One of my first jobs as a teenage was at McDonald's. This was back in the 70’s – and McDonald's was not like it is today. There were high standards in our store. We were required to speak a certain way to customers, say certain things and present food in a specific manner.
• The bag must be folded neatly, away from the logo, three times and presented to the customer logo out.
• No customer should wait in line for more than 3 minutes.
• When addressing a customer you must always use: Sir, Mam, or Miss.
• After the order was taken you must always suggest to either up size or add on:
-- “Would you rather a large fries, sir.”
-- “Perhaps an apple pie with your order, Mam?”
We were actually tested on these standards by folks from corporate headquarters who would stand in line during lunch rush. They would note how we treated customers, the presentation of our food, and the timeliness of our service.

When there was down time we cleaned. The mangers would walk the front and check all the appliances and counters – they were to sparkle. You never stood idle. There was always something to prepare always something to wipe down.

Is it any wonder I thrived in this environment.
I do so love order and discipline. The army would really be a perfect choice for me… if it weren’t for all that fighting and killing and such.

I thought of my McD’s days this morning as I was dressing for work. But not the work itself… I was longing for a uniform. Granted, in the 70’s, we wore the most hideous of polyester outfits.
But conceptually …the idea appeals to me.

Get up, shower, toss on the uniform. Done.
No decisions.
What shirt will work with these pants, which socks and what shoes… what’s my mood, what’s the weather…

What I really want… is to wear a gi.


I don’t need variety. I just want to wear something that works.
Everyday.
Pure cotton, breathes well, roomy and comfortable, and good for the environment, washes up nicely, no ironing necessary. What is not to like.

I would have 3 or 4 plain ones (non bleached natural cotton)…and maybe one of these for nights out.

When they got old I would retire them to be gardening gi’s, or painting gi’s.

How simple my life would be, how tidy my closet would look.
.
.

Friday

tip-o-day

I am continually trying to reduce my ecological footprint but there are some areas where I fall short.
One area is washing clothes. I tend to wash things each time I wear them.
I know this is not good ... all that water and electricity and even wear on the clothes themselves - but I just love clean, crisply folded clothes.

For items that I do re-wear, such as my many cardigan sweaters, it's important to let them air before putting them back in the closet. Did you know that one of the things that draws moths to your closet and drawers is putting away clothes that have been worn?

You can use a clothes valet or I just use a hook outside of my closet.
Just toss it on a hanger as you undress for the evening, then the next morning while you're dressing, pop it back into your closet.
.
.

a little snow

There is snow on the driveway.
Night before last it snowed a little bit.
It’s more than a dusting…but certainly less than an inch.
We didn’t clear it.
So… its still there.

It’s below 10 here this morning.
So … it’s not going anywhere right now.
No melting today.

My patient wife tells me it will be near 60° next week.
Which means the snow will go away.
In a week.
She tells me not to worry.
But she knows…
I am waiting.

I couldn’t help myself this morning so I just quickly swept off the walkway.
She just smiled.
I feel a little better now.
Tho, there is snow on the driveway.
.
.

qoute

Out at Wednesday Wings Night this evening we were discussing the time change this weekend, The Daughter The Therapist says:
"I just don't know how I feel about living in a country where this president gets to decide what time it is."

Symbolism

I was reminded this past weekend of the first time I heard the story behind the Christian fish symbol.
The story was told to me by Dr. Lord, my Art History professor in college.
Dr. Lord was a stout woman who wore her gray hair short and slicked back. She had a deep gravely voice clearly attained from years of smoking. Dr. Lord was always smoking. Back when I was in college and especially in our art department, smoking in class was the norm. Little foil disposable ashtrays were even provided for our convenience.
So there we would sit in the dark looking at slides, smoking our cigarettes and listening to Dr. Lord’s gravely voice tell us stories of great works of art and architecture.

Dr. Lord’s smoking was a thing of great fascination, she would take these deep… long… draws on her cigarettes and hold… and then… she would begin to speak. She never exhaled and no smoke ever came out of that woman. She was like a smokeless ashtray.
We used to take seats in the back of class just to watch this in amazement.

But I digress… back to the fish.

Dr. Lord explained to us, between deep long draws on her Newport 100’s, that after the accession of Jesus, early followers of Christianity were somewhat persecuted. And so they devised a clever way of identifying each other in passing.
When two strangers met and thought maybe they were fellow believers, one of them would draw on the ground, perhaps casually with a walking stick, the upper half of the fish symbol.

Recognizing the symbol, the stranger would add a second curved line to complete the drawing of a fish.


I always liked this story… the whole secret society thing appealed to me – well except for the persecution part, but you get my drift.

What reminded me of this story was that I finally got around to adhering a Human Rights sticker to my car this weekend.

What I like about this symbol is that while it is widely know in my community it’s not readily recognized by the general populous.

I don’t personally feel persecuted, but it does make me feel like a part of some secret society … and I don’t mean that in the closeted sense.
I just like the idea of having it be seen on my car and immediately understood.
It conjures up ideas of perhaps meeting someone in the grocery store where my gaydar might be engaged and perhaps placing a string cheese strategically on the child seat in my shopping cart – only to have it added to by a pretzel rod from their cart….
.
.

Friday

tip-o-day

The next time you get a big package delivered or perhaps buy an appliance – don’t toss out the box just because it’s too big to re-use for your next shipment.
Cut the box into panels for easy storage. These big pieces of cardboard can be used for all sorts of things from protecting photos to be mailed to making tag sale signs.

My favorite use is to keep some in the garage and occasionally lay them under our cars to check for leaks.
.
.

Touching

I remember a really long time ago when we first got AOL dialup. What an amazing new world our 14k modem conjured up.
Logging into my first ‘chat’ room I watched conversations scroll by in awe... so many people coming and going in and out of the ‘room’. I was mesmerized, and soon worked up the courage to type ‘Hello’. It was titillating when someone replied. I called out to my offline wife… hey! I am actually talking to someone!

The novelty of chat rooms wore off– and over the years the internet has taken its place in our lives. It has stealthily replaced things like the yellow pages and several old and worn Rand McNally’s. It’s settled into a comfortable spot in our family and our home.
The internet has become a tool and the computer a mere appliance – albeit one that lacks much of the finesse that we have come to expect from our other appliances. Have you ever had to reboot your refrigerator?

Several years later… I was introduced to blogging. Again, as I did with the chat room… I watched and read quietly for some time. I can’t really remember how I found all of you, a link here… a comment there, but I was quickly wrapped up in your lives, checking in often to see what you were up to.

It wasn’t long before I couldn’t help but to comment. I had something to say.
In fact I found I had so much to say – that I eventually started my own blog.
I wanted you all to come by, I wanted you all to get to know me – as I had been getting to know you.
I was …and am…thrilled to be part of this innovative new community.

But where it gets really exciting and I suppose a little freaky… is how we can walk into a room to sit over food and drink, striking up one conversation after another as if we have been neighbors for all of this time we have been virtually visiting each other.
We wrap our computer generated (((arms))) around each other daily … and I was thrilled to find that to do it in person was just as natural, yet more fulfilling.
We have forged a close bond in our cloistered world of text, but I fear that meeting you all has proven something to all of us.

We want more.

We want to meet for a cocktail next Friday, or maybe if you happen to drive by the house and see my hard working wife out in the yard – you can swing into the driveway and roll down the window for a quick chat. How about running into each other at the supermarket, or a quick wave at a stop light.

