A Little Bit Of Fire

 Some mornings just seem earlier than others.  This one began at 2 am with someone wide awake and wanting out.  You can never ... and I mean NEVER ... ignore the signs.  I ran as fast as I could to call off the alarm before grabbing the handle and swinging the door open wide.  

The pup ran out as fast as he could, then stopped dead in his tracks.  There was a leaf on the grass that was not there yesterday.  That quickly put an end to THAT outside trip.  No one ever said Cooper was brave.

It happened again at 3:00, but this time he actually sauntered out the door, walked right over the leaf and did his thing.  I'm having this made into a poster for my living room!!

Yeah ... so sweet and cuddly when he's asleep.  I certainly wish "I" was asleep!  Instead, I was rather cold. I can tell because the icicles begin to hang off my nose and I can't feel my feet.  I had been turning the fireplace on for a nice morning warmup ... until I got the latest PGE bill.  

$150 for gas alone for one month.  Gee ... I think I ran it maybe 3 hours each morning.  I didn't think about natural gas prices going sky high like gas and diesel.  I know, I've got solar, but until I get through one full year to see how it's going to pan out in the end, I don't want to go crazy trying to keep warm.  That's what blankets are for.

By the way, I finally discovered a heating pad, like the one required for Jonathan, pulls only 1.5 amps.  Good to know for the RV.  Also good to know because I can use it in the mornings to keep us both warm.

This looks like dinner, but it was actually my breakfast.  I know it's a little unconventional.  I'm sure it comes from being forced to eat yucky old oatmeal mush every morning as a kid.  Zoom I could handle ... anyone remember Zoom?  But mush was something that turned a key in my head when I got old enough to move out.  I ate absolutely anything I wanted for breakfast after that, and believe me, MUSH was NOT on the menu.

It being a dull foggy overcast day ALL DAY LONG, I didn't do much but putz around the house.  There was a fire in LaPosa North that cremated a nice big Class A.  It looked like it started in the engine.   Luckily the fire department got there in record time and the fire didn't spread.  There was no one in the rig at the time.  I hope they had insurance, although that doesn't mean you will get paid.  

I needed to get the hitch back in the truck, but was a little leery of hurting my back.  If it had been a straight shot, I would have done it.  Instead, hearing everyone's voice in my head saying DON'T DO IT, I called my neighbor and asked for a big strong young man.

In no time he knocked on the door.   It was nice to have help lifting it into the bed, but I always feel like I'm bothering people.  In the old days at the ranch, you could ask any neighbor for anything and they would be there in a flash with a big smile.  Nowadays, not so much.  I'm not sure why that has happened.

Anyhoo ... I skipped lunch and went straight to dinner with barbecuing directions swirling in my head.  I defrosted the beef patty first this time, and tossed it on the grill.  It looked perfect when I turned it over ... YAY no exploding grease mishap.  Almost!

I went back out to add the cheese and it was blown up like a ball again.   Why does it do that?  I poked the bear and of course it exploded into flames that singed my eyebrows.  I think I was not meant to barbecue burgers.  It tasted wonderful, but smelled a bit of burned hair.  Next time I'm cutting a hole in the middle before cooking it.

I spent the rest of the day messing with this latest quilt.  It irritates me no end that they throw in some awful color to ruin almost every pre-cut fabric bundle, meaning the fabric is cut into squares for you.  The green just looks awful, and of course there are four big squares of it.  

There will be lots of moving things around before I'm happy with this one.

It is of course TUESDAY ... but NOT a Bingo day.  Only two days of the year do we close down the Castle, forcing the pitchfork carrying peasants (most of whom I'm become good friends with) to stay home and buy things for Christmas.  

In an even bigger move ... we are also closed for New Years.  Two whole weeks in a row we don't get to watch the antics.  The police department appreciates not having any calls.

We are moving up temperature wise for a time, from the mid 40's to mid 50's.  We might even get a tad bit of sun.  I could really use it since I washed a big floor rug yesterday that is now spread out all over one bathroom trying to get dry.  If it even shines for two hours, I'll be in like Flynn.  I'm crossing my fingers.  The alternative is to build a fire in the back yard.  Probably not a good idea with my record.

Just a reminder ... Christmas is 5 days away!!