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There are times that I wish that Dan had a foot fetish, not because I want him sucking on my toes (ick), but rather, after a weekend like this I could sure use foot rub! I’ve gotten the lanai to a point where I’m comfortable sharing ... there’s lot to do still, especially in the ‘garden’ area, but the screens are repaired, plants hung, more plants planted, and everything scrubbed and shined. So, if you’d like to drop by for a glass of wine this evening, drop on by, I wont even make you rub my feet!
Many of my ‘life lessons’ were learned from my grandmother, among them ‘big girls don’t cry’. She was stern and callous, as, I am told, was her mother, and she simply didn’t tolerate tears. Tears of pain, tears of anger, tired tears, she’d have none of them. I remember being put outside, and told not to come back ‘till I was calmer’ on more than one occasion. Because of this, I do not often cry (at least not when anyone is looking), unless I’m angry. I cry when I’m angry, and I hate it so much that the crying usually makes me cry more. Not blubbering, sobbing, unconsolable crying, but big wet tears that leak from my eyes and make my throat tight and my voice unsteady...and basically make me appear terribly unprofessional, when all I really am is angry.
With age, I’ve found that I cry more now, than ever, and for a wider variety of reasons. Sappy holiday commercials get me every time (that Folger’s one where the soldier son comes home and makes coffee for his family -sniff!). Five minutes of Homeward Bound last night had me tearing* up so badly I couldn’t see the TV. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen a movie, or read a book (yes, books can do it to) I ‘well up’ at the same spot every time. Heck, I even tear up over people’s blogs ... folks adopting babies, losing family members, getting new pets - I don’t stand a chance. My step mom will hear me in here blowing my nose and holler through the wall ‘Now what?” - its laughable! So, a question ... what makes you cry?
* I have to say that some of it is because it’s just so sad to hear Michael J. Fox’s voice sounding so young and unimpaired. Movies with Christopher Reeves have the same effect on me.
I’m going to have to post more ‘big hairy spider’ pictures - that last post tied for ‘most comments ever’ - lol - though to be truthful, I’d just as soon not have any more ‘big hairy spiders’ to photograph!
In other news, with the announcement of BackTack3, I have challenged myself to visiting each and every participants blog. There are a few that I cannot read (language problems) and just look at the photos, there are some I feel no ‘connection’ with, some I comment on and some where I just lurk - and that’s only the first twenty or so. The level of creativity out there is just amazing! And I’m feeling just a tad unaccomplished! There are also some wonderful ideas out there, one of which is another ‘sew along’ that I hope to join - The Pin Cushion Challenge. It just sounds like a fun, quick way to use up more of my fabric stash!
I also found another game site - and cannot remember whose site I linked to it from - sorry! These games are quite possible the sweetest games on the internet, if you are at work you may want to turn your speakers down, each game is accompanies by a soothing soundtrack - that your boss might not appreciate! Have fun and if you get busted, don’t point any fingers my way - hee!
This friendly little critter was waiting for me in the entry hall when I got home. He’s between 4 and 5 inches in diameter, and waaaaay beyond my acceptable spider limit. I think he’s a wolf spider. The photo’s aren’t great, and I’m sorry, he was creeping me out a bit. I don’t like to kill anything outright - but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it with him. Instead I gently knocked him into a bucket with a duster, slapped a pizza baking screen and a rock over the top and took him outside. I’m glad he’s outside, but I can pretty much promise you what I’ll be dreaming about tonight!
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Our weekend was a whirlwind of shopping, cooking, partying, e-baying, hard labor, more shopping and homework (D’s not mine). The ‘enchiladas’ have been officially named ‘encharitas’ as they are a combination of enchiladas, burritos, and fajitas, and came out quite tasty - even if the snippy broad from TX didn’t think they were spicy enough. The party was pretty mundane, though I think my friend’s crowd and immediate family had fun. We were a little ‘outside’ the group, and not really in the mood to insinuate ourselves into the middle of it, so we sat down with my dad and step-mom and had a nice dinner off in one corner, stayed for cake and presents and slipped off home by 9:30. Honestly, the older I get, the sooner I’m ready to go home - heh.