Alas this is not our reality…

I love the internet for bringing us together and yet... our physical distance tears at my heart.
I love you all. I am so glad I was able to touch you (stop it Syd).
And so… as we fall back into our comfortable online relationships know that I truly hope we can touch again.
.
.

Bloggers are people too

Huh, they do exist.
They are real.
They are wonderful.

Prayers before gaiety

Before my sweet wife and I can share stories of the weekend …

Within the span of two weeks – two different couples, both our closest friends… lost fathers.
Fathers who were great men, with kind hearts and dearly loved.
We pray for them now.

How many lesbians can you fit in a ...


we'll let you know.

Winter in NE

I noticed when I walked out of the house this morning that the driveway was all shiny. Since we did not install a shiny driveway this was my hint to be careful as I walked over to the garage.
As I drove into work I noticed many shiny spots on the road. Since I know the town did not install shiny roads - here was another little clue.

Just in case I was too dense to notice all this slippery shiny-ness, I was passed by an EMS vehicle, and later a police car.

I heard sirens all around me as I drove into the office.

Clearly some folks missed their visual clues.

Friday

tip-o-day

Have you ever taken the hardware off a door to paint it, or strip it - only to find when you go to re-install that the old holes are simply not snug anymore?
Here is a quick fix, and will keep you from having to move a hinge or latch.

Take a toothpick and put in the screw hole, breaking it off flush. Then, simply install your screws. They’ll tighten right up.

I like to use two flat toothpicks (tho either will do) – they seem to break off cleanly and easily.

In a moment of passion

My valentine and I went out to dinner last night. We had a wonderful meal, and a couple of cocktails.
Before we left for dinner we had decided to wait until later to clear the driveway, since the storm was still going on.
I think it was sometime after my second cocktail that I suggested we wait until morning to clear the snow. My reasoning was that we have this behemoth snow-thrower, and really what was the difference whether we cleared it now or later. My romantic wife, also on her second cocktail, readily agreed.
Our plan was simple. I would get up and go right out side…firing up the behemoth and getting the driveway cleared in record time. My caring wife would fix up a big pot of coffee and we could have a cup together and admire my work.

So this morning, I got right up and started to put the plan into action. i did have a little nagging worry... because I had been a bit of a slacker this year and didn’t pre-test the snow-thrower.
I was so pleased when she fired right up.
Pulled out of the garage… only to skim across the top of the ice pack that had formed overnight.
Oops.
2 inches of solid snow. Could not for anything get the lip of that snow-thrower under it. It would not budge.
Oops.
Crap.

Ah, but for the sparkling wine, the red roses, the crackling fire it was a luscious evening– my sore back and arms will heal.

Oh …and regarding our paintball playing rodents… I was not able to set the trap up last night because my coddling wife was worried about me releasing the little guys in the middle of a storm. We will revisit the catch and release plan early next week.

A game of cat and mouse

When the cat is away the mice will play… paintball?

When Ferris was a young teen he and his buddies played paintball. He had a couple guns, one of those cool facemasks, and other various accoutrement. There were also some leftover paintballs.
Since he has grown into a strapping young man – these items have been relegated to a box in the basement.

A couple of weeks ago – my organized wife and I were tidying up the basement when we noticed little pink blobs and slimy streaks on the basement floor.
We, relatively quickly for two old ladies, realized these were expoloded paintballs.
We wondered if perhaps Ferris had decided this may be a fun new dorm toy, so I checked for his paintball box and it was still there... and seemingly intact.

We dismissed it as an isolated incident.

Well,over the last couple of days I think I have been smelling the tell tale aroma of a mouse making his final ascent. Last night I decided to rip apart the basement to try and find the little guy - to of course be sure he was laid to rest properly... in the pet cemetary we call our back yard.

In my quest for the little rodent, I came upon this -

These are paintballs. These paintballs have been placed under the furnace.

The paintballs came from this box:


See the paintballs laying on the top - these had been in sealed bags tucked under the gun, mask and tanks. Not only that, but this box is in a separate room no where near the furnace. The agile little critters opened the bags, took the paintballs up and out of the box, carried them out of the room and clear across the baesment to place them gently under the furnace. And other than those few little blobs of paint two weeks ago - we never saw a paintball.

Ok, so I can accept the fact that since the cat died we clearly have multiple rodent issues. But what's going on with the paintballs? Is it some wacky late night rodent football. Is under the furnace a goal?

Time to pull out the ole RTD.

off spring

Have I bragged about our kids lately.
Hmm, no?

well then…

First, I want to congratulate The Daughter The Therapist.
She passed her State LPC exam, the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) exam giving by the National Board of Certified Counselors.
So if you are in the neighborhood…and nuts – she is now licensed to help you.

We’re also very proud of Ferris – who made it through his first semester at college …gaining only a scant couple freshman pounds, doing his own laundry, oh and making the Dean’s List.

Friday

tip-o-day

Are you feeling ill effects from the winter? Do you feel listless, tired, do you poop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? (oops …a Lucy moment).

Maybe you have an unexplained lack of energy or are you getting a little short fused?

You will be surprised how much it helps with winter blues to get your house clean and orderly.

Your home is an integral part of your energy. Your home has energy flowing through it all the time. Feng Shui is the environmental science of this energy – and there are boat loads of info on this.
But on a smaller scale – and without doing a lot of research…
Energy in your home can be good or bad which can help or hinder you in your daily life. A cramped, cluttered home that’s dusty and disorganized will greatly affect the way you feel.

I am more pragmatic than most, and proudly consider myself shallow – but even I can feel the difference in our home when it’s cleaned and set right. I am more at ease, and I feel happier. Sometimes that’s enhanced by the several lite beers I partake after getting everything in order… but I digress.

So if you’re longing for the days of summer and feeling like you need more space and sunlight, take some time this weekend to do a good cleaning. Think of it as a way to pamper and care for yourself. Some folks may go to a spa, which while pleasant is short lived. Caring for yourself by caring for your home environment will have lasting effects.

If your home is particularly disorganized – start small. Take one room, perhaps your bedroom – which should be your sanctuary. Dust and vacuum everything including your window treatments and walls (which can be quickly dusted with one of those swiffer thingys). Wash your linens, hang out spreads and comforters and toss your pillows in the dryer at high heat for freshening.

If you are storing things under your bed, remove them. Keeping clutter hiding under your bed is not good for sleeping energy. Keeping it clear is good for air flow, which keeps your room fresher and also allows easy access for vacuuming and/or mopping.

Attics and basements are other great places to organize and purge unneeded stuff. You may think there is no harm in keeping piles clutter and useless stuff behind closed doors.
But – try this. Clean and organize your basement, throwing out anything you don’t use and making sure the stuff you do use is accessible and arranged by purpose.
Then sit in your living room and see how it makes you feel. You will feel a better flow of energy even in other rooms. Perhaps you won’t perceive it as energy. You may simply feel, at first, satisfied with a job well done.
But I promise it will feel good.
And… a couple of beers won’t hurt either.
Something about a good day of clutter clearing that just makes the cold ones flow better.

You make the diagnosis

Have you seen these new shows on TV? They give you a bunch of medical facts about someone and then a list of possible ailments.
I am really good at these, because not only do I watch DiscoveryHealth, but I have been watching TV medical shows my whole life.
I could intubate someone if I had to.

Today, you can play along in my psychosis by analyzing my dream from last night.

It goes something like this: (cue eerie music and fog...)

