Hangover City

It's one of THOSE mornings.  I'm tired, sore, achy, cranky and wish the world would just go away.  Not from drinking mind you, but from the joys of working the Magic Kingdom of Bingo operation.  It happens to me every Wednesday morning.

You know the feeling ... it CAN'T be 5:30 YET.  Lay down ... it's NOT time ... as I roll over and try to cover my head.  My eyes are scratchy, my nose stuffed up and I just want to lay in that warm bed for the next four hours.  LAY DOWN!!  60 seconds later, I roll over the side of the bed, hanging on to the nightstand so as not to fall on my face.  Double UGH!!!

My plan was to sneak into the Magic Castle and wander up the back stairs for a coke ... all that sugar helps keep me awake ... and a dinner of popcorn.  They have WONDERFUL popcorn.  Along the way however, I noticed the table and chair crew forgot to set up the cash register table.

I don't say this in a bad way at all, but everyone who volunteers is OLD.  We are either limping, walking bent over or using a variety of devices to keep us upright.  That means the table installation belongs to me, after I search the hallways and byways looking for one.

I found it.  Laying on top of another table.  That made it easy to raise the legs and flip the little metal circle in place.  Too bad it didn't stay there.  The leg promptly came lose and tapped me on the head ... something like a hammer.  I finally got it to stay while I lowered the table to the floor, where it rested with a thump on my toe.  Thank goodness for cowboy boots.

No one told me it wouldn't fit through the door when opened up.  My stubborness kicked in.  I collapsed the legs, went through the door and set the whole thing up AGAIN.  No one appreciated my effort ... no one even noticed the table wasn't there in the first place.  I climbed the stairs for my coke, rubbing the knot on my head.

We only had two instances of drama ... both events centered around their inability to yell BINGO.  If I paid that much for cards and I won, you would hear me screaming in the next County.  The thing is, if you do NOT yell Bingo and the caller calls the next number, you are out of luck Charlie.  It's the rules.  It's not OUR fault if you don't yell loud, but the entire crowd gets up in arms because you didn't pay the poor lady.

When you DON'T pay the poor lady the SECOND time she wins, even though those at her own table didn't hear her, the crowd gets really surly, as does a volunteer or two who magically disappear for the night.  Seriously ... she won TWICE and never yelled Bingo loud enough for ANYONE to hear.  It doesn't help that ALL the volunteers are hard of hearing but really, you should yell like you won the lottery!!!   We harp on that rule at the beginning of every night, but no one listens.

While I'm usually home by 9:30, this time I was still counting money and was on my third coke in an attempt to stay awake.   We balanced perfectly, the Castle Lawyer and I as we kept slapping each other on the back to stay awake.  I made it home just in time for all that coke to kick in.  I was wide awake!!

All my little fall-asleep tricks didn't work.  With the latest ibuprofen scare, that's been taken off the table, causing me to toss and turn all night.  Please puppies, let me sleep in!

I try very hard not to have anything scheduled on the day after, giving me time to get my bearings back.  When my gardener knocked on the door so excited because he had found some outdoor lighting he could install, I could hardly turn him down.  I told him I had that work done two years ago, but he insisted.  It's FREE!!  They will come and set it all up so you can see what it will look like.  Then they will show ME (the gardener that is) how to install it.  

I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble.  He has replaced all those sprinkler valves at no charge.  So tonight ... at least it's not until 5:30 ... they will come and put more lights around my house so I can see how nice it will look.  It will take me at least that long to come up with some way to let him down easy ... I really don't need any more lights.

In the meantime, though I'd like at times make Cooper disappear (like at 5:00 in the morning), my grumpiness has cut him short of play time.  I'll try to catch up today.

I've no idea what Instant Pot meal will magically appear tonight, I'm still only thinking about my morning coffee and pretending to be a lump on a log.  Hopefully the Magic Kingdom of Bingo hangover will dissipate quickly.  

The Dreaded TAX DATE Approaches

I have NOT won the lottery, but I sure feel like I have!!  I received a phone call late last night from my Accountant.  I was expecting really bad news about my income taxes.  Every year I pay and PAY through the nose.  You see what they have done every year is reduce the amount of federal and state tax they take from your check, making you THINK you have SO much more money ... which of course you spend.

Then they come along in April and bite you in the butt by making you pay the same amount of taxes, and in most cases MORE taxes all at once in the end!!  I never would have figured that out unless I worked as backup in the County Payroll Division.  As a result, I have ALWAYS kept my deductions at Single, giving them the most taxes out of my check.  If you have a retirement paycheck and have trouble making the tax payment at the end of the year, that is EXACTLY why.  It's a racket ... a ruse ... a LIE by the State and Feds to make you THINK you are getting more.

I haven't received a refund in MANY years, since I always had too much income from photography, accounting and my one little rental to make that possible.  Now that I have none of the above, I still figured I'd have to pay.  Wasn't I surprised when I asked the gal to give me the bad news so I could scrounge up the money, and she said the magic word .... REFUND!!!  I jumped up from the couch and screamed YES!!!  I scared the dogs half to death!!

