That Was Unexpected!!

 OH YEAH!!!  It's a big bonus when you have a friend that owns the local Pumpkin Patch, who is also your Elks Lodge buddy.  I got a text message early in the morning.  "I left something on your porch".  I cautiously opened the door at 7:00 am to find BREAKFAST!!  Woohoo!  That was VERY unexpected!

They bought a popcorn machine this year!!  I have to admit I'm very thankful I don't have to shuttle 300 kids around and I don't have to make this stuff, nor deal with "parents" complaining about paying $20 per kid this year.  Yeah ... it's not cheap!

In what seemed like just a few minutes, I was off to what I thought was a bike shop three towns down south.  I had a plan.  Bike shop, call and visit with friends, hit up Hobby Lobby and maybe the quilt shop on the way out.  It all went south in a hurry.

Here I am driving along ... having cranked my music up high.  Do you see anything wrong with this highway?  Like maybe WHERE are the white lines?  It was extremely difficult to see the lanes, especially for truck drivers who were always in my lane.  I finally just kept in the right hand lane at their speed.  

Here's what they did.  Apparently the latest and greatest thing is to make the white lines like rumble strips.  They used their machine to crimp them.  The problem is they went the WRONG direction when they did that.  If you look in the rear view mirror, you can see the white lines perfectly.  Out the front, you can't see where the lines are at all.  Leave it to California.  Coming back on the OTHER side of the highway, they did it the right direction and you can easily see the lines.  I just shook my head.

That's when it all went south.  I got a call requesting a hotel for the night.  That messed up my entire schedule.  There would be no Hobby Lobby and no quilt shop.  DARN!!

It got worse.  I got to the bike shop after getting lost two parking lots over.  My GPS said I was there, but not so much.  I called and got more specific directions through the maze of parking lots and buildings.  Why is everything built on a curve nowadays.  What happened to straight streets.  

Finally ... you have arrived.  Only to find that they did not have the bike rack I wanted to see.  Seriously?  Maybe it was a ruse to get me there.  They actually called around and found one.  Okay ... show me how it works.

The good news is it's not too heavy for me to lift on and off the hitch.  The first problem we discovered ... the way the hitch and light hookup is set up, the lock would have to be installed BEFORE screwing in the bolt.  No problem .. it worked and tightened up perfectly.  No extra hitch lock thing needed to keep it from rattling.

I asked the nice young man with hair down to his waist to show me how it worked, even though I knew because I watched several videos.   It was just as easy as I expected, except for the part where someone put the bike hold-downs on backwards.  Ooops.  

I'll take it.  Yup, it was all a ruse on my part.  I wanted to be sure this was THE ONE before I paid for it.  Otherwise, you order it, you bought it, it doesn't fit and you are stuck with it. This one is PERFECT.

These two pictures were taken after I got back home.  In spite of the website saying I needed a hitch extension, I measured and was sure it would work.  It did.  It also swings out and away to allow access to the back doors.  I'll take pictures of that today, hopefully with a bike attached.

I headed back home, stopping for fuel.  In spite of everyone else's diesel and gas prices going down, California has raised theirs to as much as $5.50 a gallon.  Using my debit card (hoping not to be hacked) my price this time was $4.88 at a Shell station.  Loves just a block away was the high priced one.  The one that most truck drivers fuel up at, which is why your groceries are more expensive.  Talk about a rip-off.

On the way home with not much traffic, I cruised right along.  That's when I spotted this.  Elephants?  Not visible are the baby elephants following the herd.  Are we in Africa?  Far as I know, there are not now nor have there EVER been elephants here.  Tulle Elk ... sandhill cranes ... black bears, yes, but NOT elephants.  Why would they put these critters up there?

And so I got back home, hoping the bike rack was still attached.  I began to back into my driveway.  DING DING DING ... red lights flashed!!  WHAT IS GOING ON?  It seems the bike rack is close enough to the sensors on the bumper to think I'm going to hit something.  That was DEFINITELY unexpected! 