Sunday I made some headway on the lanai decorating project. I ripped out the fence, (pic is right after the hurricane damage, but it does show the fence if you scroll down a bit), removed the potting stand and pulled up the pavers, trimmed the plants and gave the concrete a good scrub. I even repaired the wiring to the lanai speakers - which has been hanging from the ceiling since sometime last year. Shopping provided the perfect outdoor rug, and a side table. So, by early evening I was able to relax to music, a nice glass of wine and my book. There is still much to do, so I’m not quite ready to share a pic.
Probably the most interesting things I did this weekend (for me at least) were to shop for art supplies and to build an art portfolio for D ... both of which got me thinking about school. When I was in college, one of the things the school was most proud of was that when you finished your courses you would leave with a completed, presentable art portfolio. What this really meant was that each and every class expected you to present your assignments the same way. Each assignment was to be matted in a 20 x 30 mat (in a putrid putty color), then over wrapped in Mylar, and finally backed (to hide the taped Mylar) with paper in the same color with a small card in the upper right corner with your name and social security number. While it looked nice, you cannot imagine how freakin’ heavy your portfolio was by the second year. By my third year (I’m a slow learner), I began recycling these expensive mats for new projects and placing the old ‘keepers’ in a ringed portfolio like this one. Last night, I dusted my case, removed my projects and filled it with some of D’s computer graphics and drafting designs, wondering all the while if it was now archaic and if the folks at the job fair would be expecting him to bring in a laptop with a power point presentation. I started to say ‘I’d been away from graphics for a long time’, but on second thought, its really more fair to say I was never really got in.
I wasn’t a particularly good designer, just average, and let me tell you there are a lot of average graphic designers out there. I reckon most of truly average were put to pasture when desktop publishing took off. I graduated the year before the school started teaching computer graphics, and took a job at a farmers market. My title was graphic designer, in reality I was a glorified sign maker. I was pretty proud of it at the time - now I just shake my head at my own foolishness.
Enough time has passed, I guess, because there was surprising little pride or pain in taking that portfolio apart. In fact more than one piece went directly into the garbage can. I didn’t even feel as though I’d failed, or had wasted time and money – I just felt as though I’d moved on, changed, if you will. For good or ill, I couldn’t say, but I’m not disappointed with where I am today in the least. And that’s a pretty good place to be!
Not that ‘having nothing’ ever prevented me from posting before, but today I guess I’ve got less than nothing. So, for your entertainment here are some sites I like to visit ... you know, when I’m supposed to be working.
Fark: A great accumulation of the day’s odd ball news. Be sure to check out the comments on items market “Photoshop”, these are user submissions and often quite funny.
PopCap Games: You guessed it, games! Games of the free, online type. Personally I’m addicted to BookWorm, Alchemy, and Zuma.
Romance Novel Reviews: I’m really not much of a Romance reader, maybe three in my lifetime, but I just adore these fine ladies! I suspect the reviews may be more entertaining than the books!
I Hate Capri Pants: I stumbled on this a few weeks ago, and even though I’m guilty of capri’s I still found this guy pretty funny!
Post Secret: Ok, so its not much of a secret anymore, but I still visit weekly to see the new ‘mail’.
Ok, that should hold you through the weekend. Have fun!
I’m sure you all came rushing back to hear about my shopping trip for a prom dress last night - NOT! But I really did do just that, and I’m not embarrassed to say that even at my age, it was kinda fun.
A friend of ours is having a birthday party next month and it is a Black Tie affair, with a twist. You can wear Black Tie from any era. D, of course, wants to go 80’s, though he is willing to do about anything (he’s easy - har!)
I have a few options. Number one: Elizabethan. Some time ago I made this* costume in burgundy and cream, wore it to a Medieval Faire, and had an absolute blast! Some altering would have to be done but wearing it is definitely an option. There are, however some drawbacks. It is not the best of costumes for traveling by car in (especially the Mini Cooper), it’s terrifically hot - and I don’t mean sexy, and the farthingale makes it rather difficult to move through a crowd. Also, I’d have to make another corset, as the first one was never really right for my figure – I am not built like Gwen**!
