Shhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

I have a beagle asleep at my feet and a hubby asleep on the other end of the couch from where I'm sitting.  Both of them have been known to snore, although at the moment it's all quiet.

Today is a fun day. It's National Coffee Day!  One of my favorite days, for probably obvious reasons.  Guess Bill didn't participate in observing it. :)

Is it only Tuesday?

Alright Already!!!

(Froggy, that title is for you.  :)  NagNagNagNag...)  (Just kidding you know.)

First things first.  Fun stuff:

(Notice that the girl minion is a REDHEAD!)

This is the little, wooden rocking chair that my parents gave Otter when she was about 1 or so.  They brought it to her and it was love at first sight, she loved that chair and wanted it to stay in the living room.  She sat in it when she watched tv, she rocked her baby dolls in it, and she was very attached to it.  When she outgrew it, it held stuffed animals.  When we moved to our current house, it went into storage in the attic.  When she moved out and her room became the Room The Yarn Stash Lives In, it needed something and that something was Otter's little rocking chair.  My stuffed, TEXAS-related animals are now sitting in it and the rubber crocodile underneath is also Otters.  Well, hers and mine actually - and his name is Crickey.  The chair and assorted animals occupy a space in the Yarn room.  The yellow yarn ball is in Baby Bevo's hands and so is a crochet hook - the long piece of yellow yarn is actually the first (and probably only) piece of crochet Otter ever made.

It's supposed to look like Baby Bevo is crocheting.

(Billyboy, this one is for you.)

This one isn't really appropriate for my work, but it does apply to someone I know who has to put up with really bad stuff at work.

This one?  Well, it obviously applies to me!

OK, now that the jokes are out of the way.  My Fenton collection increased last week.  Otter and I went to one of our favorite junk-tique places and I found something:

(That is a stock photo and not mine.)  I've been looking for a piece of Fenton in the color known as Amberina.  I found a huge compote, thumbprint pattern and in the Amberina color while we were there.  IT WAS $5.00.  And it is perfect.  The larger pieces in general are becoming more rare, it is glass after all and glass breaks.  This color is pretty hard to find and the thumbprint pattern is somewhat uncommon - not really rare, but getting there.

Fuzzbutt Beagle, also known as Maggie Moo, went to the vet yesterday.  It's been two months since her last rear gland cleaning and nail trim, she was starting to drag her rear around so we knew she was ready.  The vet said that she wasn't completely impacted this time, but that she was close.  So, we'll keep her on the two months schedule unless we need to change it to more often.  She hates to have her claws trimmed and we got tired of fighting her so every time she goes to the vet for any reason, we have them trimmed.  While we were there, she met another dog that was just leaving and she seemed to be pretty happy.  Until the vet's assistant came to get her.  Then, it was time to play Drag the Dog!  Literally.  I had to lift her up off of the floor so the assistant could get her,and she immediately plopped herself right back down.  She literally had to drag/walk her to the back so they could gets her needs taken care of.  When she was done, she just about yanked the girl's arm out of it's socket in her haste to get back to me!  She is 28 pounds, which is about a pound and a half over what she was in July but she's still within allowable range for a small to medium beagle.

However, she is still known as BowlingBallButt for a good reason!

fridayfridayfridayfridayfriday... Oh Yeah, it's Friday the 13th!!

I'm not superstitious at all, but today has certainly been one of "those days" and I'm glad it's about over!

I think Otter agrees, based on the texts she sent me today.

On that note, I think I'll have a drink and put my feet up tonight.  And that's about as productive as I'm going to be!

Just a Few Things

I have heard # 4 described as "your friendly neighborhood/galaxy psycopath" and I think that might be right.  (Of course, Bill also operates at a level of insanity that few people ever manage to accomplish!)

Serious problem, running out of redshirts.

(Can't think of anyone this could be...)

The yarn wins.  The yarn always wins.

Nope, I don' think even a scarf would have helped # 11!  (Or 12, according to the War Doctor storyline.  Which would mean that the current # 12 is actually # 13?

Today is the first day I really feel like I'm recovered from the bug.  Bill was quiet last night, he didn't cough all night and he hardly snored.

It's Pie Day!!!

Not to be confused with Pi Day, which is in March.

I made one of these last night and we'll get into it tonight:

(That's not mine, it's a stock photo)

Yes, Froggy.  We will have ice cream with it.

Go get some pie!  (You can also have pie on Pi Day, you just have to wait a couple of months.)