I just kept going, listening to the din which was quite distracting.  So how do I fix THIS?  Here's two of four sensors.  I mean really ... what if you were actually towing a car or boat?  I love that they tell me if I'm going to hit something, but now I won't know since they go off constantly while backing up. Thank goodness nothing happens when I go forward!!!

Sadly, there was no shopping other than the bike rack, which I'm sure made my wallet smile.  I'm excited to load up a bike and see how it all works today after company leaves.  I'll take pictures to show how it swings out of the way.  

My tip of the day ... only 8 weeks 5 days til Christmas!!!

The Crazy and The Weird

 Just in case I didn't make myself clear ... I love our Bingo volunteers!!  I have just as many faults, if not more, than they do.  The good part is we all get along so well that Bingo runs like a clock.  MOSTLY!  

I think there are times when we ALL are pulling our hair out.  Let's face it ... we are all old and set in our ways.  On the other hand, every one of them would do just about anything for each other.  Okay, maybe not ANYTHING, but it's a nice thought anyway!!

Without each other, we would not be donating over $100,000 every year to charitable organizations featuring KIDS.  Who would not love that!

Speaking of crazy and weird, here's my other treasure made of wood.  I was up in the Sierra mountains one day when I found this little store.  Inside they had lots of hand carved wooden statues.  Mostly bears, since there are a lot of them up there trashing garbage cans.

That's when I spotted this three foot tall buzzard!  I had never seen anything like it.  In an instant, it came home with me.  That must have been about 28 years ago and he's still in pristine condition.  I've looked for more carved buzzards ever since, but have never seen even one.  Yes, that's a Christmas decoration that has lived up there for 25 years.  

Here's another one.  Yes, I'm making it this year.  Hot glue red and white ribbon on some greenery, then wrap it in little lights and glue it to the sleeves.  Glue the light controls on the cuffs.  The bow is hot glued on last.

Put your arms up.  THE PERFECT UGLY SWEATER!!  Yeah, I laughed at this one.  I know, it's weird!!  You could even make this your Halloween costume with a black sweatshirt that would not show in the dark.  Yeah, I have a weird sense of humor.

It's all the cat's fault.  This kid is crazy AND weird.  She was once again snooping around the house when I caught her in front of the TV.  Two seconds later, she jumped over to Jonathan's table.  NO NO little girl!  I slapped the table and she went skittering across the slippery floor headed to the door.  

Jonathan went right back to eating like nothing happened.  He's truly not scared ... he will slam his beak into the cage in a nanosecond.  I just hope Kitters little paws, or worse her face, are not ever too close.

At 10:00 I got a frantic call from a frustrated boss trying to do some Quickbooks accounting.  You know how computers can bring out the worst in people, including me.  I wasn't sure I could help, still being full of brain fog from Bingo.  Sometimes it takes me all day to clear it up.  

Two hours later, I was back home in the rain, just enough to make my truck a muddy mess.  Mr. Cooper and I crashed on the couch.  We spent the rest of the day just hanging out, not that there was much left of it.  No, there was no sleeping because the HOUSE neighbor is now building a 3,000 square foot metal shop building.  Between the banging and the LaBamba music, it's been too loud for napping.

That's when I got the call.  The Bike Shop three towns over has the bike rack I was looking at.  They said to come on over and check it out.  Oh LOOK ... I think they have a fabric shop in that town ... and a Hobby Lobby!!!  How could I not go???

The Knights and the Ladys

 Ride those bikes while you can!  We are going from the mid 50's to the mid 70's every single day.  It could not be better for bike riding.  But no, I didn't ride on this day.  I'm feeling much better, but didn't want to push it.  I figured I should take it easy for once.

Mr. Cooper was up at his usual 4:00.  I tried my best impression of a sleeping bump on a log, but the pup knows, and he's never wrong.  

Yeah, an hour later he's fast asleep on the couch and I'm wide awake!!  There are a few good reasons for that.

And this is one of them.  This Kitters ... she barges her way in the door first thing, then slinks around the house until she finally lands in front of Jonathan.  That would be a big NO ... and so she gets escorted outside.  I really can't believe the difference in this cat.  She was mostly black ... now MUCH more tan, soft and silky. 