It's already spent so to speak, on closing costs for Arizona, fill dirt for my new RV parking spot, a couch to sit on and maybe even a television!!  I'm so excited I can't stand it!!!

It's hard to think about anything else, but the moon rising this morning ... or setting I suppose ... was just a sliver of light between the trees.  I drug out my camera.  I was pretty surprised when I downloaded this image to find the entire moon actually showed up.  The camera is so light sensitive it picked up the entire planet.

Spring has sprung in California with warm days and cool nights, with just a tad of rain thrown in once a week.  My sprinklers haven't gone off again and thanks to my cranky remark to the gardener about his bad Round-up spraying, I haven't lost any more plants.  

My "carpet" roses are going wild, as are the real thing.  I picked up two small REAL carpet roses and planted them in the back corner.  Even THEY are blooming!!

My lip is much better today.  The swelling has gone down and the immediate pain is gone.  It feels more like a hot coffee burn now.  Hopefully it will heal up enough that I can eat the best hotdog in the country at the Magic Kingdom of Bingo tonight.  There's enough salt in those to make it feel REALLY good!!

Along with spring came pots and pots of orchids and Easter flowers at the grocery store.  The Chance household received a couple of orchids as first place in the Dentist Office's contribution fund last year and they are blooming majestically.  I've never been able to keep orchids alive, but figured I'd give it another shot.  These are Miltonia's ... not only beautiful, but smelling rather like honey.  Anyone want to enter a lottery to see how long I can keep them alive???

After the traumatic three day visit to the Vet for my puppies, they don't get far from my legs.  Miss Jessie is glued to my thigh every second I'm sitting down, even if it means squishing on to the office chair while I type this blog.  She's glued to my butt.  Cooper is on the right, which occasionally results in a lap fight.  Never a dull moment!!

More rain is expected today as I gear up for an evening of entertainment at Bingo.  I'm desperately hoping the Castle Lawyer returns tonight.  I now know what it feels like to her when I'm gone.   There's just nothing better than GOOD HELP!!  Now where's my chain mail shirt and pants ... I have a feeling I'm going to need it tonight.

A Lesson Learned

Sometimes there are some really important lessons you need to learn in life.  Why in the world no one teaches you those lessons so you don't have to deal with the results, is beyond me.  So today I'm going to teach everyone a good life lesson.  I truly don't want you to suffer the same pain I am suffering as I type.

See this innocent little stack of Post-it notes?  They are NOT so innocent my friends.  They are terribly dangerous and capable of exacting damage beyond your imagination.  Here's my lesson of the day.

I was cleaning house ... SURPRISE!!   What brought that on, was I accidentally saw the back of my black shirt in the mirror ... covered with white Jessie dog hair.  Well for crying out loud ... I guess it's time to clean AGAIN.  I had the vacuum in one hand, a pair of sandals and one dirty sock in the other when the phone rang.  Yes ... I'll write down that date.

With not enough hands, I grabbed a Post-it note and stuck it in my mouth as I drug everything off to the kitchen looking for a pen.  When I finally took hold of the note and ripped it from my mouth, I got the shock of my life.  It TOTALLY stuck to my bottom lip, ripping off layer after layer of skin.  My lip started to bleed immediately.  You've GOT to be kidding me ... it's a Post-it note ... it's not supposed to stick like gorilla glue!!

I wrote down the number and made a beeline for the bathroom medicine cabinet.  Surely there is SOMETHING in there to help the pain.  Another tidbit to be remembered, neosporin tastes terrible.  I couldn't come up with anything to soothe the savage lip as it swelled to epic proportions.  No need for lip injections here!!  It's sore as heck, and of course eating anything sends a shock wave through my mouth.  So the next time you need a Post-it, just stick it on your clothing, or maybe that dirty sock.  Do NOT put it in your mouth!!!

While cleaning I noticed I had one lone but very large russet potato left over.  I had read all about the Instant Pot potato salad and thought I'd give it a try.  There should be just enough for one person.  Here's how it goes ... cut up the potato (or potatoes) and place in a steamer basket along with the eggs.  

Yup ... you cook them together.  Add a cup of water to the pot and cook on manual high pressure for 4 minutes.  That's right folks ..... FOUR minutes.  When done, I did a quick release, put the eggs in a bowl of ice water, whereupon the shells just slipped right off.  I put it all in the fridge to cool a bit while I whipped up the mayo dressing.

Perfectly cooked eggs!!  There was no hour for the potatoes to get done, nor another pot for the eggs. It was all done in ... let me say that again ... FOUR MINUTES!!

From there I just added my normal stuff ... pickles, olives, onions ... and it was ready to serve.    I prefer red potatoes, but the russet un-pealed worked just fine.  Unfortunately, here is another life lesson for me that I haven't learned yet.  Since my organs decided to act up a few years ago, I cannot eat mayonnaise.  They just don't like it one bit!!  I tried to spread it out over four days, but it didn't matter ... mayo is mayo!!!  I hope that lesson will stick with me for awhile!!

