The "counting one's blessings" MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
261

Happy Saturday!

Cloudy 55 degrees outside.
Nice morning at the park, eight dogs showed up. Echo behaved herself, even with Remus.
We were there from 630 until 9. Ripple was long ready to go home, Echo was still thinking about it.
One of our park friends wants us to come over today for a play date. I’m thinking about it.
I have an awful lot to do today. It’s hard to get anything done because my leg has been hurting for the last few days.

I’ve been thinking of getting an air compressor. I had one that I gave away because it was so annoying to use. I think the newer ones are a bit better.
I don’t know why all four tires couldn’t have synced themselves better.

262

Trash and recycling have been dispatched. I ran to the dollar store in Leonardtown, but they didn’t have the mask I wanted. I saw some in Charlotte Hall yesterday - should have grabbed one then.

Daughter just called - SIL isn’t feeling good, so I’m driving us there and back again, and the RoxStar won’t be spending the night. That greatly simplifies many things. I just need to make a quick run to see if I can get a mask at the dollar store just up the street from us. If not, no biggie.

So off I go!!

PS - the purple hair spray just made my comb purple. Then again, it cost $2, so what can one expect??

263

Good morning!

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and being slothful. Gotta shovel out the car and pick up a prescription today. Later this afternoon, Nelson has a playdate with our former neighbor dogs at Battleground dog park (they have a mixed enclosure for big / small pooches). I may take a ride sometime in between.

I used a set of enameled steel pots and pans for quite a few years. They were OK, but convinced me that should I ever go the enameled route again, they will be a darker color than white. I’ve always had a couple of cast iron skillets and a cast iron dutch oven. I added a comel to it a few years back. Most of my pots and pans are heavy guage stainless steel. I’m not a big fan of non-stick, but I do have a very small T-Fal skillet for warming tortillas that I likely won’t replace once it’s worn.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

264

Afternoon. Tis autumnal (fallish?), a bit chilly and blustery here. I’m mostly sitting in trying to get caught up on skool irk. I have 3 modules back-to-back in the next 3 weeks, so inunadation with new assignments is imminent- hopefully at least some of them should have deadlines after Christmas, because otherwise I’ll be a bit busy.

I am thinking of heading into town in a bit though- I’m nearly out of milk, and I am out of cake.

I’m also planning- assuming I wake up with more energy than I did this morning- on going to Bristol again tomorrow, to extract some stuff from my friend’s garage. I have more room here than I thought I would, including a fair bit of currently empty bookshelf space. I should probably fill it with books I already own, or I’ll just buy more new ones. I also want to collect some of the fabric stash I left there, as I’m trying to get myself into making things with my spare time, rather than alternating staring at a laptop screen for irk and staring at a laptop screen for fun. 'Sides, with impending Auntery, I should have a conveniently sized person to make small cute things for shortly…

Oh, and I have a set of stainless steel pans, which were given to me by a very nice person from the city freecycle page on the day I was moving into a flat by myself. Had them over a decade now, and they’re still in great condition- though the frying pan isn’t the best (I have a little enamelled cast iron one I prefer), I can’t argue wi that for the price.

265

It was drizzly this morning, but the wee patches of blue sky have strengthened and seem to be taking over.

I treated myself to a little breakfast snacker-thingy from Timmy Horton, and added a doughnut at the last minute. Yum!
Now I’m chilling and listening to NPR (“Wait, wait, don’t tell me!”) and picking a bit at my rainbow spiral cross-stitch hoop.

I oughta wash some dishes, and I need more drinking water + some other assorted miscellaneous stuff from The Gettin’ Sto’ but … the sun is coming out in a murky way, and it’s just soooooo niiiiiice to sit on my butt and relax a bit and stitch.

Gotta work a closing shift tonight, so I don’t really have the day off, but I have most of the afternoon to myself.

266

Heaved. Even got to talk to crush for a bit. She drives an hour for this job. Laundry is spinning.
I have a set of Calaphon nonstick pots and pans, a couple of pieces of cast iron, and a steel stock pot(courtesy of Freecycle). When this non stick wears out, I may try stainless.
And one thing I am grateful for, when last week’s pipe catastrophe happened, I’m grateful it was just the upstairs dishwasher pumping in water, and not the neighbor after having had 15 Taco Bell bean burritos with extra Fire Sauce.

