Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday
I did not put air in my bike tires. I mowed my lawn instead but I have decided that lawn mowing and riding to the post office are basically the same as far as burning calories go. I will file it under cross training.
I didn't want to run up and down my basement stairs to see if my bike pump was down there in case it wasn't and then I was down there for no reason and why would I do that? Have you met my basement? Its not on any tourist map. Speaking of tourists, if wandering around downtown Raleigh in a fanny pack with your mouth hanging open is your idea of an exciting vacation experience, you need to go lay down.
Tourist in downtown Raleigh. Really. In Bermuda shorts and sturdy shoes like they were on a walking tour of European cathedrals. I could see maybe doing some sort of Civil War tour or something but to be honest, those folks were in the wrong part of the city to be checking out any of the Raleigh's' many, many civil war memorials. They were near a new thing for Raleigh, a bodega. They may have been taking pictures of it, it is after all Fan-Zac-Tic, perhaps they could go buy a 40 as a souvenir.
I am waiting for my fabric to arrive and my glasses to be ready and for Doggers pills to get here. I am waiting for a lot of things. I had been hopeing that my glasses would be magically ready early so that I could get them sooner rather than as scheduled but that has not happened. It never happens. Damn my prescription, people with little puny prescriptions probably get their glasses ahead of schedule all the time. Stupid not-very-blind people with their lamo window pane lenses prolly wearing glasses just to look smarter. Posers.
The fabric needs to arrive sooner rather than later too. I want to give the man his fabric and the chaise and let him get started, I also need to know how the chaise is going to get from Point A to Point B. he lives really close by but not close enough to heft it over there myself. I would imagine that a truck would be standard office equipment fir a furniture upholster - Provided there is no charge for this. I'll work out my own arrangements, like for the fabric he wanted to charge me $25 a yard for. Poppycock. It's all about Plan B.
I did not put air in my bike tires. I mowed my lawn instead but I have decided that lawn mowing and riding to the post office are basically the same as far as burning calories go. I will file it under cross training.
I didn't want to run up and down my basement stairs to see if my bike pump was down there in case it wasn't and then I was down there for no reason and why would I do that? Have you met my basement? Its not on any tourist map. Speaking of tourists, if wandering around downtown Raleigh in a fanny pack with your mouth hanging open is your idea of an exciting vacation experience, you need to go lay down.
Tourist in downtown Raleigh. Really. In Bermuda shorts and sturdy shoes like they were on a walking tour of European cathedrals. I could see maybe doing some sort of Civil War tour or something but to be honest, those folks were in the wrong part of the city to be checking out any of the Raleigh's' many, many civil war memorials. They were near a new thing for Raleigh, a bodega. They may have been taking pictures of it, it is after all Fan-Zac-Tic, perhaps they could go buy a 40 as a souvenir.
I am waiting for my fabric to arrive and my glasses to be ready and for Doggers pills to get here. I am waiting for a lot of things. I had been hopeing that my glasses would be magically ready early so that I could get them sooner rather than as scheduled but that has not happened. It never happens. Damn my prescription, people with little puny prescriptions probably get their glasses ahead of schedule all the time. Stupid not-very-blind people with their lamo window pane lenses prolly wearing glasses just to look smarter. Posers.
The fabric needs to arrive sooner rather than later too. I want to give the man his fabric and the chaise and let him get started, I also need to know how the chaise is going to get from Point A to Point B. he lives really close by but not close enough to heft it over there myself. I would imagine that a truck would be standard office equipment fir a furniture upholster - Provided there is no charge for this. I'll work out my own arrangements, like for the fabric he wanted to charge me $25 a yard for. Poppycock. It's all about Plan B.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Row, row, row your bike
I was riding to the post office today and was feeling particularly drag-ass. I felt drag-ass the last time I rode as well and I was blaming my dragging ass for my poor performance.
It wasn't my fault I found out as I was feeling particularly draggy, that the rear tire of the bike is noticeably low on air. Ha! Not. My. Fault. And? extra points to me for working so hard to make the bike go at all under the circumstances. I deserve something frosted for my labors.
The tire pump was of course not in either place it is supposed to be. It is either by the side of the house, where it was not or in Minnie and I didn't do a cavity search of Minnie for it because I decided that the project could be done on another day, especially since I have to buy stamps over my next lunch and that precludes a lunch time bike ride. Darn just when they were becoming so enjoyable. Not. The flat has really made a not hard task very hard and tasky and I have enough tasks.
I wish I had been paying more attention to the tires because I have been very disappointed with me lately re: The Bike, riding has been such a sour sorrow but now at least I know its not me.
List now includes "Pump up tire".
Since no one answered my query about the planters, I had to ask my plant guru at work and she told me to let them lie where they are. They are fine. I do think however I am going to shift them from time to time so the grass underneath them doesn't suffer any meaningful damage from being covered up in service to the Experimental Garden. I am a good neighbor.
I was riding to the post office today and was feeling particularly drag-ass. I felt drag-ass the last time I rode as well and I was blaming my dragging ass for my poor performance.
It wasn't my fault I found out as I was feeling particularly draggy, that the rear tire of the bike is noticeably low on air. Ha! Not. My. Fault. And? extra points to me for working so hard to make the bike go at all under the circumstances. I deserve something frosted for my labors.
The tire pump was of course not in either place it is supposed to be. It is either by the side of the house, where it was not or in Minnie and I didn't do a cavity search of Minnie for it because I decided that the project could be done on another day, especially since I have to buy stamps over my next lunch and that precludes a lunch time bike ride. Darn just when they were becoming so enjoyable. Not. The flat has really made a not hard task very hard and tasky and I have enough tasks.
I wish I had been paying more attention to the tires because I have been very disappointed with me lately re: The Bike, riding has been such a sour sorrow but now at least I know its not me.
List now includes "Pump up tire".
Since no one answered my query about the planters, I had to ask my plant guru at work and she told me to let them lie where they are. They are fine. I do think however I am going to shift them from time to time so the grass underneath them doesn't suffer any meaningful damage from being covered up in service to the Experimental Garden. I am a good neighbor.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
To Do Today
I finally had a good exercise day, rode my bikes x2 walked the dog x3 and still I deadheaded a lot of petunias. I am totally ruthless when it comes to that, you have to be if you want a healthy plant with lots of blooms - even if you have to lop most of them off on a daily basis. I did it last year and my plants were gorgeous. While I was deadheading I noticed that something is chewing on my blooms! I don't mind a short life and a natural death for these blossoms but it really galls me when they get murdered.
So far the little buggers are not eating my vegetables, but they haven't been in the ground long enough to tweak anyone's little antenna either, they will stop by sooner or later and I'll be waiting with something poisonous. Count on it. Let the guys with real acreage be all "organic" but they can afford to lose a quarter of their crop, I can't- You can still be organic and favor the death penalty and there are some very nasty pesticides out there that are quite effective and totally organic. I would like to point out that tobacco is lethal but completely natural. it's about definition. The natural world is full of venomous things - that inevitably translate into expensive things in leetle 100% recycled bottles. The organic market is aimed at well off hobby farmers who feel guilty about killing beasties so prefer to do it "naturally". A 100% linen pesticide if you will
I'm poor, I prefer to dump cheap polyester on what ails me - which thus far is limiting itself to the front yard and I'm not ready to go Dirty Harriet on whatever it is, I'm still enjoying my dirty finger nails and my puttering too much to worry my pretty little head with such vulgarities.
I have a question, should I raise the Experimental Garden planters? Right now they are flat on the grass and I'm not sure that this is the best idea. I think I should figure out a way to get them off the grass. I think this would be better for the planters and the grass in the long run.
I finally had a good exercise day, rode my bikes x2 walked the dog x3 and still I deadheaded a lot of petunias. I am totally ruthless when it comes to that, you have to be if you want a healthy plant with lots of blooms - even if you have to lop most of them off on a daily basis. I did it last year and my plants were gorgeous. While I was deadheading I noticed that something is chewing on my blooms! I don't mind a short life and a natural death for these blossoms but it really galls me when they get murdered.
So far the little buggers are not eating my vegetables, but they haven't been in the ground long enough to tweak anyone's little antenna either, they will stop by sooner or later and I'll be waiting with something poisonous. Count on it. Let the guys with real acreage be all "organic" but they can afford to lose a quarter of their crop, I can't- You can still be organic and favor the death penalty and there are some very nasty pesticides out there that are quite effective and totally organic. I would like to point out that tobacco is lethal but completely natural. it's about definition. The natural world is full of venomous things - that inevitably translate into expensive things in leetle 100% recycled bottles. The organic market is aimed at well off hobby farmers who feel guilty about killing beasties so prefer to do it "naturally". A 100% linen pesticide if you will
I'm poor, I prefer to dump cheap polyester on what ails me - which thus far is limiting itself to the front yard and I'm not ready to go Dirty Harriet on whatever it is, I'm still enjoying my dirty finger nails and my puttering too much to worry my pretty little head with such vulgarities.