I get onto an escalator, which seems to be in a mall type setting. The escalator is unusual in that it's covered – picture a tube... with moving stairs. I suppose it was somewhat like those kiddie slides you see at playgrounds.
I crouched down to get on and then sit once inside, because it was pretty small. I think about how difficult it would be for someone larger than me, and how silly to have such a thing at the mall.
As I descend I that creepy feeling that I have done this before, and on that previous occasion I just barely fit through the opening at the bottom. I feel my anxiety rise as I approach the bottom. I see the opening, size it up. Just as my feet pass through I realize it's too small.

I hear a squelch sort of sound as my legs are stopped by the small opening.
I am stuck.
I tap on the tube, and call for help. I remember to panic. Claustrophobia washes over me. I look down at my feet poking through the small hole. I notice I am wearing cream colored pumps. I may also be wearing a matching cream skirt and jacket.


Then... I woke up.

well??

Luckily for me we are having dinner with The Daughter The Therapist tonight.
Hopefully she will read today's entry before we go and possibly jot down some notes and come up with some theories.

We have a little basket with a couple magazines in our bathroom, just in case you find yourself with some time to pass.
One of them is a health and well-being type of magazine.
It has an article on things you can do to boost your memory… especially as you age.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this article.

Because Grandpa says so

Tidying up the basement this week has got me thinking about a number of organizational and basement improvement type projects. One of these projects was rebuilding the basement stairs.
These stairs are probably original to the house making them circa 1935. They look like they were built from scrap wood laying around after the house was complete. Add to that some of the stair treads toward the bottom are missing chunks from our first Labrador. They are pretty ugly.

I was excited about the challenge of rebuilding them because they are steep and far from any sort of standard run/rise combination. I looked forward to measuring, making calculations and drawings, re-measuring, redrawing…etc.

Well last night, my devoted wife’s brother stopped over for a visit. He is a carpenter and master craftsman.
Normally, when I tell him of one of my crazy ideas –he is right on board, often lending advice on how to measure or what materials may work best.
When I mentioned the stair project to him last night, he gazed down the stairs shaking his head in a patient, all-knowing sorta way…
“You don’t want to touch those.” he said. “Those are grandfathered.”

Who would ever disagree with their grandfather? Grandfathers are old.
This means they know.
They know most everything.
They have seen it, done it and been there… perhaps several times.

And so by being ‘grandfathered in’ – our stairs... which do meet new codes or regulations –can stay, no questions asked.
Because they are already here and have been here for a really long time, and they are old and wise and have seen it all.

And so when your master craftsman brother in-law tells you something’s been ‘grandfathered’… don’t ask questions.
Put down the tape measure and back away from the tool box.

A good purge

Our recent oil tank incident has caused a flurry of activity in our house this past week.
Since we needed to quickly rearrange things to move them away from the old leaky, smelly oil tank, we took the opportunity to get rid of alot of it and reorganize the remainder.

Purging can be so satisfying... just ask Sassy.

Now we have a garage full of junk rather than a basement full of junk.
This will be organized into three areas:
stuff to sell
stuff to toss
and our favorite... stuff to put at the curb for free.

We do this alot.
It's like sport for us.
We take perfectly good stuff that we no longer use and set it out at the curb to see how long it takes for someone to snatch it up. We do it so often that folks probably wait with great anticipation to see what we will put out next. We actually have an old (working) air conditioner that we are saving for just such an occasion. We want to wait until next summer when its like 99 degrees out - then put the old A/C out at the curb with a FREE sign on it...
That's gotta make somebody's day.

Oh, and of course, all this tidying and purging has also spawned some ideas for new projects... more on this later.

...later that same day

Look!

it fit down the stairs!


Its all done, and the house is almost warm again.

They did manage to put a big scratch in the side. I am not to happy about that. Because its important for me to have a shiny new, scratch free oil tank. (I may have to touch it up).

Now I must go and vacuum and mop up after the installers.

Our Old House

Nothing is ever easy here.

The new oil tank is being installed today.
Here is our old one. The heating guy said this tank is probably 70 years old being the original tank from when the house was converted from coal.

Yes, it's a stone basement. I believe the floor used to be dirt. But at some point an inch of concrete was poured down there.

Because of the lack of a separate entrance to the basement and the narrow stairs... today's project will be a challenge.
The fellows who are doing the install tho are familiar with these issues. We live in an old farm house - and there are many in these parts (sprinkled in with the McMansions), so they have a plan.
First, the old tank will be drained and washed clean. The oil, about 175 gallons, will be stored in drums and tansferred to the new tank.
Then they will cut the old tank to fit it up and out the stairs.

Our new tank will be slightly smaller, 22" wide, and 240 gallons rather than the standard of 275.
Here it is in the driveway.

Fitting the 22" tank down the narrow stairs is still really just a theory. If it won't go - we can actually get two small tanks which they can tandem.
We are really hoping this is not necessary tho, as it jacks up the price by a grand.

I told my frugal wife not to worry - I would find a way to get this tank down the stairs no matter what... I will start taking down walls if I have to.

They will also need to replace our vent line, as its not up to code (really... in this house... what is).
This will require widening the outlet through our stone basement walls. I hope this works out easily. But with this old house - I wouldn't put money on it.

Friday

tip-o-day

If you live in an old home, like we do, keep an eye and a nose on your indoor oil tank.
They are much, much easier to replace in the summer ... when there is not 250 gallons of oil in them.

Look underneath your tank often. And if you smell oil... you've waited to long.

Oh..right

It occurs to me that I never followed up on our counter installation.
(well...it didn't actually occur to me - I was reminded)

Plus, we needed some extra time to finish the back splash for the final pictures. (ok, ok not that much time)

Ok so...
the counters used to be green, and clearly that needed to change.




As I told you the installation was harrowing:

First we removed the old counter. We put the old counter on sawhorses close by so we could use it as a reference. Tho we quickly learned that we would not be able to transfer the old measurements. I began to panic.
Lucky me, my mathematical wife steps in with a pencil:

After penciling in the proper measurements, she adds tape so that the foot of the saw won't scratch the new counter.

My intelligent and attractive wife has me check the final measurements one more time. You get one shot with a sink hole. If you mess up - you can toss the whole counter out:


Then we use a hole saw in each corner:


After all four holes are drilled we simply cut the straight edges with a jig saw. I am using a small kerf laminate (down-cut) blade, so as not to chip the laminate during the cut.

Look! it FITS!

Some things we leave to the professionals. The plumber came the next day.


Then my creative wife finished up with a stone tile back splash (during this process I got to wipe things, get her fresh water, and open the wine when she was done).





Notice the sink rack in the bottom of the oddly shaped sink. Initially we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get a rack to protect our happy new sink - but we dismayed with the selection. I found these custom racks made by the manufacturer online. I do so love the internets.

I'm not a felon, but they don't know that yet

Next week, here at the office, we are all going to be fingerprinted.
No one has given us an actual, plausible explanation - tho its fairly obvious... since we work with highly confidential personal data.

As to be expected, many folks are in a nit about it.
Personally, I am excited. I don't think I have ever been fingerprinted.
Well... there was that 'incident' in upstate New York. Tho I can't quite remember if they fingerprinted me or not.