Warm Feet

I have warm feet.  In other words, I have my afghan over my legs and a beagle at my feet.  Usually, she is UNDER the afghan and ON my feet but this afternoon she is on top of the afghan and next to my feet.  My left foot, to be precise.  And she's close enough that her body heat is radiating to my left foot.  It's very warm.  She stretches her beagle self every so often, but she never really moves away.  Frasier is parked in front of the coffee table, nap # 4958477 of the day is in progress for him.

 

I'm home today.  I do feel better, but not well yet.  However, I am now back to thinking that this is the flu-ish bug but not the actual flu.  Whatever, I'm still treating the symptoms and taking it easy.

 

I did have to go to the post office.  Bill had something that needed to be mailed but got left at home, so I ran it up there for him.  He has my car today, so I got to drive the Big Car.  With the blocks holding the driver's side window in place, so I couldn't roll the window down.  It's cool and misty, it was raining earlier so I didn't really need to window to be down.  But the weather stripping that goes around the window is also messed up, it falls out of it's track every time the door is opened.  Anyway, I stopped at Wallyworld because I ran out of Kleenex and thought I'd better get more.  Walmart was in the middle of being re-stocked, which is almost never seen by customers.  I guess that Friday mid-morning is not normally a busy time for them, but I'm not usually in there at that time so I'm just guessing.

 

I haven't gotten any crochet done today, I mostly have been parked on the couch reminding myself why I dislike daytime tv!  I finished my Stephen King book last night, Cell I think is the name but it might be Pulse.  I don't think I'm actually going to collect all his works, I don't think I have enough room for what could fill a large library!  But I am going to add to my collection a bit.  I still have several that I haven't read, they were part of Otter's horde originally.  I'm not sure which one will be next.

 

Anyway, it is at least Friday.

I Feel Like Something Funny is Needed (Ramble Warning)

Because I feel cruddy otherwise.  I first noticed last Friday that I was feeling what could have been my asthmatic lungs letting me know that they were awake.  I spent most of the day Friday and all last weekend sneezing my head off - and wondering why, because all the allergy triggers have been frozen!  I heard a news report yesterday that the Tulsa Health Department has released.  There are a few assorted cold-like or flu-like bugs that are going around but they are not the flu - but apparently the emergency rooms are being filled up with people thinking they have the flu but what they have is one of the bugs.  Which don't respond to treatment and have to be worn out.  Yesterday, I started to feel pretty bad and was exhausted by the end of the day so I was pretty sure that I might have one of those bugs.  The cold-type, not the flu-type is my guess.  I didn't want to go to work today, but I had a couple of projects that I had to do and that had to be done today so I had no choice.  I got everything done that needed to be done and I was pretty tired by the end of the day. Also, I'm still sneezing my head off and tonight my throat is getting sore.

 

I am most likely going to be home tomorrow, but I'll decide for sure in the morning.

 

The extreme cold last night that hung around until this morning didn't help!  It was in the low teens last night and I like to froze just going from the house to the car this morning!  It was so cold that my car had difficulty getting warm enough to actually blow other-than-ice-cold-air when I needed the heater.  It won't be as cold tonight, but it will still be cold.

 

I picked Otter up at her apartment after work today - she made a point of keeping the neck of her hoodie over her face and not facing me!  I don't blame her, she doesn't want to be sick.  Anyway, she got the car tonight and will have it until Sunday.  She'll bring her laundry over then and might actually get to keep the car all next week as well because Bill's taking a few vacation days so he'll be off the entire week of Thanksgiving.  Although I'm probably going to take her car to Chevy to get the oil changed on Black Friday, and Bill will need it one day to replace a clogged valve.

 

Anyway, here's the funny stuff:

This one is especially funny, Dad always told a joke about how he grabbed Preparation H instead of his denture adhesive once!  I don't really think it happened, I have heard variations of that joke for years but it was funny anyway.

OK, so that's not funny.  But it is true and we always like Mike Rowe.  Dirty Jobs is no longer being produced, but we always wanted to see a show where he painted parking lots - preferably lots in S. TEXAS that had been baking in the incandescent sun all day!

This one isn't actually a joke, either.  It's true!

I like this one for a couple of reasons!  Not the least of which is that I'm married to an Engineer and most of the stories about them are true....

Funny Monday Stuff

Well, funny stuff is funny.  But Monday is not!

Love this one!

