weese is hibernating.

Friday

tip-o-day

Have you had occasion to have a service/repair person over to the house who gave you such great service that you just wanted to run up and hug them?

I like to keep a couple *bucks cards in small denominations tucked in a drawer.
That way - I can thank such a person instantly (without the hugging).

Instead of tipping with money I can say:
Hey - thanks so much... can I buy you a cup of coffee.

my shovel is poised

They tell me more snow is coming tomorrow.
I am immune.
Clearly it's going to be one of 'those' winters.
Which is fine since I don't belong to a gym.

My warm-weather-lovin' wife on the other hand said quietly to herself as she placed her shovel down after the last storm.
"That's the last time I do that."

She is sending me links now from realtor.com.

I suppose I better find some boxes.

Is the whole world sick?

What's going on out there?

I went to get a prescription filled yesterday and there were lines out the door.
My sniffly wife is not well, and I watched Ferris succumb to a fever last night right before my eyes.
When his buddy called, I actually told him that he had to stay in because he was sick. I didn't expect him to listen. In fact, I expected him to flip me the bird.
He must be very sick tho, because he never made it out. He's a college boy. Almost nothing can stop him.

I am still holding up. I attribute that to the antibiotics I am on for my tooth. While unlikely - its all I've got going for me right now. That... and some green tea and M&M's.

Are you sick?


This just in - the doctor just confirmed bronchitis in my wheezie wife.

off we go then

It's a new year.

We had our hands full at the tail end of 2009.


It takes several hands with twins.

One morning I had to drive Ferris to the airport.
My clever wife set up this arrangement while I was gone.
Had some Cheerios on hand and found Shrek on TV.


The girls spent New Years Eve with us.
Let me tell you - these kids par-taaayy.

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.

;)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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)

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."

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.