 Just like a kitty to become soft and cuddly so she can move in, yet she's not into that at all.  Outside, she spends much of her time hanging out under the rose bushes in the dirt.  Hiding as it were ... but comes running, and purring, if I call her.  Inside, she does the same, hiding in the dark corners.

For the first time EVER, both of those kids got a taste of ice cream.  Just a tiny fingernail full.  Cooper was all over that ... but Kitters, not so much.  She hasn't figured out that hands come with goodies.  It sure makes me wonder where she came from.  Yes Jonathan is still in the picture and the ice cream is gone.  

And then there was Bingo.  Even though I have said in the past I would set up the back room since I'm always there early, I got the impression I was overstepping my bounds.  Instead of saying "sure Nancy, please set up for us", there were ten text messages back and forth with three people being scheduled to do 15 minutes of work.  That worked for me ... I went up to the bar for a nice glass of Coca Cola!  

Little did I know, some of the peasants would be nicer on this night than the Lady Knights.  Up came the first one ... I need a key.  We have lots of time, and I hate to have all that moolah hanging out without a watchful eye.  OH THE DAGGERS!  Someone opened the door (it wasn't me), whereupon 30 minutes later I found the cash box just sitting there ... all alone. 

It's difficult to gauge and deal with so many different personalities, but I try my best because they are after all, volunteers.  I imagine they think the same about me!  There's the cranky, the almost-not-there blonde, the "I must have a chair", the guy who always wants to talk politics (it's not allowed),  the guy who screams so loud it hurts your ears, the one who spends 95% of his time watching baseball on his phone, the one who diagnoses every illness in the room followed by medical recommendations ..... no kidding, its a menagerie!!  

My cashier showed up, but my lady in waiting did not.  That meant my plans of going home early went up in smoke.  I had to count.  Here's MY fault ... or at least one of them.  As they pull their cards, I start calling it out to the cashier in order to get them through the line as quickly as possible.  SHE wants to wait until they have picked every card before I call.  Ummm no!  We need to get the line moving as fast as possible.

Making small talk and asking every single person if they need a dobber, wasn't in the best interest of time either.  THEN I discovered she was giving out mostly dollar bills for change.  WHAT?  Every fifteen minutes I was running in the other room for more.  You should only need to do that once a night ... not EIGHT times!!  A little conference was held.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Oh my goodness .... she was giving out nine one dollar bills instead of a five and four ones.  

The rest of the night went by pretty fast.  There was one incident of growling and pitchforks when not one, but TWELVE people won the same bingo.  That rarely happens.  Players aren't exactly happy to win a payout of $20.00 each.

Finally I headed to the kitchen to order something for dinner.  Chili cheese fries please.  Nope we are out of chili.  WHAT?  Corn dog please ... nope, we are out of corn dogs.  NO WAY!!  You may remember that a month ago I got saddled with the Kitchen Management job.  I figured no big deal ... the gal in charge is really good and she will take care of it.  Not so much.  

I got out another can of chili for them to heat up and found corn dogs in the freezer.  Wow .. that was HARD!!  

The rest of the night went swimmingly because I left early.  I ran completely out of gas around 8:30, whereupon I waved goodbye and headed for the door.  But wait ... I better take one last peek at the kitchen.  Sure enough the fans were running on high, all the lights were on and the walk-ins were not locked up.  Be nice Nancy ... they are VOLUNTEERS. 

I was greeted with this gorgeous sky, a happy puppy and a purring kitty.  What could be better?  Sleeping in ... that would be better, but it was not to happen.  Of course as I type, everyone else is sound asleep.  I think it will be my turn VERY SOON!!!

Hitting the Roads

 At long last ... I'm feeling like a human being again.  I can actually breathe with little to no coughing.  Hallelujah!  I am ever so tired of just sitting around doing nothing but expanding, due to the muffins.

