Another Glorious Day!

 What could be better than freezing temperatures, constant rain and a dead battery?  Unloading everything OUT of the van for its trip to the next town up .... also in the rain!

True to Mercedes Towing, they sent me twelve messages regarding the tow truck that was to arrive.  I called the tow truck company to explain to them that this was not JUST a van, but an RV van with generator and propane tank 8" off the concrete.

Okay he said ... that will be about four hours before I can get a big truck there.  MY suggestion was to please send the BATTERY JUMP guy to see if we could get it started.  He said good idea.

Forty minutes later, Tony arrived.  Tony saved my day!!

What a GREAT kid.  He said he gets lots of calls for these vans ... no surprise.  Every one built in the last three or four years has the exact same problem.  He hooked this gadget up to the hot and neutral posts under the hood.  They stuck like glue because the alligator clips are much stronger than the flimsy battery charger ones.

Go ahead he said ... start it up.  NOW?  We don't have to wait?  He laughed!  Hit the button he said ... and it started right up.  I NEED ONE OF THESE!  In fact, I ordered one.  You plug it in and it will give a minimum of ten jumps to any vehicle.  Charge it up with an extension cord.

He waited while it kept running ... just to be sure.  We talked about a hard wired charger to the battery itself.  I'll look into that next week.  

He left after a REAL handshake.  I like that kid!!  And so with a big sigh and a still nagging headache, I drove off into the rainstorm of rainstorms.  The computer is out of its ever loving mind, but it was still moving the wheels down the road, so I kept going.  

The left turn signal red light (someone is beside you) kept going on and off for the first ten miles.  It was a two lane road.  The windshield wipers would work ... not work ... work screaming fast ... go really  REALLY slow and then stop again.  At least this time the brake lights worked.

The storm got so bad I finally turned off on a side road and went the back way to the freeway, before heading home.  An hour later, I pulled into the driveway.  

I called the Mercedes repair shop to tell them it was NOT being towed in, but I needed an appointment to unscramble the computer's brain.  I'm in at 7:30 THIS morning.  That is way too early to be at the shop an hour away, but I guess I have no choice.  I have to wait for it since I have no ride, so I will try my best to be on time.  

Then began the UNPACK because they don't want anything near the front seats and I don't want anything expensive left inside.  An hour later the sun actually came out for a bit, but I looked like a drowned rat! 

To make it even more fun, I had to attend an Elks Lodge meeting that I truly wanted to miss.  It lasted 90 minutes before I was headed home.

Wish me luck today!!

Hell In A Handbasket!

 It's raining, it's POURING, the Old Man is SNORING!!  Yikes are we getting blasted this morning!  The mountains are getting hit with record snow falls, though I have seen this happen before.  Sadly, up near Truckee, there was an avalanche that killed nine people who were on a skiing adventure.  

Why a company would take a group of folks out in that part of the Sierras when big storms were predicted, is beyond me.  I've been up there.  The mountains are crazy steep and the perfect place NOT to be in a storm.  My prayers go out to their families.  

That was not a good way to start the day.  Neither was getting up four times to let the cat in and out.  CAT is in trouble!!  I'm beginning to see why she may have been left behind!!

Cooper on the other hand is his sweet self unless it's 3:45 and he needs to go out too.  I'm going to be going to bed at 7:00 pretty soon!!

My morning plans went up in a puff of smoke just as I was heading out to do that accounting work.  All dressed up and no place to go when they called and cancelled.  In an hour they said, which turned out to be never.  

That's okay, I can do a lot of the work remotely.  That didn't happen either.  Seems I could not get access without approval from a phone number I did not recognize.  No one at that number answered either.  The new accounting firm and I spent over an hour on the phone trying to get it to work.  NOTHING!  How frustrating THAT was.  We finally gave up.  

That's when I discovered that phone number was a cell phone for the boss who was not available to answer.  Wow ... we blew up his phone.  How embarrassing!!  So today we will try that one again.

With nothing else on the table, I went back to sewing the binding.  I think I have 3 feet left to complete.  Hurray!!

Lunch was quick and easy.  Tomato soup and leftover WAY overcooked, dry, hard pizza.  Not my best choice.

