A Prairie Home Companion...

OH GO SEE IT!!! We went tonight, and it is a hoot!! one of the fastest two hours I ever spent. We were heading into Mt. Vernon/Burlington to go see DaVInci Code, but we got stuck in traffic and missed the start, so we decided to go see this one. FUNNY!! Merle Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Garrison Keillor, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson and tons of others. And they all did their own singing. GOOD MOVIE!!

I am so saddened to see that our very good friend and her husband are leaving the PC world. They were still getting hassled by those ugly nasty vicious people. I just hope that someday they will get their just rewards, and that they will not be allowed to enter the pearly gates without a LOT of heat first. Assholes!

I made a flat of strawberry preserves on Tuesday, but it did not gel correctly, so I re-cooked it, added sugar and a pkg of pectin and tried again yesterday. It STILL did not Gel, so this morning I got up and added another pkg of pectin and boiled the hell out of it and it STILL has not gelled. Anybody out there have any ideas on how to salvage this batch? I thought about adding more sugar and lemon juice and MORE Pectin and try cooking it for 5 minutes like the old way, but I am not sure even that will work. I would appreciate any tips you may have, 'cause I am out of ideas! It tastes really good, but it is just strawberry syrup right now.

Guess I could bottle it and use it for waffles for breakfast though huh?

My friend Barbara is bringing her grandkids over tomorrow morning so she can get an idea of how much painting we have to do. She is going to be painting the trim as I cant cut in with my shaky hands. I will prime the wood, and she can finish it. I have never met her grandkids, and the last time I saw her Children they were even younger than the grandkids are now! GEEZ that had to be over 30 years ago I think...My Donna was 8 or 9 and her Donna was 6 or 7 I think. GAWD!! I am getting old!!!

Another week, for the floor! and who knows maybe even another one after that. I dont think there is such a thing as new flooring. I think it is all a scam to drive me nuts....and it is working!

ARRGGGHHH!!!!....Serious Whining ahead...AGAIN!!

I want to run away!!! Floors Plus came out again today to take readings on the floor. It is going on 7 weeks now since the flood, and they are saying at LEAST another week!! I am sooo sick of this shit!! I have things out of closets sitting on the floor in the livingroom, the office is all torn up, the library is a mess, and the kitchen has no floor. THe Hall bathroom has no floor and no toilet!!

Do yourselves a favor right now and go double check your hoses from your washer, and make sure they are connected and connected tightly!! I would not wish this on my worst enemy!! What is worse is I am imagining I smell mold. We have fans going so it really cant be mold, but I swear I smell it. I want my house put back together again. I want to get on with finishing my scrapbooks for the kids and SIL! I dont have to worry about Tims, as he cant have it until he gets out of Prison, and I may not even have Donnas ready this year. I want to get them done!!!

I am getting so depressed with not having things done!! I need a vacation. I want to crawl into a hole and cry! I think I have cabin fever. HELP!!!!!!! ARRGGHHHH!!!!!! I want my floors done!!!!!

Ok, Im done for tonight!!

hot weather wimp!

We have just gone through three days of record breaking temperatures.  Yeah Yeah, I know, I’m a wimp!!  Ok I admit it.  I can’t function in the heat.  I really really can’t!  That is why I chose to make the Pacific Northwest my home.  In fact if I had a way to make a living, I would move to an even Colder region than here.  It never really breached the 100 degree F mark, but it came close.  I lay there under the fan, with all the windows open, wishing I had central air!  I sweat a LOT! Always have.  Even when I was really thin, I just pore water out of my pores.  It weakens me tremendously.  I cant move, cant breathe, My muscles get really weak, and when I stand up I feel like my legs are going to collapse.  It actually scares me.

Last night as the tow guy was unloading errant Son’s crappy red van from the back of the tow truck, the wind started in.  A cold brisk fast wind!  It was like someone turned the energy beam on me and I gulped big gulps of fresh cool air into my lungs.  I stayed out there in the driveway for the whole hour it took to unload the ugly red thing from his truck.  When I went back into the house all of the animals were laying right  in front of the storm door all splayed out and soaking up the cooling air.

I came in and turned off all the fans except for the one in the bathroom which needs to dry out the room, and just let the air fill the house.  We had gale force winds coming off the Strait, and with the low coming in off the Pacific, the wind was quite cool.  We call this nature’s air conditioner.  Trust me, I had it on full blast too.  AHHHHHHH felt so goood!!!