Mr. Cooper was happy to finally get out of the house too.  We only got around the corner maybe 50 feet, but at least he's still moving and smelling the smells.  He actually IS on a leash, you just can't see it.

Five minutes later ..... fast asleep!  He still wears the jammies.  They are loose enough not to bother him, but if I take them off, if only for ten seconds, he wants to lick and chew a spot on his leg.  As long as he has them on, he pays it no mind.  The Vet has checked him out many times, but there is nothing short of surgery that will help.  That is of course off the table considering his age.  Since he doesn't appear to mind one bit, I leave them on.

Of course the second he hears me moving around, he's up.  It's time to take the bike out for a test drive.  This came from my trail riding days at about 60 years of age.  What can I say ... I was a late bloomer.

Off I went out the driveway, wobbling along.  Ummm wait ... I lowered the seat two inches and watched the brakes to see which were the front and the back.  This thing has disc brakes, so I can stop on a dime, but I didn't want to land on my head.  

It took me about half a block to figure out the gears.  It's got lots of them.  I could shift up, but not down.  

That's when I realized .. or rather remembered .. that it's like a motorcycle.  You have to go a little faster around corners to stay upright.  In no time I was zooming down the streets, weaving in and out to get a better feel and dodging the school buses.  ERRRRRKKKK ... that's where I hit the brakes a little too hard.

I made it all of one mile before turning back.  I was pretty proud I actually turned it around in the middle of the street without falling over.  Back home, I put it away, but it didn't last long.  That was FUN and I wanted to go again.  This time I went a total of four miles, my knees letting me know I needed to put the seat back up.  Oh yeah ... this is GOOD exercise!  And SO MUCH EASIER than running!

Back in the house, I wandered around once again looking for something to do.  I ended up in the fridge.  Lunch doesn't look the least bit appetizing, but do you see something missing from this salad?  Tomatoes ... there are NO tomatoes.  

I spent the next couple of hours trying to come up with the next quilt.  I've got so much fabric, but I'm not good with colors, nor could I find the pattern I thought I had.  That brought about 90 minutes worth of going through books and boxes, getting all my patterns in order.  Who bought all these??  That darn Elf on the Shelf guy has been busy!

That's when I found THIS.  It's been hanging in the closet awaiting quilting.  Not only is it time to get it done, along with the pumpkin one above it, but maybe this pattern will work for my next quilt.  In the meantime, I've got lots of binding to do.

Here's the surprise of the day.  I bet this is something you didn't know about me.  I love the ocean and I love sculptures. This almost four foot tall wooden seahorse came home with me from an antique store in Washington State.  I admit, it was a little difficult getting him in my big rig, but I tied him up in the bathroom and he made the trip in one piece.  He goes well with my Buzzard.  I'll show him off next time.

And so I think I'm all healed up enough to make it to Bingo tonight.  I won't be doing much, and plan on heading home early if a cashier shows up.  I admit, I'm looking forward to being gone for SEVERAL weeks this winter.  Hitting the road in December sounds like a great idea!

It's PUMPKIN Time

 This is the look I get when I disturb the BOY.  There's rules around here.  You are not allowed to touch the King of the house when he's sleeping.  He really doesn't even like to be petted unless it's scratching his butt.  Oh he will snuggle when he wants to, but otherwise ... LEAVE ME ALONE.  I can't blame him really ... he's on his way to 17 years old ... an amazing accomplishment for a little pup who's traveled the U.S. and Alaska!

Feeling a tad bit better, I really needed to hit the store for some Jonathan food.  I think he eats more salad than I do.  Never send ME to the grocery store.  I know, it was my idea, but I'm like a dog looking for squirrels to chase.  

I can usually saunter by things like cakes, pies and cookies, but the muffins get me every time.  These are pumpkin crunch.  I'm not sure where the crunch went, but when I cut it open, it was filled with apples.  For a grocery store muffin, it wasn't bad at all.  

That reminded me of bread sticks.  No, I didn't really need any, but they are actually quite good for snack attacks.  AND on sale, so they came home with me.

