Morning, mumpers! It’s currently 5c/41f with a predicted high of 8c/48f and partly cloudy. Weather app says “You may fucking like this kind of day. I’m like fucking ‘yawn’.” OK, but partly cloudy also means partly sunny!
The curtain guy came yesterday to measure up for new living room curtains. I am still shocked at the cost but they’re ordered and will be fitted in a month’s time. They will look beautiful and put the rest of the place to shame!
Busy day today, I have three meetings for irk and a bunch of bitty jobs to do. I’ll be doing bits of cooking during the day too, as I’ve got campus food to prepare, and then there’s grocery shopping this evening.
I hauled the biiiiiiig recycling bin out for today’s collection, and I’ve been out to add some extra stuff to it. I also have a small bag of used batteries sitting on top of the bin as we’re now allowed to recycle those through the regular collections but they have to be disposed of separately.
Now I have to keep an eye on the street in case there’s any bin excitement, since the collection is late today.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 63 Amurrkin out and mostly clear with a predicted high of 79 and partly N.O.S. Today is laundry day. I can hardly contain myself. There are some errands that need doin’ as well. OYKW said last night he would take care of ‘em because he wants to get outta da cave for a while. Fine by me. I shall launder and loll about. Sup will be leftovers with the exception of baby lima beans. We et up the collards so vegetative matter must be prepared anew.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.
It’s currently mid-50s, on its way to maybe 60° before plummeting to possibly freezing tonight. So my big plan for today is to bring in my 2 houseplants that have lived on the porch since spring. The croton looks amazing - it had maybe half a dozen leaves when I put it out, but now it’s full of colorful foliage! The spider plants both have many babies. All 3 plants are on the slightly heavy side and while I can carry them just fine, I’ll need help opening the door, so I’ve already told FCD he has a job today!
I may work outside a little bit, too - there are several treelets in my front flower bed and they have to go. I should also rake the leaves out of that bed and into the grass so they can get mulch/vac’d tomorrow when I do the yard again. But before I rake, I will be putting a bandaid on the thumb where it tends to blister.
I ended up not cooking last night, apart from warming some pulled poke for me and reheating some corned beef and cabbage for MIL. I need to remember to serve her less than the average toddler eats - I do hate throwing food away. Anyway, maybe I’ll do the popcorn shrimp tonight since it didn’t get did last night.
I feel like I need to go to the grocery store, but I have no idea why, especially since the new sales start tomorrow. So I’ll wait to see the new Food Lion circular this evening and make a new list. Oh yeah, and the garden shed refuse in the truck must be hauled to the convenience center, along with all the accumulated household trash - I may let FCD have that honor.
How odd - I was just looking at my Outlook calendar to see what’s coming up this month, and Thanksgiving wasn’t labeled. I’d picked US Holidays in the settings, and it shows Halloween and Christmas, but not Turkey Day. Odd indeed. FWIW, the only things I have for me are blood draw on the 22nd and seeing my GP on the 29th - time for my semi-annual once-over and meds refills. Oh, yeah, and today I dump the septic tank treatment thingy in the terlit and flush! I have to put that in Outlook, lest I forget.
It’s dark, mostly cloudy, and 47F. Today’s high temperature will be 56F, and we’ll have rain showers throughout the day. We also have a wind advisory for 20-30 MPH winds, with gusts up to 45 MPH starting this afternoon and through tomorrow afternoon. It’ll also be rainy.
My son came up on Sunday and stayed the night. He hung out with my husband, and they played computer and VR games. There was also much wrasslin’ with the dogs who were in heaven because their boy was there. I was awake early on Sunday and at the grocery store by 7:30 a.m., where I picked up the dinner fixings. I made a slow cooker pot roast after rubbing the roast with herbs, salt, and pepper and searing it. I loaded it on top of cut-up onions, then dumped a packet of beefy onion soup powder on top of the roast. I also put in baby carrots, chopped celery, and some cabernet sauvignon and beef stock. I set the cooker to low and let it go for eight hours. About an hour before it was done, I threw in a bag of Yukon gold baby taters.