I took a hot shower and lay down on the bed to dry off, and actually got a good chill.  I crawled under the covers, and snuggled in for the night.  I was in heaven.

I went in to see Tim this afternoon, and told him that all of his wordly possessions are now sitting in my driveway.  He gave a big sigh of releif.  He was afraid he was gonna lose everything again.  You would think that because this happened to him before, that he would LEARN wouldn’t you?  No he is a man, no sense at all.  Hopefully this time he will not go back to Orcas Island, and when He gets out of Prison, he can start his life over, and make something of himself.  

I went to the Dr. for my yearly visit last Thursday, and my Blood pressure was 172/102!  The Dr. asked if I had any stress in my life right now?  Uh. Yeah!!  Flood, son in Prison, wet floors, still not dry floors, walking on subfloor….You could say that.  SO I have to try and get my life in order so I can live a few more years longer.  Im back on BP meds, which should drop it.  I go back in 5 weeks, to recheck.  My Cholesteral is wonderful!  My Hg1C was 7.5 which is wonderful, and I did not gain any weight this year.  WHOOT>  (did not lose any either! DRAT)

I put up a flat of strawberries using a new recipe, and I have to redo them because they did not set right!  GRRR!!  So Tonight when it cools off a bit, I will be sitting over a very hot stove, making jam again!  Wish I could find some really cheap tomatoes to can!!

Monday Funny

God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the
archangel, found Him, resting on the seventh day.

He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"

God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction, and proudly pointed
downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm
going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of
balance."

"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth, "For example,
over there I've placed a continent of white people, and over there is a
continent of black people. Balance in all things,"

God continued pointing to different countries. "This one will
be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in
ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a
land area and said, "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God, "That's Washington State, the most glorious place on
earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams, lakes,
forests, hills, plains and valleys. The people from Washington State
are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous, and they
are going to be found traveling the world. They will be extremely
sociable, hardworking, high achieving, and they will be known
throughout the world as diplomats, and carriers of peace."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then proclaimed,
"What about balance, God? You said there would be balance."
God smiled, "There is another Washington...wait until you see the
idiots I put there."

2nd day of summer...

Yesterday I woke up at 415, and rested my chin on the window sill and watched the new season be born. It was a WONDERFUL morning. There is a swainsons Thrush in the woods behind the house, and it is the first bird to be heard in the morning, and the last bird to be heard at night. The robins were the next ones to wake up and Mr. Robin Red Breast sat way high up on the top of the hemlock trees and sang his little heart out. Wake up, wake up, Cherrio, Cherrio, wake up now, wake up now...

Lola was sleeping in, and so was everyone else except for me and Chitters, who was keeping me company watching the sun rise higher in the sky. Soon Tyler was awake, and he jumped up and started kneading my fantastically fleshy parts and purring and drooling all over me.




At noon I had to corral Tyler and Tippy in their carriers and take them back to their mommie who got back in town on Thursday. They serenaded me all the way in to Oak Harbor.

Going through San de Fuca, I noticed that the farmers were cutting and baling the first cutting of hay. We have gone from the traditional square bales that are easily stacked in the barn to the round bales, which are easily rolled. I snapped the above picture while going around a curve at 50 MPH and my arm hanging out the window.




I thought then that I would try to get some pictures of the turn out area on Sherman Hill, but all of the flowers were gone except for the wild daisies and dandelions. So I headed down Sherman Road to the Sunnyside Cemetery where I knew there were some California Poppies blooming wild along the ditches there. Bright orange and yellow flowers lending a festive atmosphere to a normally bleak place.





Looking to my right, I noticed how diversified the Prairie looked with it's differing crops growing. Hay already cut, alfalfa growing all bright green, Summer wheat ready to harvest, and corn already popping up. The Sky was a beautiful blue looking south, not a cloud in the sky. Nowhere!




When I came down the hill into Oak Harbor, I noticed that the Truck from Bell Brothers Farms was at 7-11 and selling their wonderful Strawberries, and right next to her was a canopy and a pick up truck selling fresh cherries. The Eastern Washington Cherries were devastated by the late spring hail storms, so the price of cherries are sky high. This group was from Quilcene, on highway 101 on the Olympic peninsula, and they had Rainier Cherries, and either Queen Annes or Bing cherries, not sure which.

