I have an email for 30% off Community Coffee (code: PERKUP). I usually stock up when they have 30% off sales, but I just got 12 pounds of coffee with the last sale they had. (That one may have been 30% off, or it may only have been 25% off.) I love Community Coffee! They have a new kind, Dark & Bold Espresso. I’d love to get some, but it only comes in 12-ounce bags. I get my Dark Roast, French Roast, and Café Special in 32-ounce bags.
Mornin’ all from sunny and unseasonably cool Chicago. We arrived on time mid-morning after a pretty sunrise departure from MIA. Just passing through, so of course they found a way to mess up my irk day and make me late leaving here and therefore late getting to the hotel at the next stop. Of course. They’re cutting into my recreation time. Sigh. The upside (there’s always an upside) is now I have an extra 90 minutes to yak w y’all. Yaay!
Glad to have Nellie back, shoe semi-recovered from her burn & ovenphobia and back on that hotty horse :). Moom good luck both keeping FCD on his meds and not strangling him yourself so he won’t need more meds.
My late aged MIL was the same way. Gaah!! In her case it was easy enough to just let her harm her interests through her own indifference since she was a) old and b) not underfoot every day. “You do you” was a decent modus vivendi w her.
A spouse is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish. I don’t envy you that perpetual tug-o-war. Just makes tired muscles at the end of the stalemate. Ugh!
I have a whole repertoire of snappy sayings. I despise the corporate spokes-android tone that HQ encourages and some (most?) folks use. I’m usually the most human / humane voice they’ll hear on the whole airport-to-airport journey of however many legs.
It’s 65F and cloudy outside. We’re supposed to see occasional rainfall this morning, but the afternoon will top out at around 77F and cloudy to mostly cloudy skies. It’s going to be humid too.
nellie! So glad you’re back! I missed you!
shoe, yikes on the burn. I hope it has started healing!
FCM, jaysus! I hope FCD and MiL start feeling better soonest. Where the hell could they have contracted MRSA?
cookie, you are not whining!
The oil change, inspection, etc. Was uneventful. I was in and out in the space of around an hour. I did not need my air or cabin filters replaced; my brakes are in excellent condition, and so are my tires. I had my wiper blades replaced, though. Nothing like dealing with a smeary windshield when commuting in the dark and rain and fall are right around the corner.
Since I was clear over in Tacoma and near University Place, I decided to go check out Whole Foods. I mean, it was okay, I guess. I did buy a couple of items, but many of the items I saw were available at my local Safeway. The bakery was nice, and I bought a loaf of Swiss peasant bread, which was tasty. I also butterkase (butter cheese), which I haven’t had for years, and it tasted just as good as it did when I was a child.
After my trip to Whole Foods, where I didn’t spend a whole paycheck, I decided to check out a nursery that I’d seen online. I mean, it was okay, and they had some really beautiful tree and shrub specimens, but it’s end of season, so pickings are slim. After that I took the long way through Tacoma and parts of Parkland, through Summit and back up to Puyallup/South Hill. I down a street I used to walk along to get to both elementary and junior high school as a child. It was…sad. There were probably three totally abandoned homes. Some of the homes that had beautiful grand old yards and trees had been completely torn down, and replaced with hastily built cheap homes. That street used to contain houses both big and small and most every one of those homes had wonderfully tended yards and gardens. The remaining older homes look sad and worn, and only a few homes were taken care of.
After driving down that one street, I headed south and drove through part of Parkland along a road I used to bicycle down and it’s changed immensely too. Lots of apartments, the road has widened and very few of the homes with beautiful trees and yards are there anymore. In fact, most are gone. Once I was near the diner where I worked for a short while before I got my first gubmint job, I headed east and drove up through Parkland, Summit and Waller areas. There are still rural pockets left there, but there has been new construction through that area as well. I finally made my way home and shared my Whole Foods haul with my husband.