Here's a lesson I learned quickly.  Ladders make a great showcase for quilts.  These happen to have come from Miss Patty who graciously donated them to my collection.  They are very VERY old handmade quilts for children.  One is all about cowboys, boots and ropes.  The bottom one has nursery rhymes and the top one images of children playing, all of which have been hand embroidered.   I'm happy to finally have them on display.

So those are my lessons of the day class.  Never EVER put a Post-it in your mouth, neosporin tastes terrible, you can have potato salad ready to eat in 12 minutes if you use an Instant pot and ladders make good display racks.  

Class dismissed!!!

Yup, It's A Tweeter!!

Outside my window every morning is a tweeter.  A very LOUD tweeter!!  Not the Smart Phone kind, but the MALE bird kind.  How loud is he?  He's so loud I can hear him through three inside highly insulated walls clear to my bedroom where he tweets me awake just before the puppies start their morning let's-jump-on-mom routine.  I assume he's looking for a springtime romance.  The tweeting is so adamant that I can go outside, shut the big door, walk down the sidewalk and he STILL won't shut up!!  Oh the joys of nature!!  I'm hoping he finds a girlfriend SOON!!

I know you're probably getting past the Instant Pot revolution, so here's a recipe you can make on the stove.  Honestly, I haven't been using either of my three ovens OR my gas stove for quite some time now.  I'm hoping my PG&E bill reflects that.  We shall see.  At any rate, I actually was following an Instant Pot recipe for this one, but I think it turned out better on the stove.

I put on my best go-to-town boots and hit the grocery store for ingredients.  Smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa ... you know the ones Hillshire Farms makes ... and shrimp.  I think it called for chorizo, but that's not on my cholesterol list of foods.  Of course in my little town, shrimp are in short supply, already cooked and frozen solid.  What can I say ... you use what you've got!!  One cup of rice, a can of chicken broth and a chopped up onion along with paprika, salt, pepper and oregano.

If you double all my measurements, you will have the "real" recipe which makes a LOT of paella-look-alike since it's not the real deal.  I cut everything in half for my recipe, which are the amounts I'm giving you here.  

The only weird ingredient is Saffron.  It's from a crocus plant that has four flowers.  Each flower has three crimson stigmas which are the distal end of a carpel.  Don't ask me, I have NO idea what that is.  I only know pound for pound they are more expensive than my cowboy boots.  Not that you could ever FIND a pound of saffron!!  This is a unique way to sell it with four tiny vials inside a large glass jar.  $17.99 ... and you thought the motor oil was expensive!!!  If it weren't for the wonderful taste, I wouldn't have bothered.

So ... on with the recipe.  You mix up 1/2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp oregano and stir in small pieces of chicken.  I left the chicken out and just used shrimp.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil, 3 cloves of minced garlic, some red pepper flakes and the rice, stirring for about three minutes.  Totally out of order, I then added the onion.  In went one vial of saffron threads, a bay leaf, a tablespoon of parsley, one can of chicken stock and the zest of one lemon.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Just enough time for a glass of wine, or in my case water.

In another frying pan, heat a little oil and cook the chicken if you have it, adding half a red bell pepper and half a green pepper.  I left that out too since I forgot to put it on my shopping list.  I didn't say this was an authentic recipe!!!  Then the sausage goes in with the shrimp being last.  Since my shrimp was already cooked, I basically just heated it through.  

Now comes the best part ... dump the shrimp/chicken(or not)/sausage mixture into the cooked rice and stir.  I don't know what got in to me to try this type of recipe since it's WAY beyond my skill level .... maybe it was the Ghost whispering Paella in my ear.  I can just tell you it was REAL GOOD!!    If that little birdie out there made this for his sweetheart, he would be in like FLYNN!!

It's going to be a cold, couch potato, baseball, paella for breakfast kind of day as I contemplate packing the rig up once again for a rally in Sacramento at the end of this month.  Right now, I'm just going to contemplate my cup of coffee.

The Haunted Castle

I've had a lot of spooky experiences over my long life, mostly involving living on very old property that was known for it's Indians.  The dorm rooms at Yosemite National Park where I worked for a few years, were always the scene of some weird unexplainable things happening.  Scary things!!!  I thought I had left all that behind.

My Castle, as my friends call it (because of the really big wood and iron front door) has had a visitor for the last few days, causing me to scratch my head.  After the gardener fixed the leaking sprinkler valve, I turned the entire system OFF.  With a thunderstorm headed this way and the flooded flowerbeds only half gone, I really didn't need any more water on the lawn.

As I sat on the couch, Cooper took to barking.  I glanced out the window.  Nothing.  He barked again.  Still nothing I could see.  Really Cooper?  You're going to make me get up off the couch and see what the problem is?  Wait ..... it's the sprinklers in the front yard.  I distinctly remember turning those OFF.   Always listen to Cooper ... he is NEVER wrong!!

I grabbed my shoes and went outside to find it was ON again.  Now really folks, I KNOW I turned it off.  So OFF it went again.  I returned to my warm couch.  Cooper barked even louder.  Good grief!!  I turned the system OFF.  By now it's raining of course, so I grabbed a coat and went outside for the second time.  The system really WAS off, yet the sprinklers were running ..... and running .....