It was tasty, and we enjoyed the leftovers from Sunday before my son went home yesterday evening.
It’s back to work today, and I don’t want to. I know there is a lot to accomplish in the next couple of days, so I need to get myself motivated.
The garbage and recycling were hauled to the curb yesterday evening, so I don’t need to worry about getting that done.
I kind of skimmed, sorry. I’m trying to finish my coffee and the the last of the dishes in the dishwasher before I start the workday. I’m sending, hugs, yays and boos as appropriate.
Good 2sDay morning all. Never made it to the gym last night, there was a soccer Board meeting on-line so I stayed for that until 8pm, then slouched into the living room and caught up on my reading and tackleball watching for the night. It’s 56F heading to 73F later with rain not due until tomorrow night. Will get to the gym today, might even give the lawn the last mowing (I hope!) for 2024 today (more likely Firday). Have had my big bowl O’Cereal so ready to get started…eventually…
JtC, had to look up haint blue and learned something today; thanks for that.
Sari, haven’t been to a funeral in many years, to the best of my recollection, but yeah, dying can be an expensive thing for the living to face. Glad you did your checking, bet a lot of people don’t. And your ghost story is legitimately spooky!
Never been in a haunted house, or at least it never left me with any vivid memories.
boo fae, enjoy the new curtains and pics if you can once installed.
Taters, hope you have a quiet day at work, sounds like you could use it. Take care.
And that’s the way it is. Catch up with y’all later.
Morning and happy Tuesday all. Catching up (as usual) but will persevere.
It’s 50F and sposed to warm to 75 today and sunny, which is what they’re predicting for the next week or so.
[skimming]
Glad to hear Sadie is fitting in better in Cookieville. And that Swampy’s OYKW is feeling better.
As to hauntings? None for me, but I have seen some real weirdness while out in the woods hunting. The most memorable event was seeing the big panther that was rumored to stalk the woods around our lease. I had poo-pooed its existence like the others, but once it strolled past me in the dark, I joined the group of oldsters at the cabin who “didn’t go in the woods no more”. Yes it shouldn’t even be there, and that’s not its normal environment and… bullshit. I saw the thing and realized I wasn’t the apex predator anymore.
As to events in pullin-land: Last week I got busy replacing a generator and attempting to prize the old one out of its spot in the shed. In doing so we discovered the small crane in the pickup was bending its base and couldn’t be used to lift it. We went to plan B, which was using my engine hoist and (you’ll never guess) it had a hydraulic leak and couldn’t lift anything either. So I spent much of last week doing a “This is the house that Jack built” routine trying to fix the thing I needed to fix the next thing I needed to install the other thing – and on and on. That also involved trying to find mechanics and welders, who seem to be going extinct.
Example of conversation at local mechanic shop, with a young technician:
Me: “I need someone to reweld the base of my jib crane.”
Tech: “What’s a jib crane?”
Me: “It’s a small crane mounted in a pickup truck for hoisting stuff into the bed.”
Tech: “We’ve never worked on those – don’t even know how to bill the hours for it.”
Me: “Y’all installed it two years ago.”
Tech: [blank look]
Me (trying something else): “Then can you give me an estimate on installing an auxiliary tank in the bed?”
Tech: “A what?”
Me: “An auxiliary fuel tank, they’re pretty common and I just ordered one from RDS to fit my truck. All I need is someone to mount it in place (no plumbing).”
Tech: “I know we don’t do nuthin’ like that, it’s against our insurance to handle any fuel systems!”
Me: “Y’all installed one in my other truck 3 years ago.”
Tech: [blank look]
I’m starting to realize that if a task isn’t in the pull-down menu in a shop’s invoicing system, they won’t do it. I eventually wandered to the really run down section of town and hunted around for the shop with the oldest mechanics. And hit pay dirt. The welding and repair on the crane are scheduled for Wednesday next week. Also, I found the repair parts for the engine hoist and just fixed it myself.
