I'm Sawing .... And I'm Sawing ....

I think I should change my angle of attack.  From now on, I'll post my project, then wait at least three days so I can gather up all the good advice BEFORE I actually make a gigantic mess!  I received an email from Miss Terry yesterday about a different type of saw ... a handheld skill saw with a three inch blade.  Believe me, Miss Terry knows everything about cutting and sawing!!  I watched the video and LOVED it!!  It probably would have made my job MUCH easier!!

After my lovely day being ignored at Home Depot, I set aside the skill saw box.  No use tempting fate when my head's not in the moment.  About mid day, I finally unpacked my little Ryobi 6-1/2 battery operated saw.  After scanning through 25 pages of instructions in languages I couldn't understand, I took the little key thingy (that's a technical term) and removed the nut that I thought SHOULD hold the blade on.  

I'm not embarrassed to say I was a little nervous.  After all, this blade could go flying through the air and cut my arm off ... or worse, damage my beautiful quilting cabinet.  By the way, this blade is made especially for cutting plastic, veneer and laminate, according to the LADY at Home Depot.  Once tightened down, I held it up as far away from me as possible with it facing the wall .... turned my head, closed my eyes and hit the GO button!!  Imagine my shock when it worked!!!  

I contemplated taking the huge sheet of plastic (5' x 8') outside to cut it, but I had nothing to set it on .... not even blocks of wood.   Since I knew there would be plastic all over ... like sawdust when you cut wood .... I covered everything with old sheets.  I began the cut.  It started out like butter and soon turned to something like my meatloaf!  It's binding up, thinks I ... so now I have to find something to prop up the overhanging 12 inches.  

Lets see ... some cardboard, a couple of large picture frames, my ladder and a chair later, I had the edge pretty level and continued to cut.  About half way through, I had to stop.  I doubt I will ever be able to hear again with all that ringing in my ears.  It looks pretty good though ... the edge is smooth and even ... I'm pretty happy!!  With two pair of my blue earplugs stuffed in each ear, I continued the cut again and walked the length to the end.  YAY!!!!  I can't believe I did it!!!!  And I still have all my fingers and toes!!

The next problem was of course, the mess I made.  I think there's not much worse than plastic sawdust.  It was everywhere!!!  In my hair, on my shoulders, four feet away in the room!!  I might as well not even bothered with the sheets.  Two hours later, I finally got everything vacuumed, including the saw.  What a huge mess ... but here's the final result!!  The plastic hangs over the table about one inch on each side.  It's very smooth, no sanding required.  Not exactly a perfect straight edge, but close enough!!

Early in the morning, before all that stress took hold, I browned a small piece of beef in my cast iron skillet and got the crockpot fired up.  I really thought it was a small piece, but turned out it was WAY too big for the pot.  

I had to chop it up before throwing in lots of spices and some mushrooms.  By the time I was done with the sawing job, it was smelling mighty good.  Dinner in a pot!!  What could be better!!  Two successes in one day ... it really WAS delicious.  Unfortunately, I have enough for ten people.  I think that meat expanded to twice it's size in the pot!!  

I'll freeze most of it, to go with the ten portions of turkey tetrazzini and the eight portions of pesto pasta I already have in the freezer.  As you can imagine, by about the fourth dinner, I'm pretty tired of pasta and pot roast!!

Today I'm going to see what ELSE I can saw up ... and maybe I'll just take another look at that cute little saw on Amazon.  

It's A Holly, Jolly Christmas!!!

That only applies however, if you are NOT wandering around Home Depot trying to find someone to help you!  It didn't take me long to get in Grinch Mode!!

I knew better, I really did.  I even thought to myself .... Self?  It's probably not a good idea to go to Home Depot on a Saturday when it's this close to Christmas.  It sounded a lot like my Dad, so of course I ignored the voices in my head and went off in search of that molding I need for the spare bedroom.

The parking lot was only half full.  It's going to be a good day I thought.  I'll get what I need and have that project finished in no time.

The first order of business was either a skill saw or a jig saw.  I have a very large sheet of 1/4" plastic covering a much smaller table.  It bends over the sides, making clean cuts of quilt material almost impossible.  I snagged an employee in the tool section and asked his opinion.   He suggested a jig saw, along with this bluetooth shop radio.  I thought the same thing .... why do I need this shop radio??  Because it comes with a battery and the jigsaw does NOT.  This radio is on sale and costs the same as a single battery, so I get two for one.  That's cool ... a radio I can take with me anywhere!!

