The Moon and The Starlink?

 Good Morning!!  Just like McDonalds, I'm loving it this morning.  Not that it's going to stay this way for long, but we had a gorgeous 60 degree night, followed by a lovely 81 degree day.  I may just have to get out and DO something!

Here we are at 6:30 getting in a little exercise by the same sunflowers that are still blooming like crazy.

Two minutes after returning to the house ... yup ... fast asleep.  It didn't take long and I was right behind him.

We said hello to Kitters as we wandered outside to water the tomatoes.  She's looking much better since being brushed most every morning.  There was lots of purring and leg rubbing, which brought out a bite of the hand that feeds her.  That was followed by a little SWAT on the butt.  She apologized.  No attitude allowed around here girlie!!

I put this box out for her, along with a crate, to see if she would sleep in one.  Sure enough, she was snuggled up in the cardboard box.  I guess even WILD kitties like cardboard boxes.  Yes there will be a visit to the Vet in her future.

A quick check of the mini tomatoes brought about a discovery this morning.  Cooper has always gone straight to them, smelling in and around the branches.  What did we find this morning but LOTS of ... well ... crap.  It doesn't look like fox to me, but it could be.  Apparently we have something running around at night that will require the game camera to come back out.  I've got my fingers crossed it's not wearing a tuxedo!

Another morning harvest will be made into spaghetti sauce as soon as I get the lodge recipe.  That stuff was so good I ate it straight from a cup with a spoon.  

In between catching a few Zzzz's on the couch, I put up the deserts in the freezer.  First things first, the lemon bars don't freeze well, and there's no way I could eat an entire pan, so I called my neighbor.  Turns out they are the man of the house's favorite.  I was happy to accommodate.  With four folks living there, they won't last long.

Then on to the caramel almond squares.  These look more like breakfast bars to me!  Yes I even ate the crumbs with a spoon.  It's mostly OATS, which are healthy for you, right???

After yet another afternoon nap ... I woke up just in time to see someone drop off a package.  That's interesting ... I'm not expecting anything for two weeks.  FED EX?  No .... it couldn't be.  I just ordered that Starlink Mini two days ago.  They said 2 to 3 WEEKS for delivery.   

My brain wasn't quite awake yet, so I left it on the counter for several hours.  No use trying to figure it out when I wasn't thinking straight.  A few hour later ... here we are ... nice long cable, a wall plug-in and a connector if you want to put it on top of a pole.  

As is usual nowadays, there are no instructions other than how to attach it to a pole, which I'm not going to do.  Everything is done through your phone and their app.  How to set it up, how to make the satellite connection, how to switch usage programs ... everything.  

Yes, it's still in the box.  I'm feeling much more intelligent this morning ... so maybe after the sun rises, I'll plug it in on the patio and see what I can mess up ... I mean see how quickly I can set it up.

As you know, the full moon is not my friend, beautiful though it may be.  This is the CORN MOON because the Indians were harvesting corn at this time of year.  Europeans call it the Falling Leaves moon for obvious reasons.  It's autumn and leaves are falling.  

I call it the OMG moon because it's WAY too close to Tuesday Bingo night!!  I'm sure the hangover will be epic!!

And so ended a lovely day of guess-what's-in-your-back-yard NOW!  I wonder if they are eating the little tomatoes from the branches laying on the ground.  Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow after setting up the camera.

Here's to another gorgeous day!!!!

The Shrimp Boats Have Sailed

 So here we are, sitting in my kitchen contemplating the tomatoes.  Yessiree ... these came from MY bushes.  They are starting to ripen .... all at once of course.  I guess I'm going to be making marinara sauce very soon!!

By 9:00 I was on the road to the first stop.  The Jantz Bakery.  Here lies sugar cookies, gorgeously decorated in fall pumpkins colors.  They are so huge, there is only four in a box.  I wish I had snapped a picture before they tied them up, because they are BEAUTIFUL.

Next stop ... the MIX Bakery, where I picked up that decadent caramel cake with caramel filling and cream cheese frosting, topped with golden balls of gold leaf chocolate drops.  It was gorgeous.  Unfortunately, I ended up being so crazy busy that I didn't even get ONE picture.  I GUARANTEE I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.  Good grief ... I had no idea how much work it was going to be.

