Hanging Out In The Trees

Prayers to everyone in Michigan.  I didn't even know there WERE tornados in Michigan.  I know as a kid on the ranch in California, we had much worse weather (of all kinds) than we have had for the last 20 years.  It seems Mother Nature is trying to catch back up.  

In 2013 I crossed the U.S. following the Westerfields.  Thank goodness Barbara was the best navigator ever.  She took us around all the big storms, but a couple of times we got pretty close.  It was SO scary, my heart goes out to anyone who has to go through that.  No surprise, I haven't driven back East since.  As much as I would love to visit, once was enough.

Here in sunny California, it was "sunny" with a good bit of wind.  I had two things on my plate ... the landscaper was coming at noon, as was the tree trimmers I called the day before (talk about service).  I was trying to keep busy doing cleanup work, which involved this bookshelf that I don't think has seen the light of day for maybe nine years.  Hey ... all the books cover up the dust!  

You're going to love this ... these are COOKBOOKS.  I was trying to increase my skills, to no avail.  I admit, I already got rid of HALF before I placed these here.  Those on the top shelf (right) all belonged to my grandmother.  I also admit, none of these helped me one bit!

That's when I got the call.  The landscaper can't come until 4:30.  My head won't let me sit still that long, so out to the garage I went trying to empty some of the moving boxes.  Oh yes, there are still at least a dozen to go.  That wasn't really all that fun, but my stack of empty boxes is getting bigger.

At noon, the tree trimmer showed up.  They are the same ones that removed three big sycamore trees for me.  I probably should have had them trimmed up years ago.  I don't know how I came upon this crew, but they are the best EVER.  Not only do they do a quick job, they pick up every single leaf and branch before they leave.  Here's the biggest tree "before" picture.

See that tiny little white spot?  That's the guy leaning out over those skinny branches pruning each one.  No worries I guess because he is actually tied in to the tree.  The wind was blowing quite nicely and he was swaying back and forth like crazy.  

I found out later that about 4 months ago, he was in a small tree, so didn't tie himself in.  He fell, breaking his wrist, but here he is, back up in the tree wielding that chain saw like it was a feather.  Tough guys in this crew.

Everything goes into the shredder.  This is just the coolest gadget ever.  Not only does it do leaves and branches, it will chew up 15" wide tree trunks like they were toothpicks.  

This one was the real problem.  It had two big limbs hanging over the house ... and this is the gutter plugger.  I may have to cover this one, though looking outside through Niagara Falls is rather pleasant.

I would have just chopped the top off.  By the time they were done, we were all sneezing like crazy.  Sycamore trees are known for causing distress ... me included (sneeze sneeze).  At some point I will probably have them take these out completely.

As for the landscaper ... he showed up early.  We talked about the rock, putting plastic under it and not planting anything at all.  The pretty walkway probably won't happen since it's WAY too expensive to buy the brick and pavers.  I asked him to make some swirls with maybe two different colors of rock.  Really, I've leaving it up to him since he is the Pro Landscaper.  All my ideas never really turn out all that great.

He will call me with a price and we'll go from there.  The weed company will pay for their half, including digging out all the dirt.  I have a big pile in the back corral I would like to get rid of, so they can use that to backfill.  We shall see how it goes.

The last problem of the day was to contact the landscape LIGHT guy.  The problem gardeners have cut the wire to my lights in three places.  He will be here to repair them in about two weeks.  Things are looking up ... and looking better.  Next week ... mowing down those rose bushes!!!!

Checks and Crashes

 Another day ..... another dollar ...... SPENT!  Or maybe not if the check hasn't been cashed.  I didn't get much sleep, waiting for someone to come banging on my door.  Here's how that happened.  I can pay bills automatically on-line through the Bill Pay at my bank.  The bank can send the money electronically if it is a big business.  For an individual, they actually send out a check.

In over ten years, I have never had a bill NOT get paid or have the check lost in the mail.  I called the bank once already and they said they would look it up and call me back.  Of course they did not.  So yesterday I went by.  After 30 minutes standing there, they came up with nothing.  Yup the money came out of my account, but they have no idea whether the check got cashed or not.  

I explained the situation and they said ... once again ... they would call me back.  Come on guys ... I need a copy of that check before I am accosted in my front yard!!!  We shall see what happens.