I felt like I was in Mayberry.
The synopsis goes like this:
- around midnight driving through nowhere on our way to Canada, circa 1989
- stopped for really minor traffic violation
- I was a passenger and arrested on an open container charge
- my empty beer bottle was marked as 'Exhibit A'
- almost got into more trouble for laughing at the labeling of my Michelob
- I had to ride in the patrol car to the police station/court house
- the officer and I chatted about real estate prices and rising insurance costs
- the judge was called in from home, he was wearing a flannel shirt
- I was asked if I wanted a lawyer, and again... the laughing
- I pleaded guilty to drinking a beer (technically it was only 1/2 a beer...)
- payed a 20.00 fine to be release into the custody of my giggling wife

This can't possibly come up on my record... can it?
Ha!

Let’s just say

Let’s just say you were approaching the entrance to your favorite local shop.
You notice as you get closer that someone else is also heading for the door.
Do you speed up to reach the door and let it close behind you so that you are in first?
Then why do you do that in your car?

Let’s just say you are walking along a park path. Ahead of you is an elderly couple, holding hands and enjoying a leisurely walk. Suddenly you realize the time and need to brisk your pace to get back for an appointment.
Do you yell at the old couple as you approach from behind, and then scowl at them as you pass in your haste?
Then why do you do that in your car?

Let’s just say you walk into the bank and need to see a teller for your transaction.
You notice there are a number of people waiting in a roped line.
Do you bypass the line and go directly to the front to be waited on next?
Then why do you do that in your car?

Let’s just say you are a thoughtful, courteous person – who tends to open doors for others, help a lost person, be patient and kind.
Then why aren’t you like that your car?

Circle the wagons

I keep falling off damn wagons.
Well, technically, I was never really on the wagon per se...

In my ongoing determination to lose weight, I had decided several weeks ago to cut back on my beer consumption. It's just so many calories, and... being a middle aged woman I just don't metabolize alcohol like back in the day.
(which is mostly just the universe telling me enough is enough old woman, you ain't 20 anymore)

I had a bit of a setback this weekend.
But its Monday... I am now planted firmly in my wagon seat, hands on the reigns, keeping a look out for angry natives, with a Perrier by my side.

Fallen off the wagon

I have fallen off the blog wagon.
I am running to catch up.
I don't run very fast.

In training

The road where my office complex is located is like the Autobahn.
It’s a newly paved rather curvy road, and the drivers are all professionals.
Professional commuters.
Pretty much the only traffic on this road is limited to people heading to this complex.
You need to be savvy to the commuter rules of the road.

This morning, as I was taking my left turn onto the OfficeAutobahn, I noticed a car coming in the opposite direction moving very slowly with the right blinker on.
Its an unusual site to see someone driving slowly in this area.
As the car took a very tentative, hugging the shoulder sort of turn, I noticed the big yellow signs on all sides.

Why in holy hell would someone bring a Student Driver on this road... at 8a.m.

Poor kid. Bet this kid gets a city job that he can walk to

Friday

tip-o-day

We gave Ferris a car stereo for Christmas. The Daughter's Handsome Beau helped us pick it out and did the install as well - he is a pro in this area.
The thing has all the bells and whistles. So many bells in fact that its not all that easy to figure out how the thing works. Luckily it comes with a thick manual.
After the Handsome Beau was done with the install he came into the kitchen and handed us the thick manual.
"Ferris needs to read this, put it in the john."

Huh. I had never thought of putting stuff in there that he really should read, but probably wouldn't.
Brilliant.

multitasking

I am, for the second time this week, eating and working at the same time. No time for a break, work is busy.
Or course I am also blogging... and cleaning the oven.
Man... I'm good.

I was supposed to be at the gym during lunch today. Normally, I go to the gym at 4:00. Then I can watch Ellen while I am on the Elliptical.
This makes me happy.
I like that time slot.
But the gym is packed with post holiday exercise binging so I am looking for a quieter time. I know most of these newbies will give up in a couple weeks, so I can have my routine back.
I do so like routine.
But ...you knew that.

I have been very good about going to the gym... not perfect, but good. 3 - 4 times a week good.
I don't seem to have much measurable results yet. I have lost 1 pound, and have been told that my face looks thinner, which seems to have no effect on the way my pants fit... o well.
But getting older makes you more patient.
The universe gives you this great gift of patience as you age... mostly because things tend to take longer.

Our reality show

My mom came over yesterday to watch the Patriots game in HiDef on our big TV.
My mom LOVES the Patriots.
Its like they are all her kids...she seems to know how they are feeling, what kind of mood they are in, who is friends with who. She said one day that she thought they lost because Tom Brady looked tired, and maybe he was fighting off a cold.

While she was there I demonstrated how easy it is to record shows using the DVR. I think it would be easier for her to use than her VCR.
Since I wanted to record it anyway, I used the L W0RD as an example (10:00 is just so late, so we didn't watch the premier yet - possibly tonight).

When she asked what the L W0RD was, I replied. "It's a show about rich, successful, extremely attractive lesbians all living in the same city in California. They all know each other, hang out at the same places and can walk to each others houses all day when most people are actually working... you know - just like real life."

kill a watt

Here in CT they plan to raise our electric rates by somewhere near 50% over the course of the next year.

That's alot for watts.

We have never been very mindful of our electric usage. We tend to turn on lights in rooms we are not in or leave computers running we are not using. Forget Ferris. His room is a watt-fest. Everything is running all of the time... tv, playstation, computer, lights, phones... I think he even plugs himself in to recharge.

Well...no more.
My frugal wife and I are taking action.

We are discovering there are alot of things plugged in, sucking power for no good reason. Do we need a clock on the wall on the stove on the microwave on the coffee maker? I don't think so.

You do know all of your appliances are gobbling up kilowatts just waiting for you to turn them on? They sit in a ready state, plucking dollar bills from your wallet - just so you can push a button from across the room to turn them on. Well, I am not that lazy.

We'll start by putting some appliances on power strips. This way we can control when they start sucking energy. Several of the appliances with clocks will simply be unplugged until we need them. We will also be switching over to fluorescent bulbs where ever we can.
And lastly... we'll send Ferris back to college where we more than cover any of his electrical expenses.

Oh, and my watt-conscious wife wants to get this device.

2007

It occurs to me suddenly that I have failed to supply myself with a 2007 calendar.

I don't know what day it is, and I can't make any plans.
It's not so bad really.

I'm Back

I took a hiatus.
It was divine.
The holidays were lovely. The time off from work sublime.
We were lazy and decadent.

Real posting begins tomorrow.

Today I am springing back by eating lettuce all day.
Let's call it a cleansing after last nights fondue madness.
Have you had fondue lately? I highly recommend it.

Friday

I thought of telling you the wonders of parchment paper for all of your holiday baking needs – but I have other, more pressing, thoughts today.

The holidays can be a stressful time.
Ah, the dichotomy of December. A time… as advertised, so full of joy and gaiety.
A time when so many people fall prey to the pressure of the season.

Shopping for that perfect gift, feeling tense about cash flow, running your credit cards up and credit score down, organizing family gatherings, even holiday baking can all be sticks on your camel’s back.
While each situation has a solution or at least some relief…the time is late for that now. The holiday is upon us, emotions are mounting.

So let me say this to you instead, my dear bloggy friends.
Please take a moment over this week or weekend… take a moment away from your holiday – be it Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza or even a New Years celebration – a moment away from loved ones, from the kitchen, from the mall.

Don’t tell me you don’t have a moment. You do. It’s just a moment.

The season is about giving – so give yourself a moment
Do what you want with that moment. I know my spiritual wife would choose Reiki…
You could light a candle, sit quietly in the dark, take a bath, take a walk, pleasure yourself… whatever works for you.
Find a smattering of joy.
Joy is like a rolling snowball – it grows once it gets going.
Joy is also contagious.