And THEN, as my Dad would say, it all went to hell in a hand basket.  I had plugged the van in to the battery minder and decided I should start it up.  NOTHING.  It would not even unlock the doors.  Oh I am SO DONE with this stupid battery problem!

I got my truck out, hooked up the jumper cables and let it run for a bit.  Inside, I press on the brakes and hit the start button.  It almost started, but then quit and tried again.  That's when the windshield wipers started up.  What the heck?  Did I hit the button?  NO ... NO I DID NOT.  I tried everything.  Now the dash said BRAKES in red and BATTERY right beside it.  

I let it stay hooked up a bit longer, then tried again.  Nothing.  Now the brakes are completely locked up ... you can't even push on the pedal!!  I'm sure the neighbors heard me screaming at the top of my lungs.  I've never been so frustrated and MAD in my life.  

I unhooked everything and called Mercedes.  The Service Guy was no help whatsoever.  He couldn't even tell me how to disconnect the battery so the wipers would stop.  He said I just had to have it towed in.  To the SHOP ... 45 miles away!!  Can you say $$$$$$$$??

He finally gave me a number to call for Mercedes Tow.  That's great ... she was somewhere back East and had no idea where I was or where I wanted it towed.  At least she was nice and recognized my frustration and anger!!  The good news is she said the tow was FREE for Mercedes owners.  We shall see if that's true or not.

And so today they are supposed to show up between 9 and 11 to tow it away.  This should be fun.  The brakes are locked up and there is no way to get it in neutral without the battery working and the engine running.  I'm sure the computer brain has completely exploded and will need reprogramming before anything will work.

Fifteen minutes after the phone call, the battery finally died completely and the wipers quit running.  No kidding, I wish I had never bought this piece of ....... well you know what I mean.  Even the battery minder could not keep up with all the electronic crap.  

I shouldn't be surprised I guess ... if I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.

To make matters worse, I have to go to an Elks meeting tonight where they are serving lamb.  That smell makes me nauseous.  To add the cherry on top, they are voting for the new year officers.  The infighting and back stabbing is epic.  It has not been like this in all of my 15 years of membership.  Sadly, it makes me want to walk away.   

Wish me luck on the towing fiasco!  I'll report back tomorrow!

THE PURPLE PIG

 Oh my poor FREEZING Aunt Sarah!!  No, there's no Aunt Sarah, but if there was, she would be freezing this morning at 33 degrees.  

You know what this pictures means ... it was time for flaming torches, knives of steel and pitchforks.

But first .... it's pitch black outside, and my camera picked up the clouds rolling by in the oh-so-cold breeze.  Kitters went out at 3:05 and came back in at 3:15.  I figure I'm lucky since I got a whole three hours of sleep.  Me thinks it's going to be a LONG day!

Talk about Queen of the House ... there she is in all her Royalness.  It's a good thing Cooper could care less, because she is in to everything constantly, even going so far as to swat him on the butt, trying to get him to play.  I laugh as he just walks away.

Try as I might to load up on rest before the Castle Bingo games, it was not to happen.  I headed out in the pouring rain in my Jeep since I have not broached the headlight problem yet.  I was instantly behind the eight ball.  This picture of the Castle dungeon is after members arrive and before the non-member peasants are allowed into the room.  

As I've mentioned before, there is always fights over who gets to sit where.  People pay their membership of $218 a year just to be able to sit in THEIR lucky chair.  Yes, it's that bad.  On this night we even went so far as to REMOVE that chair so NO ONE could sit there.  At some point, even if it was a year ago, they won a Bingo while sitting there.  That means it became THEIRS.

On this night I got a really BIG surprise.  The lady sitting on the left actually volunteered to learn the cash register.  WOW!!  Not only that, but she's a business owner and actually knows HOW to run a cash register.  I put her straight to work.  Threw her to the wolves so to speak.  

Oh my gosh .... how could I be so lucky.  In a flash she picked it up and went to town like a pro.  Not to overwhelm her so she would run off into the woods, I pulled her off and put in my vacation replacement in the bright pink shirt.  She too is really good at this job.  I thanked my lucky stars, because I think both of them fit in perfectly with this group of Knights.  Maybe it was the lucky chair I was sitting in.  I'm keeping that chair for sure!!