Then there was the frenzy of phone calls ... the back yard curbing will be installed at the end of May, and low and behold .... the landscaper will come today to look at the dead grass.  Here it is again for your viewing pleasure!  

I would like to do something like this walkway down the entire side and get rid of ALL the grass and sprinklers.  Less work, less sprinklers to replace.  I'm sure it's going to cost more, but at least I can ask today at noon when he shows up.

Maybe a jelly donut will settle me down.  I've cut back on the sugar and carbs big time and it shows.   I'm craving carbs!!  Actually this is another of those berry upside down cakes with a few berries the size of a pea.  I have to admit, it hit the spot.  I was smiling again, just in time to head out to Bingo!

But first ... let's do a safety inspection.  Oh my great aunt Susie!!  I thought we would get done in 30 minutes, but it took well over an hour.  Someone took their job seriously, so we got a lesson in the kitchen fire suppression system that isn't even on the list.  That is inspected by the installer AND the Fire Department every six months.  

This is just a cursory inspection by us NON-professionals to see if there are any glaring safety problems, like torn carpet you might fall on, or boxes of junk that might help a fire burn.  DO NOT CHECK THAT BOX!!  If we find anything, we get it fixed immediately and check the OK box.  

It's a good thing to do since we found two battery operated safety lights (in case we lose electricity) were non-operational.  New batteries have been ordered.  On the other hand, the AC system is NOT on the list, so why do you want to crawl through the attic?  The good news is I found a tiny room up there where I can go to scream and no one will hear me.  Someone was already there, as evidenced by the empty beer bottle.

Back to Bingo ... it was more fun than usual because though we started out with plenty of help, they bailed on us in the first two hours, leaving no one to work the floor.  The King was not a happy camper, but what can you do?  I can't leave the cash register, which is probably a good thing since I don't play well with cranky demanding folks who think you should wait on them.  

Everyone won the bingos, everyone got paid and I was out the door on the run, just like everyone else, only I had been there since 2:00 pm.  

This wonderful picture is what I encountered on the way home.  This is a State Highway that was completely blocked by flashing lights.  Great picture, eh?  What happened you ask?  That was MY question.  Apparently there was a good reason I was late from Bingo.  This was a high speed chase that ended in a head-on collision with three cars.  You can just imagine how bad it was.

The helicopter was taking one to the hospital.  I don't think the other two made it, and there may have been more.  I'm praying no law enforcement were hurt, and I thanked God for making me stay late at Bingo.  It surely could have been me.

If I'm really lucky, I may get to sneak in a nap before the landscaper arrives.  I got a whole 4 hours sleep before Cooper tapped me on the shoulder at 4:00 am.  I love my dog .. I love my dog .. I love my dog.  Yes, yes I do!!!

Cancelled

This is the reason I get up every morning.  This face gets two inches from mine, telling me he has to go outside.  He's the best alarm clock I have ever had.  That is followed by a few treats to start his day on a good note. 

THEN ... he goes into watch pup mode.  No matter where I am, he's less than 6 feet away, making sure his Treat-Momma is safe.

That may come in handy in the near future.  I think I mentioned my gardener before last who didn't speak much English.  I did my usual bill-pay online with my bank.  In ten years of doing this, I have never EVER had a check disappear or not be mailed.  

I was even silly enough to send him an extra $30 because I cancelled the service.  I've no idea where Luis Tafolla is, since I haven't heard from him in over a month, nor have I been able to contact him by phone.  I figured jail.  I called my neighbor (who used him also) for a phone number.  She gave me three of them.  Apparently the one I called is his BROTHER Maurice (here visiting from Texas).  

He keeps sending me text messages saying he did not get the check and he wants it now.  This was the last session of texting, which I'm posting here .... just in case.  The previous set of messages was rather threatening.  You just never know about these guys.  Is he trying to dun me for more money or did they really not get it?  The bank says it was cashed.  Today I'll stop in and see if I can get a copy of the check.  SO much fun working with these guys.  At least God knows I paid them.

And then there was THIS, not far from my house on Highway 99.  Please PLEASE quit driving so fast.  This was a speed-caused accident between this guy and a big truck.  It shut down the freeway for half the day.  Thankfully no one was badly injured, but someone is going to lose a lot of money on this one.