The holiday is and has always been –in our hearts. And believe me; I know everything around you is fighting against that. But there is joy. Sometimes you need to look for it.

When Aunt Mabel is yet again bitching about your housekeeping or your Uncle Simon is criticizing your child rearing… avert your gaze, you may instead see your nephew hugging your dog, or perhaps your teenager sneaking some nog – see… there is joy everywhere.
Look for it.
Be blessed by it.
And remember – while a dry roast for Christmas dinner can be problematic, its nothing that an extra bottle of champagne won’t fix.

So your Holiday Friday tip-o-day is to get to the liquor store early and stock up.

From my festive wife and I
We wish you a most Happy Holiday.

bzzzzz

Remarkably, I still have this pesky cold.

I decided this morning to get right back on my cold medication.
The gel caps I took this morning were a gorgeous azure blue.

Now my runny nose has stopped, my nasal passages are clear and I am breathing smoothly. Not to mention the FABulous buzz I have.
I just love Guiafenisen. It not only makes me peppy - but I won't need food for several hours.

I also thought you might like to know - I am wearing a Santa hat.

I do so love to sing

Our church organizes groups to go out Caroling the week before Christmas – it’s really a wonderful small town tradition.

They always make a point to visit our neighbor, Marie. We have been living next door to Marie for all of the 19 years we’ve been here. In fact, Marie’s parents built our house which was one of the original farm houses on our street. She tells stories of walking the cows up our road to the high pasture. Our road… now with its double yellow line was a dirt road back then.
She and her husband eventually built the house next door for themselves, and she has lived on this street her entire life.

This year the happy Carolers knocked on our door to see if we might want to join them for a carol or two over at Marie’s house.
Since I was drunk… and wearing antlers at the time – I was more than happy to join in.

Tis’ the season folks.

Friday

tip-o-day

If you have a cold - don't waste time on any other tissue - get Puffs with Lotion right from the start.


...and for a good nights sleep, take 3-4 Michelobs followed by 2 Nyquil.
zzz

Taking one for the team

I am sick today.
I have a headcold, runny nose, stuffy achy thing... you know.

But I am here at work.
I came in today because there is a late luncheon followed by a happy hour for the Director of our department who is leaving the company. Far be it for me to miss free food and drink over a silly little cold.
When I emailed my concerned wife earlier this morning, I told her I was trying to decide whether or not to take cold medication to help me get through the day.
Her response:

"Four out of five doctors recommend Robitussin to enhance the therapeutic effect of Michelob lite."

Can you see why I love this woman. :)

Too many problems

There are too many blogger or blogger beta problems today to even bother to post.

Maybe later.

Are you tired?

Because I am.
The odd thing is ...everyone I talk to today is tired.
What is up with that?

cut your own

As is common in New England, we cut our own Christmas tree.

(the finger is Ferris' way of showing endearment.)

I guard a candidate from other eager families as a reconnaissance team is sent out to scope other possiblities

The final selection.

The cut is complete.

Our men carry the tree.

Friday

tipsy-o-day

Today are our company holiday parties.

What I mean by that is my technical wife and I work for different companies and both parties are today.

Hers will be a luncheon, for employees only. Most likely with an amazing array of tasty delicasies. She works at a company where cooking and food preparation are a big part of some of the products they produce (there... that should be vague enough). Even their daily lunches in the company cafeteria are prepared by only the best of chefs. Their lunch menu reads like a 5 star restaurant. I would wager there will be a lovely selection of well aged wine as well. It's sure to be a exquisite event.
My company party is an evening dinner event held at a Country Club. The food will be of the so-so wedding catered variety. There will be a DJ and an open bar, and many will be dressed to the nines.

Today's tip (which is really for me) is to find that fine line between getting the most of the open bar, and remembering that it's a company sponsored event.
And since my wine-swilling wife will have a head start - should make for interesting dinner conversation with my boss.

Cheers!

Scary scary night

Whew.
What a night.

Even tho we would be installing our new counters ourselves we decided a few days ago to have the plumbing done professionally. Sometimes that's just smarter.

That left us with simply installing the new counters on the base cabinets and tiling the backsplash... piece of cake for us - oh well... then there was the sink hole.
We would need to cut this ourselves into the beautiful new pristine counter.
Since the plumber was schedule to arrive first thing this morning to set the sink, we needed to finish our part last night.

Cutting the sink hole into our new formica counter seemed to be the scariest job we have taken on yet. And there is not much we don't take on. I suppose it was so scary because there is no room for error. A mistake means replacing the entire run.

No pressure.

Ah but, my patient wife and I are a crack remodling team. At each tenuous step we stopped - knocked back a shot...o -- no wait - that was at the end...

We literally put down the pencils and saws at every juncture to discuss various methods of execution. Gently tossing an idea around long enough to uncover possible failure points and adjust as necessary. If it weren't for these break points, the project could have easily ended in disaster.
After hours of such discussions, several erased pencil lines, some head scratching and a couple of snacks - we cut a successful sink hole!

Pics coming soon.

Blame it on the 80's

We have green kitchen counters.

And no one to blame but ourselves. We picked these out.
But hey… it was the 80’s.
When we did this back in the 80’s we actually liked them.

See this faucet?

I bought this about two years ago because our old one was leaking and after replacing washers and cartridges I could not get it to stop.
I told my skeptical wife that I would buy the cheapest faucet I could find at Home Depot, because it was temporary. Well …that was two years ago. I suppose it depends on your definition of temporary.

The sink is chipped and irreversibly stained. I think it was the original with the house. When we had the hideous green counters installed we saved money by putting the old sink right back in.
Hey…have I mentioned it was the 80’s. Plus it was our first remodel and we were stupid - or quite possibly high.

Well it ain’t the 80’s anymore – time for a change. Its actually been time for a change for quite some time. We started picking out counter surfaces and colors about two years ago (around the time of my temporary faucet installation).

It's taken us this long to make our final selections.

We selected a material and the color, made careful measurements (including scale drawings of course), and finally ordered the counters.

They were delivered this past weekend.

New counters are currently being installed… by us.
Pictures to follow.

Risen

Ferris has been ill.
He came home from school over Thanksgiving break in rough shape.
After some misdiagnosis - we finally found he had Mono and Strep.
Needless to say he has not been moving around much.

He came home again this past weekend with severly swollen tonsils and in a good bit of pain.
So they started him on Prednisone.
When he is not completly zonked in his room, you can find him on the sofa watching HiDef, his laptop resting on his chest, various drinks and snacks within arms reach on the coffee table.

Saturday morning he was in just this position, dozing occasionally, when we pulled in the driveway in my rugged wife's new-to-her Wrangler.

He rose like Lazarus, dressed himself, got behind the wheel ...we didn't see him for the rest of the afternoon.

A true Christmas miracle.

Deet?

Apparently perfume has a shelf life.
Who knew?

I had a change of routine today and went to the gym during my lunch break.
I do so love a shower in the middle of the day.

I had with me an old but not quite used up bottle of my perfume*.
Evidently it was too old.
Kinda reminds me of bug repellent.
I am trying to pretend I am camping here in my dark, warm cubicle.


*I have been wearing Opium every day since sometime in the early eighties.

And the beat goes on...

For anyone who may be interested - I am still going to the gym.
I also continue to watch what I eat.
My weight... remains the same (actually its a little higher today).
My personal trainers* tell me I must be amassing muscle.
I looked for this muscle this morning.
Standing buck naked in front of a full length mirror.
I didn't see any muscle.
Tho I feel my head is getting smaller.




