is perfect at a store like this with its wide ailse and easy access elevators.


We stopped to have a bottle before we left. See that little blue round thing there... we got them toys of course.


After some further pooping, napping, eating and playing - the girls are currently fast asleep.
Here is my baby-loving wife having a nice glass of red to cap off the day, in her spit up covered shirt.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

whew... day 1

ok people ... we survived day 1.
i am too tired to capitalize.
kidding...kidding... we are having a blast.
(shh... their parents may have wifi way down there on their tropical island)

FREE dog has already gotten the drill down
babies are basically cheerio dropping devices.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

nesting



The twins are coming.
Tonight.

You see... parents of twins need to take time out... for themselves, for each other. They need to reconnect, relax, perhaps drink too much and sleep too much.

That's where we come in.
The babies will be here this evening and will stay with us until next Tuesday!

The babies parents (SIL and BIL) will be somewhere warm and sunny sipping silly frozen cocktails in pineapples out of curly straws.

We have been getting ready all week.
It's so exciting.

Since there are two babies - we are both taking time off from work and will tag team all aspects of baby care.
Since I am very anal organized I have set up changing 'stations' on two floors. Each with its own set of diapering supplies. We have also designated the dining room to be the feeding and playing area. The kitchen sink has been disinfected and is bath ready.

We have cribs set up on the third floor -where we currently have studio/office space. But since there may be times when one baby is fussy and the other needs some rest - we have set up an alternate snoozing place in Ferris' bed.
Wouldn't it be a hoot if he shows up unannounced in the middle of the night and finds a baby in his bed.

I plan to post pictures each day. Let's see if we remember how all this baby stuff works.

Monday, October 05, 2009

I was a little tipsy

We went to a small soiree last night at a friends home.
The evening was lovely - and there was MUCH wine.

We got home on the early side, it being a school nite and all, so I flipped on the football game while we were getting ready for bed.
Just background noise while I got out my PJ's, turned down the bed, removed jewelry...ya know - routine stuff.

I slowly began to realize that I don't really understand the game commentary.
I am a little tipsy.

I focus a little more on the sounds coming from the TV.

Hmm, am I more tipsy than I thought?

I look up at the game, as if adding the visual will offer some clarity.
Nope - still don't get it.

Why does it all sound so foreign to me...
I turn up the volume.
Surely louder will make it clearer. Yeah.

Wait!
I finally realize why it sounds foreign.
It is!

The game commentary was in Spanish.

I checked the station ...twice. It was the major network NBC station.
Am I missing something? Are you all watching football in Spanish?
No entiendo.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

If you put fertilizer on your lawn, don't ignore your soil pH.
If your soil is too acidic you are basically wasting your money on fertilizer.
Balanced soil helps the lawn to absorb needed nutrients. Spreading lime on your lawn can reduce acidity, known as making the soil sweeter, and also helps to quicken composting of organic materials. Even if you don't fertilize, this can make a big difference in the overall health of your landscape.

You can have your soil tested, usually for a nominal fee, by your local extension. Some garden centers will test it for free, or you can buy a home tester - tho both these methods are somewhat hit or miss. Or you can wing it and simply add some lime.
Its a pretty good guess that your lawn needs it anyway.

I like to lime in the fall - tho you can do it any time of year. Spend the extra buck or two on pellitized lime, unless you want to look like a powdered donut when you're done.

Don't forget your vegetable garden as well!
If you incorporate composting materials in your garden beds (and why wouldn't you) then it's most likely a dusting of lime is a good idea. Tho different types of plants prefer different soil pH - so you may want to test for best results.

Take some caution before adding lime to planting beds, especially those with shrubs. Many shrubs like Rhododendron or Azalea are acid loving so adding lime would be detrimental. Some plants like the Hydrangea will bloom a different color depending on the acidity in the soil. Hydrangeas in acidic soil will bloom blue -- if you add lime (and I think you need to do this quite a bit) you can get the color of the bloom to change to pink.

Lime is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and safe for kids and pets.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

What's your temperature

Fall is here. It's getting chilly.
So what's your temp?
You know...how low does it have to go before you will submit and turn on the heat?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

ef bee

I really need to get around to deleting my f@cebook account.
I got a message today from a fellow that lived on the next block over when I was a kid.
I may have played at his house a couple times...tho I really can't remember.
If I saw him on the street I would never know him.

Really... people... is this why you use this thing?

Oh... and it also really cracks me up the pictures that people decide to use of themselves. I am noticing folks in my age brackets (ie. too old for this shit) tend to use pictures of themselves on vacation.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Is it just me?

It usually is... so I'm kinda used to that.