I have a question, should I raise the Experimental Garden planters? Right now they are flat on the grass and I'm not sure that this is the best idea. I think I should figure out a way to get them off the grass. I think this would be better for the planters and the grass in the long run.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Letting the other guy DIY
I think I just planted the last plant of the season, actually the last two plants of the season. I also took my new-to-me rain barrel out for a spin after it filled remarkably quickly after this weekends rains. I officially watered my two new plants thoroughly. Yay free water but if a little spring rain filled it that fast I don't know what I'm going to do during hurricane season. The barrel is going to need to bulk up.
Among my new plantings is a leetle baby pink swirl hibiscus. Honestly, I didn't know hibiscus plants came in baby sized. I've only ever seen them in a fully grown state, like an Irish wolfhound. How many puppy Irish wolfhounds have you ever seen? None. They emerge fully grown from their fathers mouths. Prove they don't.
Very pretty. I think it will mesh well with my existing pink and white petunias. I don't have as good a luck with flowers as I have had with veggies but Alphagal laid hands on this and she is very good with flowers so I can be sure its going to end well, while I was outside with my plants I also got permission from my neighbors to raise my Experimental Garden on the side yard. They are looking forward to watching them grow.
Before I bonded with the plants I had a meeting with my upholstery man. I have an "upholstery man" now. he agreed the chaise is a diamond in the rough and that I got very lucky finding it. It s a very well made chair, in that it has good bones, but like everything else around here, it has to be gutted and rebuilt. He is also going to add a foot to the over all length! Yippee! When this chair was new, say 40 years ago, we were shorter people.
I'm very excited! Its going to cost me roughly a new chair but its going to be essentially a custom chair built to my specs and I couldn't get that with my budget. I looked around at what was available and if I liked it I couldn't afford it, if I could afford it, I didn't like it. With this chair not only can I afford it, I like it.
Onward to fabric decisions. Note to others, your upholstery man will suggest you purchase $25 a yard fabric and then tell you that the job requires 10 yards of same. It is in your best interest to have a Plan B in hand.
I think I just planted the last plant of the season, actually the last two plants of the season. I also took my new-to-me rain barrel out for a spin after it filled remarkably quickly after this weekends rains. I officially watered my two new plants thoroughly. Yay free water but if a little spring rain filled it that fast I don't know what I'm going to do during hurricane season. The barrel is going to need to bulk up.
Among my new plantings is a leetle baby pink swirl hibiscus. Honestly, I didn't know hibiscus plants came in baby sized. I've only ever seen them in a fully grown state, like an Irish wolfhound. How many puppy Irish wolfhounds have you ever seen? None. They emerge fully grown from their fathers mouths. Prove they don't.
Very pretty. I think it will mesh well with my existing pink and white petunias. I don't have as good a luck with flowers as I have had with veggies but Alphagal laid hands on this and she is very good with flowers so I can be sure its going to end well, while I was outside with my plants I also got permission from my neighbors to raise my Experimental Garden on the side yard. They are looking forward to watching them grow.
Before I bonded with the plants I had a meeting with my upholstery man. I have an "upholstery man" now. he agreed the chaise is a diamond in the rough and that I got very lucky finding it. It s a very well made chair, in that it has good bones, but like everything else around here, it has to be gutted and rebuilt. He is also going to add a foot to the over all length! Yippee! When this chair was new, say 40 years ago, we were shorter people.
I'm very excited! Its going to cost me roughly a new chair but its going to be essentially a custom chair built to my specs and I couldn't get that with my budget. I looked around at what was available and if I liked it I couldn't afford it, if I could afford it, I didn't like it. With this chair not only can I afford it, I like it.
Onward to fabric decisions. Note to others, your upholstery man will suggest you purchase $25 a yard fabric and then tell you that the job requires 10 yards of same. It is in your best interest to have a Plan B in hand.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Work is good for you
Baby Kitty is street legal! Yay! And he was such a brave baby kitty too. The clinic was held outside and we had to literally wade through pit-bulls just to get signed in. And dachshunds, there were dachshunds every where under foot. The barking and yapping alone would have been enough to freak a lesser kitty out but not Baby Kitty, he was a total kitty rock star.
And then I went to the city dirt store and shoveled dirt pant, pant and then I came home and filled my planters pant, pant and then I went with Alphagal and Tiny E to the mall to find new glasses. It was way fun and thanks to Alphagals excellent direction and taste, I ended up with some rocking frames - think Buddy Holly meets Tina Fey. Without Alphagal I would have ended up looking like Harry Potters' older, deranged cousin. They still sell HP glasses and yes, they look good on me. Good in a "Hi. I'm 12" way but still, I can wear round frames. Perhaps as sunglasses... That might be kind of cool, I might have to check out those Internet glasses places and see what I could get. Hmmm.
After the fun break, it was back to work. I was afraid that I was going to run out of plants (two flats) before I ran out of planters (4) but instead I wound up with more flowers than planters. I had to get creative with my left overs but now the front of my house is gorgeous and it even smells good.
When I was planting my flowers I also got started on my Experimental Garden. I want to see if tomatoes and peppers will grow better and be more productive if they are grown in the much more intense sunlight on the side of the house. I think I all ready know the outcome here but I want to see for sure. I planted one tomato and one pepper in containers - I think this is going to effect my results and not in a positive way but I'm not prepared to tear up that area because my neighbors take care of it and have to look at it all the time. I see it only when I have to and I've ignored it for the last eight years. My challenge is going to be to remember to water the plants. I could in theory hook up a franken hose to the side yard but the experiment would have to be wildly succsessful before I took that step.
Saturday after I finished everything else, I called a furniture reupholster I found online who as it turns out has his shop blocks from my house and spoke with him about the chaise. He said as soon as I get it to give him a call and he'll come look at it. He lives so close I regularly walk Dogger past his place. I didn't know he had a business there.
And then it was Sunday and it was time to pick up my $20 chaise! For a $20 investment I can totally afford to have it re-covered and fixed up. I had looked at spending $300-$400 of my tax return to get a new chair so I am willing to go to at least $250-$300 to get this chair taken care of. Can they make them longer?
Baby Kitty is street legal! Yay! And he was such a brave baby kitty too. The clinic was held outside and we had to literally wade through pit-bulls just to get signed in. And dachshunds, there were dachshunds every where under foot. The barking and yapping alone would have been enough to freak a lesser kitty out but not Baby Kitty, he was a total kitty rock star.
And then I went to the city dirt store and shoveled dirt pant, pant and then I came home and filled my planters pant, pant and then I went with Alphagal and Tiny E to the mall to find new glasses. It was way fun and thanks to Alphagals excellent direction and taste, I ended up with some rocking frames - think Buddy Holly meets Tina Fey. Without Alphagal I would have ended up looking like Harry Potters' older, deranged cousin. They still sell HP glasses and yes, they look good on me. Good in a "Hi. I'm 12" way but still, I can wear round frames. Perhaps as sunglasses... That might be kind of cool, I might have to check out those Internet glasses places and see what I could get. Hmmm.
After the fun break, it was back to work. I was afraid that I was going to run out of plants (two flats) before I ran out of planters (4) but instead I wound up with more flowers than planters. I had to get creative with my left overs but now the front of my house is gorgeous and it even smells good.
 |
| *taken through my window |
Saturday after I finished everything else, I called a furniture reupholster I found online who as it turns out has his shop blocks from my house and spoke with him about the chaise. He said as soon as I get it to give him a call and he'll come look at it. He lives so close I regularly walk Dogger past his place. I didn't know he had a business there.
And then it was Sunday and it was time to pick up my $20 chaise! For a $20 investment I can totally afford to have it re-covered and fixed up. I had looked at spending $300-$400 of my tax return to get a new chair so I am willing to go to at least $250-$300 to get this chair taken care of. Can they make them longer?
 |
| *object is a lot more orange than it appears. |
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Sorry, not much of an entry today but my parents took me out to dinner last night for Administrative Professionals Day - I don't get to eat out very often so I have to milk my chances for free meals for all they are worth. No! They totally didn't know about TYStLD! They are in town and they went to dinner and let me come with.
I got to keep the doggy bags.
Since there really isn't an entry today I won't go in to detail about how I spent my lunch hour picking out my exciting bedding plants or any glammer shots of the fascinating varieties of exotic tomatoes and peppers I picked up today at the Farmers Market. There just isn't time.