I did everything I could to shut it off, but they were having none of it.   I reprogrammed it, turned it off, set other valves to turn on and off ... everything ... and yet they kept spewing out water.    There really MUST be a ghost around here!!

So like for the fifth time, I called the gardener.  He was pretty puzzled too, and finally shut off my main water valve in order to make it stop.  Once reopened, the sprinklers never came back on.   Maybe it's a valve thing.

Next thing I know, the Ghost is in my closet, which would have been okay if he was tall, dark and handsome.  I had an Elks meeting to attend and needed a jacket.  I grabbed one out of my closet.  That's weird ... where did THIS come from.   I don't remember buying this, which is probably just a case of me not remembering.  When I put it on however, I got the shock of my life!!  All those sparkley things on the arm?  I've NEVER bought anything this glitzy!!  Where in the world did this COME from??   It must be that darn ghost again!

Getting a little worried about appeasing the ghosty, I spent the rest of the afternoon baking cookies since it was pouring down rain.  My once dry flowerbeds are again flooded to the brim.  We didn't have much in the way of wind, but I got several videos from the Oregon Coastline of 70-80 mph winds with water crashing clear over the road (and their car) as they drove to Astoria down one of my favorite roads.  I kind of wish I was there with my camera, but then again, I'm kind of glad I'm home instead.

I cooked an amazing dinner for the ghosty last night that you are not going to believe.  I figure if I appease him a little MORE, he won't keep turning my sprinklers on.  It was SO simple, yet SO delicious!!  Paella!!  I don't know what got in to me as that's NOT something I would ever venture to try.  Maybe it was the ghost whispering in my ear!!!  I'll provide the easy recipe tomorrow!!

Oil ... It's Worth A Small Fortune!!!

Oil has become the new Gold Standard.  I distinctly remember it costing less than $30 to change the oil in my car.  I suppose that goes to show just how REALLY old I am.  On the ranch, I never paid any attention since we had it delivered in bulk and my Dad did all the changing of the gooey stuff.

I'm pretty sure the last time I had this done was in Tucson Arizona and I was shocked to pay $50.00 at something like Henry's Oil Can, or whatever it was.  Honestly, I don't pay much attention to those things.  Since every time I got in my car the lights would light up and the bell would ring, I discussed said oil change with my Co-Elks at Bingo.  GO TO JIFFY LUBE was the resounding advice.  This particular business is managed by an honest guy who won't try to sell you stuff you don't need.

So yesterday, I wandered on over to Jiffy Lube.  I was a little taken aback when I saw the red sign.  Didn't they used to be yellow?  Was that someone else?  I asked for the Manager right off the bat.  No use messing around.  Turns out he was the guy who met me at the door.  I asked him to change the oil and check the air filter.

Since I've heard so much about Jiffy Lube NOT changing the oil but charging you anyway, I was pretty leery of their reputation.  They have been caught on several occasions doing even worse than that in the town next to me.  I was VERY suspicious to say the least.

When they called my name the first time, I innocently walked to the counter to see my old air filter.  They actually asked me if I wanted it replaced or not, it was up to me.  It was pretty nasty, what with all that off-roading in Arizona.  

Then they pulled up on the computer screen the recommendations Jeep has for all the other maintenance on the car, none of which was due they said ... at least according to the mileage, which we all know is a big fat lie!!  They think it has 21,000 miles when the actual total is closer to 50,000 when you include towing.

Then came the shock factor!!  The oil filter was a measly $8.  The Pennzoil was a whopping $50 ... just for the oil????  Add another $22 for labor, followed up with $25 for the air filter and BAM!!! $117.65 for an oil change!!!!!   I almost fainted ...  I would have if he had been about six feet tall and a tad more muscular!!

At least I can say he was an honest guy who didn't try to oversell me ANYTHING!!  I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, being the cranky female I am.  Next up, a carwash, even though it was threatening rain.  The Jeep was filthy inside and out.  At least now for $10, it's MOSTLY clean on the outside.  I got it home and in the garage just as the rain began.

I had planned on doing a little grocery shopping, but with all my money now in the belly of the Jeep, I sat on the couch with the puppies and worked on this needlepoint project.  It's almost complete ... maybe I'll have it done in time for Halloween this year!!

Back to home repairs, now that my one sprinkler valve is fixed, I have another problem.  Isn't that always the way??  Apparently I have a ghost living on the property with me.  I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!

Due to the joys of home ownership, I had a few repairs to make yesterday, including getting the sprinkler valves fixed so I could get rid of the swimming pool of water in my flower beds.  Since this has gone on for three days now with the drip becoming a full blown faucet, I AGAIN called the landscape guy with my "not too happy about a two hour wait at the Doctor's office" voice.  He came right over.