The two in charge didn't really write down anything ... like who would do what, what they needed, etc, etc.  Things like setting the tables with plates and silverware, and hey guys ... you need pitchers of water and glasses on those tables, and oh, you ran out of napkins 30 seats ago, so I quickly learned how to fold those napkins.  Mostly I ran interference and kept them from killing each other.

Then it was raffle items.  We had to get out two more tables due to the generosity of Elks Members.  I even left two of my donations in the truck.  They will be returned today.  With so many high dollar things, we set up TWO silent auction tables and made over $1,000 just on those items.  

There were a few snafus ... like two folks were scheduled to sell raffle tickets until the gals setting it up said OH NO ... that was THEIR job.  Yeah, there was a little of that going on!  I quickly directly them over to the silent auction table ... and their seat at a shrimp table for dinner.  They were happy campers.

At last the food serving began.  Our local high school FFA group had been rounded up to serve.  Just WOW ... those kids were all dressed to the nines in white shirts and black pants.  They worked like ... well Future Farmers  ... and served 137 people.  

First course salad .... second course two flavors of pasta ... the most amazing french bread ... and FINALLY ... SHRIMP!  Sadly, I didn't get many of those at all.  Of the three varieties, I got 3 cold ones, 3 with garlic and butter (YUM) and 4 cajun.  Not NEARLY what I had planned, but who's counting.  ME ... I WAS COUNTING.

I spent most of my time running around picking up dessert dash bids and figuring out who got to go first.  In the middle of that, they posted raffle ticket winners on the board, so I had to collect money.  Finally the silent auction was closed, so I collected money for THAT.  

When they called the Dessert Dash winners (I knew we were first with a whopping $700 bid), I screamed across the room ... PLEASE CUT ME A PIECE OF THAT CARAMEL CAKE ... A BIG PIECE!!  Reason being, I donated this fabulous cake which cost me ... are you sitting down? ... $120.00.  No kidding ... when you buy a fabulous cake, you definitely pay for it. Luckily I also got a big leftover piece for my freezer.

It was pretty chaotic for a while as I tried to gather up and count all the cash.  Sadly, though I spent $100, I did not win the gun raffle.  I had a Queen of Clubs ... they called the Jack of Clubs.  C'est la vie!!

I made up for it in take-homes.  I got not one, but TWO boxes of pasta and bread to take home, followed by ........

Two huge pieces of this chocolate caramel pecan cake my friend made.  I'm getting her recipe for this one.

We had 12 tables sold, 14 by the time we started to eat.  The person in charge of the Dessert Dash said we only had 12 desserts, so I picked up two more just to be sure we were covered.  Thanks to our members who are magicians in the kitchen, we ended up with FOUR more than we needed.  

I ran to the back and stashed the extra I had purchased.  My neighbors will love me today when I knock on their door and offer them dessert.

Yes, they were $25.00 each.  Now you know why I ran to save them!!  The cost of bakery items is HUGE nowadays, especially compared to what it would cost if you made it yourself!!

When I finally got home, I crashed on the couch with Cooper, after unloading all that stuff from the truck.  The two dozen extra cookies (not shown) went in the freezer, as did my extra pieces of cake.  I'm set until at least January!!

This whole shebang was much more of a workout than I expected.  Running interference between two large and in charge women, one of whom would not take no for an answer, wore me out more than expected.  Luckily it all went very smoothly and the lodge made money.

On the other hand, this won't ever happen again, because THAT SHRIMP BOAT HAS SAILED.  You know that game Never Will I Ever?  Well never will I EVER volunteer for anything like this again!!  Nor will I complain about how much work I do because that ... THAT ... was EPIC in the work department.

I shall now go park myself on the couch and eat that lucious piece of caramel cake for breakfast!!!!

I'll Soon Be Feasting On Shrimp

 There is something to be said for sleeping in.   I don't know what, since that never happens to me.  Regardless, I'm happy to wake up every morning to a new day.

THIS hit my door bright and early.  Literally .... he threw the package towards the door as he ran back to his truck.  Must have been running a little late today.  I took your advice and ordered a sprayer for that gallon jug of bug spray that refused to spray.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get a chance to try it out. 