Also? A new Community and a whole hour of 30 Rock! I mean come on!
I got to keep the doggy bags.
Since there really isn't an entry today I won't go in to detail about how I spent my lunch hour picking out my exciting bedding plants or any glammer shots of the fascinating varieties of exotic tomatoes and peppers I picked up today at the Farmers Market. There just isn't time.
Also? A new Community and a whole hour of 30 Rock! I mean come on!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Ms. Greenjeans in da house!
It was not looking like a good week. The satellite guy didn't show up, the plumber didn't show up, the plants didn't show up. Not a good time.
But then the plants showed up!
Clearly, I have a lot of room left for more goodies. I'm in the market for Carolina Gold tomatoes and more peppers. I wish peppers matured faster though that would be the one pepper draw back and as previously stated, there will be no broccoli this season. I have a lot of room left though and maybe I'll go full out experimental and go with something that needs more room to grow. Hmmm, for example, Alphagal is growing watermelons...
Another thing that helped take the sting out of this bad week was Administrative Professional's Day or Take Your Secretary to Lunch Day. I got an expensive lunch from the boss and plant from our group
Yes, its that big. They got me one last year too. And while we are admiring the flowers in the front yard let us admire my raspberry plants. The little white button looking things are flowers. Lots of flowers.
More front yard updates:
It was not looking like a good week. The satellite guy didn't show up, the plumber didn't show up, the plants didn't show up. Not a good time.
But then the plants showed up!
Aren't they they cutest things ever?
They of course arrived in the middle of a rain storm. Perfect timing, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to get them into the ground until the weekend. In actually, according to the instructions, that would have been just fine for the plants and is in fact advisable but I wasn't in the mood gratification that was less than immediate
Clearly, I have a lot of room left for more goodies. I'm in the market for Carolina Gold tomatoes and more peppers. I wish peppers matured faster though that would be the one pepper draw back and as previously stated, there will be no broccoli this season. I have a lot of room left though and maybe I'll go full out experimental and go with something that needs more room to grow. Hmmm, for example, Alphagal is growing watermelons...
Another thing that helped take the sting out of this bad week was Administrative Professional's Day or Take Your Secretary to Lunch Day. I got an expensive lunch from the boss and plant from our group
Yes, its that big. They got me one last year too. And while we are admiring the flowers in the front yard let us admire my raspberry plants. The little white button looking things are flowers. Lots of flowers.
More front yard updates:
the tall plant in this image is a green bean plant that was too viable to be
throw away but there wasn't room for in the back. I'm afraid he's going to
have to be moved again before too long.
So, it hasn't been a good week service -wise but my plants seem happy.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Grrr.
Well. The satellite guy didn't show up and there was no record that I had made an appointment and my plants from Burpee didn't arrive as promised either.
I screamed at the operator from the satellite place and that didn't make me feel better. I screamed at her because the last time I spoke with one of their operators the operator was a lying scum and somebody was going to pay for that. And she did. She was very well trained at talking down an angry caller but I was not made less angry because they refused my demand to have an actual appointment time scheduled instead of either 8-12 or 12-5. I did tell them if they failed to show up this next time that I would cancel my thing with them. I should have demanded a free upgrade but I wasn't feeling like negotiating with them at the time. I was in an all or nothing place.
There wasn't anyone for me to scream at about the Burpee debacle and by the time I was finished screaming into my phone at the satellite people Dogger needed to eat and I needed to leave the house so I wouldn't burn it down. I ended up buying myself Chinese food to make it all up to myself. Later, I came home less angry and took Dogger on a very long walk where we found many cans and bottles and then I made her yellow ducky dog cookies to make it all up to her.
While we were walking I handed out a few of the GOTV flyer's they gave me at the convention and I met a lot of folks I usually just wave to on our walks every day so that was neat and I meet the GOP election judge for our precinct so there are Black Republicans out there too, for real. He seemed very nice and his kids have a great backyard area and a neat tree house. I noticed that he does not have a sign for the GOP candidate for our congressional district in his yard. Hmmm.
So.
More tomorrow.
Well. The satellite guy didn't show up and there was no record that I had made an appointment and my plants from Burpee didn't arrive as promised either.
I screamed at the operator from the satellite place and that didn't make me feel better. I screamed at her because the last time I spoke with one of their operators the operator was a lying scum and somebody was going to pay for that. And she did. She was very well trained at talking down an angry caller but I was not made less angry because they refused my demand to have an actual appointment time scheduled instead of either 8-12 or 12-5. I did tell them if they failed to show up this next time that I would cancel my thing with them. I should have demanded a free upgrade but I wasn't feeling like negotiating with them at the time. I was in an all or nothing place.
There wasn't anyone for me to scream at about the Burpee debacle and by the time I was finished screaming into my phone at the satellite people Dogger needed to eat and I needed to leave the house so I wouldn't burn it down. I ended up buying myself Chinese food to make it all up to myself. Later, I came home less angry and took Dogger on a very long walk where we found many cans and bottles and then I made her yellow ducky dog cookies to make it all up to her.
While we were walking I handed out a few of the GOTV flyer's they gave me at the convention and I met a lot of folks I usually just wave to on our walks every day so that was neat and I meet the GOP election judge for our precinct so there are Black Republicans out there too, for real. He seemed very nice and his kids have a great backyard area and a neat tree house. I noticed that he does not have a sign for the GOP candidate for our congressional district in his yard. Hmmm.
So.
More tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ms. Break - It
I am mono-tasking while this because over the weekend I did "something" to my DVR ( which puts the multi- in my tasking). It wasn't my fault, I didn't do anything "wrong", well maybe a little wrong. after the fact.
Once upon a time I said to myself if Gawd wanted me to have a bigger TV He would drop one on my head ... and then He Did! while Gawd does not want me to have a flat screen he does want me to have a bigger TV. Alphagal and Broskey got a great big shiny new TV and the offered me their smaller, slightly less shiny old TV. And I said I have enough TVs. I don't need another TV and then I asked exactly how large this new -to-me TV was. I suddenly "needed" another TV.
I have help moving this colossus (Hi Dad!) then I unplug all the various coaxial cable from small TV and re-attach them to Big TV. This is not hard. And then I turn on Big TV. Suddenly everything is hard. Very hard. There is no picture! There is no sound! There is snow and awful snow noise. This will not do. I get to work. I am a modern woman, I live in my time and there is little that a coaxial cable can do to scare me.
The big TV simple will not speak with the remote. I press buttons, I think I'm speaking with the right menu - Which I am not, I wait for the satellite to speak with the receiver and they are not speaking. I don't know how this is happening because I have three other TVs and they are all speaking with the satellite. If there was to be a problem speaking the satellite none of the TVs would be on speaking terms, not just one. There are out of necessity, of one mind.
It is as I study the receiver that I notice it is different from the other receivers. It says "Direct TV" on it. I do not have Direct TV. I have Dish. This is a problem. It is at this point that I decided that this is simply not happening and I need to "fix" this. The fix being that I will shift back to the small TV and everything will be normal again. Or not. The remote will speak to the TV but the receiver will not. This is not a good thing, this is a bad thing. But I can watch TV at last in the office so I can over look this. I will also call the service people who will come out and fix this.
Monday morning I called them and they wanted to "talk me through it, trouble shoot the problem". I told them I was away from my TV and I didn't want to be talked through or engage in trouble shooting. I want a service call and I want a human being who is not me to fix this problem and it is a big problem because the receiver that is supposed to be in the office is in the guest room and there is no Dish receiver in the office and then I came home from work and did my own trouble shooting and pressed more buttons and now I can't watch TV in the office at all.
I am mono-tasking while this because over the weekend I did "something" to my DVR ( which puts the multi- in my tasking). It wasn't my fault, I didn't do anything "wrong", well maybe a little wrong. after the fact.
Once upon a time I said to myself if Gawd wanted me to have a bigger TV He would drop one on my head ... and then He Did! while Gawd does not want me to have a flat screen he does want me to have a bigger TV. Alphagal and Broskey got a great big shiny new TV and the offered me their smaller, slightly less shiny old TV. And I said I have enough TVs. I don't need another TV and then I asked exactly how large this new -to-me TV was. I suddenly "needed" another TV.
I have help moving this colossus (Hi Dad!) then I unplug all the various coaxial cable from small TV and re-attach them to Big TV. This is not hard. And then I turn on Big TV. Suddenly everything is hard. Very hard. There is no picture! There is no sound! There is snow and awful snow noise. This will not do. I get to work. I am a modern woman, I live in my time and there is little that a coaxial cable can do to scare me.