Speaking of on sale, I noticed something in this store with new owners.  Jolly Green Giant corn (the good stuff) was marked at $2.50 a can.  YIKES!!  But the STORE brand was "ON SALE" for $1.99 a can.  Guess which one everyone is going to buy.  Didn't this stuff used to be $ .99 a can?

I noticed something else when I wandered down the ice cream aisle.  These are my favorite, which used to be $7.00 a box.  These were marked $10.99 a box, but on SALE for $9.49 ... today only.  Makes you want to buy them, yes?  Well I bought this box just last week that were regularly $9.49 a box.  SO THEY LIE in order to make you think they are on sale!!  They are probably cheaper at Walmart if you can wade through the p.j.'s and slippers crowd.  

Luckily I got home just in time to receive this.  I had completely forgotten about one of the Bingo Knights dropping off a chicken dinner he said I bought.  I did???  I cannot for the life of me remember THAT!  I don't know if it was his VFW or our ELKS that prepared it. 

WOW!  This was the best barbecued chicken I've had in ages.  It was fall-apart done, just the way I like it.  The beans were delicious ... and the best part ... OREOS!  It was also Cooper approved!

Tasting that pumpkin muffin, reminded me I had a can of pumpkin in the cupboard that needed to be used up.  I thought maybe I could make my OWN muffins much cheaper than the four I bought.  These are chocolate chip pumpkin.  Yeah, it didn't sound too good to me either, but chocolate chip banana bread is quite tasty.

Super easy to make ... 20 minutes to bake.  They are NOT your grocery store muffins.  I don't know what they put in theirs that makes them soft and puffy, but these came out rather hard and dense.  Plus, all you can taste is chocolate chips ... not that I mind that!  I even put in more spice than it called for, to no avail.  Oh well ... they will work with lots of coffee.  Into the freezer they went.

Though I had hoped to be pedaling down the streets and byways on my bike, I got all gussied up in my best riding outfit, including a helmet that almost chokes you (which I hate), only to find out it was 80 degrees outside and WAY too hot to be riding.  The bike got parked in the kitchen.  Maybe this morning will be cooler and I can get on the road for some practice.  I will need to work off those calories VERY soon!!

Purrs and YIKES!!

 And just like THAT ... another day has slipped by in the blink of an eye.  Mr. Cooper started his day out as usual ... sleeping on the couch.  I know he sleeps well at night because he doesn't wake me up ... but he also sleeps VERY well during the day!

The first order of business is to head outside.  He and Kitters come nose to nose every time, but only for a second.  Kitters throws up a paw and wants to play.  That's not in Cooper's repertoire ... he just ignores her and walks away.

That brings about this.  Pet me .... pet me!  She's put on so much weight now, her legs don't look twice as long as her body.  She looks like a normal kitty.

Followed by this.  I don't think she wants a tummy rub ... maybe just a little ... because next she jumps up and runs for the food bowl.  While my pup isn't food motivated AT ALL, this one definitely is.

And LOTS of purring.   She doesn't continue however, she runs off and hides, which makes me nervous.  If I get up to look for her, she jumps out and runs to the door, for more food.  I'm truly not sure how this is going to work out when I'm gone.

First things first, I took off in my truck to pick up my second bike.  If I take one anywhere, I think it will be this one.  It's easier to ride than a road bike and bigger tires make it more stable for an old gal, though it is heavier.  

Lucky for me, it fit on the bar, thanks to the kid who helped me out with it.  I see I'm going to need a little more getting-in-shape work.  I actually rode it around the driveway when I got home, wobbling like a three year old, but that will get better when I figure out how to switch the gears.  It's just been too long.

When I got back home, lo and behold the filters had been delivered four days early.  I just love it when that happens.  So up the ladder I went, changing out all three.  For all the dust and dirt here, they really were not all that dirty.  Boring pictures, but it's a reminder in my phone of when I changed them last.  No one was hurt in the commission of this objective.