I pulled in and bought the 2nd to the last flat of the strawberries, and then bought 4 2lb boxes of assorted cherries. Don't ever buy fruit and then place it on the front seat right next to you. Someone eats most of it before you get it home. Sadie was not with me, and I had already dropped the cats off, so evidently I must have left my car unlocked when I got gas. ;)

I got the remaining fruit home and pitted the rainier cherries, and made cherry jam, and was going to make the Others too but I was out of lids and Pectin, so I had to stop. Bob came over and I sent him to the store for some hamburger so I could make spaghetti, and while he was gone, I made homemade shortcakes for the strawberries. I then sliced 2 boxes of the fresh juicy sweet fruits and only had to put just a tad bit of sugar into it to get the juice out.

Spaghetti garlic bread and fresh strawberry shortcake out on the deck. Ah was a wonderful day in the Pacific Northwest.

We are sposed to hit mid 90'sF today and even hotter tomorrow. There is still not a cloud in the sky, and you can see all the mountains all the way around the sound. These days are the jewels that sustain us through the rest of the bleary year. When they say Seattle and Rain, they are right! But don't tell anyone, but North Whidbey and the San Juan islands and the North side of the Olympic peninsula are in the rain shadow of the mountains, so where Seattle gets 35+ inches of rain a year, we get 17! SHHHHHH It is a secret. We don't want a lot of people finding out about it.

I had better get off my lazy butt and get busy, As I have a flat of strawberries to put up, and a yard to mow, and the tack strips to pry up so the new carpets can get installed. This next week should see things move right along. I hope so. It has been 6 weeks now!!! Sheesh...

I'm TRYING to post...

Hang in there folks, It appears that with everything else that is going WRONG with my life right now, I CANT POST PICTURES EITHER!! I am trying to post a nice springy themed post about the island. I promised this to Herman over a Month ago, but I have been trying for two hours tonight AGAIN to post. PHHHFFFFTTTTTTT!!!! No Joy!!! >:(

The babies are flying...

The baby Woodpeckers are fledged and learning how to survive. THey are so cute with their fuzzy baby feathers sticking out from under their big boy clothes, but still sticking real close to Momma!

I have to refill the suet feeders twice a week now because the population of woodpeckers has suddenly increased by three times! At first I was not sure it was babies until I saw this pair and momma was filling her beak with suet and then feeding the baby. Once the babies have figured out what to do then Momma and the baby both fly away and then baby comes back, and then just like a human baby learning how to eat, they will peck at the suet, and get it all over their face and into their feathers and eyes. THey are so much fun to watch. THe Male babies have a bright red patch on the top of their heads, and as they grow, the red patch moves down the back of their neck, almost as if they were growing through their feathers.

Hairy woodpeckers are twice the size of the DOwny woodpeckers and have a longer beak, but other than that they are identical. THe babies are really trying their wings and their voices along with learning how to eat.

Nothing boring about my back yard!

No Stanley Cup for Canada...

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Edmonton-- The Oilers Have lost out.

Leslie has me watching the hockey games now. I routed for the Calgary Flames when ever I could see a game, which was not often since I no longer get CBC . And the when the Edmonton Oilers made it into the playoffs, and they were broadcast, I watched the games. I have no clue what the rules to the game are, but I am catching on. I still am not sure why there was no Goalie at the Oilers net when the Hurricanes shot that 3rd puck into the goal. They kept talking about the empty net, so I suppose there was a good reason for it, ??????

So The Oilers did not win the Stanley Cup although they gave it a good shot! They went farther than anyone expected, and to take nothing away from South Carolina, No one on that team had ever been in a Stanley Cup so they played good too.

I hear that Everett has a Minor League Hockey team called the Silverbacks or the Grizzlies or something like that. I may have to make my SIL take me to a game or two.

The sun was out all bright and warm, but it was accompanied by a bitting cold wind. I swear it almost felt like Fall. I Think If it is this nice tomorrow I will try to get the front lawn mowed again. Maybe even the back one too. Gotta keep at it this time of the year.

Hope you all are having a good week.

Mark one job Completed!

My SIL Sherry came over and helped me put the wallpaper border up in my bedroom and finish the bathroom so finally after 3 years, of incomplete bedroom, I am now complete!!! I am still waiting for the floors and the trim to be completed, but that is out of my hands. Barbara is planning on doing the trim in July! when ever the carpets get installed I have no idea.

It looks so pretty in my bedroom now. Now more cobwebs! No more smoke shadows from the woodstove! whoot! All I need to do now is decorate!! I swiped a discarded bookcase from my neighbors driveway, and I am gonna paint it white tomorrow and then install that in my bedroom. ANother place to stack books!