I spent most of the day sewing while the banging went on extra loud next door.  Remember it rained for almost 6 hours steady, and now the builders are trying to put everything back together.  I watched for awhile as I laid out in the warm sun.  

They were using sledge hammers to try and get the walls lined back up, followed by lots of wedges and nail guns.  They nailed plywood on the sides, then cut the tops off to fit.  Not sure I would want to be the new owner.  I'm wondering what's going to happen when it all dries out.  

Dinner was pretty exciting ... until I read the name Banquet.  It happens this was on sale at Walmart for $2.99.  So much better than the $7.99 for everything else.  I should have known better.  It looks pretty tasty, yes??

Well here you go!!!  Wasn't Banquet the first to come out with frozen meals a hundred years ago?  I think I remember eating one or two when I was in high school.  Truly, it looks like someone already ate it.  Even "I" can cook better than this!!  

I choked down two chicken pieces, covered in something white-ish before dumping it in the trash.  This is a travesty!!!  I had toast for dinner.

Here's the latest picture of the latest quilt.  Those two squares have now been finished and I'm sewing the rows together.  It took several hours to put them in some kind of order.  No matter how I did it, it wasn't my favorite.  The dark brown fabric is too dark.  C'est la vie.  This is the best I could come up with.  You just never know until you have it cut, sewed and hanging on the wall.

Oh yeah ... my safety inspection (including lunch) was cancelled.  It's the life of a farmer trustee.  I told him he owed me big time since I was actually on my way out the door when he called.  Thus the do-nothing day.

Today will be so much more exciting ..... it's time for BINGO!!!!!  I think ... it is Tuesday, yes??

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

 Well here it is already May 5th.  It seems I've been home for over two months and haven't cleaned out the garage yet.  Most all of that furniture and those boxes are still sitting there.  Oh I've gotten into a few of them, as evidenced by the now EMPTY boxes looking like Mount Whitney, piled high to the ceiling.  What can I say ... I'm a BOX SAVER.  I'm pretty sure that came from my mother who even saved my 8th grade graduation dress, which I finally got rid of when I was 45.

It was a noisy morning as I looked out the windows.  Someone had the oldest, LOUDEST generator in the history of generators, running right across the street at 4:00 in the morning.  It didn't bother me since I was already up.  Maybe the neighbors slept through it.  I think they ran it all night long because I heard it on and off.  Who could sleep inside with that noise?  Yes, it's a rental.  After a week in one, most newbys decide AGAINST buying an RV.

Although a little chilly, I laid out in the sun catching some rays.  That last 2 mile run, followed up with shoveling the sand from the corral, made for some really sore shoulder muscles.  The sun felt OH SO good ... until a cloud passed over and chilled me to the bone.

Mr. Cooper slept like a rock.  Oh to sleep like a puppy!!

It's Cinco de Mayo day, one of celebrating the good food of Mexico.  It marks the victory of Mexican troops over invading French forces in the Battle of Puebla.  That was Napoleon they beat ... quite the triumph.  Mexican Independence Day is NOT Cinco de Mayo however ... Independence Day for them is September 16.  

They say this classic celebration calls for a Paloma.  Tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda.  I've never heard of it.  I thought margaritas were the drink of the day.  The next time I'm at the Elks Lodge, I'm going to ask for a Paloma and see what happens!!

What better way to celebrate than to crawl under your RV.  Lucky for me, mine rides a little higher than the old Class A.  Yup .. the spare tire is still there.  Did I check the air?  No.  I forgot the gauge, and it was all I could do to get back OUT.

What I was looking for are the tell tale marks of a cracked frame.  Grand Design seems to be inundated with claims over their frames used to build their rigs during the entire CoViD thing.  The signs of cracks are long thin runs of rust.  This was the first thing I found, which just appears to be a scape when it was first painted.

Any suggestions on how I can fix this?  Just paint over it or do I have to somehow find a grinder (which is way above my pay grade) and clean the rust off first?  Lucky me, I didn't find any other suspicious rust anywhere I looked.  I think I need one of those lay-on-your-back trolley things.  