First things first ... that second eye appointment.  It didn't take long at all.  There were none of the "normal" eye tests ... can you see this thing or that thing.  It was just "which is clearer, #1 or #2".  In less than five minutes I was headed down the hall to see if they could adjust my current glasses just a bit from when I sat on them in the RV.  

The gal refused to help, but she did ask for my $20 co-pay for the new pair of glasses.  I don't have a co-pay, nor did I want them to make my glasses for $350.  She insisted I pay in advance, so I just got up and walked out the door with prescription in hand.   What is WITH businesses nowadays?

Back home, I unknowingly became the go-between for an epic disagreement ... on EVERYTHING.  I'm just the help ... but I got drug into a battle for the Shrimp Feed.  Two VERY capable, but VERY stubborn ladies could not get along or work together even one tiny bit.  

My simple donation is to run the Dessert Dash.  This explains it pretty well.  I pick up the envelopes and determine who gets to go first.  That's it ... that's my ONLY job and I'm sticking to it!!

It appears no one knows how many tickets have been sold, how many raffle items have been rounded up nor how many desserts have been donated.  Oh the fun!!  My text message bell was going off every five minutes.  I finally took away one phone and responded to the messages myself.  Aren't we adults here?

I finally left, hoping there was no bloodshed before nightfall.  Not knowing if they had enough donations or not, I ran by Walmart and picked up a couple more.  If plenty of items turn up, I'll return these.

A blender for your margaritas, and everyone likes air fryers, right?

I spent the evening trying to get reservations OUT OF TOWN for a quick getaway in the RV.  I'm sad to say that's not happening.  Good grief ... everyone is booked.  I thought when school started back up, it might let up a bit.  

Even all the State Parks are full to the brim.  I'm not the type to just take off and hope for a spot somewhere.  Because of my kids, I need to know I have a hookup.  Otherwise I would dry camp.  

To prove how serious I am about this, I actually bit the bullet and ordered a Starlink Mini.  I've read lots of reviews recently that they actually just set it on the front dash of the van and it works great!  Even if there are lots of trees around.

You may remember I finally cancelled the Verizon MiFi for lack of use, lack of connections and a too high price per month.  This one gives you 50 gb per month for $50.00.  If I find I need more, I can go up to unlimited when traveling for $150, then back down to $50, or if I'm not using it, ZERO, all with a few clicks on my phone.  

So those of you that HAVE Starlink, could you post your phone number for me, because I'm sure I'll be calling you asking how to set this thing up!!!

And so the day ended on a happy note as I contemplated being parked somewhere over on the coast .... if and when I find a reservation.  

Now I'll go answer those ten more text messages I got last night from the one who wants to be in charge, but left on vacation the entire week of the event when all the work needed to be done.

It's okay though ... I'll soon be feasting on not one, but THREE flavors of shrimp!!!

BRING THEM ON!!!!

It's A New Day

 Good Morning California!!  It's a new day and I'm determined to be bright and shiny!!  Here's my list of to-do's for the day!  I'm going for #2 because .... well ..... it's says CAKE!

Not really ... I did my very BEST to keep a good attitude, smile in the face of adversity and laugh at the controversies.  In other words, I turned my phone off.  Though I looked out the window to see this happening again, I turned my back and hung out with Kitters and Mr. Cooper, who now tolerate each other.  Kind of ... sort of ... okay, not so much.  Coop is just not impressed with that black thing!!

Here he is in his I NEED A TREAT stance, which happens twenty five times a day.  If he disappears, I always know exactly where to look.  If I just sit there, he barks, not just once, but continuously until the snack hits the floor.  Like me, he's on a diet.  The pieces have been getting smaller and smaller!

Luckily I was able to sneak in one short nap, followed by the last of the bacon, on a lovely piece of FREE French bread.  All the while NOT looking forward to the night's audit meeting.  

We have to do it, which unfortunately means standing up in high heels for over an hour while the long list of must-haves is checked off.  When they can't find anything missing, they always find something.  We are exceptionally good at this, but in an effort to note at least ONE thing wrong, they said we did not have the letter we SHOULD write to our accountant giving them the date our taxes are due.  Gee ... I'm pretty sure they know when taxes are due.  

As my feet screamed I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS, we finished up in 75 minutes, just in time NOT to miss the second meeting, even though I tried.  Luckily that was cut short due to our meticulous preparedness ... and down to the basement we went.