As I stood contemplating the jigsaw, a nice gentleman shopper said NO NO NO.  You really should get a skill saw instead.  The more I thought about it, the more I thought he was right.  This would have many more applications, and it's battery operated ... no need for an electrical outlet.  I really don't need umpteen horsepower anyway.  Ho Ho Ho .... I'm getting a skill saw for Christmas.  This is pretty fun!!

Too large to carry, I scrounged around for a basket, finally grabbing one in the lightbulb department, hoping it really didn't belong to anyone.  I found some very small light bulbs for a chandelier lamp, before happily heading to the far end of the building ... the LUMBER department.

That's when things started to go south.  WAYYYYY south!!   It took me five minutes to find the molding section, where they had a cut from every type on the wall, along with a section number so you could find it.  After another ten minutes of trying to FIND the tiny section numbers, let alone READ them, and EUREKA!!  I found exactly what I wanted, except they are in 20 foot lengths.  YIKES!!  That's not going to fit in my truck at all!  I need someone to cut that in half.

I wandered around looking for an employee, but none were to be found.  I looked everywhere for a button to push that might bring someone.  Nothing!!  After 20 minutes of wandering, I went to the cash registers and asked for help.  I even told her what aisle I would be in.  Back to the lumber, I waited in vain.  It was just like on the TV commercial ... here I was roaming around this huge building and there was not a sole in sight.  I began to think maybe there had been a natural disaster that I wasn't aware of .... everyone had abandoned the building and I have to survive on my own!!

Back to the front, I requested help again and spent another 20 minutes reading about concrete and 2x4's, fencing, decking, and checking the cutting station every few minutes.  Nothing!!  The Grinch reared his ugly head!!  Fine!!  I'll just go to the OTHER store!!

Did you find everything? she asked at the cash register.  Yes I did, but with no one to help me out, I'm going to the other store for that purchase.  I put everything on her counter and walked the four feet to the credit machine, where the transaction was completed.  My happy Christmas mood now dangerously close to explosion, I walked to my truck.  It was then that I wondered if she charged me for the skill saw blade.  It's NOT in my bag.  KABANG!!!  That was my temper exploding as I realized she didn't ring up ALL my purchases.  

She saw me coming .... I'm sure she cringed as I announced for all to hear .... why didn't you ring up all my stuff.  Her response??  Oh, I didn't know that was yours.  Gosh, it was on the counter with the skill saw ... and it's a skill saw blade ... and you didn't think it was mine?  

I knew better ... really I did.  I should have just waited for mid week.  They have no more employees at the store on Saturday and Sunday than they do on any other day of the week, and with the Christmas rush, it makes getting help nearly, if not completely, impossible.  

I didn't even open the boxes when I got home.  I consumed four pieces of Sees Candy and sat on the couch watching those dumb Christmas movies, trying to improve my mood.  I'll be sure and fortify myself for the next trip to get that molding!  Blonde Nancy will have to make an appearance in her short skirt and high heels.  Maybe THEN I can get some help in the lumber department!!

It's a Waiting Game .....

Yesterday was a waiting game .... I spent all day waiting for things to happen!!  First it was the mowers and blowers ... my gardeners who missed Thursday due to the rain.  The curb guy said not to let anyone near the new poured concrete for at least a week.  

Jessie, good watch pup that she is, let me know they had arrived, so I gave them the day off.  It was then I saw that all my porch time didn't help one little bit.  SOMEONE had stepped on the curb out front and smashed it on one side.  How irritating THAT was!!!!  At least it's at the far end closest to the neighbor's house (damaged by their kids, no doubt).  From the street side, you can't really tell and I imagine it can be repaired, but it sure makes me MAD!!!

Not a great way to start the day, so I tried to amuse myself with crazy Christmas movies and a 23rd watching of Jurassic Park!!  I can pretty much recite every spoken word now!

With two packages having come in to my UPS mail box ... I know because they send me text messages ... I drove over to get the mail.  One good thing about having a box there, I get to jump to the front of the line.  No waiting games!  Not much of a line with only one person, but before I left, there were 10 waiting for service.  Yes it's the Christmas season!

Wait .. this is funny.  I received a package addressed to my house that had traveled through the same Post Office procedures as my lost Amazon order, and there were NO extra charges.  Not only that, but it had only been one week until delivery instead of six!