The big TV simple will not speak with the remote. I press buttons, I think I'm speaking with the right menu - Which I am not, I wait for the satellite to speak with the receiver and they are not speaking. I don't know how this is happening because I have three other TVs and they are all speaking with the satellite. If there was to be a problem speaking the satellite none of the TVs would be on speaking terms, not just one. There are out of necessity, of one mind.
It is as I study the receiver that I notice it is different from the other receivers. It says "Direct TV" on it. I do not have Direct TV. I have Dish. This is a problem. It is at this point that I decided that this is simply not happening and I need to "fix" this. The fix being that I will shift back to the small TV and everything will be normal again. Or not. The remote will speak to the TV but the receiver will not. This is not a good thing, this is a bad thing. But I can watch TV at last in the office so I can over look this. I will also call the service people who will come out and fix this.
Monday morning I called them and they wanted to "talk me through it, trouble shoot the problem". I told them I was away from my TV and I didn't want to be talked through or engage in trouble shooting. I want a service call and I want a human being who is not me to fix this problem and it is a big problem because the receiver that is supposed to be in the office is in the guest room and there is no Dish receiver in the office and then I came home from work and did my own trouble shooting and pressed more buttons and now I can't watch TV in the office at all.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Grrr.
Why is there a "work offline" option? Why would I ever want to do that and why must they make it so hard for me to switch that off?
Hate.
I did so much the weekend but most of it wasn't part of my plan and I ended up getting almost none of my planned activties done. For instance, Baby Kitty did not get his rabies vaccination - I was under the impression that theyw ere having a $5 rabies clinic across the street from my house! but sadly, they had the clinic across the street from my house last weekend, when I was out of town. There was a clinic this weekend but it was at the same time as the convention and I couldn't be at both places. I hope the Democrats appreciate my putting my cats health at risk for them.
Speaking of the Democrats, they put me in charge of a GOTV project in my precinct - They gave me a whole bunch of flyer's and told me to have at. Fortunately for me and the precinct I wasn't the only one who showed from the precinct at the convention and so there are three of us out there to GOTV. My chair did not attend the convention, shocking.
I did get laundry done and the dog washed so it wasn't completely a lost weekend. I also did battle with a soaker hose - not like my other soaker hoses, a new kind a flat kind, not like those green plastic ones, but a sleek, black kind that lays flat and tidy not at all like those other soaker hoses that insist on staying tightly coiled and obnoxious. No, I bought a new and improved soaker hose to serve my honeysuckle plants for me. I should have known that it wasn't going to work. There wasn't enough water pressure to make it soak and then it got all kinked up and made spirels that I couldn't get un-done. I hate it and it caused me to have a temper tantrum. I went out bought a traditional soaker house and put it into service.
Oh and I messed up my satellite service in the office. I'm going to have to call for a service call and I noticed the cable box in that room isn't the same as the one in the other rooms. It says "Direct TV" on it. I don't use Direct TV anymore, I switched to Dish Network. Super.
Why is there a "work offline" option? Why would I ever want to do that and why must they make it so hard for me to switch that off?
Hate.
I did so much the weekend but most of it wasn't part of my plan and I ended up getting almost none of my planned activties done. For instance, Baby Kitty did not get his rabies vaccination - I was under the impression that theyw ere having a $5 rabies clinic across the street from my house! but sadly, they had the clinic across the street from my house last weekend, when I was out of town. There was a clinic this weekend but it was at the same time as the convention and I couldn't be at both places. I hope the Democrats appreciate my putting my cats health at risk for them.
Speaking of the Democrats, they put me in charge of a GOTV project in my precinct - They gave me a whole bunch of flyer's and told me to have at. Fortunately for me and the precinct I wasn't the only one who showed from the precinct at the convention and so there are three of us out there to GOTV. My chair did not attend the convention, shocking.
I did get laundry done and the dog washed so it wasn't completely a lost weekend. I also did battle with a soaker hose - not like my other soaker hoses, a new kind a flat kind, not like those green plastic ones, but a sleek, black kind that lays flat and tidy not at all like those other soaker hoses that insist on staying tightly coiled and obnoxious. No, I bought a new and improved soaker hose to serve my honeysuckle plants for me. I should have known that it wasn't going to work. There wasn't enough water pressure to make it soak and then it got all kinked up and made spirels that I couldn't get un-done. I hate it and it caused me to have a temper tantrum. I went out bought a traditional soaker house and put it into service.
Oh and I messed up my satellite service in the office. I'm going to have to call for a service call and I noticed the cable box in that room isn't the same as the one in the other rooms. It says "Direct TV" on it. I don't use Direct TV anymore, I switched to Dish Network. Super.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Forgiveness
I am officially out of the dog house with myself! Yay! I know you were deeply involved with the ongoing soap opera that is my relationship with myself. I rode my bike twice I walked the dog three times, I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and I vacuumed the living room. I am so totally proud of myself and I can officially start speaking to myself again. It sucks when I argue with myself. I hate it when I fight.
Today my honeysuckle arrived! Wheee! That is very good the unwhee is that I ordered them like yesterday and I ordered my vegetable plants last winter and they still haven't arrived. I'm not hugely worried. Much. But I did get my honeysuckle in the ground.
I have pictures of me getting the plants out of their box and me putting my home made re-purposed trellis cum little fence things set up and pictures of me getting my plants in the ground and pictures of me watering the plants but for some reason the server rejected them. I think because they were so boring and stupid. I mean who cares!? really about me putting these little plants in the ground? They were very cute pictures, I mean little things are cute and my plants are little and so they are cute. I think. I mean other than me, because I care very much about my little plants and I was just thrilled to find that the soil was actually really pretty good , which should not have been a surprise because the ivy has always been really healthy and lush.
Of course I had to dig that lush, healthy mother fu***cker up. And it was okayish about it, kind of, I mean it's going to kill me in my sleep but that's okay. I can mow it up anytime I want to and I have thumbs.
I am officially out of the dog house with myself! Yay! I know you were deeply involved with the ongoing soap opera that is my relationship with myself. I rode my bike twice I walked the dog three times, I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and I vacuumed the living room. I am so totally proud of myself and I can officially start speaking to myself again. It sucks when I argue with myself. I hate it when I fight.
Today my honeysuckle arrived! Wheee! That is very good the unwhee is that I ordered them like yesterday and I ordered my vegetable plants last winter and they still haven't arrived. I'm not hugely worried. Much. But I did get my honeysuckle in the ground.
I have pictures of me getting the plants out of their box and me putting my home made re-purposed trellis cum little fence things set up and pictures of me getting my plants in the ground and pictures of me watering the plants but for some reason the server rejected them. I think because they were so boring and stupid. I mean who cares!? really about me putting these little plants in the ground? They were very cute pictures, I mean little things are cute and my plants are little and so they are cute. I think. I mean other than me, because I care very much about my little plants and I was just thrilled to find that the soil was actually really pretty good , which should not have been a surprise because the ivy has always been really healthy and lush.
Of course I had to dig that lush, healthy mother fu***cker up. And it was okayish about it, kind of, I mean it's going to kill me in my sleep but that's okay. I can mow it up anytime I want to and I have thumbs.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Spot On
Dogger is annoyed with me. I keep messing with the spot on her hip and she wishes I would leave it.
Three or more time a day :A little scrub-scrub to displace the scab, a little spray stuff to keep the area damp and soft and anti-bacterial ( home made, 1 part original Listerine, 1 part baby oil and 1 part water, works wonders with hot spots), followed up with a lump of real, name brand Neosporin to keep it from becoming infected (store brand "compare to Neosporin" doesn't work) and finally a shot of bitter apple spray to keep her from licking it.
I have to admit, after just three days of constant vigilance, it looks much better than it did over the weekend although I do now understand why the vets office was always so fast to shave her spots before. It turns out it wasn't some sort of weird veterinary dominance exercise like I had imagined, it really does help with maintenance issues.
What she really needs is a good, through bath, with hot water and soap and scrub brushes. But I don't want to, a bath for her is tantamount to a bath for me and I washed my hair last night, I would rather pester her with bitter apple for at least a few days. I am a bad dog mama.
I am doing all this or not doing all this, so that I can avoid an expensive trip to the vet. Dogger suffers hot spots from the first day it goes above freezing until the the first day it does not. Her puppy-hood was a haze of medicated doggy shampoos, frequent baths, expensive creams and endless antibiotics. The Addison's was the culprit it turns out but even now with it under control, she still has the odd spot and if I don't want to spend more time in a medicated haze of dog shampoo and Eu De Waiting Room it is important I stay on top of her spots - which I do to varying degrees of success.