Good luck with the gig, Oopsie!

267

Happy Sunday!

I can sure tell its allergy season, I woke up way early because I couldn’t breath and after being upright for a couple of hours, I’m still draining. Ick.

My arm is sore from the shot, but other than that my booster seems to be a non-event as far as side effects go.

I found a loose wad of foil on the kitchen floor when I got up. I’m thinking George jumped on it, scrambled down and when the foil fell/was pushed off George investigated and thought it was a fun toy. Later today I will probably run to the dollar store and get more cookie sheets.

268

It’s Saturday! :tada:

At 1:20pm it’s 64 degrees outside, and just cool enough in the house that I turned the heat on (after having my windows open for the last two nights/days). It was a bit cloudy this morning, but the sun has come out and there’s a breeze. I think the expected high is only 67. Hooray for fall! :fallen_leaf:

To me, all of the pots and pans talk is like the grownup voices in Charlie Brown specials: wah-wah-wah. :wink:

Cooking is so not a thing for me. I think what stresses me the most about my upcoming bariatric surgery is how I’m going to prepare appropriate meals for myself once I’m eating “real” food again (starting at about 2 months post-op). That’s where I’ve always failed in the past. I’m determined to figure it out this time!

:rofl:

Actually, the MMP – and you and the other Mumpers – have saved the SDMB for me!

I’ve been a Doper for 17 years, but I’ve grown annoyed with some of the culture changes. I also feel like the quality and number of new threads in my preferred forums (CS, IMHO, and MPSIMS) aren’t what they used to be. I don’t post much anymore, and I’d been considering not even lurking…but it turns out the MMP is just what I needed! I still check the forums from time to time, but mostly I’m just a Mumper now. :blush:

That reminds me of the other thing that happened this week: I had an appointment for an oil change on Wednesday, at 11:45am. I always wait for my car, so I figured I’d take an hour at lunchtime (that’s how long it took the last/first time I had the oil changed). When I got to the dealership, the service bay was completely backed up: I had to wait for some cars to be moved before I could even pull in and talk to a service person. And then he told me it would be at least a 2-hour wait! For an oil change!! I told him I was working and couldn’t wait that long. He said I could come back on Saturday (today) as a “walk-in” and the wait wouldn’t be as long, but I don’t trust that: I’ll reschedule at some point, when I feel like deciding whether I want to plan to take 2 hours off or use their shuttle service. The dealership is near my office, which is just far enough away from home to make me think twice about going on a weekend without an appointment.

(I bought the car new in late January 2020. Because of the pandemic I only have 5100 miles on it, so this was only my third time at the dealership: I took it for an oil change in October of last year, then for Virginia’s required annual inspection in January of this year. I will use the dealership for everything while it’s still under warranty.)

FWIW, this is the one I just got last year; I gave my old one to my nephew when he started driving. It’s $28. I like that I can set the desired psi and it will automatically turn off when it hits that number. (My front tires use a different pressure than my back tires, which is annoying, but that’s a complaint for BMW and not the compressor. :wink: )

269

We still use the Farberware stuff that Wifey had when we got together ~40 years ago, plus whatever non-stick skillets I take a liking to. We use those 'til they’re not so non-stick anymore and then I gets another one. I should just go to the restaurant supply store and get something there, I guess.

Preparations for the big move continue at a glacial pace. We’ve collected huge amounts of crap treasures in our 33 years in this hovel. Yesterday we gave away a huge trove of cookbooks to the guy who cooks for the seniors at a local retirement hovel. We also gave him the bookcase I made to house all those cookbooks. :pensive:

I was in Safeway yesterday and the woman in line at the pharmacy ahead of me asked about a flu shot. They told her “two hours.” I didn’t wait around, but I need to get shot sometime soon. :roll_eyes: Also we want to get our Modernas boosted pretty soon, if we can find somewhere to do that.