Late in the afternoon, I got ready for our annual Bingo Christmas Dinner.  It's nothing special really, we just all show up for the usual Friday Night Dinner, but THIS time we get our food free.  That just added insult to injury last night however.  The service was so bad, we couldn't even get the satisfaction of getting a complimentary dinner in return.

I arrived at 6:00 and took a table with five other people.  You would think they would have added a few extra servers, knowing they would have 40 more people for dinner than usual.  Instead, I only saw two people serving meals to at least 75 individuals.  It's okay I thought ... I'm expecting a waiting game of maybe an hour anyway.

Our order was taken at 6:10 before anyone even sat at the table behind us.   By 7:15 the natives were getting restless because we STILL didn't have any food.  They had served every other table in the building, including the people behind us who showed up late ... and we were starving!!  One person at our table was able to track down the waiter who was wandering around with two prime rib dinners, not knowing who ordered them.

At 7:25, I finally went to the kitchen and asked about our meals.  I discovered part of the problem right there.  The chef fixes one meal at a time.  Not two or three along the line, but ONE.  He got pretty nasty when I asked if our order was coming up, but finally said he was making it right then.  Fifteen minutes later, three meals were delivered to our table of six.  At 7:50, I finally got my food.  

I don't know if they lost the orders or if the waiter just took everyone's request at one time before turning them in (after he put ours on the bottom).  If this were a real restaurant, I would have gotten some satisfaction by walking out with a free meal.  I suppose I can't complain because this food was free too, but I AM going to talk to the Kitchen Manager.  We didn't even take a bite, but asked for boxes to go.  It took another ten minutes to get those.

This is not a good way to start the Christmas season.  I've been good Santa ... really I have ... but I'm quickly becoming a Scrooge.  I'm hoping the next few days pass quickly without incident ... or any more waiting games ... because I really don't have any use for a lump of coal!!

Froggy Days and Nights!!

I woke up yesterday to the worst foggy rain I've seen in years.  Misty may be a better word, making the frogs REALLY happy!!  I couldn't even see the end of my property.  It stayed that way most of the day, which is why I AGAIN never got more than 20 feet from my fireplace.  It was certainly good news for the curbs however.  They hardened up really nice (no cracking due to too much sun) ... enough that I don't have to worry about the neighborhood kids any more.

I checked up on that Amazon order I made in October that should have been delivered October 31.  When it arrived at the Las Vegas facility (one day after my notice to pick it up), they returned it to the sender ... Amazon.  I guess I won't be getting those free flashlights after all.  Bummer!!

With all the beautiful Christmas lights up around the neighborhood, I thought I would get some GREAT images ... except the only thing I had with me last night was my cell phone.  Gosh .. what terrible pictures!!  I suppose they weren't meant to take pictures in the dark, but these are REALLY bad.  That's a challenge in my book ... now I'll just have to take my REAL camera out and see what I can come up with later in the week.

My neighbor's house above always looks really nice.  Down the street however, are the most amazing colored lights I've ever seen.  I'm guessing they are LED's because the colors are so spectacular.  Not exactly Christmas colors, but pink, green, yellow and orange!!  Someone has too much time on their hands (kind of like me) because every single little branch had lights.

I can't wait to get better shots for you ... this one has green holly with red bows (all done with lights) around their entire house.  The top piece is holly holding a gorgeous wreath.  I'm so disappointed in my iPhone!!  I think I might be prompted to put up lights, were it not for the fact I have to leave right after Christmas.  

By 5:00, the rain finally quit as I headed out to the Elks Lodge for a meeting.  It's always hard to get people to volunteer their time, especially in an official capacity, so I finally stepped up and accepted a position of Trustee.  It's simple really ... just make sure they don't spend restricted money on something they shouldn't.  Financial statements and that sort of boring stuff.  I have to say however, that this is a lively group of four guys, and surprisingly I felt very comfortable with them.  The contractor, the insurance salesman and the business owner were happy to welcome an accountant.  I was happy that the five-year trustee was an IRS Auditor!!  

The trip into town was pretty froggy, as we say in my area, but nothing compared to what it used to be in the old days.  I remember many Christmas vacations that we drove to Bakersfield with everyone's head hanging out the car windows (our noses turning to icicles) making sure we stayed between the lines of Highway 99 as we cruised along at 35 mph.  That made for some pretty LONG trips South!!