I took the above picture to point out that the projected table placement for the Shrimp Feed will not work.  This setup is much better.  I passed that info along, but I'm not sure it was appreciated.  More text messages ensued as CLICK ... my phone magically turned off.

Since he who sells dinner tickets had surgery on his hand, I became the new salesgirl.  I love it.  I never have to stand in line to get my ticket and I get to meet all the members.  There were 147 of them having dinner last night, which included these lovely appetizers.  No one does crunchy chicken wings better.

Dinner was salad, ribeye steak, delicious pasta and the best roasted veggies around.  I don't know how they do it.  The veggies all come out perfectly cooked.  I'll have to get our Chef's recipe.  I didn't get a picture since I only had ten minutes to eat before the next meeting.

After that we headed back upstairs.  The new guy was ... well ... new.  He didn't know the routine any more than we did.  We got through it fairly easily and finished up by 9:30.  

It was then that the hunt began.  A very nice couple who makes critters out of horseshoes and sledge hammers left two gifts for the Shrimp Feed.  I was tasked with taking them home, except where the heck were they?  I searched the storeroom in vain.

Lucky for me, someone actually had their phone number.  I packed two 15 pound sledge hammer puppy dogs out to my truck and headed home.

BUT WAIT ... oh my great Aunt Jeanie (nope, no Jeanie in my family) ... my gas gauge says almost empty!  I was virtually on the edge of requiring a tow truck.  I pulled into the next gas station, not even caring what the price was.  Turns out it was $4.69 a gallon.  I don't know how this happens, but somehow it turned into $4.89 a gallon when I started pumping.  It could have been $6.00 a gallon and I would have been happy to pay!!

And so today I go back to the eye doctor so he can buy that new car he's been eyeing, just to get a prescription, which I will take to Costco.

Then there's a stop at the lodge to meet the Shrimp Feed crew.  I'm taking a large bucket of cold water in case there are any skirmishes.  I'm already practicing ..... NO ..... NO I CAN'T ..... NO SORRY, NO.  Do I sound convincing??

Good News ... Bad News

Beware my friends ... there's a FULL MOON in three days.  I'm sure that's going to spill over into the Elks Lodge audit meeting tonight.  I tried to sleep in, but even with the outside lights turned out, it was too bright to catch any Zzzz's.

The good news is I think just MAYBE fall has arrived.  We are down to the 60's at night ... WOOHOO ... and the air conditioning is not running all day long.  Interestingly enough, in spite of all the increases in electrical and gas prices, my solar is holding me right at a zero bill every month this summer.  This is a first!  I won't count on that for winter.

In other good news ... lookie here ... they DID turn red while sitting on the counter.  One more day and I'll be chowing down on BLT's once again!! 

One quick throwback to Bingo ... I took pictures of every machine hookup so hopefully I remember how to do it when the time comes.  Setting up the computer?  That's another story altogether, along with turning on EIGHT televisions, all of which are a different brand, with a different controller, and all of which operate differently.  As soon as I can teach this to someone else, I'm OUT.

Yesterday was a simple day.  I was off to play accountant and pay the company bills, to the excited look on the face of the insurance guy who came to pick up their check.  There is something to be said for paying your bills on time.

Three hours later I was back home for a snooze on the couch.  Those 20 hours days are killer!  After eating one of my fabulous chili verde burritos (not to self ... use less refried beans) I went back to binding this quilt.  It will take a few days to finish the hand sewing.  

And then the bad news.  I live very near to Gold Country.  Back in the day, people covered this part of the state looking for their fame and fortune in gold.  Many of these little towns still exist, including this one called Chinese Camp.  

In 1849, some Englishmen came here along with thousands of Chinese looking for wealth.  The Englishmen hired the Chinese to work the mines.  Originally known as Camp Washington, the Chinese built Chinee Camp.  There soon developed Chinese "companies" ... protective associations ... for the workers.  This resulted in the first ever Tong Wars, right here in River City.  Eventually, the placer mines played out and people moved away.

Only about 90 people have lived there for the last few years.  Many of the old boarding houses and stores remained intact, though appearing to be abandoned.  

But many of the houses were still lived in.  