The two new valves are glued in place, four inches below the others, which I'm sure will also start leaking soon.  Do you think it's the sun?  Maybe I need to keep these guys covered.  I've had the same problems over and over with the three sets around the property.  Once the water receded I replaced four of the drip irrigation doodads that were missing.  In spite of my pleading for the lawn crew to NOT weed-eat them to pieces, it continues to happen.  Yes there are other lawn services, some more expensive and some worse when it comes to care.  Remember where I live!!

After pulling a few weeds and spraying half the horse corral, I settled into a little sewing before my haircut appointment.  I loved this quilt but I hated the pattern.  

I finally moved every square around, in spite of having spent an hour on the above arrangement.  It's funny how different it can look.  I'll let this sit for awhile while my brain mulls it over.

On the way back from town, I stopped in at the GMC store for light bulbs.  I probably could have gone somewhere cheaper, but then I risk the chance they don't fit, requiring a drive all the way back to town.  They were $3 each.  I only got two because that's all they had.  At first I wasn't sure they were going to fit.  It took some doing to get them pushed in without breaking the glass.  At long last ... let there be light!!!!  I FIXED IT!!!!   Now I know just how much that dealership ripped me off when they replaced the two lights up front for $200.  Good grief!!!

Winner winner!!!  This chicken dinner was AMAZING!!  Maybe I just don't get out to restaurants enough to have good food.  So simple this recipe, but so tasty!!  Sprinkle chicken with smoked paprika, salt and pepper and brown in a tablespoon of butter.  Take it out of the pot.  Mince and lightly cook 3 cloves of garlic, followed by one cup chicken broth, a half cup cream, a quarter cup parmesan, the juice of half a lemon and one teaspoon thyme.  Put the chicken back in and either Instant Pot it for 10 minutes, or simmer in your frying pan until done.  Thicken sauce with a little cornstarch slurry and serve over rice.  I'm thinking it was the smoked paprika!!!

In between watching the Giants Baseball game which I wish I had NOT seen (they lost again), I spent an hour fixing my Thousand Trails reservations for this summer.  I discovered I had the wrong dates on two fronts, which sent me into a frenzy of scheduling.  I'm still not sure I have it right, but have to wait a few more days before acquiring the last and most important one ... for the Kite Festival.

Today is Jeep Oil Change Day, followed by Jeep Bath Time, with Truck Oil Change right behind followed closely by Jeep New Tires Day.    My poor aching wallet!!!

WooHoo The Magic Kingdom!!

That's sarcasm ... not as in whoopee I get to go to the Magic Kingdom of Bingo!!  I guess I'm a glutton for punishment!!   It's just so much fun to be around the Volunteers ... we have a GREAT time which I very much enjoy.  It's never as much fun when the Castle Lawyer is missing in action, but we have a good time none the less.

It was payday for the peasants, meaning instead of our usual numbers in the 90's, we had 135 people crammed into our small enclosure.  It's really not THAT small, but when you have each person taking up four feet of space for all their cards, dobbers and good luck charms, it gets pretty crazy.
With that many people, our cash soared, which means the corresponding cash POTS soared also.  We gave out $250 for each game instead of our usual $100 for half of them.  Needless to say, the peasants LOVED it!!

WE would love it a little more if we could figure out why one game won't verify on the fancy new Bingo Machine.  I have no clue how it works, but if you punch in the number on the winning card, the machine knows whether or not it really IS a winner.  When it DOESN'T know, there's an uproar of epic proportions!!

I ran the register again, balanced ... well close enough for government work ... and had my usual hotdog indigestion an hour after eating.  We discussed my truck lightbulb problem and where to get the oil changed on my filthy Jeep which hasn't seen water since Yuma.  It also dawned on me that the Jeep probably needs new tires.  All that becomes my problems of the week.

There's a lock on the Auto Row service center because the same guy owns four of them, making the prices through the roof, so I'm not going there.  We actually have a new Schwab's tire center, our trusty Merced Tire owned by one of the remaining honest business owner in the County, along with Schoettlers.  I'll call all of them.  Costco tires are not on my list since I bought four brand new ones several years ago, three of which blew out going down the freeway.  Scratch off Costco!!

At any rate I arrived back home exhausted and wide awake.  It's funny, no matter how late I go to bed, I STILL wake up at 5:00.  

Here's a picture of yesterday's masterpiece!  There are SO many ways to use pots and pans that I never considered.  THIS is Taco Pie ... I call it Tamale Pie.  It's usually made in a casserole dish, but with Instant Pot cooking, you use push bottom pans (the bottom is a separate piece that when pushed up, releases the food from the pan sides) or springform pans (same idea but with a clip on the side).  

I always use those pans for things like cheesecake ... dessert type recipes.  In the Instant Pot, you can use them for cooking any casserole dish.  It came out pretty cool and mighty tasty!!  Another plus, the pan is actually only 8" around, making it much easier to cut out smaller proportions.  Like the upside down salad bowl for a cake pan ... who would have thought of this stuff??  Certainly not ME!!

I was hoping when Barbara Westerfield read yesterday's blog that she would let me know where we were when I ruined the Jeep light connections by cutting them in half.  It was Charleston West Virginia.  We were in West Virginia??   Honestly, we were in so many States and so many places ... I remember everything that happened and what we saw, I just don't remember what State we were in.