What it DID do however, was make those of us who live here, really good drivers in the fog.  Although we haven't had much in the past ten or twelve years, this year promises to be froggy and foggy.  Lucky for me, there was no one on the road last night as I came home.  Those not used to this type of driving, tend to go 20 mph or less, causing crazy accidents from going too SLOW.  

Back to the Magic Kingdom of Bingo tonight ... but it's FRIDAY you say!!  Yes, but it's time for our annual Christmas Party.  Not really a party, but a free meal we all receive for giving of our time.  Steaks and prime rib are usually on the menu, and we are all treated like Kings.  It's the only time we see all the spouses of the people we work with!!  Okay, I confess ... it IS a party, as it starts off with two free drinks for everyone.  I stop after the first one and donate my second ticket to someone who isn't driving.  More than one drink and I'd be spending the night on the Bingo floor!!

Throwing a Curb!!

There's no autocorrect working there (don't you just HATE that?) ... we really did throw curbs at my house yesterday.  As you drive around the neighborhood, every single house has curbs except mine.  Maybe the contractor got tired that day and forgot to come back, who knows, but it has always made it difficult for the mowers and blowers to stay within the lines.   Like coloring when you were a kid, the borders change quite a bit, and so did my lawn and flowerbeds.

Along with the electrical work, I contracted for mowing strips and curbs ... what a difference a little curb makes!!  To make it even better, breaking tradition, THIS contractor showed up ON TIME!!!

They marked a water line and the electrical from my new lights, then began raking away the debris from the lawn edge.  With that done, he used a kind of cutting machine that cleaned up the edge and cut a perfectly level path.

The helper dumped concrete in the machine, which formed the curb while pulling a piece of steel cable through the middle for stability.  Hopefully this will keep weedeater man OUT of the flower beds where the drip irrigation lies.

They did both sides of the front flower beds, then moved to the street and curbed that side of the lawn for $1000.  It makes it SO much more neat and clean looking.  I'm pretty sure this will pay for itself in about a year, not having to replace irrigation lines constantly.

I had many errands to run in the afternoon, but all had to be delayed while I parked myself in a chair beside the front door.  If the kids in my neighborhood discovered the fresh concrete, it could be destroyed in an instant.  No one seems to teach their children respect any more!!  I'm sure the kids on the bus were wondering why that old lady was sitting outside, but that's okay.  The crazier they think I am, the better, so they will stay away!!  Thankfully, the kids next door are growing older and maybe becoming a little smarter!!

Before going in, I took a small knife and put MY little mark ... our family brand ... in one corner down by the dirt.  If you don't know it's there, you won't see it.  

Today I'll hit up Home Depot for that molding.  Hopefully I'll find someone there who knows more about it than I do!!  I'm also in need of some type of saw ... like a skill saw, maybe a jig saw ... really I don't know what to use.  I have a too-large piece of 1/4 inch thick flexible plastic covering my quilting table that needs to be cut down.  Whatever I get, I would like it not to be project specific.  In other words, hopefully I can use it for cutting other things should the need arise.  I guess the projects will never end!!

All Quiet On The Kingdom Front ....

I contemplated all day yesterday, as I sat on the couch, about whether I should buy a new treadmill for Christmas.  The latest and greatest has you going uphill a lot ... a plus in my book, since walking on flat ground around my neighborhood isn't having the required results.   They are so fancy nowadays that you can walk uphill in Paris, London, the Alps or in MY neighborhood as you watch the screen, hopefully keeping you from being bored out of your skull.

When I finally got OFF the couch and went to the Magic Kingdom of Elks, I asked everyone if they thought it would be a good idea.  One hundred percent said THEY would never use it, but they were sure I would!!  I'm still undecided ... but it's on SALE!!

At any rate, it was a pretty quiet night in the castle.  Over 129 peasants showed up to voluntarily give us all the profits they accumulated in the last week.  It just amazes me every time as I try to figure out how they pay their bills and eat when the last of their grocery money lands on our table.

There were lots of goodies, as most of the women do a LOT of baking ... kind of like me ... around this time of year.  We were flooded with cupcakes, goodie bags and brownies as they complained about the latest winner winner chicken dinner at the High School Bingo night.  It's not unusual for them to come away with $1200-1500!!  I would probably make a house payment, but instead, they come to our game and buy two or three times their normal amount of cards.