Sherry and I then went out back and while she weeded the fence line, I applied deck wash to the mossy deck! It did take the moss off, but it did NOT clean the deck completely like it said it would, SO tomorrow I will get out there with Tide and Clorox and get the job done right.

I'm Getting there folks!! Now if only FLoors Plus calls tomorrow and says they are ready to install!! I SOOOOO want this over!! I will really be ready for a vacation after this...

So Sweet!

This is why I love new born kittens so very much!! THey are so sweet and helpless. They purr from the very beginning, and even before their eyes are completely open, they are wobbling around trying to play.

Growing up we had cats all the time, and sometimes they would have a litter of kittens, that we were attached to before they had to be given away. I always was in the box and picking them up. I was told not to, because their Mommy would not like that and would move them. SOmetimes she did, but I always found them. I have always loved brand spanking new baby kittens, still damp from the afterbirth, and so helpless.

In the late eighties I had three female cats that all had litters at the same time, and I had Kittens coming out of my ears! Miss Piggy had her litter under my bed, and I pulled the bed away from the wall and reached under to pick them up. SHe thought that was just fine. I left them that way until I woke up one morning with all of them in bed with me. Miss Piggy had decided that if I wanted them up there she would oblige me.

When I was a teenager, we had Siamese cats, and the momma cat was very attached to Mom and Dad, and had her litter under the covers in Moms bed, right up against her bare leg. That was different.

I dont have any kittens now, and it is probably just as well. with all the cats I have and am taking care of, I dont need any more. THe three I have are PLENTY, then with Lint, my SOn's cat, here, and the two I am taking care of for Dottie, THere are more than enough felines in this house. I sure would love to raise a litter of kittens though.

ANd I have to confess, the picture below of Bea, isnt. It looks just like her, but it is not her. Right now she is looking pretty tattered, because of her haircut, but she is definately better off for it. She will grow her wool back in a month or so, and will look just like that picture again.

***************************************************************************

Hey Leslie, Did you hear me yelling? Whoot!! I was so afraid that NBC had pulled the game, but it was playing on an auxilliary channel. Whew!! SO I got to see the whole game. Now on to Monday!! Go Oilers!! We want the CUP!!

Bad Mommie...

I have absolutely neglected Miss Bea Bunny since the flood. I usually let her out of her cage as soon as I let Sadie out in the morning, and then Loki and Bea chase each other around in the spare room. (Library now) She did not like to get out on the Living room floor as it was too slick and she could not get her footing. So she would hop into the Library and hide under the rocker, or behind the bookcases, until Loki would chase her out. THey are really quite cute together.

Bea is a Jersey Wooley, a dwarf size long haired rabbit. Her wool is 10" long and her coat gets quite thick. She sheds it down in the spring, but this spring I forgot to groom her and she got terribly terribly matted.

Today I decided to try and cut the mats off. I took her into the bathroom and put her in the tub (no water) so I could contain her easily. I then put her in my lap and started trimming. I got almost a whole grocery sack of wool off of her. I then turned her over to trim around her tail and her vent. I could not tell which was tail and which was fur! I felt, and could not find her tail. It was all matted up together. I did the best I could and got her vent trimmed, and the mats on her head off too.

Her toenails have never been trimmed and they looked just like an old chinese man all long and curly. I trimmed them down, and then tried to get them shorter without hitting the quick. I hit the quick, and blood shot across the bathroom and all over the wall. I was so terrified that I had really hurt her, and she did not even squeal! just jerked a bit.

Sadie was having a fit because I had her bunny and was taking all her fur off. she was not at all happy about it, and was trying to lick her face, or her fanny, which ever end she could get to.

When I had most of the mats off, I put her back into her cage, and picked a giant handfull of bunny bon-bons (rose petals)gave her a nana chip and fresh water and hay and she settled in fine. Tomorrow I am going to set her in about 1 " of warm water to soak off the dirty stuff she sits in, and she will be a nice bunny again. She is pottie trained, and loves her kitties, and her doggie. Sadie stuck her nose into the cage as soon as I put her back and made sure she was ok. They are cute together, but I dont for one minute think that Sadie would not try to eat her if given the chance. Animals being what they are and all.

So now I am a good mommie again, and Bea is a happy bunny, and Tomorrow she will be a CLEAN happy bunny. She cuddles up so sweet, and gives what they call tooth purrs, she will grind her teeth with contentment. Loves to have her ears rubbed too. Just DO NOT touch her vent! She will bite then! Good Girl!! If only I could have taught my daughter that...