We drove down Highway 114 (South in this picture) to the Elks Lodge Entrance where you see not one, but TWO hairpin turns to get to the parking lot on top of the hill.  It was also UP a very steep hill, which caused me to drag my lovely bottom, cutting the wiring in half.  I was already freaking out because we were on a 30 degree hill at a dead stop (seemed like 90 degrees to me) while Tom navigated the second hairpin turn by going forward and backward a few times.  Had I known I had no brakes on the Jeep I probably would have passed out cold!!

Finally at the top, we parked in the lot and plugged into 110 while the nice gentleman at the lodge told us to keep our garbage in our rigs due to the influx of bears into the neighborhood.  Oh yeah ... THAT made me feel better!!  It was then I realized my problem, whereupon Barbara and Tom grabbed their tool box and pulled out all the necessary connector thingies and tape to fix it.  If it weren't for them, THAT would have been a rather expensive repair.  It's still holding to this day ... four years later.  

There's lots on my plate today, including Tamale Pie.  I hope to get the Jeep taken care of and drop off four quilts to my Quilter, along with a haircut and more weed spraying.  The joys of home ownership ... I've got a sprinkler valve leaking badly that needs repair and that light fixture to replace.  I guess I better get my little tushy in gear!!!

Precision Surgery

As you can imagine, spending $200 to fix my brake lights is not something I relish doing.  I've saving every penny for furniture at the new house in Arizona ... whenever that happens.  So for the second time, I've broken in to the taillight section to see if I can figure out what the problem is.

I unhooked the tailgate cable in order to be able to set the unit down, then began pulling out the bulb attachments.  It was delicate work ... trying not to squash the bulbs in my fingers as I wiggled them out.

It took me an hour to find the Strikehold bottle.  That's the stuff you can use on electrical connections to get them to working again.  I looked everywhere, high and low, singing my little Saint Anthony song.  Where in the world did I put you??  After digging through every compartment under the rig and every drawer inside, I had decided I would just order another bottle when MY lightbulb went on. It was under the kitchen sink ... don't ask me why because I have no clue!!

After carefully cleaning each bulb, I put it all back together.  STILL nothing.  My surgical skills need some work.  For the fourth time, I took it apart to finally discover the bulb was burned out.  RATS!!  Now I'm wondering if something I did caused it to blow!!  Today I'll pick up six more ... just in case they ALL go out and attempt surgery again tomorrow!!

In the meantime, I might as well check the lights on the Jeep.  With no way to do it alone, I called up my trusty receiver to replace my foot.  They seem to be working fine, although someone at the fairgrounds in Arizona told me I had no right brake lights when I was hooked up.  I really don't want to go there.   I had that problem before when the entire connection was ripped apart while traversing a driveway somewhere in Timbuktu Kansas or Missouri ... I can see it in my head, but have no idea where I was.  At any rate, next time I hook up, I've got to check THAT out too!!

Here's a little something I came across the other day ... If you don't have a cake pan, or in this case a cheesecake pan, just turn one of your food containers upside down.  Lock and Lock Salad Bowls seem to work the best, but this wasn't bad either.  I turned the lid upside down, put the cheesecake on it, covered it with the bottom and pressed it to seal.  

It worked perfectly ... the cheesecake is now in the freezer where I won't bother it quite so often.  This would work for any kind of cake ... just don't cut the lid when serving.  I left the removable bottom of the cheesecake pan underneath to make it easier to cut.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary.  While looking for the Strikehold, I discovered three huge tablecloths covered in grease and pancake batter from the Indio Rally.  I basically soaked them in Spray N Wash, then put them on the toughest setting to wash.    Hope springs eternal they will be clean enough to use again.  If not, I'll just get some plastic flowers to cover the grease spots!!

In the meantime, I spent some time sewing the latest kids quilt.  I'd show you a picture, but it's not my favorite.  Maybe once I get it on the wall and come up with a pattern I like.  I mistakenly used the outside trim on the inside pieces, meaning I have to find more outside trim.  Sometimes my sewing skills match my cooking skills.  

It's Magic Kingdom night so I'm donning my armor and loading up my sword, mace and shield to fight off the peasants, not to mention the Moneychanger.  Maybe a little cheesecake for sustenance will help!!

Breakfast For 150

There's nothing like starting the day out with a BANG!!  I was up really early in order to get my act together and my body over to the Merced Elks RV Park where we were cooking up the first of many Sunday Morning Breakfasts.

I arrived right on time with my trusty knife in hand to cut up all the fresh fruit we usually serve.  Little did I know, it was NOT the usual day.  There was NO fresh fruit, only five huge cans to open and no can opener that worked.  With one click at a time, it took the guys 30 minutes to open them and drain the juice before we could scoop it into cups.  I will be making a donation of can openers and tongs.

In the meantime, the men cooked the sausage, whipped up the pancake mix and began to cook the eggs while the Newbie lady tried to get the hash browns started.  I've done these many times ... they needed to be in the oven fifteen minutes ago.  I casually walked over to talk to the sausage cooker and surreptitiously jacked the temperature up to 500 degrees in an effort to get them finished by the time people arrived.   Being sneaky worked.