Option two: play it straight and buy a dress. The only negative here is the expense, and that’s what last night’s shopping excursion was all about. To see how much I’d have to spend, what size I’d need and what ‘shape’ was the most flattering. I’d say I tried on about six dresses in all, ranging from $110 to 250 (I fell in love with the $250 one - of course, heh), actually liking all but one - amazing! Another thing that made the trip enjoyable, was that I am not one, not two, but three sizes smaller than I believed myself to be. I’m sure there is some ‘vanity sizing’ going on at the store where I was shopping, but hey, it made me feel good so I don’t care-heh. I managed to put all the dresses back, even the one that made me look like the ‘queen of the sea’, and dutifully went to the fabric store to see what it would cost to make a dress. Even made from the cheapest, least durable fabrics would run $50 - $100 in supplies, and probably about the same to fix the existing costume.
So, enthused and disgusted, I went home and turned on option three: the computer. More specifically: Ebay. Maybe an hour of searching yielded the perfect jacket for D, um, like totally dude! Anyway, a few minutes ago I lost that auction - so its back to the drawing board for that part of the plan. But I also found, what appears to be one of the dresses I tried on and liked. It is a different maker, and one size larger than what I was trying on, but the measurements suggest that it should fit just fine (see, told ya - vanity sizing). What’s better is that at last check it had no bids, and starts at $29.99. Definitely doable. In fact the only negative is that I’d probably have to invest in a bustier and that will cost more than the dress - but I’d have to win it first so I’ll cross that bridge when / if I get there. Even going the ‘cheap’ route, it’s very plain that to outfit us both, purchase a gift, and produce the cake (didn’t tell you that) this party will run about $300.00 – thank goodness its not at my house, can you imagine if I had to feed all those people - yikes!
But it’s not the only expensive outing we have planned, oh no. Somehow we’ve gone from homebodies to socialites. This weekend we will attend a party for my ‘best friend’. I’ve been asked to bring enchiladas, and they are none too cheap to make. We are also hoping to host a small dinner party in the coming weeks (mmmm BBQ ribs!), and are planning to attend a ‘Friends of Bob & Tom’ show . How we suddenly became so busy, I’ll never know. But I’m expecting to enjoy every minute of it, and though it reduces the ‘travel fund’, it will still be money well spent! Besides, the next time we will have so many social obligations will likely be Christmas - lol.
*I wish I could show you the one I made, but there seems to be no surviving photos.
**The dress is from the movie ‘Shakespear in Love’.
***For the record, they aren’t really enchiladas but a Tex-Mex creation of my own that I never got around to naming. Basically grilled spicy chicken, rice, black beans, tomatoes and cheese rolled in tortillas and baked under enchilada sauce. Very tasty if I do say so myself - but not true enchiladas.
As problems continue with my grandparents, their care and health, my mother keeps admonishing me to ‘never grow old’. Oddly enough, I always looked forward to being a ‘cute little old lady’, particularly the type with grandchildren. Originally I thought I’d never achieve this goal, as I have no kids (and none planned) and therefore will have no grandchildren. Today, though, after a lengthy meeting with the new ‘manager’ of our retirement fund I’ve discovered yet another reason why I’ll never make it...money. He estimates that for me to live as I do now (meaning: own my own home, and be financially comfortable but budgeted) I will have to have two million dollars invested in my ‘portfolio’ by retirement age. And, according to him, that is a very, very conservative estimate. Meaning, I will likely need much more, particularly if I am supporting either (or both) of my parents at that time. Moreover, I am behind in my efforts to move that portion of my earnings into the retirement plan. I am socking away $500 a month into that plan, and to learn that it is not enough was sobering indeed - especially when I believed I was doing pretty well. To say this has been a rather discouraging day would be an understatement, but there is a very unrelated, but very bright spot.
BackTack3 match-ups are out, and *whew* I made it in! And boy did I luck out on my matches. I will be making for Georgia, a jeweler in Australia. She’s just started her blog, but if the jewelry she’s made is any indication, she’s insanely talented and cleaver (don’t you just love the ‘tile’ necklaces?). And based on photo of her I found at her friend Matilda’s blog, she’s freaking gorgeous!!! Given her talent, the pressure is really on!