Next on the long list was to drive the van.  I'm determined not to let that battery go south again.  I admit it's a good idea to do this often, if only so I get used to all the buttons and gadgets.  They should make these less difficult for those with fat fingers.  Truly, most all the controls are teeny tiny little buttons on the steering wheel.  You can barely touch one and ZAP ... it takes you where you did not want to go.  

One second you're watching the speedometer and the next you're looking at fuel consumption.  I don't know how many phone calls I've made, but I finally figured out you could yell DISCONNECT and it would turn off.  No telling who I called.  If someone calls me, it's a frantic few moments trying to push the right button so they can hear me.  

It's pretty distracting to have to look down at the steering wheel and figure out which button to push next.  And sometimes it's which two or three to touch. 100% electronics on this baby!!

Yes ... yes I did ... I drove to the fabric shop.  Luckily, I didn't find but a few pieces I needed.  Being as it's a Mennonite shop, they don't carry much of my kind of fabric.  My second favorite shop closed up too, so now it's a 90 minute drive to find anything else.  I just wasn't feeling it on this day.  

Back home, I'm still racking my brain over an electric bike.  Two things ... it will go uphill (a big plus) and its big fat tires make it easier to ride.  On the other hand, they are VERY heavy and I HAVE two perfectly good bikes. All I need is a bike rack ... and so the hunt was on.

My friend has one on her van, where it tilts partway down, giving you the tiniest bit of access, but the door can only be opened maybe 12 inches.  Unfortunately for me, that's not enough.  The inverter on/off switch lives back there and can't be reached.  Same with the battery shutoff.

That means I really need the ever more expensive swing away.  YIKES!!  Can you say $$$$?  I scouted the internet to find most all of them end up with the bikes riding 18" from the back door.  That's hanging out there quite a ways where it can bounce around A LOT, especially when loaded up.

This one seems to be the most suitable for me.  Of course there's also the problem of where exactly is your hitch set on your rig so it's not too CLOSE.  This one will hold two 60 pound bikes (not that I could even LIFT that) and fits electric bikes also, if I so desire at some point in the future.  

I'm still mulling it over.  In the meantime, I'm going to need lots of practice to get back to riding anyway.  It's a good thing I have a big driveway.  No worries .. I have a keychain thing that screams if I fall down and can't get up!!  In the meantime ... it's Sunday and I'll continue to rest up on the couch.

Whooo Is Hoo-Hoooooting All Night?

  I'm dragging way behind today.  There's going to be lots of napping, I'm sure.  This is a barn owl, of which we have MANY in this neighborhood.   Lucky for me, they move around a bit, but seem to love the tall trees behind my house.  

It started at 2:02 am.  You can even tell the difference between the old guy and the new young stud by their voices.  Hoo Hoooo.    HOO HOOOOOOO.    Oh my gosh ... they went on for THREE HOURS.  Can't you just go catch a mouse or something?

I put in earplugs and covered my head with a pillow.  I could still hear them.  I love them to be sure, but boy they can be rowdy and NOISY!

It's okay though ... when you are greeted by this face every morning, it doesn't matter how much sleep you get!  Lucky for me, he's good at taking naps too!!

I'm sure I showed this short clip to you before, but this seventeen year old kid just makes my day!!

Kitters is still hanging out inside, though not near as much.  She really is an outside cat, I think only coming in for the food.  She gets plenty as evidenced by her fat little belly now, but has taken to eating Cooper's food too.  There's no lap sitting ... only scratches, whereupon she runs for the door to get out.  Thankfully she has not made any more leaps into Jonathan's space.

So far she just sleeps on the back patio table.  I purchased the kitty heating pad, but she refused to sit on it.  It's interesting she does not like soft surfaces.  I placed her on a plush blanket in a chair and she went ballistic trying to get down.  

I put the heating pad out for her and she refused to lay in her normal spot.  Take it away, and she's back to the hard table.  Weird.  

I spotted this Girl Scout/Brownie troop who made these kitty houses for local wild cats, and decided this might be better than a cardboard box.  I'll be getting a tub and insulating it.  We'll see if she uses it at all.  I have my doubts, but it's worth a try.