But, why is it the day before we leave for a vacation - even if its just a long weekend as we are preparing for today - that I suddenly need to clean things. I don't just mean setting the house in order, vacuuming, making sure the sink is clear and the laundry put away.
Nooo, this morning I find myself on my knees wiping out under the sink.
And that was at 7:30.
It's gonna be a long day.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Family

What is family? Is it blood? Is it marriage?
Family can come to us in strange ways. Be open to these.

We lost a family member this past week. For our daughter she was blood - for my wife she was family by marriage - for me... well... she was just family.
Is it odd for the sister of my wife's ex husband to be family to us?
Yes.
Of course it is. But life is odd. Wrap your arms around oddity, people. Embrace and treasure the oddity.

Nancy was as unique as they come. She was one of the happiest people I have ever known. She and her husband, Marcus, were folks from a different era, tho not so much older than we. Marcus was that sort of able guy, who are all but extinct now, that can do it all. He built the house they lived in top to bottom - he could build a car out of spare parts laying around the yard -and he had several spare cars out there to choose from. He could wire and plumb and had sheds filled with stuff he 'might need' all over their property. Of course he actually used the stuff.
He loved life. He loved his wife.

She was an artist. Prolific. She painted and sculpted and beaded and drew and and wrote and pasted and cut and sewed always.
She laughed.
Alot.
Loudly.
She did not care what anyone thought of her. Some people claim to be this way - she really was. It truly didn't bother her.
She never threw anything away. Everything had a story, everything had a meaning.
She loved life, she loved her husband and her children and their lives.

Nancy was all heart. Marcus was all ingenuity - together they were ...

Friday night we gathered at their home on the hill with family and some friends around a colossal bonfire.

There was no wake, no church, no procession. It was exactly as she would have wanted it.
So much so in fact it truly felt like she was there.

I stood close to the fire, feeling the warmth, watching firelight lick the trees, a cool autumn breeze tossing little sparks around like fireflies. I looked toward the warm glow of their house seeing people gathered on the deck by a table scattered with bottles of booze and soda in various stages of consumption - she could have so easily been there in that group... chatting and laughing, telling her own stories. I bent my head to listen... to see if I could hear her loud cackling laugh.
I think I did.

I wandered up to the house for a refill. At the table on deck I lifted a wine bottle to the moonlight to see if it held another glassful. I felt her presence there so strongly, I turned to see if she was looking over my shoulder, perhaps to check if there were enough for two glasses in that bottle of red.
I am certain she was.

When we left, we hugged, we cried again, and as we drove away I looked back up the driveway as if I would see her waving goodbye and then turning to clutch Marcus by the arm and head back to her party, and the roaring fire, and her family.
I wish they had.

Peace.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

Time to check your winter power equipment.
Do you have a snowthrower or perhaps a generator?

It's a really good time of year to check on your winter gear. Change the oil, turn the engine over - make sure everything is up and running. Check your shear bolts, the skid pads and auger to be sure you don't need to replace any worn parts. Plenty of time to order parts before the flakes fly.

I know it may seem a little early but I truly dislike having to monkey around with power equipment once it gets cold out. Plus soon enough we will be caught up with the leaves and taking in the screens and such.
With afternoons still in the 70's it makes for a pleasant experience.
Plus, when that first snow comes I want instant gratification.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Every once in a while

I take every last item out of my closet.
I toss them in a heap,
(a somewhat tidy heap)



shoes too.


Then I give it a good vacuum and wipe down all the surfaces - I like to use a diluted simple green solution, because I think it smells fresh.

Then I decide what gets to go back in.
That's where I am now... in the middle of that heap of clothes figuring out what gets to stay.
I am going to be tough this time. If I am not wearing it...it goes.


I may end up with one pair of pants, two shirts
...and 20 pairs of shoes.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

...and you thought I married for love

Last winter we were horrified to find that a dank little crawl space in our near century old home had been taken over by rodents.
While simply moving was our top choice, packing seemed daunting so we decided to 'urge' the critters to relocate.

We started the project on our own but quickly saw that we were outmatched and brought in professionals.
After our guests had permanently left the premisis, we had the crawl space cleaned out and sanitized. All that was left was to re-insulate and close up the openings so no future happy families could move in. We had already dumped quite a bit of money into this little creepy hole in the wall (most likely a coal access or some such thing),

so when I got further estimates to finish the job - my fearless wife stepped in...literally.

We went to our local big box store and purchased insulation, and the cutest little hazmat suit.


We added gloves, goggles and a mask - and she was ready to go.










Clever gal that she is - she suggested we use the halogen work light to make it bright and cheery in there. See how good lighting can dramatically improve your space.

