A more normal heave today. And I might be playing Emergency Backup Senoir clerk tomorrow.
Poke 'em in the eye, and charge 'em $800. and {{{{nellie}}}} again.
{{{{Wizard family}}}
You need a translator:
Another drizmal and soggy day in the PNW. Second day of floor sanding and prep. They’re going to have to use a oil-base finish instead of water because the wood is not very good quality, but it won’t extend the job. The worker showed up on Monday and wanted to know where the 220v outlet was. I told him we don’t have any, as all the appliances that would have such a thing are gas. We went down to the panel and the only 220 breaker in there was for the AC and only 25 amps. So he went and bought a 40 amp breaker and I swapped it out for him. Called the company and chewed them out for not asking about an outlet when they did the estimate. The lack of proper prep could have totally fucked up our schedule if I wasn’t trained as an electrician all those years ago. Dodged a bullet on that one.
So anyway, we’re holed up with the cat in the RV in the driveway while they’re running the sander, but at least can use the kitchen in the morning/evening. The crew leader is Romanian and we had a nice chat about eastern Europe. Last time I was in Bucharest it was just starting to try to climb out of the misery of Ceausescu and his Soviet overlords. The place was a mess. He told me the country may never fully recover from that asshole.
I finished vacuuming all the cobwebs and spiders and sawdust out of the garage this morning, so now I can give away my shop vac to a neighbor. Nine days until we list.
Howdy, fellow MMPers. There’s nothing much exciting going on here. It’s cold and snowing off and on and I am not amused. On the other hand, it’s supposed to be in the 70s later this week and this weekend so I just might take myself to Kennywood for a day and get my butt on some coasters (and not FCM’s type of coaster either, because, well, that would be weird).
I have to be in the office the next two days because it’s my turn. I have a major case of Don’t Wanna Do It, but I shall force myself to go and pretend to be a responsible adult [insert dramatic pose of woe].
I took the truck in for a new muffler last week, cuz, well upstate NY winters and salt and such-like had caused some rustage. They said I also needed new hoses on the power steering system, so took it back today. They now say I need a new rack and pinion, at $1600. Woof. So I texted a buddy who just opened his own mechanic’s shop (don’t know why I didn’t contact him first, mostly I’d just forgotten he did) and I think I’ll be building him some counters in exchange for parts and labor.
Anyway, stay safe, y’all.
Buddies are a good thing.
Afternoon all. Gym has been visited and the half-marathon pedaled and 450 calories used up, according to the computers. Still have my Park walk to do later on and did manage to do some cleaning and re-ordering in the bathroom and run the dishwasher, and wonder of wonders, figured out how to load apps on my phone (now all I have to do is manage to use them…
VanGo, Barter was the earliest form of economics, glad to see it still has its’ moments.
OW, enjoy the coastering. One of these days…
OK, onward into the afternoon. Take care all.
I have read … very little, and retained nada.
I had to make that horrible vet visit today … Nikki seemed OK-ish last night (decrepit and skinny, but she puurrrrrred when I gave her a last good-night scritchie) but this morning she was unresponsive, legs twitching, pupils dilated, tongue protruding … she was Not O.K.
Vet said it was neuro, either a stroke or a brain tumor/lesion, and … y’all, I had to say goodbye. I knew, before the vet even opened up.
I stroked her face and told her how much she’s meant to me, all these years.
She was my last link to my beloved Other Shoe he taught me everything about caring for kittens, and he’s the reason her nickname was Pookie. (He took one look at her and said she looks like a Pookie.)
Imma sign off now, for a bit. It’s warm and sunny, Monkey is enjoying himself out there.
{{{shoe}}} So sorry to for your loss.
Oh, shoe, I’m so very sorry. Hugs to you.
So sorry, shoe. You gave Nikki a lovely life and a peaceful finish. I’m glad you have Monkey to hug on. Will be thinking of you.
I’m so sorry shoe. Hugs to you and Monkey.
metal mouse, you may want to check into the property tax break that many municipalities give to seniors. I know in Nashville, once you’re past 65, the savings is significant.
nellie, your mama raised a good daughter. Hugs to you. Usually this time of year, I touch base with my late mother by making two cookbooks of her (and some of the other family members’ ) recipes for family members. They’re scrapbooks with some pictures and stories, but also functional cookbooks (I inherited Mom’s recipe file). It gives me the opportunity to touch base with her and the recipients (this year it was my cousins Tracy and William) genuinely love them. I’m guessing that you do something to commemorate your mama too.