I may be wrong, but might many of those cracks be from overloading your trailer, then driving 70 mph down the horrible roads we have in the U.S.?  It sure seems to me that might be part of the cause.  Anyway, not that I know exactly what I'm looking at, but I don't seem to have any of the problems shown on several videos I watched on the subject.  THANK GOODNESS!! 

Dinner came quickly (I think I fell asleep on the couch) ... and of course it had to be Cinco de Mayo food. I grabbed a bit of smoked pork, my new bag-o-grated on-sale cheese (that took me 15 minutes to find ... I thought maybe it didn't get in my shopping bag) and even made a quick salsa to go over a taco and a tamale.  It was made by a REAL Mexican lady who can cook from scratch!!  She's also a big Bingo player!!  I'm sure I bought her last set of cards from the dozen tamales I got.  

It was delicious ... but I think I needed that Paloma to go with it, or at the very least, a margarita.  Here's to a happy celebration of food and drink.  Today I'm back to the Elks Lodge for the Safety Inspection.  Besides which .... Mother's Day is coming up quickly.  It's this weekend guys, so here's a HEADS UP!!

BY A NOSE!!!!!

 Sometimes ... most times really .. you just have to go with the flow.  Mother Nature opted to water California once again, which is okay with me.  I shut the sprinklers off as the clouds began to wander across the sky.  

On the other hand, it means I'm stuck inside.  Maybe a little more sewing on that quilt would pass the time.  That's when I heard it.  I knew that gutter was once again plugged up.  What the heck?  There are no more leaves around anywhere.  All the other ones are doing their job fabulously, but this one ... it's being the black sheep of the lot.

You know what happened ... I got drenched as I walked under the 6 foot wide waterfall to bang on the pipes.  No way could I use the ladder.  Will wonders never cease ... it actually cleared out whatever was holding up the waterworks, and it emptied quite nicely ... all over my tennis shoes.  Success!!!  Soggy and VERY damp around the edges, I went back inside.  

I sewed a little more and watched a little rodeo until I remembered ... IT'S KENTUCKY DERBY DAY!  I have fond memories of the Triple Crown when Big Brown raced in the Belmont Stakes.  He already won TWO of the three races. 

I was on a trip in New York City with friends who wanted to see the race track.  Turns out we were going to be there for the Belmont Stakes.  Let's GO!  

It happens to be located in Elmont New York .... FAR from the REAL New York.  If you've ever been in New York subways, you know.  It's an underground labyrinth made for rats.  After a couple of false starts, we made it to the TRAIN station in time to head to Elmont.  We arrived at the race track and walked around for all of 30 minutes.  Big Brown was the talk of the town.  He was going to win the Triple Crown!!

Just to be sure of our time, we asked when the train was going BACK to New York City.  NEVER they said ... it's not going back.  You have to get to the next town to find another train, the last of which leaves in an hour.  YIKES!!  Desperation set in.  We found a nice Policeman who gave us the scoop.  Take a taxi, but beware ... it's a bad part of town and the drivers are crooks and thieves.  OH GREAT!!

And so we got a Police escort the first mile to find a legit taxi driver that wouldn't rob us, got dropped off at a very sketchy train station platform (with no inside waiting room and no outside lights), where we stood back to back to be sure we wouldn't be robbed until the train showed up.  We made it back in one piece, but missed the race altogether.  Big Brown had a terrible race, on which we had bet all our money.  That was the end of my horse betting career!

Here we are at the start of THIS year's Kentucky Derby, the 150th running.  These are the front runners.  Notice that none of these guys were in the finish line picture.

See the guy at the rail near the middle white statue?  You can barely see his jersey and white pants.  That is Mystik Dan.  He's about halfway back.

These horses ... man they can run!!!  Seems to me it never turns out like people think it will ... and so it was on this day.  These three ... Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Forever Young ... came across the finish line neck and neck.  The white mirror on the pole is the actual finish line.  

Here's the official winning photo.  Mistik Dan by LESS than a nose!!  Sierra Leone is at the bottom, followed by Forever Young in the middle.  I have never EVER seen a race this close before!  The projected winner wasn't even in the picture.