*thin people that i work with

While we're out...

We were going to Target to buy more lights... my luminescent wife requires ALOT of lights -

on our way we picked up this for my rugged wife:

stock photo - I will take actual photos when we go pick it up later in the week.

Oh, and we got the lights too - only 1.99 each!

Saturday

tip-o-day

I was still all juiced up on tryptophan yesterday... couldn't post.

You're Black Friday shopping tip of the day is...
If the '40%-off toy' you were looking for seems to be sold out - circle.
Keep returning to the place where the toy used to be.
Sometimes, more will appear.

yay.

Let the holidays begin

sprakling wine... not just for breakfast.

Eat, Drink and...

Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving.

My frugal wife and I love to participate in the Black Friday festivities.
It's not that we have a long list of purchases, on the contrary we buy very few items for Christmas. But we just love the excitement that Black Friday whips up.

We will be up and out by 6:00 - starting out with a Grande Caffè Latte of course.
We usually stick to a couple stores in the mall, snagging a few items from the list. Often times - we wait to purchase items we need around the house - to take advantage of the super deals and early bird specials. I mean, if you already need a new coffee maker - why not get it at 60% off.
When things really start picking up around 9:30 or 10:00, we head home.

One of the things we enjoy the most - is going out of our way to be courteous, friendly and helpful in contrast to all the mayhem.
So if you're shopping on Friday take the opportunity to give up a prime parking spot, hold open a door, wait patiently in line and never loose your cool over something as shallow as shopping.
You will not only come home feeling great about yourself and your experience - but you just may make someone else feel that way too.

Clothed Captains?

At the gym, while doing my time on the 'thing that I hate*', I usually have the TV on and tuned to Ellen.
The TVs at the gym always seem to have that closed captioning feature turned on. I have a hard enough time changing the channel with the remote while bobbling around on my 'fitness machine from hell*', so I just leave it.

Have you ever tried to follow a show using the closed captions? Not only is there a long and wildly variable lag time but the spelling is at time almost incomprehensible. Who the hell types this stuff in? Clearly English is a second... possibly their third language.




* otherwise known as the Elliptical

And the dieting goes on...

In addition to going to the gym 4 times a week, I have been recording my intake online using FitDay.com.
This journaling type method works for me. It's not for everyone for sure. But for me, I feel it makes me more of an active participant in my own progress.
I can also look back at the day, or the week and know that I am on track. Instead of just 'thinking' that I am.

The other great thing about FitDay is that it allows you to enter your activities and shows the calories burned.
I like to put in my gym activities and I also include any heavy yard work that I may do. I figure that counts.
FitDay has all sorts of stored activities to choose from. For example under the Lawn and Garden selection I can choose from raking, chopping wood or digging in the garden. If I put in how much time I spent at a certain activity it will calculate total calories burned.

While browsing through these lists I noticed that I can also include Sexual Activity.
There are three levels of activity to choose from:
- Active, vigorous effort
- General, moderate effort
- Passive, light effort, kissing, hugging

Moderate effort? I am still trying to get my head around that one.

Friday

tip-o-day

It's going to be a warm here in the NorthEast this weekend. Why not take advantage of the temperature and put up your holiday decorations.
You can leave your lights off if you like until its closer to the holiday... but why wait to string them up until the mercury dips below the freezing point.

I have an inclination

Well, HAL_LAY_LOOO-YAHH.
The Catholics have published new guidelines on homosexual outreach.

''Mini stry to P ersons with a H omos exual Inclin ation''

This is a wonderfully helpful 'training' document put together by celibate Bishops to assist Catholic priests in guiding their homosexual parishioners spiritually.
It's so much easier to minister to a homosexual once you understand they are suffering from a disorder.
And... further good news - Gays and Lesbians can now enjoy taking the Holy Communion-- guilt free, as long as they are abstaining from any of that unholy gay sex.

But just so heterosexuals don't feel completely left out - the document also reinforces the churches ban on artificial contraception, promoting their tried and true 'rhythm' method instead. So, you folks who toss out your condoms, rip out your IUD's or flush your birth control pills are also welcome to join those celibate gays at the alter for your tasty piece of the Body of Christ.

Abusing the system

You know those prolific 20% coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond and Linens and Things?
Well over the summer we had been stock piling them to buy supplies for Ferris big Freshman Adventure.
He turned out to be a pretty light traveller.

But this worked out well for us, since we are in desperate need of new curtains. Yes, we are desperate for curtains. I can't fathom to think what would happen if we didn't acquire some soon.
So we found some at Bed Bath and Beyond that we just love.

As you know, the coupons are good for 20% off an individual item.
Yup, you guessed it - so far my frugal wife and I have made 4 trips to two BB&B stores.
We each buy one panel, with one coupon.
4 more trips to go.

Friday

tip-o-day

We have hardwood floors in the living room, and a sofa that is positioned somewhat in the center of the room. Since there is no rug under it every time you sat on it, or espcially when Ferris flung himself on it - it would move.

I tried cutting small pieces of those rubbery rug underlayments - but the sofa still moved.
Finally, I put some duct tape on the sofa feet - no... not sticky side down, I simply stuck a piece of tape on each one.
The sofa hasn't move since.

I didn't know him well...

I took the day off today - to get some fall clean up done around the place.
While I was sweeping out the garage this morning, I came across a dead mouse.
Looked like a recent death.
I didn't have the heart to just sweep the little guy up with the leaves and toss him out in back.

So I gave him a proper Christian burial.

Mice are Christians right? I think I read that somewhere...
My benevolent wife would tell me not to make such assumptions.
So just in case I also said Shabbat Shalom and Namasté over him as well.

It's all about how you look at it

As you may remember, I have embarked on a weight loss program.
This program is strongly based on exercise.
This will actually be my first week where I will go to the gym to workout at least 3 times. I am looking forward to this regularity. I do so like routine.

I rushed out of the office today to fit in my full workout in before it was time for Wednesday Wings Night (for anyone who doesn't know, this is our family dinner night at our local sports bar - we get a pitcher of beer and 20 cent wings).

I arrive at the well appointed women's locker room and begin unpacking my workout 'gear'. My 'gear' consists of sneakers, a pair of Old Navy sweats, and a loose T. Let's just say its more functional than fashionable.
Aaanyway... I start up packing and find that my 'gear' is drenched. I mean really wet, like 'there is no way I can wear it' wet.

Hmm.
It's pouring out, my bag was in my back seat ... and I have a convertible.
Uh o.

So I pack up my soggy stuff and go back out to the car. Upon further inspection I notice the backseat is also wet.I spent some time trying to find a leak. Oddly the roof seemed dry. The water must have leaked from one place and run along a seam or something. I decide to wait until tomorrow and test it with a hose to find, and hopefully patch, the leak.

So, I go home. Sad about missing my workout.

The phone is ringing as I walk in. It's The Daughter. Poor little thing is sick, and the 'bo' is coming down with it too.
So we cancel wings night.

No workout, no wings.

It was then that I started to unpack my gym bag to toss my soggy stuff in the wash - when I found my leaky water bottle.

YAY!
true - no wings, no workout... but more importantly - no new convertible top!

Did you vote today?

In our town they have 'new' voting machines.
Gone are the levers and pale green drapes. Frankly, I miss them.

But wait… these were not the ‘touch-pad’ voting machines I had seen in the commercials.
This was more like… the SATs.