I started again trying to haul the old generator out of it’s home and realized something. Thanksgiving is nearly here and my daughter will be here with her SO. SO is a competitive (something) in gym/lifting events and bears a strong resemblance to Reacher on the TV series. I asked her and was assured he presses 500# just to warm up, and could easily pluck the generator from its spot and carry it to the truck (or probably carry the truck to it). So I’ll wait until T-day to hassle with this problem – I have plenty more to keep me busy.
Oh yeah… and I voted last week. Based on the TX results I could’ve just stayed home. I was hoping to prevent/remove some of the Theocratic Pustules (my name for them) from office, but I wasted my time I guess.
I want to answer something from last week while I’m jawing here…
Having spent my younger days working EMS, I’m quite familiar with “night nurse” voice – carried a lot of stretchers to them in the wee hours, and still remember the relief when someone with real experience took over for us. So I’m gonna take your advice and find another way.
So, on to the day. I’ll install the aux tank myself today, and try to fashion a remote brake actuator for diagnosing a trailer brake issue later. It’s just two wires, a battery and some sort of switch right? How hard can it be? (Was that thunder or the sound of gods laughing?)
Dinner with family was a big hit last night. The husband is an accomplished cook and he was impressed. The compliment every cook wants to hear: “The shrimp are perfectly cooked.” People tend to overcook them, which makes them tough.
Costco run today for the essentials: bacon and butter. A very chilly morning in the low 30s.
My wife and I very early in our marriage were traveling to the midwest for Christmas. We stayed at a somewhat rundown motel next to a truck stop. I suddenly woke up in the early morning, and saw a women inside the room by the outside door wearing what seemed to be 50’s dress and looking directly at me. I looked around at my wife who was still asleep and pinched myself. I looked back at the woman and she sort of disintegrated before my eyes.
I just finished eating some lunch and now I’m going to jump into the ugliness that is the dining room.
Good news…. (Minor) My new 1st floor bed is up and the mattress just showed up today! (Major) MusicMan has a surprise new job where he’ll be home everyday and off most weekends! He’s pretty sure that he’s going to drop off his truck in PA tomorrow, so that means that I’ll get to go pick him up and go to my favorite place!!! Yes, I do get excited about a mountain view and an abandoned, dilapidated gas station. I haven’t been there this year that I can remember and I am glad that I’m not going alone because of my questionable mobility. I’d hate to run across the street and turf it in the middle.
So it was a slow heaving, so they sent some 100 table people home. Then it got busy, so they put me up there. Then the slide went 100%, so the Senior Clerk had to do both slides. Then the table went to 100%, so they pulled people off of loading to get it down. I don’t know if this is building management trying to drive off experienced people so they can just run disposable Blueberries, or Carol screwing things so she can sack more managers so she can reach her 12k axe target.
Must have saved on costs when they did A Christmas Carol.
That’s better than Spot. He spent 2 weeks inside my couch, and hissed at me when I saw him.
Or it could just be the usual “hotel built on the site of an insane asylum built on the site of a human sacrifice cult built on an old Indian burial ground built on top of a Hell Mouth” thing.
Sitting in the Doctor’s waiting room. Not ill but still have nothing on my prescriptions and they had an appointment free this morning so going to get it taken care of. Will also ask about the Cologuard kit, not worried about it but still should have it done. After that will be second breakfast and then off to the gym.
And now inside the space in a room waiting for the Doc.
Have read all but hard for me to respond or quote on my cellphone. Take care all.
I just read this as “one crouton”. Strange plant life.
Considering his joke earlier, could it be Jokester Of All Topics?
Such a sweet tale. Hope she lets you take pictures soon, and doesn’t spend so much time under the bed during the say.
Hope the antibiotics do the trick. Doesn’t sound like fun.
This sounds so good. I need to find a good chunk of cow and do this sometime in the next weeks. It’s been a long time since I made beef stew, and I don’t think I’ve made it since I bought a multi-cooker in 2020.
Hope you get everything taken care of and the heater’s working in the pool.