This is the first of the triple crown races.  The Kentucky Derby is run in Louisville Kentucky, the next being the Preakness is at Pimlico in Baltimore Maryland later this month, followed by the Belmont Stakes in Elmont New York.  I'll definitely be watching that last one!!

Thus ended a rainy day that didn't stop until about 4:00.  We got half an inch, while Texas is flooding terribly.  I can mark that one off my move-to list.  It was a tough choice ... horses, cowboys, tornados, floods, heat ........  CHECK!

Bacon Makes It All Better

It was another glorious, albeit windy day.  The bang bang bang continued, but not quite as much since the wind curtailed their activities.  I had a fleeting thought of laying out in the sun, but I think those activities for me are a thing of the past with a construction crew next door.  

While sipping my morning cup-o-joe, I got a weather alert.  This should be fun.  Massive winds up to 60 mph hour and over an inch of rain.  Really?  It was even broadcast over Facebook.  Sorry, I don't believe it.  I checked both of my weather apps and they say wind 7-15 mph.  Quite the difference, yes?  And MAYBE half an inch of rain.  The sky is falling once again.  

 I figured I better get in a run yesterday in case we fell off into the ocean.  Another 2.25 miles under my belt.  It's a funny thing about running.  One day you will feel terrible, but run like the wind.  Other days you feel GREAT and can barely make it to the end of the block.  It was that kind of a day.

Bacon will make it all better.  At $7.89 for 12 ounces, this stuff is like fillet mignon!  Actually this is the last bit I picked up at Costco a few months ago.  I refuse to buy it now.  Pork loin is cheaper!!

I finally got up enough energy to head out for watering.  I'm not about to let these beauties die.  That reminded me I've been wanting to have curbing put in around the back yard.  The weird stuff you see at the bottom of the picture, just has to go.  I wasn't the least bit concerned about the yard when I bought this house ... I was only concerned about setting up corrals for the horses.

You can find anything on the web if you look hard enough, and so Kwik Kerb came up.  Mowing strips and concrete edging was what I was looking for.  What I got was a wealth of information.

I called and he showed up at noon.  He asked about the horses because all of his brothers ride.  In fact, one of them is a horseshoer who lives about an hour away.  That perked my ears up since horseshoers are as rare as gold nuggets around here.

Cone to find out, he rides the Tevis.  For those that are not familiar with this, it's a 100 mile ride into the Sierra Nevada mountains, the hardest ride in the world.  Here's a picture I pulled off the internet.  His brother Dean has ridden this five times.  If you are a horse person, you know that is an incredible feat.  AND he boards horses.  I stuck that in my memory bank.

He gave me an estimate for the curbing and I said DEAL.  He's going to make it fancy and pretty, or at least as much as you can with concrete.  They will even repair all the back yard sprinklers.  On the way out, he saw the dead lawn.  I explained, and he said he was pretty sure his OTHER brother (the LANDSCAPER) was the one who fixed the uh-ohs for that company.  

Really?  Another light bulb went on when he said it's springtime and they are all swamped with work.  Well that would explain why no one has showed up.  People are getting back outside and wanting it to look nice, not to mention all the new housing being built.  I felt a little better.  At least now I have his name and phone number.  All from one phone call.  I love it!

I spent the afternoon out in the garden doing some pruning here and there and admiring these flowers.  I just can't believe they are so gorgeous and growing (however temporarily) in MY yard.  They seem to be happy campers.

I even got out my shovel and built my little hill under the tree back up a bit.  The mowers and blowers don't rake anything ... they use a blower to blow all the trimmings into my corrals.  Along with that went 3-5 inches of sand, exposing all the drip irrigation and tree roots, AND removing all of the mulch.  Maybe I can have the landscaper bring some back in. 

The roots on the little tree above are now covered and the flowers snuggled in to a bed of sand.  Hopefully they will eventually spread out to cover the whole area.  Maybe with my new Gardener things will get spruced up nicely and the landscaper will do something fabulous down the side yard.  Here's hoping!!

Now I think it's time for some BACON!!!!!

Cindy De Mayo Celebration ... Early

Good Morning from sunny California who has decided once again to be sunny California.  Boy are we enjoying this fabulous 70 degree weather, including Mr. Cooper.  Bright and early we were out running through the wet grass chasing after the B A L L.  You can't say that word very loud around here.