Making for me is Carolyn, who has just returned from a trip to Australia, and has posted some awesome photos. While there she met Alison of 6.5 Stitches fame, and I’m just all kinds of awed by that. She also keeps lists/reviews of movies she’s seen, books she’s read and music she’s heard. All in all, one very, very busy internet lady. She is, I think, a knitter as her friend Mariko, mentions that they ‘did not knitting’ on their trip. Funny how I keep finding them knitters, aint it?
This round of BT3 has lots of rules - some of which I’m not so keen on, and that is exactly why I signed up. Some of my best projects in school (a million years ago) were assignments that I didn’t like, and had to fight with every step of the way, but ultimately producing some of my best work. I’m not promising this to be my best ever (sorry Georgia), but I do relish the challenge of it. The finished item must be a softie in black and/or white, plus one other color (not more than 20%) of my choosing. It must be no more than 20cm tall (oddly enough the patterns supplied with sign ups are slightly larger than that - though my conversions may be off). It must include five buttons, placed anywhere and the first initial of the recipient - i.e. ‘G’ for Georgia. Pretty strict, ‘eh? Still, I signed on for a challenge and I expect that’s exactly what I’ve gotten.
Well, I’m off to shop for a “Prom” dress, hehe, I’ll explain tomorrow, promise (keep the ‘old’ jokes to yourselves - thank you very much!).
I should have posted this yesterday, but was so busy eating, drinking and carrying on...well you know. The pictured Easter Basket was made for my by my mom. It’s in keeping with her newfound origami talent and is made of folded paper, then decorated and filled. It is really quite small, about 4” square and 6” high, and, Reecie, the little chicken ‘peeps’ just like a little lost chick - it is honestly just too funny!
Saturday I did manage to make the final connections to the irrigation system, only to find that one of the solenoid valves is stuck open, so I guess that will be a project for next weekend. The house was cleaned and laundry done, and Easter dinner cooked—I dont think I sat down till about 4pm! We dined on ham, homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, pea and cheddar salad, fresh green beans, rolls, good wine and finished with turtle cheesecake and two games of Scrabble. It was a very full and pleasantly tiring day.
Sunday I slept till nearly 7:30 - a true Easter miracle. We spent a leisurely morning on the lanai, and then I baked a cake while D did homework. As the cake cooked I stole a few minutes to start the third book of the trilogy I’ve been reading and D wandered off to the master bath to shave his head. Some fifteen minutes later there was a blood curdling scream and D came running into the living room, every inch of his head head and face covered in shaving cream, both hands covered to the wrist in the same, and wearing nothing but the baggiest pair of ‘tighty whiteys I’ve ever seen. It was hysterical! And if my camera had been laying a little nearer there’d be a picture to go with it - but he beat me back to the shower before I could dig it out. (Also you can be pretty sure I’ll be ‘loosing’ those ‘tighty whiteys when I come across them in the laundry—by accident, of course!).
That afternoon we went to my dad’s for a repeat of Saturday’s dinner, right down to the ham and macaroni and cheese. It was kinda funny and very good. We managed to come home with more food than we took, and I expect we’ll be having ham all week. And, since that means I wont be cooking I am not complaining!
I’m not entirely sure that I should be allowed to have books. They consume me, and I them. I read at lunch today, and now that book is lying between my keyboard and monitor and I cannot help reaching out and opening it every so often to steal a word of two from where I left off. If I put it in my front seat on the way home I will assuredly steal a few more words at each red light - a dreadful (and dangerous) habit. Once home I will eschew my long list of chores and instead settle on the lanai and read ‘til it is to dim for reading and dinner is late. Indeed, I will read even as I cook, book in one hand and utensil or pot handle in the other.
Usually, I read in spurts because I know when I’m reading nothing gets done. Laundry piles in drifts on the bedroom floor, the grass grows wild in the yard and the birds stagger up to the stoop to implore that someone come and fill the bird-baths and feeders. It is not something that I can do for a bit and set aside for a month. Book reading is all or nothing, and (for me at least) must be pursued ferociously unto the last page. Of course it helps when I like the book I’m reading, though I’ve plowed through more and a few of what I call ‘waders’ in my time. Often when I finish one, I savor it for a few days, considering whether it will go to the box in the closet (keepers to re-read) or the box in the garage (donations). Generally I will not pick up another for some time, lest I mingle the two stories in my mind. But this latest book is a trilogy, the second book picking up neatly where the first left off (though I believe the third starts 10 years later) and I did not even rise from my chair between the closing of one and the opening of the next. The last time I devoured a series so thoroughly it had twelve books (all went to the keeper box) so it is well that there are only three to this string.