That freed me up to wander the dungeon making sure no flaming torches came out, which they did anyway.  But wait .... it was the exact opposite of normal.  Is it a full moon??

Three people brought back games that were counted wrong and NOT paid for.  They actually offered money for them, because if you "steal" a game, it's bad Karma and you will not EVER win again in your lifetime.  Who knew?  Well actually I did, and I always thank them profusely because the money is for children.  

This lovely critter is our Purple Pig.  Here's another Bingo tidbit.  If you win a bingo game, you always tip the pig.  If not, you will (you guessed it) NEVER win again.  I didn't make up the rules.  We actually donate much more than the pig eats, but this lets the players know which charities we donate to.  On this night it was for the Challenged Children's bingo Valentine dance.  

I always include two five dollar bills in the payout, just for that purpose.  On any given night we make about $200 just from the pig tips. 

No callers were drawn and quartered on this night, mostly because one of them tells stupid Dad jokes and everyone laughs like crazy.  I finally let both girls go home since I was going to be there all night anyway.  This is about five minutes before I closed up shop and headed out into the rain.  The best part is the rain washes away the stink of folks out behind the dumpster smoking skunk weed.  

Yes, we all know exactly who does what because every variety of everything they use, STINKS!  They think they are being so sly, but we all know the second they walk back in the building with the smell trailing behind!!

My armor will probably be a little rusty for next week since I got soaked running to my Jeep.  This morning I will try to soak up a few eye closures, but alas, once again I have bookwork to do.  Hopefully it takes me just an hour before I'm back asleep on the couch!!

The forecast for the rest of the week ... Rain, Rain and more Rain!!  Here's hoping you are high and dry!

The President's Rain

 I almost missed it yesterday ... it was President's Day.  Happy Birthday George Washington!!  This used to be a big deal back when I was working in the dark ages.  Yet another three day weekend.  Nowadays, the only reason I knew that we were celebrating is because the garbage truck did NOT pick up my garbage.  I headed straight for my checkbook to be sure I paid them.  Yessiree they got paid, so I figured it was some holiday or other!!

It rained all night long, as evidenced by the drip drip drip outside the kitchen door.  It didn't take a detective to figure out the gutters were leaking down on to a board leaning again the building.  My gutters are a big problem, but not fixable for a couple of months when they can dry out completely.

This was pretty crazy rain for us.  It's raining so hard my gutters are completely overflowing.  We got close to three inches in this downpour.  It continued for the entire day, so there was no walking or bike riding.  There wasn't even any Quilt Shopping!!

Instead, I basked in the idea of staying home all day long.  I don't know what's gotten into me in my old age.  I never EVER stayed home before.  

This little bundle of joy kept me on my toes though.  I sat on the couch and grabbed the quilt to begin sewing, when look who I found snuggled underneath!!  A big wad of Kitty!!

In the end, staying home was not to be.  I needed to finish up the books for my favorite Queen of Rentals.  Sadly, she was in the hospital for a bit and now in rehab, so I met her daughter at the residential living facility.  This is the gal I rode horses with for several years, camping out in the Sierra Mountains, riding in trail competitions and generally having a blast with my horses.  

Sadly, my horses are gone now and her gorgeous little dapple quarter horse is now 7 years old.  We talked for an hour about Mia and how she is doing.  Kind of like talking about your grandkids.  That's how it is with horse people.

I finished up her books in three hours and I was out the door with a CALL ME when it quits raining and I'll come ride again.  She has three horses and could use another butt in the saddle as we say, to help keep them in shape.  It's probably not a good idea, since it makes me want to get back in the business, but I'm going to do it anyway.  There's nothing in the world better in my book than riding!

Back home, I baked up the latest and greatest DiGiorno pizza.  I baked it 10 minutes less than what they said, and it was STILL a bit overdone.  You can't see the pepperoni because I smothered it in more cheese.

Here's my critique.  It's okay.  I mean I'll eat ANY pizza, so my critique doesn't really mean much.  It needed MORE cheese and a LOT more pepperoni.  Otherwise, it was okay.  Just to show you how dense it is, I didn't eat ANY dinner because I was so very full of pizza dough.