I mean really, what could be better than waking up to snuggles from a sweet face like this?   Don't answer that.

It didn't take long before the banging began.  It was so windy they were having a hard time keeping the walls upright.  They were swaying in the breeze a LOT until one crashed to the ground.  They just put it back up and added more supports.  I might be nervous if I was that homeowner.  They used huge wedges to make the ends meet where they wanted them too, before nailing.  Bang bang bang!!  It sound like a Wild West gunfight!!

Well except for the musica!  The boom boom boom of their loud Mexican music outshone my television inside my house, even though all the doors and windows were closed.  I finally went out, stuck my head over the fence and asked if they could get any COUNTRY music on that boom box.  They laughed!!

Yeah, it's kind of looking like a two story.  I rather thought the entire end would be a garage, but it's looking like house now.  And so I was serenaded for the entire day, the perfect setup for Cannot de Mayo.

Most of that time was spent looking for a landscaper who can repair the wiring to four of my garden lights that were devastated by the last gardener.  None of them are working, wires all cut at the base.  I also contacted the Weed Man once again about the dead grass repair, but got nowhere.  I may just have to have it all fixed and send them the bill.

Lunch was minimal since it was our Lodge Concho de Mayo Celebration night.  Oh yes ... another meeting night.  But first ... let's try one of those berry bundt cakes that came with the last order.  This is the free one, similar to the pineapple cake.  

It really was quite tasty, though there were no berries to be seen in spite of the picture showing mucho berries.  No matter, it hit the spot.

I'm not sure why, but I had been asked early on to sell tickets for this event.  Wasn't I surprised to find the entire room covered from top to bottom with Chronic de Mayo decorations.  

As you can tell, my spell check is having a field day.  I decided to leave them in, just to prove computers are NOT soarer than humans!  Ummmm .... that's SMARTER my friend.

So here I am at the table.  I don't do this often enough and had a heck of a time getting the handheld machine to work.  I love it when they pay cash.  144 people later, I finally got in line.  I'm the ticket taker, so am always last to eat.  Sometimes that doesn't work out too well for me, and last night was a good example.

They had barbecued chicken thighs, carne asada, beans, rice and tortillas for $20.00.  I wish I had my $20.00 back.  The asada was SO very tough and the chicken raw.  They ran out and threw some on at the last minute, trying to keep up.  The rice was gone well before I got in line and I think they added water to extend the refried beans.  But I got TWO tortillas.  I always RAVE about the food, but this night was a little less than desired.  It's okay, I didn't need more calories anyway.

The meeting was a quick one after swearing in one more trustee to help with the workload.  YAY!!  Little does he know what he's in for!! 

Today will include more work in the yard if I can get my act together.  Oh to be 40 again!!!

HAPPY CINDY DE MAYONNAISE!!

Another Great Day In The Books

I always wake up after Bingo feeling like I got drug through a knothole backwards.  I usually end up with about four hours sleep ... if you can call it that ... which makes Wednesdays pretty ugly.  On this day however, I was pretty happy.  My new gardener showed up and I was so glad to see him!  

The good news is he's an older gentleman who actually has a sense of doing a good job.  YAHOO!!  He started with mowing both big lawns, when the first problem arose.  The last guys used a mulching mower, so all that old grass was still lying in the grass.  When Al's mower went over, it picked up the grass it cut and all of the OTHER grass.  

I felt bad because he barely got 30 feet and had to dump the bags.  Over and over again.  Then he edged, blew everything off and trimmed a couple of way-too-big bushes, doing a wonderful job.  He even hauled all of that stuff off in his trailer because no more could fit in my bin.  Believe me, no one around here does that.  Nancy is a happy camper!!  Hopefully it will get easier for him as it gets back in shape from the mow and blow guys.

That's when I found my new flowers just about dead.  WHAT?  I watered them every day!  Apparently wind is not good for potted flowers.  I watered them once again and waited until late in the day when I planted them on what used to be my hill.  As you can see, the mowers and blowers actually blew all the sand off the top over the years ... about five inches worth ... so now the roots show.  

I'm going to try and haul in a little sand from the corral to raise it back up a bit and I'm calling the curb guys to put in a nice mowing curb along the entire back yard.  I really need to spiff the place up a bit!!