This weekend there are two Easter dinners to consider, completing the irrigation project, more bags to sew, a house to clean and the ever present laundry pile. I have 150 pages to the end of the current book and I daresay if you need me tonight I’ll be on the lanai!
Happy Easter to you all!
Ok, I need some help. The new lanai furniture looks like wrought iron (its really aluminum), each chair has a fleur de lis ornament in the center of its back, and the table has a fleur di lis medallion in the center of a tile top. I’ve always tended toward whimsical when it cam to my outdoor decorating, but with this set I’ve grown up a little. I’d like to get a few wrought iron (or look alike) pieces to hand on the walls and these planters are perfect (not to mention gorgeous!). I have one little hang up about them though ... I cant help but feel like they may have been taken from the rubble of someone’s house. Do I ask the guy where they are from? Do I assume he’s a reputable dealer? Or, do I just pass them over and keep a clear conscious? Comments are open.
Another step forward…
Yesterday was one of those days that seems to drag on forever, and yet you get noting done (including posting here). A little before four, my Step-Mom who handles much of our bookkeeping, asked if I could leave early to deliver some paperwork to a company. You know I was crushed to be asked to leave early - heh. So I took advantage of the extra time and once my delivery was made went to a local home improvement center to get some more parts for my plumbing odyssey. While there I visited the outdoor furniture department to see if they had anything their other location didn’t, and low and behold they did. One of the sets D and I looked at, and agreed on did not include chairs with ottomans so we dismissed it. The location I visited last night had the same set, and they had a matching chair and ottoman - yipee! You see, I am the one most likely to sit and enjoy the lanai, and when I do I am generally reading, with my butt in one chair and my feet in another, so my main criteria for lanai furniture was a chair and ottoman in addition the other pieces. I did compromise and get the dining table (which D wanted) instead of a conversation group, but because the table is small we now have a conversation area and a dining area - so everybody won! I’d love to show it to you but the website for the company has ‘no photo available’ on almost every piece. So, I’ll share, when I finish the ‘room’ make-over.
As for the plumbing; my whole reason for visiting that store last night, I am definitely closer to getting the outdoor irrigation system going again. The plumber’s bill for lowering the pump, and fixing the bathtub drain, was a little over $300, which I think was fair, and I was able to pick up the proper valve at an irrigation supply yesterday, during lunch. The rose garden is getting water, by tonight the raised beds should be enjoying the same luxury, and hopefully by the weekend so should the rest of the yard. Of course, there is Easter and time may become an issue. Still and all, it is a step in the right direction - and these days I’m all about steps, even the little ones.
To say I slept fitfully Friday night would be a gross understatement. At one point I woke to find myself face down, arms crossed under me, like a mummy. I was nearly unable to right myself my arms were so ‘asleep’. Saturday I muddled through the day with a sharp pain in my neck, by Sunday it had spread down my back. Today it has settled to my lower back and is somewhat better. But its like a little threat every time I stand or twist a certain way, a threat that promises days on the floor with my feet up if I’m not very, very careful. So, with that being said you might have guessed that this weekend was not overly productive. We did, indeed, look at patio furniture and after some deliberation decided that we should limit our choices to the ‘webbed’ furniture rather than that with cushions because neither of us is willing to provide the proper level of care - so we are back to the drawing board.
There was a little sewing, some dog bathing and laundry. Saturday was errands and lunch out. Sunday we went to see Ice Age 2, and enjoyed it (though the first one is still best). Somehow it managed to be a very busy, do nothing weekend.