The vet is on my mind for something other than Doggers spots. Her script for pain meds is running out and I want to keep her on them for a little longer. I took her off briefly last month and she was clearly suffering pain and I won't have that - but at the same time, I don't want her on them forever because I don't want her developing a habit. Other dogs are trained as drug sniffers while my dog will be a drug seeker
I try to keep thoughs like this on the back burner. The vet didn't seem to have any issues with keeping Dogger medicated for several months all ready he might not have a problem keeping her medicated for several more.
Dogger is annoyed with me. I keep messing with the spot on her hip and she wishes I would leave it.
Three or more time a day :A little scrub-scrub to displace the scab, a little spray stuff to keep the area damp and soft and anti-bacterial ( home made, 1 part original Listerine, 1 part baby oil and 1 part water, works wonders with hot spots), followed up with a lump of real, name brand Neosporin to keep it from becoming infected (store brand "compare to Neosporin" doesn't work) and finally a shot of bitter apple spray to keep her from licking it.
I have to admit, after just three days of constant vigilance, it looks much better than it did over the weekend although I do now understand why the vets office was always so fast to shave her spots before. It turns out it wasn't some sort of weird veterinary dominance exercise like I had imagined, it really does help with maintenance issues.
What she really needs is a good, through bath, with hot water and soap and scrub brushes. But I don't want to, a bath for her is tantamount to a bath for me and I washed my hair last night, I would rather pester her with bitter apple for at least a few days. I am a bad dog mama.
I am doing all this or not doing all this, so that I can avoid an expensive trip to the vet. Dogger suffers hot spots from the first day it goes above freezing until the the first day it does not. Her puppy-hood was a haze of medicated doggy shampoos, frequent baths, expensive creams and endless antibiotics. The Addison's was the culprit it turns out but even now with it under control, she still has the odd spot and if I don't want to spend more time in a medicated haze of dog shampoo and Eu De Waiting Room it is important I stay on top of her spots - which I do to varying degrees of success.
The vet is on my mind for something other than Doggers spots. Her script for pain meds is running out and I want to keep her on them for a little longer. I took her off briefly last month and she was clearly suffering pain and I won't have that - but at the same time, I don't want her on them forever because I don't want her developing a habit. Other dogs are trained as drug sniffers while my dog will be a drug seeker
I try to keep thoughs like this on the back burner. The vet didn't seem to have any issues with keeping Dogger medicated for several months all ready he might not have a problem keeping her medicated for several more.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Growing
The renters had another baby. A 7.6 lb boy. I thought she was pregnant but its so rude to ask. So now they have six children in a space the size of my living room, the gossip I heard was that Ms. Renter was less than thrilled to find herself pregnant again, Margaret Singer weeps. If you do not want to fall pregnant again there is a little thing the rest of us call BIRTH CONTROL. If your scuzzbag husband doesn't like it he doesn't even have to know. The next time he annoys me, I think I'll call the cops. Gawd knows she could use the time away from him.
I was a bad girl today. I didn't take my evening bike ride again, I didn't ride last night either but at least last night I was doing house work and I do believe that it is considered aerobic enough to make up for it. Tonight however, I didn't ride because I was planting the remaining seedlings. I did have to go back and forth to the basement a couple of times and I lifted up some very heavy planters so I think I go some exercise but not enough.
I decided to just suck it up and plant the seedlings because they looked kind of sad just sitting on the deck and the nurseries don't drain and I was afraid they were turning into mosquito hatcheries. So now they are in the permanent homes but as always,s I have a serious lack of faith problem with them. I had thought by now they would be much further along than they are, but maybe now that they have more room and dirt they might be able to grow more. They were growing in their nurseries because I saw their little roots trying to break free of their baby beds so at least I know they are marginally healthy Next weekend I'm going to go to the dirt store and get more dirt and then get some bedding plants and pull out my big planters and really get my flowers on.
The renters had another baby. A 7.6 lb boy. I thought she was pregnant but its so rude to ask. So now they have six children in a space the size of my living room, the gossip I heard was that Ms. Renter was less than thrilled to find herself pregnant again, Margaret Singer weeps. If you do not want to fall pregnant again there is a little thing the rest of us call BIRTH CONTROL. If your scuzzbag husband doesn't like it he doesn't even have to know. The next time he annoys me, I think I'll call the cops. Gawd knows she could use the time away from him.
I was a bad girl today. I didn't take my evening bike ride again, I didn't ride last night either but at least last night I was doing house work and I do believe that it is considered aerobic enough to make up for it. Tonight however, I didn't ride because I was planting the remaining seedlings. I did have to go back and forth to the basement a couple of times and I lifted up some very heavy planters so I think I go some exercise but not enough.
I decided to just suck it up and plant the seedlings because they looked kind of sad just sitting on the deck and the nurseries don't drain and I was afraid they were turning into mosquito hatcheries. So now they are in the permanent homes but as always,s I have a serious lack of faith problem with them. I had thought by now they would be much further along than they are, but maybe now that they have more room and dirt they might be able to grow more. They were growing in their nurseries because I saw their little roots trying to break free of their baby beds so at least I know they are marginally healthy Next weekend I'm going to go to the dirt store and get more dirt and then get some bedding plants and pull out my big planters and really get my flowers on.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Seedlings of discontent
Thus far the differences between the cheap seeds I bought at Wally World and the expensive seeds I bought at the boutique garden store are minor : Neither is maturing.
And looking at the seed packets they came in for advice is not working either. I would like to know what the leaf structures of these plants might be and no one is forthcoming at least with the cheap seeds the packets feature photographs of the damnable plants. The expensive seeds are lovingly illustrated with original art work that was strongly influenced by what the plant looked like but not limited to that image. So its um, pretty but only approximate.
Thus far the least successful of all the seeds are the "Mixed Flowers", these are loser plants and the pretty photos of happy flowers on the packet should be strong enough evidence of intentional bait and switch to involve the AG's office and they should be nice to me because I have their number, actually I have a bunch of numbers for that office and I am not really that afraid to call them .
The mixed colors Lupines are also still a mystery. The photo shows only the flowers and none of the rest of the plant body and without the aid of flowers its hard to tell which two inch plant is which. So I went to Google Images to help myself with identification. I should have done this perhaps before it got dark out. This is why I need a lap top! I could take Google to the plants! It turns out I had guessed pretty close with the vine, even at its fetal stage it looks kind of vine-y. Nothing else had any baby pictures posted on line. Dicks.
I did find out I have very good place in flowers though. So score one for me, I mean other than the Mixed Flowers debacle, for instance, the lupines I picked up are stunning and I would really love if the poppies were to mature but I'm thinking that looking at them right now? They aren't going anywhere, I'm going to plant them with the bedding plants but they aren't going to be the stars of the show. Pity, the picture says they are enormously beautiful and they would be huge stars of any show if they would mature. They look like pink muppets on stems.
Thus far the differences between the cheap seeds I bought at Wally World and the expensive seeds I bought at the boutique garden store are minor : Neither is maturing.
And looking at the seed packets they came in for advice is not working either. I would like to know what the leaf structures of these plants might be and no one is forthcoming at least with the cheap seeds the packets feature photographs of the damnable plants. The expensive seeds are lovingly illustrated with original art work that was strongly influenced by what the plant looked like but not limited to that image. So its um, pretty but only approximate.
Thus far the least successful of all the seeds are the "Mixed Flowers", these are loser plants and the pretty photos of happy flowers on the packet should be strong enough evidence of intentional bait and switch to involve the AG's office and they should be nice to me because I have their number, actually I have a bunch of numbers for that office and I am not really that afraid to call them .
The mixed colors Lupines are also still a mystery. The photo shows only the flowers and none of the rest of the plant body and without the aid of flowers its hard to tell which two inch plant is which. So I went to Google Images to help myself with identification. I should have done this perhaps before it got dark out. This is why I need a lap top! I could take Google to the plants! It turns out I had guessed pretty close with the vine, even at its fetal stage it looks kind of vine-y. Nothing else had any baby pictures posted on line. Dicks.
I did find out I have very good place in flowers though. So score one for me, I mean other than the Mixed Flowers debacle, for instance, the lupines I picked up are stunning and I would really love if the poppies were to mature but I'm thinking that looking at them right now? They aren't going anywhere, I'm going to plant them with the bedding plants but they aren't going to be the stars of the show. Pity, the picture says they are enormously beautiful and they would be huge stars of any show if they would mature. They look like pink muppets on stems.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Spring Home Tour, Chairity Auction 2010
Well this weekend was infinitely more fun than last weekend. The home tour was lovely as always but more on that later. This year was the inaugural year for the local Habitat For Humanity's Chairity Auction. It was a lot of fun as well as very successful for the group . The chairs were all real works of art.