And then I was off.  Note to self ... make NO appointments on Wednesdays after Bingo.  I had to head back to the Elks Lodge once again for signing things (no one told me this was going to be a daily habit), as well as fielding even MORE complaints.  Good grief ... kids nowadays need to GROW UP!!

With that done, there was a nice Mexican lunch with a lodge member girlfriend, where we both complained about everything the entire time, especially the kids.  We laugh because they actually think they are WORTH the money we have to pay them in wages.  They haven't a clue, so she and I decided we should educate them a bit.  This should be fun!!

Lunch over, I headed back home where I promptly fell asleep on the couch.  I'm not a nap person at all, but this day had me beat.  It was funny when I woke up because I began doing my morning routine!  No no ... it's actually DINNER time.  

And so I brought out the last of the three meals from Hello Fresh.  I need to learn to make better orders.  This meatloaf looked delicious.

Look at the calories on that meal!  First off, this took WAY too many prep dishes to wash and way too long to cook.  And see the difference?  THIS is what it REALLY looked like.  Nothing like the above picture.  Honestly, it didn't taste all that great either, except the balsamic sauce was pretty good.

So for your viewing pleasure, I ramped up the color a tad ... which is what they did in spades on their advertisement for this meal.  However, they seem to have fallen down on the flavor-mobile.  It was okay, but I won't be ordering it again.  I got three full meals out of it, so there's that.  

And so another great day was in the books as Cooper and I hit the hay with smiles on our faces.  Me because I finally have a good gardener and Cooper because he felt much better after that bath!!!  

P.S.   No, the landscape guy who was to fix my dead grass has STILL not showed up.

Pizza and The Dead

 Well well well ... it's Tuesday once again.  Who knew that time would fly by faster the older you got.  I can't believe it's already MAY!  At least April ended with some nice weather, except for the wind.  It has just kept up every single day.  It makes laying out trying to get a little tan, a tad bit easier with the breeze.

And of course it's BINGO time once again.  I was EVER so determined this time to have a fun night with NO bad apples, including me.  

But FIRST ... my poor little old man of 14 really needed a bath.  There's smelly, and then there's stinky!!  Obviously this is NOT his favorite activity.  He acts like he's being tortured.  I can't blame him, since my constant hot water plumbing never works like a hot water heater would.  

Anyhoo ... we got it done, dried him off and hit him with the scary hair dryer.  Yeah, that never goes over so well either, but in the end, he was quite fluffy and smelled MUCH better.  Good for at least six months, or so he hopes.

Here's my solution to the food problem.  I forgot to add this to the food picture.  Why?  Because Nancy left it sitting in the truck for about four hours before she remembered it.  Duh ... it's a FROZEN $6.00 pizza.  It will last three meals for me, if I don't die from it being spoiled before I baked it.

Four hours in the hot truck, two hours in the freezer and 20 minutes in the oven.  Dinner is served.  It doesn't exactly look like the picture since there was hardly ANY toppings.  I added chopped onion, olives and the leftover shredded cheese from the mashed potatoes.  I can't say it was delicious, but at least there was no poisoning going on and it was cheap.

Since 2:00 is my new 4:00 when it comes to Bingo, I was off early to sign checks and deal with the latest problemo at the lodge.  There's always something that requires a consensus and a decision, my least favorite thing to do.  I think the glass of wine helped.

And we were off!!  All my gals showed up this time, so it was easy peasy to get into the swing of things.  I was determined to smile at everyone and not let the Infernal Machine get the upper hand.  I waited patiently for the one who goes through every single card on the table looking for the WINNER.  

Can you believe it?  She picked her cards out in record time, paid quickly and was gone.  It was probably my big smile!!  We took a chance and paid out the max on all games, hoping I would not go in the hole. Sure enough, Bingo made all of $100 on the cards.  I even coerced the infernal machine into balancing to the penny.  What a night!!!

There are those slow times however, when the phone comes out to find the weird and wonderful.  Here's the latest and greatest in burials.  Yessirree ... you can have your family member close at hand for the rest of YOUR life too!!  Bury them in your plastic coffee table in their Sunday best.  Positioning is all important.

That's my laugh for the day ... I hope yours is a good one!!