I hate WAITING!!!!

I hate waiting for people!  I just HATE it.  It seems like I have spent half of my life waiting for SOMEONE!  
     Waiting for babies to arrive…both babies were 6 weeks late
     Waiting for ships to leave,
     Waiting for ships to arrive
     Waiting for planes to arrive
     Waiting for Dr. appts.
     Waiting for meetings
     Waiting for contractors
     Waiting
          Waiting
               Waiting
                    Waiting!

I just HATE it!

Last night I got a call from Floors Plus, they wanted to come get readings on the floor today between 11 and 12.  Ok, So I haul my sore body out of bed, groggy from Excedin PM hangover and Allergies, get myself ready to meet the contractor, corral the cats and put them into the garage, put Sadie outside, so she would not take a leg off the guy!  Fixed a pot of coffee and sat here at the computer playing solitare, (cant get on line in case they needed to call me) and WAITED! And WAITED! Finally at 1230 a full 90 minutes late, he shows up all cheerful and cute, and took the readings and left.  There were things I needed to do, but none of which I could stop in a jiffy and show him around.  

One of the really bad things about this whole mess, is that there are three different entities that need to come out, and they work me in between others, so I really cant go anywhere,  in case they need to get out and move a fan or a dehumidifier. (they could leave me the moisture meter and I could move the equipment, but I guess that would be breaking their rice bowl!)

So now it is 100 and I have the rest of the afternoon to myself.  My house is still all torn up, I cant clean house, cant put anything away as everything that I would put it away on/in is in the living room or stacked in the spare room.  The underlayment and the subflooring is made of really crappy OSB, and it chips off really easily, so sweeping or vacuuming just tears up the floor.  (you oughta see my fuzzy !)

It has been 4 weeks and STILL the floors are not dry enough to finish!  Makes you wonder why when you spill something on a floor, you can wipe it up and the floor is dry.  ARRGGHHHH!!

I just want my house all back together, the floors all refinished, the furniture all put back where it belongs and the baseboards back up.  Then I can sort of relax until the next crisis hits, and the way my life is going, it wont be long.

five weird habits/facts about myself

1. I HAVE to put my left shoe on first , If I forget and put the wrong shoe on I have to take them both off and start over.

2. I am NOT a housekeeper. However if someone comes to do something for me, It must be JUST right! Bob actually told me one day that some times perfection gets in the way of good enough! Put down his hammer and walked away. I keep my mouth shut around him now.

3. If I have a year to get something done, I will wait until day 363 and then panic and get it done. I don’t know why, I just do. And I really work better under pressure, however It makes me CRAZY!

4. I absolutely LOVE See’s bon-bons. Especially the orange ones and the tipperary ones. I will eat the whole bag on the 45 mile trip home. Needless to say, I don’t get them very often.

5. The sheer thought of getting out in the dating world again,SCARES ME TO DEATH! Getting naked again in front of a man is terrifying! So I wont! Bob is safe! Platonic, but safe!


I am NOT going to tag anyone on this, Because I hate to put pressure on anyone, but feel free….

Summer Fog...

I had to run into Oak Harbor yesterday afternoon, and on the way up the highway, heading towards Sherman Hill, I looked out over the Prairie and noticed that the fog was laying low over the strait, blocking the passage between Whidbey Island and Port Townsend. I had heard the ferry horn blowing all morning long, and it was a dark morning. THe kind of dark morning that you know must have clouds, but you cant see them. I Love the summer fog. It lays in wait out on the water, just waiting for the sun to get a tad bit higher and make the land warmer. Then it will thicken up, and slide slowly in, like it is trying to catch you unawares.

There is a stand of trees on a hill between Coupeville and Fort Casey, up on the bluff about 100 feet higher than the beach. The prairie reaches the beach just North of there, and that is where the Fog sneaks in first. It reaches it's fingers up and over the top of the trees like a giant monster reaching up from the water to grab the stand of trees and hide them from view. Then the fog will slowly, ever so slowly creep onto the land, and cover the road, and the houses it encounters. When you drive into it, it gets so dark and thick, that you would think that you were in another world. Everything turns dark grey, and you can not see. You must turn on your headlights, not to see but to BE seen!! It turns very cold, and creeps right under your skin.

As you continue your drive into the fog, you suddenly start to see the light at the end of the road. Soon you have driven right through it all, and are back in the sunshine again. When you turn to look back at the fog, it is slowly creeping back away from you, to head back down to the water, and lay in wait for the next time.