The work went quickly with me on the outside cutting lengths to size and handing them in. There were times when she was pretty far in there... so I pushed them in with a broom handle. heh.

Can you see why she is such a catch?

Friday, September 04, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

Remember as the fall comes and we prepare for winter - don't store firewood in or near the house. This includes your garage and basement.
At this time of year the wood is teaming with insects and you certainly don't wan't to invite them in.

If you plan to buy wood for this winter season, now is a good time to do that. It gives you plenty of time to get it stacked and covered and will also give it a month or two more of seasoning if its not quite dry yet.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

work

From my work pal, Kate:

I have a Magic 8 Ball on my desk and I am not afraid to use it.

Monday, August 31, 2009

sunday afternoon

I haven’t blogged this before… and I only do so now really so that I can tell you a story where its relevance will matter.

My mom is sick. She has cancer… as oh so many do. My mom’s cancer cannot be cured. And so we move through these days and months in treatment, in limbo… in life.

She was diagnosed in March – and one of her great hopes was to make it to football season.
And here we are.
Tho I fear she will take the news of B ruschi’s r*tirement worse than her own diagnosis... we are poised and ready to take in another Patriots season - in hi-def of course.


Every year here in southern Connecticut a group of motorcyclists get together to do a charity ride for 9/11.
By ‘a group’ I mean over a thousand of them.
I’ve blogged about this before… and we try to be there every year to cheer them on.
It’s really quite moving.


We like to toss some lawn chairs in the car and head over to Main Street in our town to watch. As soon as we see the riders I will call my mom who lives in the next town over in a retirement community right on the riders route. She then makes sure all the old folks from the village are out by the road in time.

This year however, not sure if it was the timing or perhaps we were too busy, maybe it wasn’t well advertised– we were unaware of the date of the ride.

Yesterday mom was resting in her recliner and watching some afternoon TV. Chemo leaves her rather wiped out for a couple days, and so her recliner is her weekend pal.
When the sound of some loud motorcycles came she waited impatiently for them to pass so she could hear her show.
But there were more… and more… and it didn’t stop.

She went to the door.
There were more…
It slowly dawned on her what was going on.

She realized no one from the village knew - no one was out there to cheer them on.

And so … pale, tired, shaky and little nauseous – she went out the door and slowly made her way across the lawn - to the curb.
There she stood all by herself… waving, tears streaming, completely moved by the sight of those thousand motorcycles.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Friday

tip-o-day

Some of products I use on the lawn require watering in. We have a pretty big yard so getting out the hose and sprinkling the lawn is really not an option.

In the case of grub control - I like to get that watering in right away. I don't like the idea of the chemical sitting there for too long.

So to keep the environment as safe as I can under such circumstances*, I spread the materials before an expected rain shower.

For quick results, I like to begin spreading just as the rain is starting.
To do this I simply fill the hopper of my broadcast spreader and cover the top with a piece of foil. My gourmet wife keeps the large size foil around to cover her large baking pans - this fits perfectly over my spreader. You can also use saran warp or even a garbage bag.

Toss on a rain hat and some tall rubber boots to complete the look.



Try you're best not to apply the product when very heavy rains are expected. Not only can this be harmful to plants and wildlife but you will simply waste your money as your product washes away.



*I do generally recommend natural grub control methods - such as Milky Spore. But for this size yard in the current economy it's a bit cost prohibitive.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

last mom standing

The Free dog has 'hot spots' - she is on antibiotics and a topical treatment.
She has had two accidents in the house so far this week. Please keep in mind she is 80 pounds. An accident can require almost an entire roll of paper towels.

I came down with a stomach virus. I was not even able to stand for an entire day.
I am just starting to eat rice and pudding today.

Ferris was supposed to move into his first off campus apartment yesterday, but he was near death so we dragged him out to a clinic. He has strep. He got some good drugs. Today we are sharing pudding.

And my wily wife - she's fine.
Somebody has to take care of all of us.

Friday, August 21, 2009

tips

Hmm, there used to be 'tips' here every Friday
[scratching head, looking under desk]

I wonder where they went.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

I love uniforms

This morning we took our coffee out to the side porch.
It's shady and cool there and we can watch the morning traffic go by on our busy street.

weese (looking at a ginourmous SUV with a soccer mom on her cell)
"Ugh, another one on the phone...I wish I were a cop"

my coffee-sipping wife:
"You are a cop...you just don't have a uniform"

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

TMI

Have you ever felt a little...something, maybe something wasn't quite right, you feel a little off. So you start to look up your symptoms on the internets.

C'mon...you know you do.

I've noticed that every major disease, affliction, complication or illness seems to involve "unexplained weight loss".