After I ate lunch, I drove south to one of my go-to nurseries. I went to get pots, but the selection there wasn’t big. I bought a couple more, but I still need a few more. I think I’m just going to have to order some planters online. I didn’t really want to do that, because I want to see them before I buy them.
Anyway, I came home and transplanted some more plants and then I relaxed into the evening. I stayed up way too late watching bad TV and movies I’d seen before, before drifting off to sleep for about three hours and then waking up at around 5:30.
I gave Polar his morning meds, and it’s raining a little bit, so I guess I won’t get that lawn mowed today. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.
Not sure what’s on the agenda today. I guess I’ll take the day as it comes.
I’d be more pissed off if she wasn’t 92 and, frankly, wishing for death. She’s still grieving FIL and she’s mostly unhappy. But she burdens FCD and that does piss me off.
That’s the $64,000 question. Near as I can tell, it’s passed person to person, which, to me, points to the retirement home, or possibly her church, since FCD and I don’t really socialize. We may never know. And it may not be MRSA - with luck, we’ll know the lab results soon.
Kids have been fed, last load in the dryer, and shortly, I’ll try to get Tobias to nap. Wish me luck.
It may be cool in Chi town, as in the sun isn’t out, but it’s hoomid. Went to the fancy sto and bought 2 pounds of ground sirloin ON SALE. $4 a pound and it will make 8 meals. PT at 1:30 then the barn. I’ll bring my breeches just in case I ride but I’m sweaty just sitting here. Oh well, time spent at the barn is never wasted. Edited to add 84% humidity……
Greetings from lovely Northern Virginia! It’s another great day weather-wise: currently 82°F and sunny, so a bit on the warm side but breezy with low humidity. Hmm, I probably could/should have opened the windows again this morning…ah, well.
Thanks to all for the personal trainer support! I am definitely not shy about standing up for myself when needed. Last night’s session/conversation went really well. I don’t think he was trying to take advantage of me, and he wasn’t pushy at all; I think the awkward texts were just because he’s young (he got his degree/started training people less than a year ago). The gym didn’t cut his hours, his personal schedule changed and he’s trying to accomodate as many of his existing clients as possible – which I can’t/don’t fault him for. He’d already started looking into possible other trainers before I arrived, and he identified one who’s available on the same days but at 6pm (vs the current 5pm). He remembered that 6pm is actually the time I’d originally requested, because it works better for me in terms of my day job. We discussed everything a bit, and mutually agreed that switching me to the other trainer is the best option. At the end of yesterday’s session he introduced us, and the three of us agreed that the new guy will observe some of tomorrow’s session: then, next week I’ll start working with the new trainer (at the later time). In general, I get a good vibe from this place. I mean, I know it’s a business and no one owes me a damned thing (except what I’ve paid for), but so far the culture seems good and the trainers actually seem to give a crap – or at least are professional enough to pretend that they do. Onward!
Good for you!!
I do that sometimes, too, but more often I’ll just take an hour here or an afternoon there. I particularly try to take advantage of quiet Friday afternoons, or days before holidays.
Yeah…it’s a really small room. Giving them the clearance they need would mean taking most of the stuff out. But as long as it’s only for a day or two, my OCD soul will be able to handle having too much stuff elsewhere in the house.
I’ve actually been considering selling my treadmill for a while now. I’ve had it for 8 years, and it’s a pretty great basic treadmill but I really don’t use it often enough to justify the space it takes up. Plus, now I have this gym membership and I figure that I should probably use their treadmills: I’m paying for them and the place is super close, and also their equipment is much nicer/fancier! This wall thing might actually be the impetus I need to finally post it online. This morning I took some pictures and gathered the specs; I just want to dig the manual out (of the drawer where I keep all of my user manuals/guides) and take a picture of that, too. I hope someone local will be happy to come get it! (with a friend or two…it weighs 115 pounds!)
Yay!!!
Um, OUCH!?
I’ve never had a bad burn (*knocks on wood*), but serious burns on others always make me nervous because I get worried about infection. I’m really glad you’re on the mend, and didn’t let the (totally understandable) oven trepidation become A Thing.