I then spent FIVE HOURS doing accounting.  Good grief ... I expected only two, three at the most, but I kind of got on a roll.  No company should have over two bank accounts.  This one has TWELVE I'm balancing from January.  So much for my day plans.

Back home, I was thrilled to find a box at my door.  I wasn't supposed to get those clamps for another four days.  I thought they were made just for my bike rack.  Come to find out, these are tool box clamps.  They are not quite as heavy duty as my previous ones, and the bolts they provided didn't work well at all.  This is how they attach to the truck bed rail with the bike rack bracket sitting on top.

I had to mess with it quite a bit to get the rack to extend 1/16th of an inch so it would line up with the clamp.  I had to use the bolts from the old one to get it done.  I measured my bike and I THINK it will fit without taking out the tool box.  It's going to be close.  I'll find out today when I go pick up my trail bike from the Bike Doctor.  

How does it work?  You open a clip on the forks, take off the front wheel and clamp the forks into those two bolts on the bar.  That way it stands upright and nothing gets bent or broken.  I'm thinking if I get back in bike riding shape, I may just get a rack for the back of the van.  We'll see when I feel better.

That was it for the day.  I'm feeling much better, but of course still coughing.  I'm thinking a nice hot bowl of homemade chicken soup would hit the spot.  

Rest is Best She Said!!

 I'M ALIVE!!  Welcome back to Sickville!!  It's interesting to me that in many moons and centuries past I could pretty well predict the sick cycle.  My how things change.  This ten day cycle is nothing like the last one.  The good news is it's winding down, though I wish it would go a little faster!  You are right Frances, rest is best, as is everyone else who told me to just sit down.

Mr. Cooper is a good roll model.  Sleep all morning long, finally waking up at 1:00 for lunch.  

He's pretty much the reason I stayed on the couch most of the day.  That and the phone calls I got asking where I was.  After an hour talking to the King of Bingo who had to listen to all my coughing, he suggested I stay home.  Oh but no ... I need to help out!!  NO NO he stated ... you just stay home and get better.  Teehee ... okay, whatever you say. 

Kitters tried to help by staring at me while purring for the first hour.  I finally put her outside because she just would not leave me alone.  She's up to almost 12 pounds now and still thinks she's starving.  I walked out the door to find another big fat lizard dead on the doorstep.  I really wish she would leave them alone.  They eat spiders and flies.  We have a Vet appointment for booster shots coming up, so I'll ask for some worm pills.

I tried a little organization in the fabric room, but didn't get far.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I had the same result with trying to clean out two closets.  I just cannot sit still, but got nothing accomplished.  Lunch was a nice reprieve.  

I've got four tomatoes left, but no lettuce for my usual BLT.  Instead, I put them on a nice grilled cheese.  I have to be honest ... these early girl tomatoes did not taste nearly as good as I expected.  I think next year I'll go back to beefsteaks.

Since it's been getting pretty chilly at night, I reset all the thermostats to heat, though I really don't expect them to turn on.  It's time to change out the filters once again.  Here's the same outside ladder.  You can see about how tall those gutters are at the roof line.  

That's when I discovered I didn't have any filters this size.  I have three to change, and only one filter that will fit.  Naturally I jumped on Amazon to have them delivered.  I'll finish this job on Saturday.

I watched a little bit of The Scariest Places in America ... a fun little trip through old houses haunted by lovers and killers ... walked around the kitchen island six times looking for something to do ... and landed back in the sewing room.

I finally got up enough energy to finish the border on this quilt.  I like it a lot more than I did originally.  Silly, but I think it's the little black stars that make it!!  It will be a fun quilt to bring out for Halloween every year.

And so ended a lovely day of coughing, but I feel SO MUCH BETTER!  I think I'm going to live after all.  The best part is I had time to go over my winter schedule and plan my get-out-of-Dodge trip.  Bingo is going to have to do without me for SIX nights.  I'll be gone two months in all, but I'm keeping it secret for as long as possible!!  

 Here's to another day of sitting home healing up on the couch with Cooper!