Not a major fan of the 11th Dr.  (His tagline is that ______ are Cool and he fills in the blank with just about everything he sees.)   Not sure about the 12th, considering the "secret doctor" storyline which I guess would make the current one 13?   I've lost count.  But the point is, # 4 is THE BEST ONE.  # 1 was good, obviously because he was the first.  But 4 is the best!

Enlarge this one if you need to, it's worth the read!

 

As far the Monday stuff, it's just that:  Monday.  I picked Otter up at her apartment at 7:00 this morning and got her at work at 6:00 p.m to take her home.  I will also get her to work tomorrow, then she'll have the car for Wednesday.  Bill needs it Thursday and Friday, but I think she's off those two days.  She'll get the car Friday evening and bring it back after work Sunday.

 

On Monday, she is probably going to have the day off.  Which is because she requested it, due to the dentist appointment she has for a possible cavity that needs to be checked out.  Our dentist retired a few months ago so we need to find a new one, we're going to try a new one on Monday and see how he is.

 

Still no email.  Saturday night, the computer had a notation about "restarting in 2 days to finish installing updates."  Which is never true, it always does it the next time it's turned on.  I had to turn it back on to look something up after checking my email Saturday evening, and  the updates installed.  And I haven't been able to access my email since then.  Turns out, some of those "needed" updates included updating my not-broken-and-should-not-have-been-fixed email program!  There is a way to reset back to before the update, we tried that yesterday but it wouldn't take.  Probably because of the anti-virus program we have.  Bill talked to the computer geeks at work and they all told him the same thing:  Reload Office.  Which we will probably do this week.  Hopefully, that will a) work and b) I haven't lost all my emails.  I'm thinking we need to do a back up before we attempt to reload anything.  I did discover that there is a way to not have the updates install automatically, but we aren't making any changes until we're sure we've gotten everything working again.  Stupid Windows!

 

Maggie is snoozing at my feet, on the pillow I was going to use as a foot rest.  Frasier is probably curled up on their blankets, since that is what he usually does about this time of evening.

 

I think they both have the right idea:  frequent naps!

Um OK, Friday?

Drawing a complete blank on a title today.

It's been an odd week.  It's July, but it's been in the 60's for a couple of days.  60's!!  Yesterday was rainy, today is cloudy and overcast but not rainy.  We were supposed to get rain a couple of days early this week, but it held off until yesterday.  But it was not the hard rain we were expecting.  We still need more, but at least we got some rain.

I've been fighting what I first thought was a sinus infection for a few days, but now I think it's "just" allergies.  I thought Wednesday morning that it was a migraine and I called in because my head hurt to bad but now I don't think it was.  However, I have had allergy issues and they've been enough that I thought I needed to get as much rest as I could.  I've gone in the last two days, but I didn't have a whole lot to do and I came home as soon as I got my daily stuff done.  Motrin, liquids and rest.  I really wish I could take allergy medication, but none of it works on me.

Otter just texted me (she's at work) to let me know that one of her ears is bothering her.  She said she put drops in it this morning, I guess she means Swim Ear drops, but she said it still feels funny.  I hope she is not dealing with an ear infection.  She hasn't been swimming but she might have gotten water in it in the shower.

No particular reason for the picture, I just thought it was cute.  Of course, the sofa table in the background is cluttered but it doesn't look like that anymore.

Just because it was cute.  Otter babies!

Yarn on the floor, and it must be dealt with immediately!

Froggy, I bet you agree with this one!  (But did we ever listen to Mom and do it her way at first?)

 

OK, that's enough for today.  Keep your fingers crossed that I do not have to run Otter up to the urgent care place about her ear tonight.  The fact that she's actually admitting to "discomfort" means that it's really bothering her, she is a very stoic young lady and it has to really be bothering her for her to even admit that much.  I think that comes from years and years of severe asthma spells and learning from a very young age how to deal with potentially life-threatening issues without panic!  Unfortunately, it also means that when she does have something that needs to be dealt with immediately, she doesn't always realize it!  Oh, yeah - she also learned over the years how to deal with serious stuff like blood and broken bones from having to deal with the Resident Engineer!  Froggy, I bet that KN#3 also learned a few lessons from Uncle Crazy and that might have had some bearing why she is a natural nurse!**

 

**KN#3 will be an official nurse with a degree to prove it in a few weeks.  We're very proud of her.

Thursday Stuff

First of all:

This describes my Frasier to a "T" (except for the part about missing the ball, he has no interest in them.)  His eyes are very similar to the dog in the picture, although they are a little lighter in color - like a coyote's.