I must need a break: the first time I read this, I somehow thought it said “kids have been fed and toasted”…
Afternoon all. First meal has been eaten and mowage completed, which was probably a good idea as there is now an 80% chance on tunder-boomers this afternoon, just in time to wreck soccer practicing (we’ll do some soccer this week, I hope). Will catch my breath for a bit and then do the swimming and sauna, also need to refill the gas can for the mower and pick up some dry cleaning, so that will keep me occupied for the rest of the afternoon.
Which differs from your life now???
Wet one, sure the kitteh will come around to accepting it…2-3 years, tops…
Taters, glad the oil change was all they found…lots of place like to find ‘other’ stuff. And visiting the old home place always gave me competing emotions of nostalgia and ‘gezz has this place changed’.
Seems sound.
Oopsie, sounds like there was discussion and consensus, adults working things out…now, if you were in Congress…
Alrighty then, need to change for the swimming and sauna portion of the day. A good afternoon to all.
Flight left SEA and arrived in EWR as expected. Terminal A is very nice, but I still miss the moving walks. Even better, we didn’t have to ride the Airtrain and listen to the recording, “Please hold on, the train is moving.”
Rental car place was having a bad morning, but we managed to get to hubby’s sister’s house and slept for a few hours. Now I’m hydrating and listening to the dog snore.
Wellll … it kinda did there, for a while. What really happened yesterday was that one of the pizzas got bubbles (explanation below) and the oven person was briefly called away for something. Because they HAVE to be dealt with on the spot, I grabbed a “sword” (the long flat metal spatula thingies we use) and went at it, because, well, I was standing right there & was available. Didn’t even really think about it, just grabbed what I needed to do what needed to be done. It was only as I was closing the oven door back up did I go, “Woah. Hey, neat!”
… and mentally flicked off the oven. Hmph. You don’t scare me anymore.
Pizza Bubbles:
About a minute after they hit the heat, the dough gets steam bubbles, under the cheese. These have to be gently popped or mushed down, because they will grow rapidly (think the size of a head of broccoli, within seconds) which ruins the look of the top & especially the layout of the toppings.
This is part of why running the ovens takes so much concentration. Lots of moving parts, and you have to care for each pizza individually with seconds to spare before the next one blows up with a bubble or four.
Each pizza goes in separately, and may be cooked to different specs (light bake, well done, burnt edges etc.) and other people are constantly asking “How much longer on XYZ pizza?” because that affects how we handle drive-thru traffic (different if it’s 30 seconds till done vs. another five or ten minutes) so … yeah, it can get very overwhelming very fast.
Add to that the physical demands (moving fast, keeping your damn arm raised above the door edge like I didn’t do that one time!) and the sheer racket of pans clattering and stuff, and it’s either sensory overload or an adrenaline rush, depending on whether we got some good tunes playin’.
Anyway, my arm is healing nicely with no sign of infection (my manager took beautiful care of it) plus now I have a cool battle scar/war wound to increase my street cred with the seasoned crew.
Well, the swimming and sauna are done, have picked up laundry and filled the gas can for the mower, and home before the storms hit (it’s already raining, but news is telling us to get ready for worse stuff and I just heard thunder as I typed this). Soccer is of course been called off again, so another night slothing.
The rhymes here seem to abound, but I’m down with it.
Truth.
Shoe, thanks for the info on pizza (I don’t eat it but find any little facts interesting).
Dicey, Newark airport often gets less than rave reviews, but I’ve been through there a couple of times and liked it well enough. Enjoy your time there.
Howdy Y’all! Lots o’ sloth and general overall uselessness have ruled the day here at da cave. We had some quality cee-mint pond time, nappage, and day drinkin’. We et an early sup at Sonny’s and then went to Wally*Jr. for the stuff we needed. Now ‘tis chill time once again. Have I mentioned lately how much I love bein’ a retired drain on society? A gay slothful retired drain on society?