As we get farther and farther into the summer, the fog will get thicker and thicker at night. And will blow in from the water just as the sun starts to go down. We call it Nature's air conditioner. Usually hits on the hottest days, and then cools off the nights so that you can sleep.

As you lay in bed at night you can hear the horns of the ships out on the strait, blowing their mournful sounds, and letting others out there know that they are out there too. Hard to feel lonely with all that company...

Sunday Funnies!!

My very sick Friend Pete Wicks sends me the funniest jokes!! This one I could not resist posting!!



A priest, a Pentecostal preacher and a Rabbi all served as chaplains to the

students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk

shop.

One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really

all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear and convert it to

their faith.

One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment . They would

all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it.



Seven days later, they're all together to discuss their experiences.

Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has

various bandages, goes first.

"Well," he says, "I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I

found him I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to

do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water,

sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle a lamb. The bishop

is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation."



Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and

both legs in casts, and had an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he

claimed, " WELL brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND me a

bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted

nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled

down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I

quick DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became

as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus."



They both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He

was in a body cast and traction with IV's and monitors running in and out of him. He was

in bad shape. The rabbi looks up and says, "Looking back on it, circumcision may not

have been the best way to start."

_____________________________________________________________

My SIL Sherry came over to get her fix on working in the garden, and has my front yard looking better than I have ever seen it! bLESS HER HEART. She said she did not want to make me feel bad, but her yard did not need any work, and she wanted to get dirty!! Man can I help her out there.

Bob came over and helped me get the carpet out of my bedroom, so that is now done.

I got all the washing done, and the last load in the dryer.

Got all three Lobby posters finished for STEEL MAGNOLIAS< POLLYANNA and CAINE MUTINY, so tomorrow I will go in and get them up and then I will have NOTHING left at the playhouse! WAHHHH!! I needed the break, but I will be ready to get back into it soon.
Service Master was back out again today to set up the dehumidifier and 4 more fans to try and dry out the floors. He crawled under the house, and all the puddles have dried up, so it is just the subflooring that is still damp. He will be back on tuesday to recheck. Man I will be glad when this mess is DONE!!

Hey Leslie, How 'Bout them Oilers? I watched most of the game, but got busy and missed the end, and guess I shoulda watched it huh?

Friday visiting day...

I could not sleep at all last night, I was so sore and hurting from all the work I did this week. I tried, but I just could not get to sleep. Finally about 630 AM I said screw it and got up. Drank a cup of left over coffee, warmed in the microwave. (YUCK) and putzed around the house. I finally got sleepy about 900 so I laid down to see if I could get a few hours sleep before time to go visit the felon! I think I got all of maybe 90 minutes. Ah well.

I drove in to see Tim at 100, and stayed for 15 minutes, then drove on back home. Bob was right behind me, as we were going to go to the matinee and see DaVinci Code. We got into town, and the movie was gone!!! Ah well!! So we went window shopping at Home Depot. Whee.... THen To Applebees for a hamburger for dinner, and back home.

Bob wanted to surf for awhile,so I did some poster work for the Playhouse, and he surfed in the office. He is very illiterate when it comes to computers, so I had to keep yelling directions to him. He is a brilliant man, but he can NOT spell. So every five minutes "How do you spell, receivers?" "How do you spell Kayak?" Whee again!

Now I am laying on my tummy playing with my wonderful laptop! It is so nice to have it working right again. I just wish I had all of my pictures on this one, but I dont have, so I will have to find new places to look.

While I am thinking of it, My side bar is all out of date, so look over there, and if your blog is not listed, or not listed correctly, let me know so I can re do them all. I still have Kimmotion on there, and I know she went away. ;)

It is COLD tonight! DOWN INTO THE 40'S!! So I have my afghan out and the cats are loving it. THey are all curled up on their part of the bed,on top of the afghan. Time to go let Sadie in for nite-nite. Have a great weekend ya'll!

updates....

bills afghan

I just realized that I have not posted a picture of my latest Afghan. This one is for my SIL, Bill. He wanted sage and brown, and I found this pattern that used different colors of the same hue to make different squares. It is a Giant Granny according to the pattern. I really like it!! It was fun to do too. Even Bob likes it, so I may have to make him one in the same color scheme. I think they both like it because it looks like camoflauge!