The best flapjack flipper in the area began his magic and we served over 150 people (normal is around 60) with just a few delays in between.  Add to that orange juice, bloody Mary's and coffee and you had a breakfast fit for the King of the Magic Kingdom.  Unfortunately I was so busy I forgot to take pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  It was so good I forgot I had eaten one pancake as a taste test and ate TWO more!!  So much for dieting yesterday!!

To make it even worse, I wanted to try the Instant Pot cheesecake everyone was raving about.  I figured to take it to Bingo on Tuesday night so I wouldn't eat it all.  It was easy to make, though I was not thrilled with the sour cream topping.  Everyone usually covers it up with loads of chocolate syrup, candy and whatever else fattening they can find.

Finally the taste test .... not bad, but with my sweet tooth wondering where the sugar went, I threw on some whipped cream.  It was good ... but my white chocolate cheesecake is better.  Still, I prepared it in about 40 minutes.  You can't beat THAT!!!  A little cherry topping would help a lot!!

While the cheesecake cooled in the fridge, I put myself in FIXING mode.  These cheap light fixtures have tiny metal clips that keep them in the ceiling, all of which are rusting and breaking.  I just stuffed it back in the hole until I can buy a replacement.  They are simple to change, even I can do it.

Since I put the kibosh on my gardener's use of RoundUp for killing several of my plants, it's a job I have to do myself.  Isn't that the way it is?  If you want it done right, do it yourself!!  My old sprayer sprung a leak, so I purchased this $100 beauty at the local lumber store.  Yup it's a VERY heavy 3 gallon sprayer when full, and I use up every bit of it in the back yard alone.  

Finally bushed, I sat in front of the TV and pretended to sleep so the puppies would leave me alone.  Surprisingly, it worked until my stomach started growling.  Dinner was another Instant Pot success.  The Honey Bourbon Chicken had no bourbon in it at all, just honey, soy sauce and some seasonings.  It was pretty tasty with the most tender chicken ... all done in under 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.

I'm sure you have noticed my special dinnerware.  My 9 year old dishwasher has decided to throw temper tantrums.  If I set it on Speed Wash, nothing gets clean.  If I set it on Normal Wash, it runs for about three hours.  Since I'm terribly allergic to washing dishes, I've gone over to the dark side of paper plates and bowls.

While at the Elks Breakfast around all those men, I asked if one could please help me double check my brake lights on the truck, just to be sure they were still working from my little repair.  Of course they were NOT ... no brakes lights again.  So today's schedule includes taking the fixture apart once more, pulling all the bulbs out and hitting them with Nick Russell's magic Strikehold spray.  He used it while repairing all my garage light fixtures, so I bought a bottle just in case.  "In case" has arrived.  

Now You See It ... Now You Don't

Well RATS!!  Turns out the April Fools joke was on ME!!   Not the Bingo night, but the not-so-delicious dinner I cooked in the Instant Pot.

Truth be told, it was just leftovers in the first place.  What in the world made me think I could make that into something delicious ... from scratch ... without a recipe is beyond me.  Chef Patty does it all the time, but unfortunately, no matter how long I stay at their place in Arizona, it hasn't rubbed off on me.

Leftover steak, broccoli and some ingredients to make a sauce ... how hard could THAT be??  Since the beef was already cooked, all it needed was a couple of minutes for the broccoli.  Recipes I found said 1-2 minutes.

When it was done, I let it sit for two minutes, then released the steam under my hood vent on the stove.  In case you have an Instant Pot, releasing all that steam underneath your cabinets will result in damaged paint and wood.  I know that because I had a rental once where the cabinet actually had to be replaced just from a slow cooker.

At any rate, it looked delicious and I was pretty happy with myself.  I mixed up a quick slurry to thicken the sauce a little and stirred it in.  I was magic I tell you ... MAGIC!!  The broccoli instantly disappeared.  I mean you couldn't see one tiny piece of green in the entire pot.  It was so overcooked it immediately dissolved into the sauce.  Well for heaven's sake!!!  I ate it none the less, but only because I didn't want to admit I buried all that leftover ugly steak I made it with.

My record is intact ... no Instant Pot meals in the cemetery, but it was a close one to be sure!!  Next time I will look up and FOLLOW a recipe.  This is the BEFORE slurry picture.

The rest of my day was spent trying to figure out the lights on my truck.  Remember some homeless looking guy followed me into a parking lot and told me my brake lights were out?  Not that I didn't trust him, but the next day when I went for groceries, there happened to be a fire truck in the parking lot.  I walked up to the door and asked the nice guy to check my brakes for me, which he obligingly did.  No brakes on the right side.  Okay then ... time for a fix.

In talking to one of the Knights of the Round Table, he suggested I could fix it myself.  Many times it's just a loose connection, like all those running lights you see on Chevy trucks where just ONE is lit up??  Really??  I think I paid $200 to get both of my front light bulbs replaced about three years ago.  I was expecting the same here.  If it's just a loose connection, why I can fix THAT!!