Until now.  In the last two days, lightning strikes set several fires in this area, and the entire town was burned to the ground.  All of it ..... gone.  Thanks to Facebook, people were able to get their horses and other animals out of the fires path.  After 176 years, the town no longer exists.  It will be missed by those of us who always took the back road.  

And so I'm thankful for my safe house, even if I have crappy neighbors!!  

Today, after coffee and snuggling with the KID, I'll be heading out to the BIG audit of the Elks Lodge.  I admit, I have a slight problem with people coming in and telling us how to do things better, when we are the biggest lodge around, donating more money than anyone else, and in better financial shape than 95% of lodges. Okay, I won't go there.

I'm sure however, that I WILL be answering my phone 89 times about the Shrimp Feed happening Saturday.  It truly is a lot of work, with LOTS of planning involved with every detail.  Having a raffle, a silent auction, a dessert raffle, six gun raffles AND dinner ... is a big undertaking.  One which I did NOT undertake.  I'm just trying to keep the two people who DID undertake ... from strangling each other!

So here's my prayer for the day ... for everyone ... including myself!!!

Stopping The Fistfights!

 Here we are in sunny California ... and it's ... well ... SUNNY.  So sunny in fact that we are all dying from the heat.  I'm beginning to think it's just our AGE.  That's a bad word around here!!  I'm seriously getting concerned when folks at Bingo come and tell me they just turned 70 ... and how OLD they are.  Ummm you don't know OLD yet my friend!!

So let's start the day with shock, surprise and frustration!!  Around noon, after the thunderstorms, I kept hearing this awful sound.  A check out in my back yard resulted in this.  What the heck is going on?

It seems the neighbor with the new big fancy house (and the big party where I turned him in for too much noise) was using a pressure washer ..... ON MY FENCE!  Are you kidding me?  Can't you tell this fence is 20 years old and will probably fall down with you doing that?

These pictures are all evidence for when he refuses to replace what he damaged.  Their washer was set so high it actually pushed all the nails OUT OF THE BOARDS.  

Not to mention the several chunks of wood that were broken off.  I didn't say a word.  I really have no need for a fence since Miss Jessie is no longer here, so I figured to just let it fall.  There will be no fence repair.  His swimming pool will be wide open to prying eyes ... the same as the neighbor on the OTHER side who refused to help replace THAT fence.  Nice neighbors, yes?  I really want to move, but I don't know where to go at my age.  Maybe an old folks home!

By the way, the chain link gate panel is a remnant left over from the skunks.  There is a hole underneath it that I could crawl through.

Mr. Jonathan laughed about the whole thing.  Well actually, he tried to bite me this morning.  I have to do a lot of talking now before I stick my hand inside so he knows who is there!

In no time I was off to the lodge ... it's BINGO time!   I will warn you, if you are squeamish, do NOT look at the next picture of dinner. 

I arrived on time, to find my Fairy Godmother hard at work.  That's when she told me she would not be there next week.  NOOOOO ... and to make it worse, she has to get an actual JOB, so guess who will be doing the setup of the entire shebang!  Mostly because no one else knows HOW.  

Oh there is one guy ... but he's like a bull in a China shop.  Expensive equipment would be broken right and left.

In other bad news, my new cashier was gone for the night, and the King called to say he just got out of surgery on his hand and would not be in.  Good grief ... I have to do it ALL?  Thankfully he DID show up (his wife dropped him off) and he sat at the bar doing Kingly things with his hand the side of a basketball.

I spent the next two hours at the cash register dealing with new bingo players, explaining the rules and stopping the fights over you-cut-in-line.  They of course all KNOW the rules, they just don't want to PLAY by them.

Finally, a short break.  Here's dinner.  Yeah, pretty disgusting, and it didn't taste any better than it looks.  This is a chili cheese dog ... no bun.  I forced down about four bites and tossed it in the trash.  From now on, I'll be having a chili verde burrito for dinner at Bingo.

About that time, like it couldn't get any worse and I'm about as grouchy as I can get, the King came to say he was leaving for the night.  No WAIT ... you have to lock up!!  No he said ... his wife was waiting outside.  RATS!!  I got the short end of the stick once again.  

If the rest of the night went as planned, it would have been a piece of cake ... BUT NO ... our Head of the Bingo Kitchen decided to be oh-so-rude to a member/player, who went ballistic.  