Back to the home tour. This year instead of Colonial Revival this and Federal Style that and Queen Anne/Victorian Style Blah,blah "Great Uncle Whoses used these tweezers to take a tick of General Washington" , "This is the Thomas / Wilderman House. It was originally built in 1689. The only original room of the house is this hallway where in the winter of 1690 the entire Thomas family froze to death. Subsequently the hall way was bought by Joseph Wilderman and moved to its present location and used as pantry for the next 125 years when it was torn down and the wood used to make up the entry way of this home - which subsequently was remodeled and renovated to its current 4500 square foot Victorian Revival style in 1924, 1937, 1953 and 1991-1994. The current owners under took another huge renovation when they bought the home in 1989. Please note these priceless Crystal paper weights from Mr. Bigbucks' family..."
This year we were sent to look at examples of homes from many eras and in gasp shock! different neighborhoods! We were sent outside the traditional boundaries of the Historic District! And it was a much, much better tour because of it. This year we were sent to see a most remarkable and unique home that dated from gasp! 1950! a Genuine Luston Home! Totally made of steel, top-to-bottom, floor to ceiling, roof down to ground. Truly remarkable and there should have been thousands of these marvels all of the country. The reason is a really good, really stupid story of putting industry ahead of the people. Sound familiar? while its not exactly the same but the tune is painfully similar.
This year we got to a lot more homes that we hadn't seen before. In past years tours we have been taken back to the same gorgeous places more than a few times. If I lived in the "new" neighborhoods, I would have spent years being really hurt that my beautifully maintained, renovated home wasn't "good" enough to make the tour because my house wasn't in the right neighborhood. I'm glad they widened the net.
Okay, back to the chairs! I tied up and sedated the rest of the crowd and they left me alone to be the sole bidder on "my" chair.
Well this weekend was infinitely more fun than last weekend. The home tour was lovely as always but more on that later. This year was the inaugural year for the local Habitat For Humanity's Chairity Auction. It was a lot of fun as well as very successful for the group . The chairs were all real works of art.
I wanted this one but it was outside my budget, it went for $175 and
should have really gotten a lot more. It was better than the crowd.
I also wanted this one, but it also was more than I wanted to spend
even for a good cause. And it was a little plain, but I loved the birds.
See? 50 chairs, 50 different ideas. Some were just good painted chairs
while others were art that the artist chose to use a wooden chair as their canvas.
Back to the home tour. This year instead of Colonial Revival this and Federal Style that and Queen Anne/Victorian Style Blah,blah "Great Uncle Whoses used these tweezers to take a tick of General Washington" , "This is the Thomas / Wilderman House. It was originally built in 1689. The only original room of the house is this hallway where in the winter of 1690 the entire Thomas family froze to death. Subsequently the hall way was bought by Joseph Wilderman and moved to its present location and used as pantry for the next 125 years when it was torn down and the wood used to make up the entry way of this home - which subsequently was remodeled and renovated to its current 4500 square foot Victorian Revival style in 1924, 1937, 1953 and 1991-1994. The current owners under took another huge renovation when they bought the home in 1989. Please note these priceless Crystal paper weights from Mr. Bigbucks' family..."
This year we were sent to look at examples of homes from many eras and in gasp shock! different neighborhoods! We were sent outside the traditional boundaries of the Historic District! And it was a much, much better tour because of it. This year we were sent to see a most remarkable and unique home that dated from gasp! 1950! a Genuine Luston Home! Totally made of steel, top-to-bottom, floor to ceiling, roof down to ground. Truly remarkable and there should have been thousands of these marvels all of the country. The reason is a really good, really stupid story of putting industry ahead of the people. Sound familiar? while its not exactly the same but the tune is painfully similar.
Yes, built with more steel and better made than your current car.
This year we got to a lot more homes that we hadn't seen before. In past years tours we have been taken back to the same gorgeous places more than a few times. If I lived in the "new" neighborhoods, I would have spent years being really hurt that my beautifully maintained, renovated home wasn't "good" enough to make the tour because my house wasn't in the right neighborhood. I'm glad they widened the net.
Okay, back to the chairs! I tied up and sedated the rest of the crowd and they left me alone to be the sole bidder on "my" chair.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Bad Girl
I was a bad, bad girl today. Bad . I ate at McDonald's for the first time in a while and I saw on the french fry wrapper that they list the calorie count. Do you have any idea how many calories there are in an order of small fries?
A butt load and adding insult to injury? My happy meal toy sucked - It started out cool because it was a dragon and I thought Wow. A dragon. This could be cool but then it didn't light up or talk or anything and the wings kept falling off! What kind of happy meal toy is that?! I think that maybe once upon a time it might have at least made noise, it was hard to tell from the picture if the little lines were supposed to represent light or sound but it didn't do either and I was sad.
And fat.
Sad and fat. The good news is that the small burger comes in at under 80 calories so at least I didn't feel bad about that part of my lunch.
And then I went home. Well, several hours later, I went home and when I got there I was faced with a new Burpee catalog. Evil, evil, evil. Then I was bad again. I was looking through the catalog and looking at all the absolutely gorgeous flowers including one Chomley Farran I want so bad! I mean really, really want I saw it in last years catalogue and it was so pretty and there it is again and I can buy plants inside of seeds so there is the instant gratification aspect that I really, really respond to and I'm thinking about ordering them even though they are relatively expensive for flowers.
So I decided that I would not order the flowers now but they are on my wish list. I will order them because I can rationalize this because they are perennials. Okay, I was not bad yet and then I looked through the rest of the catalogue and I found page 68.
Major Wheeler! A bright red honeysuckle! Honeysuckle that I paid for! I didn't have to steal it or anything! So, really Good Girl! But I had to pay for it, so actually Bad Girl and I bought three of them. But they're perennials! They'll come back! And they're so pretty and red and everything else in the back yard is so green, I mean there are about 256 different shades of green back there and these will just totally pop. So Yay. I have my honeysuckle.
I was a bad, bad girl today. Bad . I ate at McDonald's for the first time in a while and I saw on the french fry wrapper that they list the calorie count. Do you have any idea how many calories there are in an order of small fries?
A butt load and adding insult to injury? My happy meal toy sucked - It started out cool because it was a dragon and I thought Wow. A dragon. This could be cool but then it didn't light up or talk or anything and the wings kept falling off! What kind of happy meal toy is that?! I think that maybe once upon a time it might have at least made noise, it was hard to tell from the picture if the little lines were supposed to represent light or sound but it didn't do either and I was sad.
And fat.
Sad and fat. The good news is that the small burger comes in at under 80 calories so at least I didn't feel bad about that part of my lunch.
And then I went home. Well, several hours later, I went home and when I got there I was faced with a new Burpee catalog. Evil, evil, evil. Then I was bad again. I was looking through the catalog and looking at all the absolutely gorgeous flowers including one Chomley Farran I want so bad! I mean really, really want I saw it in last years catalogue and it was so pretty and there it is again and I can buy plants inside of seeds so there is the instant gratification aspect that I really, really respond to and I'm thinking about ordering them even though they are relatively expensive for flowers.
So I decided that I would not order the flowers now but they are on my wish list. I will order them because I can rationalize this because they are perennials. Okay, I was not bad yet and then I looked through the rest of the catalogue and I found page 68.
Major Wheeler! A bright red honeysuckle! Honeysuckle that I paid for! I didn't have to steal it or anything! So, really Good Girl! But I had to pay for it, so actually Bad Girl and I bought three of them. But they're perennials! They'll come back! And they're so pretty and red and everything else in the back yard is so green, I mean there are about 256 different shades of green back there and these will just totally pop. So Yay. I have my honeysuckle.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Doggedly
I didn't get a ride in this evening but I did mow my lawn. I think its a fair trade. I have a manual lawn mower, mowing the yard is a real work out. I also packed my bag and started to get ready to go away for the weekend. Last weekend with the three days off I worked like a dawg and almost no fun at all, this weekend I'm hopeing to have fun and do almost no work at all. I'm going to have to work a little bit tonight though to make sure I can hit the road when I want to on Friday though, but I think I'll be okay. I am going to have to water the hell out of the plants in the front though, they seem to be unusually thirsty.
Speaking of plants, I think I'm losing a couple of more bean plants. There are a couple that just seem droopy and they won't undroop, I thought they weren't getting enough water but the soil is suitable damp without being wet. It might be the leaves, there are too many leaves in the soil and this is my fault - I saw online last fall that leaves are great for your garden. Some leaves, not all the leaves. Next year some leaves but no more oak leaves, those bad boys do not breakdown. So I'm a little worried about the beans, I will have about 8 plants still in good shape but the droopiness worries me and I'm afraid its going to become a trend.