 

Yesterday was Wednesday, which is the normal day THE sirens are tested.  But it was rainy, cloudy and windy.  So the siren test was the silent one - I think the silent tests are basically when they confirm that the radio signals are working and that they can communicate with the sirens.  Some of the sirens were supposed to be tested today, with sound, but I don't think that it happened.  It was cloudy and cool with lots and lots of wind until mid-late afternoon.  When the sirens are tested on days other than Wednesday, there is usually a boatload of publicity about it so that people don't panic.  This year, because of last year, there has been a lot in the news already about readiness and preparations.  Not that you can ever really be "ready" for tornados.  But they do happen here, obviously.

 

Froggy, I'm so glad you agree with joining me on the A-list!  We'll be very happy there, I think.  :)

 

There was a really funny listing on craigslist yesterday.  Someone advertised a jackalope! 

 

One of these, for the non-Texans:

Although I don't think that they are strictly TEXAS.  It's just that we like strange animals, a prime example being what the rest of the world (other than TEXAS) calls a horned toad.  We know what they are really called, it's just that some people think it's an impolite term and I'm trying to be polite!  Anyway, the listing was for a 2-month old jackalope and it was really funny.  There was no contact information, obviously!  There were a couple of comments left today as listings on craigslist - one of them said that the jackalope in question was obviously an adult and not a baby, given the fully developed set of antlers.  I guess that they are born with nubs, similar to a baby rattlesnake!  :)

 

OK, enough nonsense for today.

It Slices, It Dices

Remember this?:

 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I did not come here tonight to make you laugh! I came here to sell you something! And I want ya to pay particular attention, because The Amazing Master Tool Corporation, a subsidiary of Fly By Night Industries, has entrusted who? -- me! -- to show you! -- the handiest and the dandiest kitchen tool you've ever seen, and don't ya wanna know how it works! First you take an ordinary apple! You place the ordinary apple in between the patented pans! Then you reach for the tool that is not a slicer, not a dicer, not a chopper in a hopper! What in the heck can it possibly be? SLEDGE-O-MATIC!" 

• "Sledge-O-Matic removes unwanted fingerprints from walls. Sledge-O-Matic also removes unwanted walls from fingerprints."
• "Sledge-O-Matic will teach the dumbest dog to play dead, it puts the cat out all night, and it keeps the neighbors' kids in their own yards."

It's the brilliant Gallagher's version of this product:

It's a Veg-o-matic.

 

Back in our eBay days, we had a couple of these little gems show up in auction boxes.  They always sold amazingly well.  I kept one of them, and it was a wonderful little appliance.   I found one at a yard sale one time, it was not complete but I figured I'd be able to cannibalize parts from it for mine.  Which would have worked, except that Bill decided (on his own, without permission from me!) that he needed to sell mine and I could just keep the broken one.  Needless to say, the Borg Queen was not amused when she discovered it after he sold it!  And she's also never forgiven him for that act, either.  Very shortly after the Borg Queen discovered his traitorous act, he was officially banned-for-life from EVER even thinking about selling anything of mine, any appliance, anything in the kitchen and a whole list of other items.  EVER.  Unless I give him permission BEFOREHAND.

 

But he redeemed himself this week.  He found one on eBay, it's intact and has an extra blade.  It also came in it's original box!  It arrived yesterday.

 

However, he is still firmly officially banned-for-life from EVER even thinking about selling anything of mine, any appliance, anything in the kitchen and a whole list of other items.  EVER.  Unless I give him permission BEFOREHAND.

 

He'd better believe that I mean it, too.  Because I do.  I don't bluff and I don't give a 2nd warning.  Sometimes, I don't even give a 1st warning.  So, he'd better watch his step with me for a while!  But he has shown that he is at least capable of fixing his mistakes.

 

But he's still not a Good Boy!

Finally

It's Friday!

Still At It

The view from my couch is getting kind of old!

 

We both managed to go to work this morning.  I made it until 10:30, Bill lasted a little longer.  I think he left about 11:30.  We are both still coughing, his is better but mine is worse.  I am definitely having an asthma flare, I'm sure it's caused by the URI and it is not unexpected. It's not horrible, but it's probably the worst one I've had in a while.  I've coughed myself dizzy a couple of times today.  That happens sometimes.  Bill took a nap when he got home, I thought I might doze off on the couch but I never quite did.