And so it went in Bingoland.  The sad part is seeing the decline of many of our players, from old age (90 to be exact), to dementia to parkinson's disease to physical ailments and the use of wheelchairs.  It sure makes you thankful you can still get around and work the infernal machine.  Which reminds me, it wasn't as happy a camper as the participants last night.  Every time it went to sleep, it did weird things when we woke it up.  Kind of like me I guess.

My project for the next couple of days, besides the contractor that is coming this morning to put mow strips around my front lawn, is to repair the kickboards, or mopboards as I call them, in the spare bedroom.  Apparently there was some kind of built-in that was removed before I bought the place, and an entire wall is devoid of molding.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a hard time finding this exact one, of which I need about 14 feet.  The bad news is I need to go around a corner ... and I've never done anything like this before.  The good news is that like any female, I asked for a power chop saw many years back, which Santa delivered under my Christmas tree.  Cutting the angles should be a snap.  SHOULD be!!  I think I'll get several extra sections of molding, just in case.

Time to get my act together for the contractor coming at 8:00.  Contractors have always had a different version of what I call a WATCH ... that thing you wear on your wrist that tells you what time to show up.  Hopefully he has the same one I do!!  From there, I'm heading out for a little discount Christmas decoration shopping, with a stop at the Magic Kingdom to pick up some scrolls with the King's declarations about how his money can be spent.  I guess I volunteered to be one of the five controlling tax collectors.  I'm pretty sure it happened one morning when they woke me up with a phone call, making me go all weird like the infernal machine.  

Christmas On The Horizon!

When you start seeing words like JOY and PEACE, you know we're getting close to Christmas.  The decorations have come out in full force around my neighborhood, except for me.  My neighbor put up some amazing lights, so I tried to ply them with cookies and cakes to put the same up on my house.  Trouble is, the last time I had the trim painted, they took all those little hooks out, not to mention that my roofline is thirty feet high in places.  I think they might have picked up on how much I love icicle lights and really didn't want to see them year round.  

Since there's not much in the way of Christmas decoration shopping in my area, my girlfriend and I went North where they have cutesy little shops with so much stuff you could go four times and still not see it all.  That's where I found these letters ....  J  O  Y.   The light bulb went on over my head ... even Diane saw it ... just buy two letters and use "something" for the O.  Anything ... like a wreath, a small picture frame, a christmas box ... just about anything you used, people would know it said JOY.

Okay, not really anything ... my first attempt spelled  J A Y.   I guess I'm not so good at this Christmas decorating after all.   

It came out a little better when I used the box.  I even found a couple of tea towels for Diane's daughter that said "OMG My Mother Was Right About EVERYTHING", that I'm sure she will appreciate ..... Hahahaha!! 

There's one thing I always say about this little town ... they have the BEST places to eat.  So much to choose from ... Chilis, Olive Garden, Bistro 234 ... the list is endless, unlike my town where we have Taco Bell, McDonalds and KFC.  With two of our favorites closed, we chose Memos Cocina and Tequila Bar.  Here's what their chips and salsa look like!  I mean really ..... such a small changeup makes an amazing difference and draws huge crowds!!  

While Diane had three little chicken tostadas that I wish I had ordered, I had this huge chili verde burrito.  Talk about a nice presentation!!  Instead of being packaged in paper, this is draped in beautiful Christmasy green and white sauces.  That plate really IS as big as it looks too!!  I have enough food left over for three meals!!  The bill you ask??  $23 and that includes Diane's HUGE glass of beer.

With our stomachs full, it was back to checking out the local stores.  A couple of them are actually occupied by two or three different sellers (what a smart idea to share costs).  I really wasn't interested in decorating this year, other than hanging Cooper and Jessie's stockings, but there's SO MUCH CUTE STUFF!!  I was on Christmas overload!!

By the time we got home, my decorating addiction was in full bloom as I began to drag out all my old boxes of stuff.  The good news is that I didn't get far.  Without some serious thought beforehand about what to put where, I couldn't make anything work.  The cute little green wreath is still sitting on the counter without a home.

Maybe I'll be inspired again this afternoon when the sun comes out.  For now, it's foggy and damp ... I can't seem to get warm, even with the fireplace.  It's Magic Kingdom night at the Elks and I will finally be able to get rid of all those cookies I baked.  They are such a horrible temptation for my sweet tooth!!  Seventeen more days .... that's 17 .... until Christmas.  Do YOU have your Christmas shopping done??

The Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Today is the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attacking the U. S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor.  Even today, there are countries and people out there who wish us harm.  Let's not forget the people who fight for our freedom.

I hope everyone says a little prayer today for those who died protecting our way of life and for those who continue the fight for us every day.

On another note,  absolutely NOTHING happened yesterday.  That means it's panic time when it comes to writing the blog.  I'm always looking for blog fodder and Sunday was a big ZERO!!

There was no cookie baking, no cooking at all, which means no oven fires or screaming smoke alarms.  There was no shopping, no new boots, not even a pair of socks.  I didn't even need any groceries!!

Believe it or not, there's not even any rooster crowing going on this morning!!  That's a BAD sign.  It usually means an earthquake or rain, although I don't see any clouds.  I spent the day watching football, which was pretty exciting I have to say.  The teams have been pretty evenly matched and the players make amazing catches and interceptions.  You have to be pretty athletic to run, jump in the air, catch that little ball between six hands grabbing at it and the worst part .... hit the ground!!  Just when you are on the edge of your seat thinking your team will win, the other side runs for an 89 yard touchdown!!

Between games I actually did get two loads of stuff packed in the RV.  I'm not taking hundreds of cans of food this time because I never seem to use them.  In fact, I'm not taking ANY canned food.  If I need some, I'll go to the store.  I'm pretty sure that will take 100 pounds off the rig weight, 25 of which were immediately replaced with Jonathan food and blankets.  These exotic birds have to be kept warm.  They can take the heat, but NOT the cold.

Just to prove it's going to be a really weird day, I actually slept in until 6:00 am.  The only day this year I wanted to get up early!!  I have a box of candy for the guy who picks up my garbage every Monday morning at 5:30.  I missed him.  Didn't even hear the truck with my fancy dandy ear plugs ..... a sure sign there's going to be an earthquake!!!  I better go batten down the hatches!!

I Hate Getting Up In The Dark .......

There's just something unnatural about having to get up when it's still dark outside.  I don't think I will ever get used to it.  On the ranch, we got up with the sun and went to bed with the chickens when it got dark.  Course I slept MUCH better in those days, except for the snakes and bears.  Back then, there were no nagging thoughts about getting year end accounting done, packing the rig, is Jonathan going to be warm enough, where can I get those batteries for the rig, where will I get the jack repaired and at what cost.  Am I the only one that does this??  Maybe I just have too much time on my hands.

This kid is responsible for most of my early mornings.  He is so fanatic about playing with the ball, that the second I move after 3:00 am, he jumps on my back and wants to play.  If I open the door, he'll then be quiet for a bit as he plays by himself, but it's MUCH more fun to roll the ball under something, then bark until I get up and find it.  It's ridiculous how well he has me trained.  If I don't get up, he just barks louder.  He's actually asleep here ... this being about 6:30 am.  I know, I'm crazy to put up with this nonsense, but I'm a dog lover .... what can I say.  

It was a rather boring overcast day yesterday ... and  C O L D !!!!!  What better way to heat up the house than to bake!  Shortbread cookies here .......

Then dipped in chocolate.  Today they will be edged in white chocolate, packed up and left in the freezer until Elks Magic Kingdom night.  These aren't for the peasants, but for the Knights and Guards that help control the unruly crowds.

Here's more ...... it was a VERY slow day, but at least I didn't freeze.  That damp cold kept my oven and fireplace going all day long.  I cringe just to think about my PGE bill!!  I'd much rather give my dollars to strangers on the street than to big business to waste it on advertising.  I mean really, there's NO OTHER OPTION here.  Why oh why do you need to advertise?????

This is me in a nutshell .... not the crazy purple outfit though.  I'll still be wearing my cowboy boots when I'm ninety ... if I make it that long.  It's already started ... my friends are always asking this question!!

I've purposely not spoken about the San Bernadino thing until now.  It even happened right here in River City at our University.  I think many of us have seen this coming ... everyone except the President, that is.  His lack of action is getting people killed right and left.  More gun laws aren't going to help ... look how many gun control laws those two broke before their rampage!!  The guy here used a knife for heavens sake.  