My luffas are also not happy. They did not like move outside at all. They just went into this really deep depression and they haven't come out yet. The baby seem to be stuck in some sort of stasis, they aren't growing but they aren't dieing either. The one bean plant I planted up there seems to be doing very well though.
This weekend is all about not working, next weekend I have my work cut out for me. Saturday morning I am taking Baby Kitty across the street for a rabies vax clinic then I have the 2010 County Convention Woo! Where we will, according to the post card : Elect delegates to District Conventions (if you are a delegate and you bother to show up for the CC you automaticly go on to the District Convention). we will think about 2010 Elections (and I will become nauseous) and We will consider precinct resolutions (and I will leave). Lunch can be purchased from the Young Dems who will be selling hot dogs and chips or I! am! welcome! to! bring! my! own! Cheap bastards.
There is also a dog thing downtown that I thought about taking Dogger to - they are featuring a 1/2 K disabled dog walk! And I thought Dogger might be able to deal with doing that , but that was before I got the County Convention postcard so my plans have probably changed. Sunday, there is another Dog-centric activity that I think I'll go to but prolly without Dogger. I'm going to the dedication of a memorial picnic table at the Dog Park and I don't want to remind Dogger that there is a Dog Park and that she used to play there. I don't want her to get depressed about not being able to do run around and play off leash anymore. She might not be bothered but it would kill me too see her there being sad and all leashed up while the other dogs cavort .
I didn't get a ride in this evening but I did mow my lawn. I think its a fair trade. I have a manual lawn mower, mowing the yard is a real work out. I also packed my bag and started to get ready to go away for the weekend. Last weekend with the three days off I worked like a dawg and almost no fun at all, this weekend I'm hopeing to have fun and do almost no work at all. I'm going to have to work a little bit tonight though to make sure I can hit the road when I want to on Friday though, but I think I'll be okay. I am going to have to water the hell out of the plants in the front though, they seem to be unusually thirsty.
Speaking of plants, I think I'm losing a couple of more bean plants. There are a couple that just seem droopy and they won't undroop, I thought they weren't getting enough water but the soil is suitable damp without being wet. It might be the leaves, there are too many leaves in the soil and this is my fault - I saw online last fall that leaves are great for your garden. Some leaves, not all the leaves. Next year some leaves but no more oak leaves, those bad boys do not breakdown. So I'm a little worried about the beans, I will have about 8 plants still in good shape but the droopiness worries me and I'm afraid its going to become a trend.
My luffas are also not happy. They did not like move outside at all. They just went into this really deep depression and they haven't come out yet. The baby seem to be stuck in some sort of stasis, they aren't growing but they aren't dieing either. The one bean plant I planted up there seems to be doing very well though.
This weekend is all about not working, next weekend I have my work cut out for me. Saturday morning I am taking Baby Kitty across the street for a rabies vax clinic then I have the 2010 County Convention Woo! Where we will, according to the post card : Elect delegates to District Conventions (if you are a delegate and you bother to show up for the CC you automaticly go on to the District Convention). we will think about 2010 Elections (and I will become nauseous) and We will consider precinct resolutions (and I will leave). Lunch can be purchased from the Young Dems who will be selling hot dogs and chips or I! am! welcome! to! bring! my! own! Cheap bastards.
There is also a dog thing downtown that I thought about taking Dogger to - they are featuring a 1/2 K disabled dog walk! And I thought Dogger might be able to deal with doing that , but that was before I got the County Convention postcard so my plans have probably changed. Sunday, there is another Dog-centric activity that I think I'll go to but prolly without Dogger. I'm going to the dedication of a memorial picnic table at the Dog Park and I don't want to remind Dogger that there is a Dog Park and that she used to play there. I don't want her to get depressed about not being able to do run around and play off leash anymore. She might not be bothered but it would kill me too see her there being sad and all leashed up while the other dogs cavort .
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Windows to the world
I'm a bad Doggy Mommy. Dogger only had two walks today! I didn't walk her but I had a lovely bike ride to the post office! Bad, bad Dog Mommy. I suck. And poor Dogger should really be rewarded for not having a stroke today while the window guy was here. Her Addison's can cause her to have a massive heart attack if she is sufficiently stressed - even with meds.
I gave her a couple of benadryl before I left for the day for insurance against her freaking out but I couldn't know what time the guy was going to come or how stressed it would make her. Dogger was a trooper though, and did not have a stroke
I might suck but I got my first electric bill under three figures since December! Yay! I was so excited I hauled off and paid it just because I could. All I had to do to achieve this miracle was turn off my heat pump. Its fine for now but eventually, I'm going to have to turn it back on. Sadly, but I think for at least the next couple of months I'm going to keep myself cool by fanning myself with $67 utility bills.
Speaking of my utility bills, today I started to make those better for myself. I got two new windows! One in the bathroom - a window that never worked and was being crushed by the house itself, and I replaced the worst window in the kitchen! Thissieve window was responsible for a good part of my electric bill. I kept a piece of plastic sheeting over it just to help keep the drafts out. It never worked real well but it made me feel like I was doing something.
Only 12 or so more to go. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the abandoned tree in the lot behind me will fall on my house during hurricane season and take out at least another four.
I'm a bad Doggy Mommy. Dogger only had two walks today! I didn't walk her but I had a lovely bike ride to the post office! Bad, bad Dog Mommy. I suck. And poor Dogger should really be rewarded for not having a stroke today while the window guy was here. Her Addison's can cause her to have a massive heart attack if she is sufficiently stressed - even with meds.
I gave her a couple of benadryl before I left for the day for insurance against her freaking out but I couldn't know what time the guy was going to come or how stressed it would make her. Dogger was a trooper though, and did not have a stroke
I might suck but I got my first electric bill under three figures since December! Yay! I was so excited I hauled off and paid it just because I could. All I had to do to achieve this miracle was turn off my heat pump. Its fine for now but eventually, I'm going to have to turn it back on. Sadly, but I think for at least the next couple of months I'm going to keep myself cool by fanning myself with $67 utility bills.
Speaking of my utility bills, today I started to make those better for myself. I got two new windows! One in the bathroom - a window that never worked and was being crushed by the house itself, and I replaced the worst window in the kitchen! This
Only 12 or so more to go. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the abandoned tree in the lot behind me will fall on my house during hurricane season and take out at least another four.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Up your nose with a rubber hose
I spent entirely too much time this weekend fighting with hoses and hose attachments. First I tried to reason with them then I moved on to force and then I was moved to consider surgical intervention. They sell all sorts of ways to repair your injured hose but ask me if they sell a way to repair my hose? No they do not. To make my hose fixable I would have to sever its head. I'm not sure how I feel about playing Madam Defarge.
The first hose problem isn't really the hose as much as it is the damn spray nozzle attached to the hose. The hose works well, no leakage no dripping no behaviors that cause me to become hosacidal. Very good. The only issue with Good Hose is that it kinks, badly - but I have learned to deal with its kinks. We all have kinks.
I did badly by the hose though, last fall instead of taking it downstairs to spend the winter like I have in the past, I cruelly and in retrospect stupidly heaved it on the roof of the shed and let it winter there. In the snow but really you can't plan for all eventualities, it was not actually snowing at the time. I thought it needed the alone time, maybe get to know Good Hose better...
It is working out its issues with me by hanging on to its broken spray nozzle. In my defence, it was broken last fall and I blame that on my lack of consideration for the hose last fall, I felt betrayed. I had kind of hoped that the winter might be good for it in some way but sadly it did not bring the healing it might have, had it spent the winter in the hole.
I replaced evil nozzle with new and improved nozzle. I am pleased with new and improved nozzle.
Anyway. I fought with it too much and then I decided to go with Hose #2 - A hose I haven't used in two years and I couldn't remember why. I figured if it was a hopeless loss that I would have gotten rid of it - But I didn't, so I could just put it back into rotation and that would show that other hose that I could live without it, thank you very much. And then I plugged it in. New Nozzle worked well, old hose was a bitch.
It doesn't seal. You attach it to the spigot and the water pours out of all available places that water could pour from and after I tried to tighten it and hurt my hand and it didn't get better but got worse! I'm not sure any of the water actually makes it into the hose. So I said "Okay. I'll really tighten this down!" that didn't work and I hurt my hand. So I said "I'll go get one of my jar open-er thingies and I'll just get this taken care of" and that didn't work and I hurt my hand. So I said "Fine. I'll go out and get an attachment thing and that will fix this problem" so I went and got a new connection thingy and attached it to the spigot and the water flowed and I hurt my hand.
I threw things with my hurt hand.
So I said fuck off and die! to Good Hose and die in a fire! to Bad Hose . They sell hoses in the store you know. Cheaply, and today, you can buy hoses that are not green. Today I bought a yellow hose.