Irked, came home, walked Nelson, talked to a neighbor and et. After KP, I need to take care of some cost accounting for a fancy-schmancy wedding album. I’m connected to a couple of wedding photographers who send business my way. The one that this couple wants is beginning to look like about a $1700 album. They want a lot of metallic elements and bling, the former costing more in materials and the latter in labor. People getting married be cray-cray.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
{{{ shoe }}} 
Oh, shoe, I’m so sorry. You’ve mentioned Nikki lovingly so often, I really felt like I knew her (and Monkey, too). It’s always just flat-out painful to lose a beloved pet, but to lose one who was a link to your beloved Other must be so much harder. Monkey is good medicine. {{{{{{shoe}}}}}}
I didn’t sleep well last night, but I woke up today determined to resolve the eye issue. I sent an email to the optometrist at the nearby clinic (not the $750 one). Her office suggested it. I called my insurance company to see if there was any way at all I could talk them into covering the fitting, since the contacts are for medical, not cosmetic reasons. Nope.
A big yes to this. The “cowboy up” mentality is one reason Wyoming (where U lived) has such a high suicide rate. The former student I mentioned actually DID get help–therapists, meds, etc., and his parents are well-educated, wise, and supportive. But their son fought severe, intransigent depression for several years, and I think he was exhausted. He was such a smart, compassionate, kind person. And today is the anniversary of the death of another student–from cancer, not suicide. It’s the flip side of the blessing of getting to know so many kids.
I hope I didn’t trigger anyone who’s lost someone to suicide.
wordy, I love hummingbirds and bluebirds! And becoming your mom sounds like a very good thing.
Yeah, the office told me first thing that there’s a policy against installment payments, so that’s not an option. I don’t know why the optometrist won’t be more flexible. She’s young and maybe still paying off student loans? Or just figures she’s worth it? I dunno.
Red, I LOVE the idea of the illustrated cookbook! When one of the Next Generation gets married, my sister gives them a book she’s made that includes all the family favorite recipes. Recipes are such an important thing to hand down. Have you read In Memory’s Kitchen? It’s a collection of recipes from Theresienstadt, a Czech ghetto and holding place for Jews bound for concentration camps. There was almost no paper, so women wrote out recipes for their family recipes on bits of wallpaper, old envelopes, etc. to try to ensure they’d get passed on somehow.
VanGo, glad you were able to arrange a barter.
Evidently, Sully likes his stool.
Afternoon, mumpers! We are waving goodbye to Portland today and flying back to San Francisco for an overnight stay before flying to New York then London tomorrow. It’s been a fun adventure but te to go back to reality.
shoe I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It is always so hard to make that decision especially when she meant so much to you. You have her the best life and you were there for her at the end. She knew how much you loved her 
I am so sorry for your loss.
nellie, Memory’s Kitchen sounds like a good read. I’m going to check into a Kindle copy. 
Half of the reason for the recipes are the family stories that go with them.
This is a big part of it. She’s (shit … well, was) not just a cat. My Other Shoe’s mother … okay, their beagle, Chloe, cuz you know how beagie noses are … found Nikki crying in the rain under a bush, too little to be away from her mother, eyes not even open, etc.
Other Shoe’s mother - who’s not on speaking terms with me; she blames me for her son’s death and/or can’t stand that I survived West Nile when he died - bottle-fed and raised Nik until we could take her.
I still remember this little scrap of fluff hanging on to what is hard for me to think of as my mother-in-law as she bottle fed … you know what? I can’t. That’s it.
I gotta go eat. Or cross-stitch. Or, fuck, I dunno. But I gotta go back to work tomorrow, and they’re gonna promote me to manager soon, and right now, I just wanna curl up.
Howdy Y’all! As promised today has been devoted to sloth outside of laundry. A lovely coolish N.O.S. day it has been. We day drank on the back porch while enjoyin’ the coolness and low humidity. Sup was Sunday leftovers which are now all gone. YAY!
{{{shoe}}} I am so sorry about Nicky. You gave her a long, safe, lovin’ life for which I know she was grateful. I know you will miss her much as Monkey will miss his big sister. Glad you have Monkey for comfort right now.
VanGo indeed it would appear the stool is Sully approved!
{{{Shoe}}}