 

I did get some crochet done today, which is the first time in a couple of weeks I think.  I was going to do some a few days ago, but I felt cruddy and was afraid I would wind up frogging it out because I wasn't in a creative mood.  Today, I put 4 more cream rows on the afghan.  It's cool enough that I would not have minded having a blanket on my lap even if I felt good.  I'll put 4 more green rows on it next, then I'll do what I've been doing with it which is use it for a few days and see if it's long enough then.

 

I was piddling around on one of the official Star Trek sites and it had a poll:  who is the best villain?  Obviously, the Borg Queen!  One of the voters described the character as Terrifying.  I kind of liked that...

I thought that was funny.

Here's another one:

Because everything one could ever need is inside the box!

 

Maggie just emerged from her spot on the floor, where she's been keeping my feet warm.  She also likes it when I'm working on the afghan.  Except for when I come to the end of a row and have to turn it over to start on the next row, she doesn't really like to be disturbed when she's napping.  Which is 90% of the time!

You Know What?

I'm tired!  It's been a long day, for some reason.  Bill has been feeling a little under the weather the last couple of days and for that reason we didn't go to church this morning.  He was supposed to take it easy, but he's been boxing up pachinko and aripachi machines that have been sold.  He has been trying not to overdo it, but he has been busier that I wanted him to be.  Not as busy as he would have liked to be, at least.  He did get out earlier, he needed a couple of specific things at Radio Shack that I would not have been able to get for him - I'm not electronically inclined.  But that was about it for him as far as his outside activities.  He has been nosier the last couple of nights, snoring a little bit but also coughing and he was a touch wheezy yesterday.

 

Otter spent most of the day with J today, they went to the mall and a few places besides.  They saw Thor 2 at the dollar theater, they've both seen it before but they enjoyed it.  They also had dinner out and shopped at a few places near the mall.  They exchanged their Valentine's - she made him black velvet cupcakes and he got her a specific collector doll she's been wanting.

 

My day has been spent watching Bill but not letting him know!  And doing laundry.  And a bit of crafting - Froggy, I'm still not telling!

 

Bill let the dogsters out in the back yard for a little while this morning.  Maggie Moo stayed on the deck for a little while, then she went straight to the shed and underneath it.  I think she came close to really getting stuck under there this time.  It's settled a bit and the ground is soft, sandy with moles that have probably tunneled underneath it so I think we're going to have to jack it up again and adjust the "piers" that Bill and his Dad put underneath it years ago.  And keep the beagle away from it!

 

I put 4 more rows on the afghan yesterday.  I put 4 cream rows on it recently, yesterday I put the green rows on.  It might be done, I'm not sure yet.  I may still want to put another set of each color on it, but my arms are sore from yesterday's crochet marathon and I've been busy today so I didn't have time.  But I want to leave it as it is for a while, then I'll look at it again and decide if I want to add to it or not.  I'm thinking I probably will.  I have 2 full skeins and 1 partial skein of the cream color and about a half to 3/4 of a skein of the green.  These are 1 pound skeins, so they are big.  I measured the green skein before I started on it yesterday, I should have enough green to do two more sets of 4 rows but I'm not sure if I want to do that many or not.  I really like the yarn, I've made two shawls out of the green (Froggy, you have one) and several smaller projects but I don't want to buy anymore because pound skeins are huge.  I'm sure I'll find plenty of things to use the cream yarn for!

Just because I thought it was cute!

Hmmm....

Seems that there are lots and lots of recipes online for Groundhog Stew.

 

I even saw a few links for groundhog jerky.

We didn't get the snow we expected overnight, it might have snowed in Tulsa but it melted before it hit the ground.  Tonight, we could get more.  But it's not supposed to be much - which means that it will probably be up to our eyeballs!

 

That is all.....

Otter Tales

Otter is having a sick day today.  She was fine when she got up, because of the weather Bill isn't driving the El Camino this week so I've been her transportation to work.  About 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave, she started to feel bad.  She had a great deal of sinus pressure, no fever or body aches but lots of pressure.  She wasn't sure if she would be able to go in but she wanted to wait a little bit and see if she felt better.  So I texted my boss that I would be late and Otter had a 30 minute nap.  When she got up, the sinus pressure had increased and by this time she was beginning to feel actual pain in her sinus cavities.  Which generally means a sinus infection.  Otter's only had one before in her life, she doesn't seem to have inherited the "family nose" that I got from Mom.  Actually, it's the sinus cavities that are the problem and not the nose but Otter doesn't have it and we're glad.  I've had more sinus infections that the law allows!