I can't blame the player one bit.  I don't know why that kitchen gal doesn't quit.  She does nothing but complain and cause trouble.  But here's the even WORSE part.  They want MOI to run the kitchen.  OH NO, OH NO, OH NO!!!  See ... I said the N word THREE times!!  I'm doing WAY TOO MUCH already, I am NOT taking over that too!!  I'll be dumping that problem on the King today!

I stayed until the bitter end.  It was 10:00 when I started out the door and 10:30 by the time I actually left the building.  

This kid right here ... when I get home, he makes it all better.  He just goes crazy running around and barking at me.  I admit, I'm as happy to see him as he is to see me.

So today I have to have a key made, do some accounting and my favorite activity ... SLEEPING.  Mr. Cooper and I will be on the couch ALL afternoon!!

Bye Bye Summer ... BYE BYE!

 WOW ... that was a RUDE awakening!!  At 4:00 am on the dot, there was the loudest crashing sound I've ever heard.  Truly, it sounded like the neighbor's propane tank had exploded.  Apparently they didn't want to sign up for natural gas and installed a humongous tank.  YIKES!  I peaked outside expecting to see flames.  

It was pitch black, and in two seconds, rain began to fall.  What the heck?  It's 73 degrees and pouring water from the sky.  This is just too weird.  It's completely dark outside in spite of what the picture shows, and Kitters is nowhere to be seen.  

Bye bye summer .... winter has arrived with a BIG BANG!

Labor Day was a quiet one.  I need fabric for a particular project, but alas, everything is closed.  I had accounting work to do, but that went south also.  Let's celebrate!  I threw caution and my diet out the window and had ICE CREAM for breakfast.  I know, I'm a rebel.

Ever since I had that burrito, I've been craving chili verde, so off to the store I went.  For whatever reason, they have been handing out coupons like crazy.  To get you there, I suppose.  Buy one loaf of freshly baked French bread and get a second one for free.  The bread was cheap, and makes great grilled cheese sandwiches in spite of the wealth of calories and carbs.  It all went in the freezer.

What I needed was a big chunk of pork shoulder.  Here's where it gets crazy.  Pork shoulder was $9.00 a pound.  Pork LOIN was $4.99 a pound and BIG!  You know which way I went.  I fried it all up and tossed it in the slow cooker.  Ummmm maybe I bought a little too much.  I had to squish the lid down after adding onions, a fistful of those peppers from my back yard and a can of chilies.  

OH LOOK ..... CORN!  Ten ears of really good looking white corn for $1.00.  No kidding, I haven't seen corn that cheap in 40 years.  Oh yeah .... this was LUNCH!!  If I'm going to blow the diet, I might as well blow it GOOD!  I smothered it in butter and salt.  YUM!!!!

This is a pretty crazy hot summer storm ... it's still hitting us with lots of thunder and lightning, lighting up the house.  I should be used to this after those monsoons in Arizona!!

I tried starting another quilt, but nothing seemed to look right.  I just have a terrible time with colors.  Instead, I concentrated on the chili verde.  Not bad ... not bad at all, though it could use a little more spice.  I can't believe I said that, as I dumped in another can of chilies.

All done, I let it cool before whipping out burrito after burrito.  Each one will be food for a day since they turned out much bigger than I expected.  THIS .... is ten days of no cooking!!!  Woohoo!!!

I spent the afternoon doing crazy stuff like balancing my bank accounts and paying a few bills.  How exciting to find I still have money for ice cream!!

I kept going back to the sewing room however until I found this.  I've jumped ahead on this crazy quilt.  You will never guess what it is.  These will be pumpkins!!  And yes, I DO see that big fat mistake on the top right corner.  It's a good thing this is as far as I got, so I won't have to take out TOO many stitches.  How irritating is THAT!!

And so ... as the rain falls this morning (meaning I can turn my sprinklers off) we bid farewell to summer.  I'm sure that's going to be short-lived, and the heat will return, but it's a nice thought.  

In the meantime, it's BINGO night!  My Lady of the Cash Register is out of town, so I'm stuck.  That will be followed up by the BIG AUDIT of the lodge on Thursday.  I think I feel a sore throat coming on!!!