______________________________________________________________________________


fireplace

I finally finished the wall in the living room, changed the color, and repainted it. Here it is all finished!!! THe rest of the room is a light Yellow.

Another project completed!!

_______________________________________________________________________________



bathroom

This is the hall bathroom. I painted it an oceanic blue, even though it looks kinda green here. It is a tropical light blue! I really like it!! Now I have to find some money to decorate it with!!

and another room finished and waiting for the floor.

________________________________________________________________________________

I have JUST finished painting my bedroom, but I cant cross it off the list yet, because I am waiting for the final paint on the ceiling to dry so I can put the wall paper border up, then I can post a picture of that and cross it off.

I was planning on painting the utility room tonight, but the dryer vent came loose again, and it is a real pain to crawl back there and re-tape it. SO I will wait until the floors get installed, and then I will paint and re tape all at one time. Unless I get really antsy and want it done NOW!!!

I am even reconsidering the yellow in the living room. It is only 1-2 years old, but I think I may go with a light taupe or a latte. Still thinking on that one. THe kitchen is such a gren green that I am afraid It needs to get redone also. THe vinyl is a loden green I think.

I have this drive to get it all done!! I am tired of living in a half done house. Bob still has not finished his place, and it is almost 10 years old. I refuse to do that anymore. FINISH THOSE PROJECTS!!!

If it quits raining tomorrow, (HA!) I want to get out and scrub the deck with deck wash, and get all the mildew off of it. THen I can migrate outside to blogwalk. I have a screen on my laptop, that does not show up in the bright sun, but I think there is a screen you can put over it to keep it visible isnt there? THe liquid crystal just turns black!! Phfftt. I found a copy of Windows XP professional, and now I am up and running with office 2003 on it too. WHOOT!!

Maybe I need to get all these projects off my back so I can concentrate on the next great american novel. (LOLOLOLOLOL)

Floors Plus says that it will be July 1 at the earliest before the floors are dry enough to replace. Now who would have thought that water on a floor for 30 minutes would cause so much chaos!! I will be ready for a long vacation when they are done!!

I am POOPED!!...

I got up this morning expecting SERVICE MASTER to come out and finish the prep work on the subfloor, but they called and needed to cancel until 4-5 this afternoon. That was fine with me, as I had tons of errands to run. So I sat down wrote out the checks for my car insurance and my house payment and 2nd mortgage, and made a list of places I had to hit while in town. Only 1 or 2 trips into town any more. So I headed out, went to Whidbey Coffee and got an iced latte for breakfast, then ran over to the Playhouse to pick up mat boards for the past two shows, so I can do the lobby posters. Then I ran into State Farm and pain my Car insurance, stopped by the Dutch Maid Laundry and turned in 5 blouses to get cleaned, ran over to Skagit Farmers Supply to get suet for the woodpeckers. I then skipped over to Home Depot and got more paint. I needed 1 more quart for the hall bathroom, and I knew I would need more mixed for the bedroom, so I got that too.

I got home at 300, and right behind me was Service Master. So I herded the cats into the garage and Sadie outside, and let him do his thing while I finished painting my bedroom.

Since I went ahead and ordered the carpeting for my Bedroom also, (my expense, it didn't get wet) and I needed to get the rug off the floor before they put the new one down, I moved all the furniture over to one side of the room, tore out the baseboards, and pulled up the carpet from under the dressers, rolled it up and after the wall was painted, I moved the dressers over the roll and onto the bare floor. Then I called My SIL Sherry to come help me lift the bed over the roll, so I could walk, and then finished tearing out the baseboards around the room. Now the rug is loose, and waiting for Bob to come over and help me carry it out of the room. 13 years of walking and living on that carpet, and you should SEE the sand that is under the pad!! DISGUSTING!!!! Once the carpets and flooring are all in, I am gonna make EVERYBODY take their shoes off when they come in.

I also found a copy of windows XP and installed that on my laptop, so I could then install Office 2003 on it too. That took 75 minutes, and I did it on my tummy on my bed in my newly painted and clean bedroom, while I watched the CONCERT of South Pacific on PBS!!

It is now 1100, and I am dirty, and sweaty, and full of paint, and my back hurts and my KNEES are revolting because of all the time I spent on them the past three days. But by GOD, the walls are all painted except for the utility room which gets done tomorrow! Then when Rusty can get her boys (men) convinced that they need to paint my ceilings, I am in great shape!! If she cant convince them, then I will do it myself, and get it over with.