The plumber is finishing up today, and frankly I’m not overly excited about the bill that will be waiting for me when I get home. That part, at least, will be done. I have found a place locally that carries the valve I need to complete the other portion, but I cannot go pick it up today. The immigrants of our area are holding a march today (as they are in many areas of the country) to protest possible new immigration laws. Our office is smack in the middle of the area where the march is planned and to say traffic is a mess wouldn’t come close to describing it. Many of the roads in our immediate area are being closed (some say at 2, some at 4) and truthfully I do not expect to be leaving on time. As a business we are practically closed because our techs can’t get back in to pick up parts and freight - they are all stuck on the interstate. Police sirens have been practically non stop today, though I do not know if that is related to problems with the protest or increased traffic mishaps due to the sheer number of folks on the roads. It’s tempting to drag out a soap box on this one, but I’ll resist, because my opinion may well be as crooked as my back is today.
This is D holding Lenny and Leona, who in the first photo look like two average sized cats.
From the other side, you’ll notice that we grow ‘em big.
D is making that face because he is about to drop a cat ... he’s holding a total of almost 40 lbs of wiggling feline, lol. Oh, and the room, well, welcome to the ‘red room’ also known as my crap craft room.
First you have to understand that HTML for me is like math for me ... something that I am aware should be pretty easy, and yet remains something of a mystery. I am honestly beginning to believe that I have some kind of mental block - seriously. Anyway, I’m doing the ‘happy touchey dance’* in my office right now. Because not only did I manage to add a button for BackTack (over there on the left) but I also managed to make it link to BackTack. It’s not perfect, and I know it (the green dot must go), but it works and I figured it out (thanks to help from Pea) and even small steps can cover a great distance. So until the ‘new’ wears off you’ll probably have to put up with a fair amount of ‘back patting’.
Now, the plumber. Kenny has been out once before to unclog a drain (I think I mentioned he had to go on the roof to do it - who knew?). He was prompt, and he took off his shoes ... that alone impressed me. He tackled the tub first, it has always been slow to drain.** Clogged? Nope, it seems the person who installed the bathtub (I’m hanging my head in shame) didn’t know enough about what she was doing to realize that the drain flange was improperly made and what looked like plastic that should be there was actually plastic that was slowing the drain. He took a drill to it, dressed the edges, and installed a slightly larger drain ring in the tub. And now… ‘water go down da hole!’*** Then he took a look at the well, and agreed to come back Monday and try to drop it five feet. I agree with him that 5’ isn’t much (even less when you realize it’s a 4"pump sitting in a 6” straw) and probably wont help, but if it puts off having to re-drill or condemn the well a few more years it really is the best option. The city will be installing a line for reclaimed water (irrigation only) and a sewer line in my area in two to three years - to the tune of 25K - and I don’t want to spend one more dime on the well than is necessary before that time. He didn’t bill me today, or have an idea of Monday’s costs, so it still remains to be seen how big a dent in the travel budget he’s going to make. I am holding my breath.
This is unrelated but bears telling. D came home a few nights ago and mentioned that he had seen a patio table and chairs he liked at Home Depot. Our tastes are so different and so varied that this is often a sticking point for us, so he dug around online so he could show**** me what he’d found. To my utter amazement the set he found (and liked) was the same as one I had found (and liked) back in October. The only difference being that he had found the dining set, and I had found the converstion group. When we use the lanai it is usually just to sit and relax, so I had thought to treat it as a ‘living room’ and furnish the space with a love seat and some chairs. But, both of us agreeing on a set (without arm-twisting by the other) is such an accomplishment that I’m willing to go the table route without complaint as a compromise. We got a little farther into our discussion and I learned that D liked that set to go in the dining room – hit the brakes! Not, NOT what I want in the dining room. Tomorrow we will go look at the set and see if we can agree on style and location. Wish us luck and have a great weekend!
*Remember Rhea Pearlman’s character, Carla on Cheers?
**I’m considering starting work at 7am to avoid some of the traffic. I’d like to be able to shower in the guest bath so not to wake up D, but we’ve never been able to use that shower – right Greenie?
*** Tiny Toons - Plucky Duck, teehee
****Home Depot wont link right to the set. So if you really want to see, put Verrado in the search box and you’ll see a dining set and a conversation group (and a few other side pieces - if he gets the dining set, I am soooo getting the chaise!).