Thing is, if they want to kill people, they WILL, regardless of the type of weapon.  What happened to Homeland Security??  Maybe we should be MUCH more vigilant about our borders and who we let into this country!!  Maybe we should be MUCH more exacting in our efforts to stop terrorism at our borders, instead of sitting on our hands and saying ... oh those poor people ... lets be NICE to them!! Honestly ... think about it ..... there are now training videos out on how to survive a terrorist attack at your workplace!!!!!!!   

I could go on and on, but I won't.  Just know that if it ever happens around me, I'll go out with guns a blazing.  Us cowgirls don't mess around and have no intention of living in fear of these idiots who think killing innocent people is okay!!!

Wonder Women!!!

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap ..... oh wait ... that's the wrong one.  Hi Ho Silver ..... nope! Here I come to save the ........ ummm I don't think so.  In the brightest day, in the darkest night, no evil shall escape my ...... no, that's not it either.   Oh well ... I'll think of it, probably tomorrow morning at 3:00 am.

In the meantime, my Wonder Woman friend Diane and I gathered up all our amazing strength from Hera (Wonder Woman's goddess mother) and moved the 300 pound headboard from one bedroom to the other.  We didn't even need Braden's help!!  Last night, I put it all together and VOILA!!  My guest bedroom is in working order.  There's not much room to move around, but I rarely have guests anyway!!  Now to find a step stool so they can actually get IN the bed!

With four mover pads now available, I was even able to get the huge TV stand out into the dining room by myself.   Now if I can just find someone to take it off my hands!!

I spent the rest of the morning emptying those last three drawers into my smaller dresser.  It's hard to get rid of that really good running gear I used to wear, but I'm pretty sure I will never get back to my fighting weight.  I mean really .... I can still get them on, but it's not a pretty picture!!  Four bags of clothing went to Goodwill.

I finished up the accounting work yesterday in no time, and came home with an armload of goodies.  Three of the biggest avocados I've ever seen, a couple jars of pomegranate jelly and this beautiful cyclamen.  It said Poinsettia on the side, which I questioned, so I sent a picture off to the Tucson Wonder Woman for clarification.  She knows all things green!!

Her reply included "plant in June in a shady area, next to your hydrangea".  That didn't help me much .... I have a hydrangea??  How am I going to keep this baby alive until June?  Do I have to drag it around in the motorhome with me?  After further discussion, I think I will try to plant it next to what I think is the hydrangea and surround it with plastic.  Hopefully it survives until my return.

There are a few people on my Christmas list who receive a small thank you every year, so while in town, I picked up some See's Candy.  It was a good day to stop in .... not a sole in sight!  Holy sugar high, Batman!!  This stuff is like GOLD!!!  Have you priced any of it lately?  At $18.50 a box, I'm pretty sure I could make twice this much candy on my own for HALF the price.  Maybe it wouldn't taste QUITE the same, but this is crazy!!  No wonder there was no one in the shop.  Oh well, it's only money!!

Another football weekend is upon us, so I'll be laid out on the couch with the puppies.  I'm hoping it warms up enough to begin the packing and reorganization of the motorhome.  There's really not much time left before the Indio Rally.  THIS Wonder Woman needs to get her act together and double check the ice cream order.  "Thank you Hera for your strength!"  THAT'S IT!!!  I knew I would remember!!

 

SAY CHEESE!!!!

The chickens are getting restless.  As soon as I sat down at my computer yesterday, I heard the roosters crowing like crazy.  I stepped out the door to see what was up (chickens are really good watch dogs) and was greeted by this beautiful sight.  It looked like the world was on fire.  

Within three minutes as I stood on the porch, it changed to this.  I was pretty much surrounded by beautiful skies and clouds from the forecasted rain.   

What a great way to start the day I was going to spend with this cutie, almost-three-year-old Braden, grandson of my neighbor (not really, but close) and bestie, Diane.  Since retiring, she gets to babysit four or five days a week.  This kid ... what a crackup!!  They are always so smart at this age .... asking a million questions and soaking up everything like a sponge.  We definitely had to watch what we said!!

The destination was Hilmar Cheese.  I had heard a lot about their great lunch counter, good food and Christmas packages which they can ship around the world.  My plan was to purchase several and get them in the mail.  Best laid plans and all that .... we were having too much fun with Braden!