All of the things I had on the list, I did EXCEPT THE HOUSE PAYMENT!!!! SHIT!!! I FORGOT THE HOUSE PAYMENT!!! Ah well, if they reposes, they will get a new house...

time for a long hot soak in Epsom salts!! Wish I had some foo-foo juice!! Ah well.

Busy day...

Yesterday was my date night. I have been wanting to go see DaVinci Code for weeks now, but Bob has had other ideas. Yesterday we went to the afternoon matinee, which was a lot cheaper, and then out to dinner.

We got into the theater and there was no one else in the place but us, until just as the movie started. Then there were quite a few. Bob started getting a pain in his stomach, and thought he was having gas pains. He is not one to worry about where he farts, he just does it. Burps the same way. Nice guy.

Anyway the movie had started, and we were at the spot where the monk was stripping and flagellating himself, when Bob lets out a groan. I thought he was groaning at the movie, but he slid down in his seat and started making sounds like he was in dire pain.

We left. I drove him towards the hospital, but he started feeling better, so I headed back to my house. Figured that way if he went down, I could call 911, and they would be right there, they are only 1/2 mile away and they all know me and Bob very well.

Got him in the house, and he wanted to walk, so he marched up and down the street, from my house to the cul de sac, which is two houses up. And back and forth he marched. Yep. Marched!Arms swinging, and legs thrown out in front. Then I look out the window and he is right in the middle of the street doing his tai chi. Now I live In a normal middle class neighborhood, and if people do tai chi, (which I doubt) they do it in the privacy of their homes. Not Bob. Gotta get that colon stretched out any where he can, and fart so the pain is better. Right in the middle of the street, in front of the yellow house with the lady who covers her children's ears when I cuss at Sadie. I KNOW that woman must tell her kids to stay away from the people in the grey house. I KNOW she does.

Any way, he is doing his thing, and looking pretty weird while doing it, but he has color back in his face. I ask how he is feeling, and he farts, and says much better.
When he comes back into the house, I make him drink several glasses of water, and chew some gas X pills. He felt a lot better, and when I queried him about his eating that day, he mentioned that he was over at Ron's house and had 2 fried clams for breakfast. (and then proceeds to tell me that he has the rest of them in fresh water at home. They had been in water for three days.) DUH!! A good dump later, he felt really good, so I fixed him some mild spaghetti, and sent him home around 8:00.

Still have not seen the DaVinci Code.

I went to bed early, and took some Tylenol PM and slept like a baby all night! I woke up at 900 when the neighbors started weedeating their fence line, right under my window. I dozed in the sun and fresh air until about 1100, lazy ass that I am, on my back, and I realized that I DID NOT HURT ANYWHERE... so I rolled out of bed, made a pot of coffee, and got dressed. I blogwalked a little bit, but thought I needed to do something useful, while I felt good, so I finished painting the living room wall by the fireplace. Now this does not sound like a lot, but it is the wall with the alcove, and the bookshelves, and it has been 1/2 way painted for over a year, waiting to be finished. I changed the color, repainted the the whole wall, and felt like I had really accomplished something. So now with the exception of the ceilings, the kitchen, the living room, the hall, and the dining room all have fresh paint on them. I am hoping that tomorrow I will feel like painting the utility room and possibly the bathroom. Both are very small rooms, 5 X 10 each. So I should be able to do that. It is my goal anyway. That will leave just my bedroom to paint!!

I said this was going to be the year of unfinished projects, but jeez, I did not think I was gonna have to crap it all into one month!! Rusty is gonna have her boys come paint my ceiling in the living room and dining room, because they owe her lots of money, and she wants them to work it off. And besides, she is just a really nice lady to offer her help!

Barbara is planning to come help me do the trim around the doors, as I do not have a steady hand when it comes to cutting in paint. (That is why God created wall paper borders!!)

SO it looks like things Are heading in the right direction to be completed before the floors get installed. I am hoping they will be done by July 1st though. It will be so nice to have the whole house redone, I went ahead and ordered the carpet for my room also, so ALL the floors will be new, and all the walls painted, and the garage is almost empty, so when I scrub that out, I will have done all that I wanted to 3 years ago!!

The yard will be next, but other than mowing, I am going to take my time and try to get it in some semblance of order, and ready for NEXT spring.

I have not forgotten that I promised a Spring blog to Herman in the Netherlands, I was just having problems with my desk top PC and that is where all of my pictures are stored. So tomorrow evening I will try again to get that item crossed off my list!!

I Think I will turn off the light and try sleeping now...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