Kitters thought she might like a taste too, but turned it down after one smell.  

That was it.  Just a long day of rain and more rain.  Another downpour dropped another inch or so of water.  We really need the rain, but it's oh so hard to get my fur kids to go outside.  They don't like the rain any more than I do.  We need it for sure, but it's knocking all the blooms off the orchards, so it's probably not going to be a bumper crop year.

SO ... anyone have a horse trailer for sale?  Just kidding ..... maybe ..... yeah, just kidding ..... but boy would I LOVE to have a couple horses to ride again.  The only thing keeping me from doing it is the fact that if I head to the great afterlife in the sky, there would be no one to take care of them and there's no telling where they would end up.  I can't stand the thought of such a thing, so I'll just keep riding someone else's every chance I get.

It's going to be a wet one .... thunderstorms expected for the next three days.  I hope my Bingo armor doesn't get rusty!!!

DAYTONA 500

 Winter has finally hit central California.  I think Mother Nature got a little off with the time change since it's rather late in the year to be having cold, windy, rainy days ..... but here we are!!

If only I could actually CHANGE the time and Mr.-Mr. didn't need to go outside at 4:00 am.  It's like clockwork I tell you.  He can be sound asleep (and of course I'm wide awake) and at the appointed hour, just like Cinderella ... he stands up and stares at me.

Time to go out Mom.  I stay under cover of the patio so I stay dry.

I love Sundays, mostly because I try to be sure NOTHING is scheduled.  We get to hang out on the couch for hours with nothing to do.  On this day however, I really needed to get this quilt finished.  This one replaces the one that magically disappeared at the Lodge.  I sewed the top and bottom pieces on, bordered it and cut out the backing.  I really like the original better, but that material is not made any more.  Now to haul it to the quilt store to be quilted since my machine is out of business for another 4-6 weeks.  

Hmmm ... in looking at this, I think it needs another darker border.  

I admit ... Sundays with nothing to do can be dangerous.  It's those darn ads on my phone that remind me to order things on Amazon, which result in MORE things from Amazon.  These are Sketchers shoes.  Much as I would rather have my old running standby Mizunos ... these are half the price and you don't have to tie the laces.  SO SO easy to slip on and off without using your hands.  I now have three pair and LOVE them.

Soon ... it was TIME.  The Daytona 500 was on today, one of only two races that I watch.  For those who thought it was delayed completely due to weather, instead they began the race over an hour early.  They have EXPERT weathermen, because they get it right every single time.

Why does this interest me, because after all, it's not horses.  Many moons ago I helped run a local construction company that sponsored the tires for a local race car driver.  Boy were those tires EXPENSIVE!  At any rate, he won over and over again.  This was his dream ... to drive in this race.  He never made it due to lack of money, but he did get to run a few time laps on the track.  

Here's the first big wreck ... or maybe it was the second.  In this race, Ford had four cars, Chevy had the same, along with Toyota.  They get behind each other drafting, which makes the lead car go faster.  Towards the end of the race, three of them were side by side in the lead, which controlled the speed of the entire thing.  No one could pass them ... but alas, someone did a boo boo and another wreck resulted in 23 cars being involved.  

Truly, it's all in luck that someone who is leading, actually wins.  There was a bump, a little too strong to control, resulting in another big wreck.  

Reddick was maybe five cars back.  He got lucky (or maybe it was driving expertise), drove around and through the wreck to WIN the race.  You just ever know how it's going to end.  

I spent the rest of the evening stitching binding on this quilt, not that I was motivated at all, to keep it handy for hand finishing while watching TV.  I need to get that stack out of my sewing room.

And yet another.  I think I'm two years late with this one.  While the race was on, I began the hand stitching part of this Halloween quilt.   

Today I have to head out for the last accounting session with my 94 year old client.  I've been doing her bookkeeping for over 40 years.  Hard to believe it's been that long.  I think this will be my last year however since her 65 year old daughter will be taking over.  Pretty crazy to think we are all that old now.