He immediately glommed on to a small stuffed cow and asked very politely if it was his, or the other guys.  It's yours my little friend ... and we added it to our Christmas chatchky pile.  They have LOTS of cute stuff for sale in the gift shop, as well as great food at cheap prices and of course CHEESE.  Half a TBA sandwich (turkey bacon avocado) and cheese chowder was only $7.99.  Cheese chowder???  Never heard of it?  Me either, but it was absolutely delicious.  Definitely not something I'm going to try and replicate .... can you image what a mess THAT would be in my kitchen???

Kids are funny ... when they are really little, they LOVE their picture taken ... then they turn three and won't look at you or the camera, won't smile and won't say CHEESE ... not even for a cookie!!!  Turns out that cookie wasn't such a good idea.  It was nap time and he was totally sugared up.  I'll clean up that big mess on my truck seats today!!

Here's an interesting note:  These guys sell cheese to everyone.  That block you bought in Oregon at Face Rock Creamery or maybe at the grocery store in Southern California?  It could very possibly have come from Hilmar.  They sell big blocks to companies who cut it up and package it with their own logo.  Who knew that??  The only place you can get it with the Hilmar Cheese Company label is at their facility here.

Braden wasn't ready to go home .... not after eating that huge cookie ... he wanted to go to MY house.  Okay then .... he played with the puppies (Cooper just had a racing good time), tried to get his fingers bit off in Jonathan's cage, turned Jon's heat lamp off and tore up two packages of post-it notes ... one at a time which he threw on the floor!!  YIKES!  No more cookies for YOU Mister!!

In the back yard, he spotted my rig tires .... TRUCK TRUCK!!!  Yup that's a big truck ... lets go take it for a spin around the block.  He wanted to know what every single button did until he accidentally blew the air horn and scared himself.

For awhile there, we were screaming down the road and rocking out!!  He really liked Ancy's truck!!

We made another play date for next week, sans cookie and this time we'll take the rolling jail (stroller) to keep better tabs on those little hands.  Within two minutes of arriving back at his house, he was asleep on the couch.  Whew!!  The cookie finally wore off!  

More accounting work today and hopefully I'll finish up the chest of drawers reorganization.  I have three bags of clothes to drop off at goodwill, then I think I'll go find a Christmas cookie for me!!

Work Work Work .......

There's that dirty word again .... WORK!!  I really did retire several years ago and even dropped all my accounting customers except one.  She's an 80 year old Real Estate Broker that I have worked with for over thirty years.  I have become such good friends with her family, there's no way I would ever let her down by not doing her accounting work ... which is a LOT ... taking me several days!!!

I'm highly overpaid for this work in pomegranate jelly, oranges, avocados, hand cracked walnuts and an amazing array of goodies she bakes this time of year.  I wouldn't change it for the world!!  I spent most of yesterday bringing her accounts up to date, getting ready for the end of 2015 which is coming WAY too fast!!  For some reason, I still want to write 1999!!

As I galavant around the country, whether it's to Alaska or just two miles to town, my camera goes with me.  You never know when the perfect picture will appear before your eyes.  I've always carried it in a backpack instead of a case.  Mainly because it's a little more discreet and doesn't advertise "steal me"!!  Unfortunately, that's a little hard on the gear.  Every year however, the industry comes up with lighter and better backpacks for cameras.

I just picked up this one from Think Tank ... can you say Christmas discount?  Even though it looks rather large in the picture, it's small, lightweight and easy to access.

There's plenty of room for my camera and a couple of lenses with space left over for junk ... I mean equipment ... you really need.  It's even big enough to handle small purchases of items I can't live without.  I'm anxious to give it a try this winter, hoping that it doesn't end up in my it-didn't-work room.

The rest of the evening I spent going through my drawers, wading through things I didn't even know I had.  Only three to go!!  I now have a two foot tall stack of clothing to go to Goodwill.  Where did all this stuff come from??  Oh yeah ... I used to work and required all this paraphernalia to get through the day.  I'm keeping the Spanx ... not that I can still get them on, but you never know when they might come in handy!!

In the evening, Cooper, Jessie, Jonathan and I watched more Christmas movies, hoping I can pick up some dating tips.  Have you ever really watched these?  I've never seen women wear so much makeup ... and I'm the makeup Queen!!  Yikes ... you could scrape it off with a knife!!  I think they should have attended acting school instead of cosmetology school!!

Since I discovered I really do have to buy a few Christmas presents, I'm off this morning with a girlfriend and her grandson into the wild blue yonder of MALL-town.  It's a jungle out there ..... I hope I survive!!!