Once I had given my name and been manually crossed off the list by pencil and ruler, I was handed a BIG sheet of paper. This paper had the names of the candidates, in large text, with an oval to each name. I was then directed to a 'voting station' which looked sorta like a cheap restroom diaper changing station. Evidently this was supposed to make me feel like no one could see my selections. The privacy concept is sorta lost by the fact that you can see over the walls and there is a constant stream of people walking back and forth directly behind those who are voting.
I was told that I would find a marker at the station and I was to 'color in' the oval next to the candidate of my choice. Hmm, a black dot test.

Then I was to take my completed ballot and cross the gymnasium to a machine that greatly resembled a small copier. There were optional, and inadequately sized manila folders provided to afford some semblance of discretion for my trip across the gym.

At the machine, I simply placed my ballot in the feeder – and it got sucked in.
Done.

How this is more advanced than the old trusty lever selection method sorta eludes me.

Oh, and I did not use a manila folder.
I was actually reading the directions on the back of my ballot as I crossed the gym, making my boldly colored ovals plainly visible.
I have reasons for my selections, and they are not a secret.

The Cone

Look at this!

Its one of my birthday presents from The Daughter. Isn’t she clever.

I have it right next to the wood stove. It's dashing... and no more messy wood bits, dirt, or ash.

Just not up to it

I know I know... this will be the second friday with no tip.

I have been feeling woozy on and off for just over two days now.
I can't blog like this.

Go off and start your fall cleaning - we'll catch up on a tip next friday.
(yes, fall cleaning... its like spring cleaning - but better. fall cleaning is not a cleansing of the season. it's the preparation for one. winter is a healing time, a time to regenerate and rekindle. it's a time for us to rest our spirits and souls... the house needs to be clean for all that)

A picture is worth a thousand words

I thought of this on my morning commute.

We had a light rain last night but the sun was out this morning. While it was a cool morning, it’s still mild for November in New England so I was comfortable in only a light jacket.

I opened my car window as I drove into the office around 7. The air smelled thick with freshly fallen leaves, and there was a heavy dew rising- creating a mystic fog. The ground was littered with these brightly colored fallen leaves but the trees still clung to many of them, their color made more vibrant by the low morning sun.

I passed my friends, the cows. They stood together at the crest of a hill, their breath coming in big puffs of cool morning air, the sun behind them… a bovine silhouette.

Closer to my office complex there is a small town green I drive through each day with requisite churches ubiquitous here in New England. It’s a lovely green, typical of the area, though my daily passage has made me numb to its quaintness. Today tho, the sun was positioned perfectly behind a comely white church – making its long stained glass windows glow as if from within.

Right then, I wished I had my camera - noting that I should probably toss it in my backpack when I got home.

But as I thought more about the picture I would take, I dismissed the idea of a photo. I am certain that, with the light and the mist and the amazing fall foliage, I could capture a fantastic image. But what I was feeling tactilely and emotionally was not going to translate to pixels.

A picture is a great way for me to show you the wood bin I built, or a snapshot of our kids, or perhaps my new car.
But sometimes a handful of words are worth a thousand pictures, and sometimes only the memory….

In Training...

As I eluded to last week, before I go off in a wild rage to my Doctor demanding amphetamines – some of my co-workers have decided to take me on …as a project… to get me back to my fighting weight.

On Friday – I went to the gym.

Now working out is not completely foreign to me. I have at times in my life gone to gyms… granted it’s been several years.
Well, perhaps 10 years.
Give or take.
Ok, so it has been a long time – so I guess I am a rookie.

Friday’s visit was to acquaint myself with the machines.
Helloooo machine
Helloooo weese

One of my several trainers went with me to demonstrate the machines and make suggestions on their use.
She had me work on an Elliptical, and then with various weight machines.

The Elliptical was fun. Tho I had some trouble getting into a good rhythm. It has all sorts of options and flashing lights, and a heart rate monitor which I found very entertaining. Tho I think at my age and current level of inactivity, playing with your heart rate probably shouldn’t be sport.
This gym also has TV’s mounted in front of all the Ellipticals and Treadmills. So there are certainly plenty of things to do to pass the time.

I learned a few valuable tips that day.

1) Don’t wear a sweatshirt. As much as you think it will be comfy and concealing – it’s too damn hot.
2) Bring a water bottle. I got dehydrated as soon as I opened the door.
3) Tune to your desired TV channel prior to starting your workout on your elliptical device– unless you just want to be good entertainment for those working out around you.

I am going back today. Alone.

More than just Friday

Happy Birthday to ....

The Daughter!














who has just quietly
slipped past the quarter century.

Gettin' into my own pants

Shall I let you ponder that title for awhile...
(Syd... Syd... snap out of it)

Ok...enough fantasizing.

Now that I have your attention, let me say it another way.
I would like to fit into my own pants again.
I currently have several pairs in my wardrobe that are simply to 'snug' to wear right now.

I have been trying to lose weight for a little while now with no result. In fact, I see to have added more weight.
Weese is getting ticked.

My next course of action was going to be heading off to my doctor to demand medication.
ah... I don't care what kind - amphetamines... thyroid meds... crack - whatever.

But - before I put this plan into action, I have some friends here at the office who seem to feel they have a better plan for me.
Hey, what have I got to lose … well pounds and inches I suppose.

I start officially on Monday.
That would be Monday, October 30th 2006.
If this plan works, I will be 'in my pants' by Monday, November 27th 2006.

I'll let you know.

Menses

Women are amazing creatures. Each month we completely renew ourselves.
It’s a special time, a time to be revered. It’s a time of healing, and rejuvenation. It’s a time to center ourselves and to turn inward and feel the wonders of our powers. This cyclical process that cleanses our bodies to ready us for the greatest wonder of all is to be truly revered. As a woman in her mid-40’s this time each month is wonder….
Oh fuck it.
Where’s the chocolate.

Friday

tip-o-day

It's still not really cold enough to warrant draining the hoses and putting them away. However, I have been caught unaware from an early overnight freeze before, and since it blew out my hose fittings I am a little more cautious now.

So at this time of year I leave the hoses disconnected. It's easy enough to attach them when necessary. For us here in New England, I will leave the hoses out until around Thanksgiving. Once the gutters have been cleaned out, they will get drained, rolled up and put into the garage for the winter.

I do keep one short hose available on an inexpensive plastic portable hose reel. That way on those infrequent warm days, I can just roll it out to wash the cars.
But be sure to drain it well... or that will be the last time it's used until spring.

Do you have a leak?

I have a leaking snow thrower that is on my list of things to get straightened out before winter. I have been putting it off because I was unsure how to approach fixing this unknown leak... I am not much of a mechanic, and we no longer have the van to transport this behemoth.


Have you ever seen this stuff?

A friend at work suggested I try this on my leaking snow thrower. I am so excited (it doesn't take much to make me happy).


But THEN... I got to thinking (which often frightens my dear wife) my car also has a small leak.


I already know it's a gasket that needs to be replaced to the tune of $250. So I figured what the heck - it's 5 bucks.

I will let you know if the stuff works.

I am not a real Lumberjack, I only play one on TV

Not to be outdone (completely) by Suzanne-not-Susan and Wendy-the roof raker but this weekend we discovered the joys of woodsplitting.

We do not own fancy wood splitting tools and ...not that its relevant -but I am also afraid of heights.

You see, we have a wood stove, and while we do not use it to heat our home - it supplements where baseboard heat leaves off… in that my chilly wife likes it WARM…. 76° is not uncommon on our first floor.