I'm hoping to get an actual day off this week to get to the Quilt Shop.  OH DARN!!!  My excuse is I really need to drive the van and charge up that battery!!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

THE VALENTINE'S DANCE

 It's a lovely DARK 52 degrees this morning in what turned out to be SUNNY California for a change.  Though my camera lightened this image up quite a bit, it's 4:00 on the West Coast and spooky as can be.  Luckily I haven't heard any more of that screaming, but the meows were epic.  Someone wanted IN.

I started Valentine's Day off with a rousing rendition of CHICKEN DANCE, thanks to Dan who played it over the phone while Patty and I just laughed.  How in the world is that battery still working when that card is somewhere between 8 and 10 years old??  It was the perfect way to start the day!

There was no messing around however ... I had to be at the Lodge by 8:30.  Wasn't I surprised to find probably 15 people setting up decorations, along with an empty box of donuts.  Well rats!!  Headed for the kitchen, knowing that's where I would end up.  

We sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, places cheese on a plate and got out all the required cups, plates and napkins.  Boxes of chips were set up and I dumped four huge cans of chili into a pot.  This event is sponsored by Bingo, so the King and I argued over whether it would be enough for 100 folks.  Not a chance, so when his back was turned, I added a little over a quart of water to extend it.  No worries, it was so thick you could still stand an 18" spoon up in it!

But wait ... there's hardly anyone here?  This doesn't look good at all and Bingo has started already!  

Another 30 minutes and the place was packed.  They call numbers until someone wins.  That person gets a new card and everyone else continues to play the one they have.  Easier to win that way.  Soon there are four and five winners.  You should see them!  Oh my gosh ... they jump up and yell at the top of their lungs, SO excited to WIN!  There are actually 18 tables full of kids and adults.

I have to admit, these are not the most expensive prizes in the world, but I guess the kids love them.  Everyone in the place wins something, including some of the parents.  

All the while, I'm hiding in the kitchen tending to the chili.  This is just the craziest thing, but people LOVE this Hormel Chili.  It was too much work to do a double boiler, so I just kept a very close eye on it stirring constantly to be sure it didn't burn.  

At last it was lunch time ... barbecued burgers and hot dogs straight from the charcoal grill outside, buns of course, cheese, tomatoes, onions, mustard, ketchup and relish.  Too bad the person who planned the meal disappeared, because apparently there was lettuce in the walk-in and she didn't tell me.  OH WELL!  We didn't have room on the table for that anyway!  Most all the kids came back for seconds.  

That was followed up by 144 cupcakes with swirly top frosting, home baked by one of our members.  They disappeared in less than 30 minutes.  It's funny how when the food part is all over, the help disappears.  Seems they only stay for the fun part.  

I cleaned up everything and stacked the dishes before going outside to run down the Bingo Kitchen Lady for directions on what to keep and what to toss.  They did the dishes while I wiped the counters.  In no time, I too was sneaking out the back door while the dance was just beginning.  

The flashing colored lights began the same time as the DJ (yup we hired a DJ) began the music.  These kids and adults too ... they love this part more than anything else.  They were all up on the floor dancing as I went out the back door.  Five hours was enough for me!!  We will do it all over again next year.

When I got home, I contemplated the truck headlamp repair, but landed on the couch instead.  Mr. Cooper needed some cuddles!

There was no need for dinner since I ate one hamburger patty covered in a little chili at lunch.  Probably not my best decision of the day.  I felt it for the next four hours and skipped dinner.

This however, made me feel better.  We haven't had much in the way of sunsets lately, and this was a beauty.

The later it got, the darker the colors.  WOW ... it looks like someone painted it.

And so ended another day at the lodge.  I'm glad we can provide some fun for these kids, many of whom rarely get out of their houses.  All in all I think we have six events a year for them.  It's good to be able to provide some entertainment and fun .... and see them laugh!!

I have absolutely NOTHING on the schedule today, though I might try my hand at that headlight!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY BIRTHDAY!

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to everyone out there in the wild world of the North American continent.  I hope your Valentine got you something special for the day, like a great big hug.  

This Valentine is for my bestest friend Chef Patty.  I tried to find the Chicken Dance on a reel (that's a joke between us from WAY back), but alas it was not to be.  I've no doubt she just went to the drawer and pulled out that card I gave her several years ago and is playing it as you read this.  We laughed and laughed!!  Here's to many more Miss Patty!!