I dropped the tailgate and took out two screws, whereupon the light fixture fell out into my hands.  I saw three big knobs which I assumed held the lightbulbs.  I twisted them off one by one and took a good look at the bulbs.  All three appeared to be intact.  I gave them a shove just to be sure they were making contact.  None seemed to be loose, so I put it all back together.

Now ... how do I check them?  I stuck the key in the ignition and turned it on, then wedged a dutch oven lid over the brakes so they would be ON.  I ran to the back of the truck expecting to see nothing, since it seemed I did nothing to fix it.  EUREKA!!  I had brake lights!!!  I'm not sure how long they will last, but hopefully for another twelve years, which is how old the truck is now!!

I'm off bright and early this morning for an Elks Park Pancake Breakfast where I'll cut and chop fruit (I'm taking my own knife this time since their's will hardly cut a ripe peach) and snack on link sausages because they just taste so darn good!!  Oh shoot .. I forgot about the diet AND the cholesterol.  Okay, I'll snack on fruit instead.

After that, I'm starting work on a new quilt.  In between I've got a new backpack sprayer to help keep the weeds down.  Hopefully there is a LOT of wind that will carry the spray all over my neighbor's trees so I won't have to pay $300 a year to get them trimmed up on my side of the fence.  

Another Magic Kingdom Night????

UGH ... I have been notified that the Magic Kingdom of Bingo wants to take advantage of the local High School Bingo closure and open for a second night during the week.  That means TWICE the contact with the peasants and the moneychanger.  Of course on the good side, that means TWICE the contact with Prince Charming, the Castle Lawyer and the Knights of the Roundtable!!  That may not be so bad after all!!!

In the meantime, the more I think about the cholesterol busting drugs, the more it bothers me.  In the dark ages, I never thought about it ... just give me something to make me feel better!!  There's always good and bad about every drug I suppose, but this one needs a little more investigation.

I know you can lower your cholesterol with exercise and diet.  I exercised the heck out of myself for over 30 years by running about every other day.  There were lots of marathons (26.2 milers), half marathons (13.1 .. go figure) and 10-20 mile runs to keep in shape.  Apparently that worked for me really well because when I stopped, I began to fall apart.

Running takes up LOTS of time ... at the least, about two hours a day.  At the most, up to SIX hours.  I wasn't the speediest in the group.  After all those years, it was really nice to just sit on the couch.  Unfortunately, that precipitated twenty pounds and a jump in my cholesterol, partly due to the fact I made homemade ice cream every week.

For awhile there, it was nice to have the "live life to the fullest" attitude ... if you want that ice cream, EAT IT!!!  Now however, without the exercise and WITH the desire to live longer, I have to watch the food I eat a LOT more.

I don't eat much beef normally, but with the Instant Pot, it's been on the menu.  From now on I'll stick to chicken, turkey and fish.  I quit the ice cream cold turkey mid January ... kind of.  Okay, April Fools, I quit in January except for those two Freddy's custards I downed in Tucson.

Now that my numbers are down, in spite of the Doctor telling me to keep taking the pills for the next five months, I'm going to cut them in half.  If in 75 days the numbers have gone from 294 to 220, with under 200 being the goal, seems to me I can slow the pace a little and still make the goal line.

In the meantime, I again prepared dinner for the overseer of my house and alarm, the Retired Police Officer.  Too bad I didn't take pictures, as it was one of the better meals I have fixed.  I defrosted a couple of those Ugly Steaks from Dickman's Meat and Deli in Tucson and forced him to barbecue them, just to be sure they were edible.  That was almost a disaster, as I had earlier taken the cover off the barbecue, which turned the knob just enough to let all the gas out of the canister.

I smelled it immediately upon opening the door to the patio.  YIKES!!  GAS!!!  It's a good thing I had another canister, because that one was empty!!  Lucky too that the wind was blowing like crazy and cleared it all out.  Here's the leftovers!!

I made instant pot green beans ... WOW!!!  I've never been able to cook green beans right.  They came out PERFECT!!!  I put them in a wire basket and set the steam function to two minutes.  I cooked the bacon and onions separately, then stirred them together.  What cholesterol??  That's a VEGETABLE!!!

Next up, I cooked a little caramel for the bottom of six small dishes and used 2% milk to make FLAN ... that wonderful Mexican dessert I LOVE!!  In the interest of honesty, I did stir in a cup of cream, but that came out to a tad more than one ounce per cup.  It was one of the best I've ever had.  This Instant Pot is a keeper!!

I also whipped up some garlic bread in the tradition taught to me by the wonderful Chef Miss Terry.  Cook the garlic in melted butter, then spread on the bread and broil till brown.  I almost broiled it a tad too much, but saved it in the knick of time!!   Nothing has gone into the cemetery in quite some time, which worries me.  I'm due for that disaster any time now!!

By the way .... APRIL FOOLS ... there will be no second day for the Magic Kingdom.  If there was, I think I would have to sail away on the first ship back to England!!