Clearly I'll live to 100.

Monday, August 17, 2009

turn the heat up

Last week I blogged about being hot.

It was technically not that hot outside, in fact it was quite comfortable. Here in my home office,however, in our un-air-conditioned attic things were a bit steamier.

Today temps are predicted to go into the mid 90's.
Should be interesting up here today.
At high noon - my office temp is 81.

It takes until mid afternoon to really get toasty up here. All that radiant warmth off our Timberline dark gray architectural shingles just swirls in here.

I'll update with a thermometer pic later this afternoon.
If I can stand the heat.


4:40 p.m. update - the sun went in...its only 84 degrees up here. I think I will survive after all.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Re-inventing the wheel

Even tho most of my workdays are spent in my warm, dark home office – I do occasionally put on clothes and take the ride into our corporate office building.
When I come to the office, because we are mostly a work-at-home team, office space is shared. There are docking stations and monitors all over the place. So basically I can come in and pop my laptop in most anywhere for my workday.

Today I am in a new location. It’s quite adequate – although a bit chilly and bright for my tastes.
Uncharacteristically, I forgot my little wireless travel mouse. I love my little mouse.

The mouse I am using today has no middle wheel button.
I had no idea how attached I was to the wheel button.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

whooo weee

Have you ever been so hot that you need to take your jewelry off.
As if it might be cooler to just not have that necklace on your neck.

Don't get me wrong here.
My people are a short, round island people*.
We love the heat.
Bring it.


* This is a common joke of mine. My father was Italian, his mother grew up in Sicily. I tend to favor that side of the family in the short, round shape and fetching olive tone... thus 'my people'.
Oh... and my mother? The W.A.S.P. - she was simply the vessel.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

a token, a favor... a small parting gift

I went to the dentist yesterday.
They gave me a goodie bag. You know - new toothbrush, a small tube of paste and some floss.
I love goodie bags
Really, it doesn't take much to make my day.

I think we should get goodie bags from all our appointments.
You could get a new pencil or notepad from your accountant.
How about a home breathalyzer from your attorney?
Your shrink could give you a complimentary xanax with a tissue pack.
Even the gynecologist can join in the fun....

Monday, August 10, 2009

Little Bathroom Cups

At any given moment you may find one, or more, little bathroom cups strewn about our patio. You know those little cups. The little 3 oz'ers - the ones you get with the Dixie bathroom dispenser. We've had the dispenser mounted to the wall next to our bathroom sink since the kids were little. Always sure to get happy, colorful cup designs - like fish or jungle animals with smiley faces, or a favorite cartoon character.

I suppose we don't use them so much anymore since we've stopped being summoned for a midnight sip of water - or to administer Tylenol just before bed. But we still have the dispenser and I still buy happily designed little cups.


I regularly toss these little cups out the bathroom window.
In fact, I just did last night.

My sentient wife was washing dishes in the kitchen below when she saw it drop by the window in front of her. She didn't flinch.
That's because she knows.
She knows that in that little cup there is an unsuspecting spider... perhaps a witless beetle, or any number of other tiny crawling intruders that has just been launched for the ride of their lives.

No really... it's way more humane than just squishing them on the wall.
I often wonder why they are all so enamored with crawling around the tub, perhaps they like the ride so much they make their way back up for another turn.

Monday, July 27, 2009

addiction

We have been celebrating our anniversary on July 26th for many of the 24 years we've been together. At some point over the course of those two dozen years we just decided to pick a date that we could call our anniversary. It certainly helped in tracking the years gone by. But the date was basically made up... invented for convenience.
Now -we have a new, 'real' date. So we will celebrate then, but for old times sake, we thought we should at least honor this day with a dinner out.

Plus we were too tired to cook on Sunday.

Tired in a really good way.
Tired in a way where you may just need to nap a bit. Perhaps several times during the course of the day.


So after we dropped off our little overnight guests we went out to be served. To have someone bring us food and drink while we sat, relaxing and enjoying each others company.

It was just after dinner that our addiction reared its ugly head.
We were full.
We were tired.
And yet there, right there, on the way home was...
Starb*cks.
Home to the highly addictive Frappuccino.
What the hell do they put in those things?
We simply
had.
to.
have.
one.

There we were physically exhausted, stuffed full of sushi only to be topped off with a huge cup of frozen caffeine.

Not only did we clean the kitchen, vacuum and put away the port-a-cribs when we got home - but we poured another glass of wine and enjoyed it by the firepit.

Ahhhh. They are tasty. And cold. And refreshing. I actually want one right now.. the morning after... I could use one - just one...a small one - then I'll stop. Really.