As for me, I survived Friday the 13th.  That is generally a day I stay VERY close to home.  On this day however, there was a personnel problem at the lodge I had to attend.  I've become very laid back.  I just sat there, didn't say a word, and left with a smile on my face.

On the way home, I stopped in to pick up some headlamps for the truck.  Weird looking things, but alas, even though Napa Auto's inventory said they were there, they were not to be found.  Talk about pricey ... I ordered two for a whopping $41.00.  I SWEAR she said two days, but two hours later she called to say I could come pick them up.  I watched an installation video and HOPE it will be an easy job.  

This is my friends visual of Friday the 13th .......

This is my reality.  It's just weird that she follows me everywhere.  Every time I turn around, this is what I see.  

Along with my cup-o-joe ... we look very much like the picture every single morning.  I've just returned to drinking morning coffee ... and not a lot of it.  I might have even given it up were it not for the TEN cans I bought just two weeks ago.  

Finally, in desperation to get some energy back, I went out for a walk.  I didn't quite make it a mile since I keep running into that tree trimming guy who was looking for more work.  I don't know ... he's been working on the corner house for two weeks now, so I'm not sure how efficient they are.  

However ... that's what I needed ... to get some exercise.  Back home, I pulled what I thought was one big pork loin out of the fridge. Turns out it was two small ones.  Easier to sear I thought.  Once done, I threw them in the oven to finish.  Next I did the easiest thing EVER!  

I threw a box of sliced mushrooms in the pan with a chunk of butter, followed by a bag of frozen veggies I defrosted in the microwave.  Lemon Pepper covered everything.  

Just WOW!!  I'm buying stock in lemon pepper.  This was the best meal I've had all month.  FINALLY I was NOT hungry after eating.   I can't even tell you how good this was!  Lucky me, I've even got four more meals to enjoy!  I followed it up with ... you're not going to believe this ... applesauce.  Not cake, not cookies and not candy.  I must still be sick.

Now however, it's time to head out once again.  We are having our Challenged Children's Valentines Day Bingo-Lunch-DANCE.  I will probably be calling Bingo today.  Truly, you haven't lived until you have seen challenged children and adults winning a Bingo game.  Everyone wins, and everyone gets a prize.  Besides that, they get to dance afterwards, probably the only time during the entire year they get to experience this much fun.  

How could I say no to that!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!

An Even Shorter One

 This will be even shorter than yesterday's blog.  Shame on me for not taking more pictures, but hopefully I can catch up tomorrow.  Oh wait ... it's the Challenged Children's Bingo Party tomorrow, followed by a Valentine's Day Dance.  You haven't lived until you've seen 100 challenged and handicapped children at the only dance they have ever been to in their lives.  

They go crazy over the music and everyone dances to their own beat, no partner required.  SO ... a late night, followed by an early morning employee problem, followed by putting on my mechanic's hat, followed by Bingo and a dance.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Here's my CREW that keeps me sane.  Almost.  Kitters came crying to the door last night, so what could I do but get up and let her in.  I think she is now spending more time INSIDE than out!  I just went in the bedroom for a second ... and I turn around to see this!!

I did a bit more fridge cleaning and trying to find something to eat.  That's three people now who said to cook rice, but I couldn't find any.  Might as well give Walmart a go once again, so I placed an order.  This time it was delivered right on time, to the right house by a lovely Spanish couple.  

No directions came with this rice cooker, which is a dangerous thing for moi!!  It was probably just perfect five minutes before I shut off the microwave.  It was so overcooked it became hard again.  

I put a big spoonful in that Butternut Squash soup, stirred it up and took a bite. NOPE!  That's not working at all.  I ended up with a small portion of Mexican casserole that really wasn't too bad and didn't seem to bother my oh-so-tender stomach.  

In no time I was ready to head off to the Elks Trustee Meeting.  It was reported they were in the black last month.  Nope .. not true.  I spent most of the hour explaining to our oldest and most esteemed Trustee why that wasn't correct.  He finally agreed, and it was so reported at the next TWO meetings.

I might have made it home at a reasonable hour, but in spite of asking my good friend to bring his truck, he rode his motorcycle.  I can just see him going down the city streets with this 7-ring wire petticoat and this dress flying off the back.  It's a donation to his wife, a member of the Daughters of the Revolution for their reenactments.