I open the MMP first thing, and then I may, or may not, stroll around the other forums for a bit, but youse guys are the only reason I come here anymore. I’m weaning myself off of facebook too. I so don’t want to become a hermit again, but srsly, people just make me tired these days.

Happy Sattiday, y’all.

270

I have obtained bottled drinking water. Don’t trust the local pipes. This nonsense is happening 90 minutes away.

Was TOTALLY gonna wash the dishes, I swear, but I managed to cut myself cubing up the stale crusty loaf for the rats. Don’t feel like immersing an open cut in dirty-dishes greasy icky water.

Instead, I’m knocking off a couple of other to-do list items, then washing up & heading to work. Checked schedule - I’m working with grown-ass adults tonight, which NEVER happens on a night shift.
How lucky am I?

271

Farm-fresh eggs from a cow-orker this morning. I had hashbrowns, and The Missus had an English muffin. We both had two bacon, and I had a V8.

After that I washed the cookware, put the dishes in the dishwasher, took care of other household duties, cleaned the stove, and washed the drip pans. Mrs. L.A. vacuumed.

Saturdays are so interesting here! [/sarcasm]

272

Cut open a Hass avocado that had been sitting around a few days, expecting it to be overripe.

No.

It was PERFECT so as one does, I dropped all plans in order to eat this magical gift in the brief window of time allotted.

Roasting chicken wings, too, because I have a Blessed Day Off tomorrow and want to make more chicken soup.

Toasting some pumpkin seeds while I have the oven running. Wheeeee! SNACKS!!

273

But did you send thoughts and prayers?

The teeny branches-to-be are turning brown. If I’d had any idea my cutting back the stem could have killed the plant, I’d have let it grow into a spindly tree. I wonder if I should see if planting it in soil helps. I can’t imagine the seed has many nutrients left.

I’ve done squat so far today. I should get my lazy self to the gym.

swampy, Happy Birthday to Lou!

I understand permanent marker works well. :rofl:

nut, congrats on impending aunthood! When is the stork’s ETA?

274

I was able to take care of the lost check problem. A new one will be issued, which is a relief. I’m frying up some lumpia for dinner to celebrate the good fortune.

275

:musical_note: Happy birthday, Swampy’s friend Lou
Happy birthday, Swampy’s friend Lou
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LOOOOUUUUUU :notes:
Happy birthday, Swampy’s friend Lou :musical_note:

276

I bought a set of Emeril Lagasse stainless steel pots and pans when they were being manufactured by AllClad. I do have a 2 quart copper bottom Revere Ware sauce pan. I also have Le Creuset pots and bake ware that I use really often

277

Howdy Y’all! We slothed. We drove by (got out even to say hello) Lou’s bday celebration, and we et a late N.O.L. at DQ since it is sorta kinda on the way back to da cave. We both got Blizzards to go. OYKW et his up already. Mine is in the beerator freezer for consumption by me in just a little while. I’m lettin’ my big burger and fries settle down more first. Thus is the news from swampland.

278

Had a nice afternoon, after a little irk-some morning. I made a sign for the gift shop I’ve ben selling some stuff at, 3-D letters and their logo on a panel. I got a message that a piece of the logo had fallen off and was sent a picture. In the pic it looks like either a bird hit it or someone threw something at it, there’s shmutz on the remnant of the broken off chunk and on the piece next to it. So I fabbed up a replacement and will intall in the morning.

Then went over to friends’ house and helped out with making the basement more habitable, taking down a dis-used garage door opener, running some new electrical, etc. Then got to hang with the little one. He’s 6.5 months old now. He seems fascinated with my beard. Almost can stand up on his own, but not quite. I’m quite pleased to be an “uncle.” Thus the doings at casa paint.

Now must to be thinking of something fer dinner. Pondering using some of the summer’s frozen pesto and pasta. Prolly ought to toss some chicken in there too.

279

Mixed up some beef rub. Ribs for dinner tomorrow.

280

no call them and they will cancel it instantly and they’ll send out another one … they wont wait … lol never mind I wrote this earlier and see it was just sitting here waiting for me to click reply

rosamond too although a lot the mobile home parks out on ave I are scary these days