I spent entirely too much time this weekend fighting with hoses and hose attachments. First I tried to reason with them then I moved on to force and then I was moved to consider surgical intervention. They sell all sorts of ways to repair your injured hose but ask me if they sell a way to repair my hose? No they do not. To make my hose fixable I would have to sever its head. I'm not sure how I feel about playing Madam Defarge.
The first hose problem isn't really the hose as much as it is the damn spray nozzle attached to the hose. The hose works well, no leakage no dripping no behaviors that cause me to become hosacidal. Very good. The only issue with Good Hose is that it kinks, badly - but I have learned to deal with its kinks. We all have kinks.
I did badly by the hose though, last fall instead of taking it downstairs to spend the winter like I have in the past, I cruelly and in retrospect stupidly heaved it on the roof of the shed and let it winter there. In the snow but really you can't plan for all eventualities, it was not actually snowing at the time. I thought it needed the alone time, maybe get to know Good Hose better...
It is working out its issues with me by hanging on to its broken spray nozzle. In my defence, it was broken last fall and I blame that on my lack of consideration for the hose last fall, I felt betrayed. I had kind of hoped that the winter might be good for it in some way but sadly it did not bring the healing it might have, had it spent the winter in the hole.
I replaced evil nozzle with new and improved nozzle. I am pleased with new and improved nozzle.
Anyway. I fought with it too much and then I decided to go with Hose #2 - A hose I haven't used in two years and I couldn't remember why. I figured if it was a hopeless loss that I would have gotten rid of it - But I didn't, so I could just put it back into rotation and that would show that other hose that I could live without it, thank you very much. And then I plugged it in. New Nozzle worked well, old hose was a bitch.
It doesn't seal. You attach it to the spigot and the water pours out of all available places that water could pour from and after I tried to tighten it and hurt my hand and it didn't get better but got worse! I'm not sure any of the water actually makes it into the hose. So I said "Okay. I'll really tighten this down!" that didn't work and I hurt my hand. So I said "I'll go get one of my jar open-er thingies and I'll just get this taken care of" and that didn't work and I hurt my hand. So I said "Fine. I'll go out and get an attachment thing and that will fix this problem" so I went and got a new connection thingy and attached it to the spigot and the water flowed and I hurt my hand.
I threw things with my hurt hand.
So I said fuck off and die! to Good Hose and die in a fire! to Bad Hose . They sell hoses in the store you know. Cheaply, and today, you can buy hoses that are not green. Today I bought a yellow hose.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Garden Update 2010 4
Now with actual gardening! I want it to be known I worked like a hired man this weekend and I am looking forward to going back to my job so that I may get some rest! Three heavy bags of manure, two trips to the dirt store to manually dig dirt (note Minnie Van is called mini for a reason) , six wheel barrows full to the brim of said manually dug dirt, and then I turned over/tilled the whole damn thing twice and did this epic task all by myself. I took a lot of showers this weekend - not because "Oh, a shower now would be so refreshing" but because I was continually covered with dirt.
I really, really want a tiller. I suck at tilling but thank you baby Jesus for the pitch fork because my work would have been much harder and even lower in quality without it. I checked Criagslist hoping to score a cheap, used tiller but even used there is no such thing as a cheap tiller - You can hire a chap cheap to bring his tiller and till for you though and I wish I had known that then. Bygones.
After the added dirt and manure and turning I put frankenhose down. Not fun, but this year I had the benefit of last year to guide me through it, I did have to replace the timer, everything else made it through the season but it. This year I did not DIY the tie downs because I used all my coat hangers last year and I wish I had known about the $4.75-for-75 pins then because I could have spared a lot of much needed coat hangers! I also sprung for the more expensive but reusable green tie down pins for the rubber mulch.
Now with actual gardening! I want it to be known I worked like a hired man this weekend and I am looking forward to going back to my job so that I may get some rest! Three heavy bags of manure, two trips to the dirt store to manually dig dirt (note Minnie Van is called mini for a reason) , six wheel barrows full to the brim of said manually dug dirt, and then I turned over/tilled the whole damn thing twice and did this epic task all by myself. I took a lot of showers this weekend - not because "Oh, a shower now would be so refreshing" but because I was continually covered with dirt.
I really, really want a tiller. I suck at tilling but thank you baby Jesus for the pitch fork because my work would have been much harder and even lower in quality without it. I checked Criagslist hoping to score a cheap, used tiller but even used there is no such thing as a cheap tiller - You can hire a chap cheap to bring his tiller and till for you though and I wish I had known that then. Bygones.
After the added dirt and manure and turning I put frankenhose down. Not fun, but this year I had the benefit of last year to guide me through it, I did have to replace the timer, everything else made it through the season but it. This year I did not DIY the tie downs because I used all my coat hangers last year and I wish I had known about the $4.75-for-75 pins then because I could have spared a lot of much needed coat hangers! I also sprung for the more expensive but reusable green tie down pins for the rubber mulch.
the return of frankenhose! please note the uncredited performance of blood, sweat and tears as well.
tidy, note green pins, $ but worth it.
I also decided to finally put the beans in the ground. I think it was getting to be time for them to be moved to their forever home. I didn't plant the luffas because they seem to small yet and they can stay in the nursery for now. I want to point out that I had spent the last few days "hardening" the plants in the nursery by leaving them outside during the day to get them used to the new environment.
yes, I know they are too close together. They aren't all going to make it.
The plants from Burpee will arrive this week and I'll get them in the ground then. I'm expecting four kinds of tomatoes and three peppers. I'll probably sweeten the pot with some locally bought tomatoes as well. After I finished the farm, I turned to the flower gardening. My seeds haven't magically turned into flowers and I have serious doubts about whether they will at all, so I bought some insurance in the form of some store bought bedding plants to brighten the front steps.
 |
| store bought flowers but $3 DIY flower pots |
I haven't mentioned the raspberry bushes because for the last four months they looked like a bunch of dead twigs and I thought the plants were finished. But then really, over night they went from dead twigs to
this
And even better?
covered with them!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I work with stupid people, idiots and morons. I have to say that here because I've friended them on FB and they follow me on Twitter. Stupid people, idiots and morons. In their defense, some of them are not stupid or idiotic or moronic. But most of them are, clinically, Morons.
We had a staff meeting today. I needed to vent.
The good news is our boss will be out of town Monday-Wednesday nest week. The bad news is she does not want to work over her vacation. The nerve! That means that my co-workers will spend the week not having every decision second guessed and for a few days they will be forced to be responsible for their own work and their own decisions They bitch about the second guessing and the lack of trust and how much it bothers them to not be the final word. I don't not understand their issues, these are people who wrote policy at other jobs and in this job they have every decision gone over and changed . They hate it but they have come to depend on it and today they bitched and moaned and complained about not being second guessed and being trusted to make the right choices.Accountability is not fun.
Next week is going to suck.
I did not ride after work. I am a bad girl and even worse? I got pizza for dinner. I just really, really wanted one and I couldn't help it. I did eat an apple and a couple of small boxes of raisins for desert so I feel like I was not entirely evil.
While I was waiting for my pizza I wandered around Poverty Barn. I now own a bottle of sea salt. What does one do with sea salt? Does it do anything special? Does size matter? I know it does not have iodine so its not for constant use - I have enough problems without adding a goiter to them. Perhaps its more for cooking then seasoning. The bottle is certainly more attractive than the cardboard thing the other salt comes in, and it is ultimately about how cute the packaging is.
We had a staff meeting today. I needed to vent.
The good news is our boss will be out of town Monday-Wednesday nest week. The bad news is she does not want to work over her vacation. The nerve! That means that my co-workers will spend the week not having every decision second guessed and for a few days they will be forced to be responsible for their own work and their own decisions They bitch about the second guessing and the lack of trust and how much it bothers them to not be the final word. I don't not understand their issues, these are people who wrote policy at other jobs and in this job they have every decision gone over and changed . They hate it but they have come to depend on it and today they bitched and moaned and complained about not being second guessed and being trusted to make the right choices.Accountability is not fun.
Next week is going to suck.
I did not ride after work. I am a bad girl and even worse? I got pizza for dinner. I just really, really wanted one and I couldn't help it. I did eat an apple and a couple of small boxes of raisins for desert so I feel like I was not entirely evil.
While I was waiting for my pizza I wandered around Poverty Barn. I now own a bottle of sea salt. What does one do with sea salt? Does it do anything special? Does size matter? I know it does not have iodine so its not for constant use - I have enough problems without adding a goiter to them. Perhaps its more for cooking then seasoning. The bottle is certainly more attractive than the cardboard thing the other salt comes in, and it is ultimately about how cute the packaging is.
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