And so I drove all over town, making twelve turns, until I had no idea where I was.  When I pulled in his driveway, he informed me my headlight was out.  This is not it.  Mine was COMPLETELY dark.  I didn't notice it since I was always under street lights.  Big sigh!!  I had a terrible time trying to figure out how to get back to familiar streets. 

I guess after my emergency Elk employee meeting this morning, I'll be heading over to the parts shop in the hopes of finding a bulb.  Then if I'm really lucky ... and a very good girl ... maybe I'll get in some sleep this afternoon before finding SOMETHING I can eat!!  I'm beginning to see why Kitters acted so hungry all the time.  That feeling does not go away easily!!

 

A SHORT ONE

 Cold and clouds arrived back in Central California once again.  This is an early morning picture of how low the clouds get around here.  It's okay ... I would rather have clouds and rain over fog any day of the week.  It did get quite windy however.  

What bothers me the most is I either have a heavy ski parka, or just a shirt.  I need to come up with something in between so I don't freeze before the truck heater gets going!

It did get a little exciting about midnight.  I heard the craziest screaming I've ever heard in my life.  I thought CAT, but that was not it. I thought OWL, but that was not it.  I thought EAGLE but we don't have those around here.  It seemed to come from high up in the trees, then from the ground.  It was the craziest sound ... and I never found out what it was.  I think I spotted a big fluffy foxy tail in the back yard, but I've never EVER heard them make a noise like that.  When I opened the door, Kitters came rushing in, so she didn't like it either.  Here's hoping it does NOT come back.

The best news of the day -- we have hired a new gal to take over the accounting duties I've been doing.  Not that I'm going to disappear, because they won't let that happen, but at least I'll just be the "consultant" and "Emergency - HELP" person from now on.  

So here I am driving to work.  Not bad, yes?  I spent the next four hours training in spite of only planning on two.  It's quite complicated and there were lots of OMG's to take care of.  Things that come in the mail can sometimes be scary and overwhelming.  I'm pretty good at explaining stuff, calming the nerves and taking care of the problems.  So is my New Hire.  I think that's because it's not our money!

On the other hand, I can do nothing about the several days of afternoon sun we received, which caused these trees to bloom, just in time for rain.  Very pretty, but YIKES ... that's not good ... not good at all.  Farming is never a guaranteed WIN.  

On the ranch, many years we grew oat hay to feed the cattle.  That's how I ended up being a caterpillar driver, discing the fields.  Imagine moving well over 500 bales of hay (about 100 pounds each) into the barn by hand and stacking it to the ceiling.  I'm pretty sure that's why I've always been strong ... WAY too much exercise.  

On the other hand, some years we got rained out.  If the hay dried in time, we could feed it to the cattle.  If it got moldy, it was a total loss.  We had to then move the cattle around in the fields more often.  You can't leave them in one spot or they will eat the grass to the dirt and no more grass will grow.  Moving cattle from field to field every week was required.  Some years in desperation, we leased grassland in the foothills and hauled them in so our pastures had a chance to grow back.  It was always a throw of the dice.

After four long hours, I was able to sneak out the door and head back home.  My Amazon delivery had shown up, so repairs began immediately on the Kissack Hotel guest bathroom.  They sure don't make things like they used to.  I think I have replaced this toilet handle three times now.  In fact, I've replaced ALL the guts to this one twice.  

It took some adjusting because ... well ... though I have done this many times, the directions were not exactly clear.  I am now open for business since company is coming in about a week.

That was it ... a short one for today.  I made a bit of a mistake with dinner.  I just seem to be starving all the time now, but don't know what to eat.  I was really craving salad, so I fixed up a small one.  Boy did it taste good and I ate every single bite.  Probably not my best idea.  My stomach is still quite sore, but gosh darn that soup is just not doing it for me.  Same for the yogurt.  I need something more substantial.

I'm determined to get out for a walk today ... hoping for some strength to return.  Maybe a little motivation along with it.  I need to finish that "missing" quilt replacement and get it to the Quilt store to quilt.  

Have a great day ... we are on the downhill slide to the weekend!!!