To effectively use a wood stove you need wood. We have been very blessed when it comes to acquiring wood. We get wood for free.

Now wipe away those images of my frugal wife and I stopping along side the road and hacking up fallen trees with a McCulloch tucked in the truck.
Nope - doesn't happen.

These days, our wood gets delivered, and sometimes stacked. Yes, for free. Yes, we are very grateful. My Italian wife does supply a tray of her amazing meatballs in exchange for the free wood. (so if you do bring us wood – please expect meatballs.)
Other than bringing it in and lighting it on fire tho, that is pretty much the extent of our involvement with our firewood.
Until this weekend.

First, we have been limb’ing some trees around the yard to bring some more light down to the lawn. These were good sized limbs and we didn’t want to see any waste.
My patient wife used her loppers to trim all the branches, and then I used my circular saw to cut them into fire lengths. Right.. I do not own a chainsaw.
(Tho I am still waiting for a ‘chainsaw review’…you know who you are…)
Here is some of the wood we cut up that afternoon.



Later that day, after hours of general yard work and limb cutting, my petite wife re-discovers pieces of tree trunk from a maple tree we had removed last year.
We had asked them to leave the wood. They left us pieces from the trunk which were about 12 to 18 inches across. We just stacked them up and left them – we had no idea what we were going to do with them.

She decided we should split this wood. We had a dull ax, a sledge hammer and a wedge.
I was skeptical to say the least… ok… I believe I called her a lunatic.
She is persistent, that adorable-lunatic-wife of mine.
It was a slow start – since neither of us had ever actually split wood without the use of a hydraulic log splitter, so there was a learning curve.
But once we got the hang of it… we found it rather gratifying.
It’s a job that has immediate results. And (as Suzanne points out) it’s also great for those middle-aged triceps.

We sorta wish we had more to split. Maybe I need to tuck a chainsaw in the back of the convertible in case I see a fallen tree along side the road…

Almost a day off

Doncha love spam:

Friday

tip-o-day

Here comes the cold weather. This weekend will be in the 50’s. Not that I am complaining mind you… Buffalo got 2 feet of snow last night.

But with the winter fast approaching its time for some planning. This weekend and possibly next weekend will probably be the last times you are going to want to be outside near any running water. So its time to get any chores done that may require your hose.
Some suggestions of watery things I may be doing over the next week or two:

□ Wash/wax cars
□ Rinse off the screens as you put them away
□ Scrub patio umbrella (I am going to put a coat of scotch guard on our this year)
□ Wash the house (washing the house frequently with your garden hose can alleviate the need for power washing)

Don't tread on me

I got new tires yesterday.
I really like them. They seem very 'grippy'.
When you drive a car the size of a roller skate in the Northeast -'grippy' is good.

While my car was being shod, I sat in a small waiting area surrounded by tires. Stacks and stack of them. So many tires, so many treads.
They all have different tread patterns. It's fascinating really. So many different patterns... I got to thinking that it's actually someone's job to design tread patterns. Can you imagine that job?
What's talk around the water cooler like...
"Morning Ned, I heard that you came up with a really clutch rain tread last week! "
Do they have 'Tread Design Reviews'?
I wonder what the 'Tire Tread Designer' job burnout rate is?

Rock bottom

I have heard that sometimes in order to rise above, you have to ‘hit rock bottom’ first.
I think we’re there now.

I have mentioned before my plans to have cable shut off, and to invest in an antenna for the house. TV is free you know.

I figured we could get local broadcasting with our snazzy new antenna so we wouldn’t be too out of touch. Then we could sign up for something like NetFlix for say 20 bucks a month, and watch movies and most series on DVD.
This would save us over 100 dollars a month.

Well…
Then we got HDTV. I like to think of it as our ‘gateway’ drug.
Yes, I became addicted.

Standard television broadcasts were no longer enough. I needed HIGH definition.
Most programming that we watch is now broadcast in HIGH definition.

However, we ran into some issues when the fall season started. There were some overlaps as well as the problematic 10:00 show. I say problematic because often times we are tired. And staying awake just to watch a show on television (even in HIGH def) just doesn’t make sense.
So we started taping. Sometimes we would tape a 10:00 show if we were feeling sleepy. Sometimes we would tape an overlapping show upstairs and watch something else downstairs. There were tapes in the VCR upstairs and tapes piling up in the TV cabinet downstairs. Sometimes I would write on them, though sometimes I would forget. Often taping over something we hadn’t yet watched. It was very confusing. Not to mention … the quality. O, oh ohhhh the quality.

I just couldn’t do it anymore.

And so folks, we added HD-DVR to our menagerie of cable options.
Actually – at this point, I doubt there is a cable option we don’t have.

But let me just say…from deep down here in the cableTV dredges, that HIGH definition DVR is …
Superb.

Friday

tip-o-day

I am not sure how or why this works or if it will work for everyone - but I was so tickled that I had to share.

My driver’s side headlight has been out for a couple weeks. Well, you know me - I am handy enough to buy a light bulb and install it myself, and normally I am quick to a minor repair such as this.
Admittedly, I was procrastinating. It seems that on my VW replacing the driver’s side headlamp often involves removing the battery to access the back of the headlight.
Ugh.
Added degree of complexity means… hmm, drive less at night?

Well, wasn’t I just thrilled this past week when The Daughter’s bo’ evidently noticed my headlight impairment as I was backing out of the driveway. As he is walking by my car he bangs the headlight with his palm, waves and continues on into the house in one fluid motion.
My light came on instantly, and has been on ever since.

So the tip for today… sometimes things just need a good whack.

Due Process

Had I only know 'Due Process' took soooo long...

The trial is over and the verdict is in.
I however, as Alternate Juror #2, did not get to participate in the deliberation or the decision.
I was released just after the closing arguments. The judge made it clear however, that I was still part of the jury until the decision had been made. It made me feel loved. He, His Honor, actually did take some time to thank me, and to tell me how important my role was, and that I should be proud to have served.
I was proud, and a little sleepy. This was not a riveting trial.
The court clerk, an adorable, extremely well dressed young man, called me this afternoon to 'release me' and to tell me that my juror-mates had decided in favor of the defendant.
Bravo.

This was the only right decision to a case that really should never have taken up any of our time or tax dollars.
It is our right as American citizen to a trial by a jury of our peers. But this fellow could have saved everyone alot of money and time if he just ran it by me first.
I could have told him not to bother. There was no way this guy was getting any money out of any jury.
America - the land of the free and the brave and handful of greedy idiots.

If it pleases the court, Your Honor

I like to eat at noon. 12:00 is when I eat lunch everyday.
Twelve-o-clock...
must
have
food

Evidently, they eat lunch at 1:00 at the Superior Court.
From 12:00 to 1:00 I heard no testimony, no witnesses, no objections...nothing.
I heard my stomach.
It was unhappily grumbling about the time change.

Other than that, jury duty is going swimmingly.
I cannot discuss the case... but I will say the process is maddening.

My civic duty

I served my first day of Jury Duty on friday, this is the day where you are potentially selected to sit for a trial.
Now I understand why school buses need all those flashing lights and moving objects.

I was actually selected for a trial which will begin tomorrow. I look forward to serving my country.
I am 'Alternate Juror Number 2'. This basically means I get to sit quietly through the entire trial, then when it comes time to actually make a decision I go home instead. I suppose unless someone on the active jury gets sick or say... goes missing suddenly.