Today’s the one year anniversary of my coworker’s death. During his on-line memorial (we have coworkers in different countries, so not everybody could attend his funeral), somebody played a recording of Mozart’s Requiem. When I went to the coffee room this afternoon there was a flyer for Mozart’s Requiem in a town near where he lived, which is a good 30 minutes drive from work. Not exacting haunting, but still a weird coincidence.
Had a busy weekend - got jeans for hubby, scotch and tequila for me and we had tapas for lunch on Saturday. Then I made pizza dough, sauce, and then the actual pizza, plus carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Made a dent in the yard work - probably still have a few hours of work before we can call it done for the winter. Which is good, since they are calling for frost this weekend.
MIL’s foot bled all over the bathroom floor (I checked the carpet and didn’t see any spots, but who knows?) I mopped the floor and FCD tended to her heel. She’s back in bed - I don’t know that she’s been awake even a total of 60 minutes so far today.
I just finished removing the saplings in the flower bed then cutting back wisteria around the truck’s parking pad. I’ll get back to knitting shortly. First I have to order a new debit card for FCD - his current one has split and the tap-to-pay doesn’t work. Yep, he sits on his wallet. I also need to get the email on his account changed as the one he used is from his business which no longer exists (not the biz, not the domain.) Hoping I can do that all at once on the CU chat function.
I have spent many (mostly fruitless, sigh) hours the past few days chasing prescription refills between my pharmacy and two doctor’s offices and those delightful soulless automated ‘ push 1 if’ phone trees.
Last week I just flatly gave up trying to respond or reply on my phone. I can read (awkwardly and haltingly) but discourse scolds me when I try to reply in the only way the phone will let me. Plus my vision isn’t the greatest (thank you TBI) and neither is my hand-eye motor coordination (more thank-you-TBI) for typing on a teeny-tiny keyboard.
Good afternoon, all! I’m still among the living, as those who have seen me on the Book of Faces may know. Once again, I’m hoping I’ll get back to popping in more regularly because you all are wonderful, supportive, loving people.
Things with the kids are about as usual. CtE is wanting to present more fem and wants to go in for gender affirming care. I’m trying to get her to call and make appointments for finding a primary care (now that she’s a legal adult) and then call for Vandy’s gender clinic. I want her to have things at least started before January. I worry about her in this climate, so I’m doing what I can for her. BtY is once again failing all of his classes and, mentally, I don’t have the energy to try to keep on top of him. There’s so much work and I’m just… I’m at a loss.
Former Partner and my metas moved to Erie, PA at the end of September. I’m missing them all a lot. I talk with Former Partner daily and my metas at least once a week. I’m saving up money to fly up for a visit, once they get themselves a bit more organized. Hubby and I have talked about moving out of TN to PA if we can find work for him. Not only will we be closer to more of our people, but it will be a better place politically for CtE.
I’m trying to bring in a bit more money in/get out of the house. I’ve been doing Uber Eats which has been giving me a lot of time to listen to audio books while driving around. I’m looking forward to getting back to it, though. I had to stop for a little bit thanks to unexpected gall bladder surgery. I ended up in the ER with abdominal pain, only to find out that I had a 1.9cm gall stone blocking the duct. For all that I’m feeling better, I’m still recovering. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been so much worse, though, so I’m feeling good.
On the Dad Probate end of things, the will has been accepted and I’m officially the executor now. Which means I can get started on things like selling the property. I’m still freaking out a little bit on how to get all of this done. I’m honestly not even sure where to start, between getting things sold and cleaned out in the house, and finding out how much to sell for (a neighbor is wanting to put in an offer which would be good for the speed of things but my worries about getting screwed…) I should have the paperwork in a day or two and then I just have to figure out where to go next.
That’s probably part of why I haven’t been able to get on as much. It seems so much harder to read and respond with any amount of speed on my phone. And, until recently, sitting at my desk as a pain because it wasn’t big enough. I bought a new one and now I feel so much more comfortable! And hopefully, that means I’ll be back more regularly. And actually reply more than jut talk about myself.