 

 

(I thought that was funny).

 

It started snowing overnight, not a lot but enough to be slightly messy and it was very cold.  I called Bill to let him know, then I bundled Otter up and it was off to the doctor next.  We went to the walk-in clinic we use, we don't even try anymore to get an immediate appointment with our doctor.  There are never openings, even when I had that major nosebleed years ago the only appointment I was offered was several days later - even when I told them that it was a serious nosebleed and I thought it was an emergency.  I went to the same walk-in clinic then as well.  We don't usually have to wait at the walk-in, today we did have to wait but it was because they were very busy.  The doctor said he'd been seeing lots of sinus infections the last couple of days, and there was at least one person that was having stitches according to the nurse.  The verdict was the sinus infection we thought she had.  She had already called in to work, before we went to the doctor.  She got an excuse for today and the doctor told her not to go in tomorrow but she was already off then.  The Walgreen's we use is down the street from where she works, so we stopped at her store and she went in to turn in the excuse.  Her boss told her that it won't be a problem for her to be off today.

 

After we got her prescription for amoxicillin filled, it was close to noon and she wanted something hot for lunch.  Bill was on his way home by this point, so we stopped at Little Ceasar's and I got a couple of their hot & ready $5.00 pepperoni pizzas.  After she ate, Otter took her pill but the pills are so big that I think they could choke a horse!  Bill split it up for her, the rest will probably have to be split as well.  She takes them for 10 day, if she's not better in 3 days then she'll need to go back but we caught it pretty early.

 

Bill's off tomorrow, he'll stay home and play with pachinko machines.  Actually, he's going to be working on the current machine he's refurbishing.  I had planned on going in after the doctor, if it was early enough.  But it was after noon when we got home and it would have been just for a couple of hours if I had managed to get to work.  But it was a slow day, I'm pretty much always caught up.  Since we were expecting weather issues today, I was doubly sure yesterday that I had nothing that couldn't wait a day or so just in case.  I did get to Wallyworld briefly, I needed to get dog food and was going to do that on my lunch hour today.  I also got something like 14 containers of yogurt.  Most is for Otter because of the antibiotic, but I'll eat a little of it too.

 

I put another row on the afghan while Otter was having her short nap this morning.  I might get more done on it this evening.  It's a blanket and it's a wonderful project to work on, on such a cold day.

 

 

(I keep having to tell my bosses that it's not hard!  I crochet a lot on my lunch hour, they usually rubberneck and think it's hard.  It isn't!)

 

We did get snow, but not much.  We had some flurries off & on today.  There is still some on the roads in places, but not everywhere.  We got into the high teens today.  Tonight will be very cold as well, and we have another round of winter weather on the way for tomorrow.  And next week as well.

 

 

(The REAL Dr. Who!)

 

I'm thinking that we could probably get a couple of pairs of shoes out of that groundhog after we eat him!

Just a Cold Sunday, Last One Before Christmas

Have to say that I agree with these two pooches!

 

Elf on a Shelf is creepy.  It's not something we would have done, even if it had been around when Otter was little.

 

We didn't go to church this morning.  As far as we know, it wasn't cancelled.  But it was very cold and we didn't want to get out that early.  Otter and I did have to get out later on, we had to return the movie we rented for yesterday and we also went to the post office.  Otter needed something for a craft project, so we stopped at Michael's and then we stopped at Wallyworld for milk and lunch.  There was very little traffic, Michael's was not bad at all.  Wallyworld's parking lot was not too bad, I got a good spot quickly.  But then we went inside the store.  And it was packed.  We just got 3 or 4 things, but most people were probably doing their big Christmas meal shopping.  Well, it is the last Sunday before Christmas so I guess we shouldn't have been surprised.  But the parking lot did not look as if there would be quite that many people inside the store.  We got a cardboard pizza from their deli to bring home, it was good.  For a cardboard pizza, that is!

 

The roads were good, although there are still icy trees everywhere.  There is a lot of tree damage, lots of broken limbs and so forth.  It's been very cold all day, I don't think we ever got about freezing.  The sun shone for about 3 minutes, it's been grey & cloudy all day.  Tonight will be brutally cold and tomorrow will be in the low 20's but there isn't any more ice or precipitation expected so I don't think that the roads will be an issue.  We are still watching the elm tree, it's still bent over although not as much as yesterday.

 

Bill is off, he took Friday as a vacation day so he actually started his break already.  I work Monday and Tuesday, I originally was going to start my vacation tomorrow but I decided to wait and start it with Christmas itself.  That way, I'll be off for a week and a half ending with a Friday.  If I'd started my time off tomorrow, I would have had to go back to work on a Thursday.  I'd rather not have to do that, but I really wish that I was off tomorrow anyway!

 

I don't think it will be a crazy day, until the Teenager gets there.  Then, all bets are off.  I think I might take Otter with me on Tuesday - the Teenager has been talking about wanting to see her and I also will probably take her to see the Teenager's darling wife after work.  No idea if we'll close early or not, but I kind of think we will.  If we don't, it's not a big deal.  I get off at 3:30 anyway.  Otter is off Tuesday and then Wednesday is a holiday and she's off on Friday because she asked for it.  She doesn't have as many hours this week as usual, but that is because of the holiday in the middle of the week.

 

I think I forgot to mention this yesterday, but Maggie Moo had an adventure.  She got stuck underneath the shed!  Bill let the dogsters out in the back yard for a little while.  I let them in about 5 minutes later, Frasier came flying in and was all kind of Happy.  No sign of Maggie, which is not unusual.  I called her a couple of times, then whistled when she didn't come running.  Then I realized that I couldn't see her anywhere.  I got my shoes on and went outside to look for her.  No sign.  Anywhere.  By this time, Otter has her shoes and coat on and is outside as well.  We were about to start climbing up on the fence behind us and seeing if she had managed to get into their yard or possibly behind our next door neighbor's due to the way his fence is.  We're still yelling for her during this time.  Then, I realize that I can hear her.  I could hear her collar jingling.  She was underneath the shed and couldn't get out, she more or less had to dig her way out.  Bill thinks that the shed had settled a little bit, probably due to the a) damp ground, b) soft ground which is not helped by those moles, c) the fact that the shed is overfilled to the point of bursting with all those pachinko machines he got in TEXAS although he thinks that c) is probably the least likely - although it is probably the most likely but I think that choice d) all of the above is the most likely.  Sometime after it warms up and gets dry, we're going to take every last machine out of the shed and organize it better.  At that point, he will see if it needs to be stabilized.  It has had to be adjusted a couple of times.

 

Maggie was in no particular hurry to get under the shed today when we let them out.  She's not the brightest crayon in the box, but she does have her moments!

 

No more mousies yet.

Done!

With Nana's shawl, that is.  I didn't get pictures taken, it's already heading her way.  But it did turn out well and was fast to make.  Now, I'm going to get back on the afghan.  Especially since it might well be cold enough this weekend.

Fall is here, and our weather is reflecting that fact.  Parts of Oklahoma could even get into the 30's in the next few nights, although that is probably pushing it a bit.

 

I want one of these:

 

It fits me very well, I think.

Middle of the Week and Nothing Constructive Going On

Froggy, Otter sent me this picture.  I think it's absolutely adorable.  Also, I think some people just have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time on their hands!

The expression on the cat's face is priceless.  (I could so totally do this.  Fraiser?  Come here, boy!).

 

The honeysuckle looked good this morning when I watered them.  Hopefully, they'll make it.  The last ones did great, then we thought that they died but they came back very strong this spring.

 

We're watching M.A.S.H. reruns.  I always enjoyed it, it's still a funny show and the social commentary is still very biting.  The next show on the oldies station might be Gilligan's Island.  Not nearly as sarcastic but I'm enjoying the early episodes, we've forgotten most of them.

 

Otter only has two more days at the party store, she cleaned out her locker today.  She had a book and cough drops in it, but she didn't want to leave anything behind.  She works Friday at the new job, and then has to attend a training class on Monday.  She hopes to get her schedule at the new job on Friday.  We're just glad she got out of there before the Halloween rush.  And the midnights.  Nobody was looking for ward to that.

 

Wonder if I could get Frasier to be still long enough to measure him?  Here, boy!  Maybe I should just stick to something easy.  Anybody got any greased pigs that need to be wrestled?  It would probably be a cinch, compared to what I'd have to go through to get Frasier dressed in anything!

Just Some Fun Stuff