#1 Son Playing at the Christmas Eve Service - Christmas Eve 2007

Word of the Day

Mose - The area between one's mouth and nose.

It's cold outside....relatively speaking. Temps in the lower 40's always seem to feel colder here in Arizona then up at The Lake. Maybe it's the lack of humidity? I'm sure there has to be a scientific reason behind it all. I do know that I'm going to have to dig out my jacket today when I take Gypsy for our morning training walk. We haven't turned on the furnace as yet but last night was the first night that I closed the windows in the bedroom. I like sleeping with the windows open, cuddled up and toasty warm under the covers....breathing nice cold air. However, enough is enough. One doesn't want to have to put on mittens and a coat when one gets up to use the bathroom during the night. Besides, HTP was complaining that he could see his breath and was reminded of a scene from the Exorcist....not the split-pea scene and my head doesn't do 360's.

I finished up boiling the turkey bones yesterday. Nibbling on bones was a filling lunch. I've got two containers of turkey soup base in the freezer. HTP isn't really fond of soup but with the temperatures outside dropping, soup makes an excellent feel good lunch. All I need to do is add barley, rice, or noodles...maybe some Thai seasoning...a bit of lemongrass. Yummm!!!! We're still eating leftovers. HTP and I won't be able to eat all this right away. I'll have to freeze some for later. Besides...I'm getting tired of turkey.

I bought my Christmas baking supplies at the grocery store yesterday. I bought the advertised eggs (limit 2 dozen) and some stick margarine and other stuff at the first store, after I finally found a parking spot. However, when I stopped at the second store (on my way home to pick up the chicken breasts and the hamburger), they had their eggs on sale...unadvertised special. I couldn't resist paying only $1 for two dozen eggs....no limit, but with limited space in the fridge, I limited myself to two dozen. So...I've got five dozen eggs+ in the fridge right now. Yes, HTP and I will use all the eggs that I bought. We only use the egg whites and it's lots cheaper this way than buying egg-beaters. Besides...Christmas baking. I'm thinking of making some cranberry muffins...to give as gifts along with cookies....or maybe some cranberry bread. Besides, you need lots of eggs to make Pizzelle.

Today is the day that I'll be straining out the pulp from the pyracantha wine I started a week ago. I'll need to add the second half of the sugar and rack it into fermentation containers. I only have two remaining 5 gallon containers. Hopefully, that's all I'll need.

Murphyism of the Day

Arthur's Laws of Love

1. People to whom you are attracted ivariably think you remind them of someone else.

2. The love letter you finally got the courage to send will be delayed in the mail long enough for you to make a fool of yourself in person.

3. Other people's romantic gestures seem novel and exciting. Your own romantic gestures seem foolish and clumsy.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Man forgives woman anything save the wit to outwit him.

- Minna Thomas Antrim

Gypsy Enjoying her First Christmas - Christmas 2007

Word of the Day

Moronasaurus - Someone whose stupidity has, or should have, caused them to become extinct.

Every year there's a story on the news that someone got trampled on Black Friday...usually at Walmart. Guess what? This year was no exception to the rule. AND....I hear that there was a fatal shooting after a ToysRUs brawl. Merry Christmas? DD Daughter tells me that GI Joe went out shopping on Black Friday. Well...I suppose if you were going to go out shopping on Black Friday, it might be advantageous to be GI Joe. DD Daughter stayed home to guard the home front. Me? I stayed home to protect the wallet. It's the economy...don'tcha know.

However, I will be going out shopping today, but just to the grocery store(s). One of our grocery stores is having a two-day sale. Black Friday AND Saturday? I decided that it would be smarter to shop on the second of those two days. As it is, I have my doubts as to the parking situation over at the store in question. On normal days that store has parking problems. Oh well...I need eggs (.97/doz) and lettuce (2/$1)is a staple of any dieter's diet. I may even pick up a loaf of bread (.77/24 oz) if I'm happy with the calorie count per slice. Other than that, another grocery store, which I'll hit on my way home, has chicken breasts for $1.77/lb, which is sweet when you figure that I won't be paying for any bones or skin. And...they have extra lean ground beef for the same price.

One of my online friends has already finished up all her Christmas shopping for the year. I suppose I have too. I bought something online yesterday for Ms. En. and had it sent to DD Daughter and GI Joe so they can wrap it up for Christmas. Other than that, I still need to figure out what HTP wants for Christmas. He hasn't been too helpful when it comes to ideas...but then again, neither have I. I'll end up baking some of his favorite cookies for Christmas (sugar free version) but other than that?.....

Murphyism of the Day

Harris's Lament

All the good ones are taken.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The words 'I am...' are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you're claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you.

- A. L. Kitselman

Word of the Day

Morical - Possessing a strong moral value.

My brined turkey didn't work too well. Although the meat was tender, it was a lot drier than I was expecting...even the dark meat. I'm not sure if it was just my turkey or what. It tasted OK and that's the best I can say. Thank goodness for gravy. Next year I'll stick to my traditional recipe which has always worked out just fine. Other than freeing up the fridge space and the desire to try something new and different...it just wasn't worth the effort. I can still free up the fridge space by sticking the turkey (unbrined) into the same cooler I used for brining along with ice. My side dishes were wonderful. The unstuffed stuffing tasted wonderful but it doesn't seem right not to have stuffing if you aren't going to actually stuff it so...I'll return to my traditional methods next time I make turkey. I've got plenty of leftovers even though I sent leftovers home with my friends. The turkey will taste good on sandwiches this week and with a bit of gravy, HTP and I will enjoy another Thanksgiving meal tonight...with all the trimmings. Heck...that even sounds good for lunch. I'll have to cook up some cranberry sauce...sugar free. I do love turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce. The cranberry salad that my friend made was wonderful but she didn't leave any for HTP and me. *pout* She didn't leave me any of the pumpkin pie either. *sigh* Oh well...HTP and I are on a diet.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Even though we got some rain in the morning, thunder and lightning, the sun came back out at about the time that our friends arrived and the rain didn't return until everyone had gone home. We were able to sit out on the patio as we waited for the turkey to finish roasting as we chatted and sipped on our wine. And then after all the food was put away (eaten or stored in the fridge), and the first batch of dishes were being washed in the dishwasher, we took a leisurely walk around the neighborhood with Gypsy. Gypsy had a wonderful time and totally forgot about all her training when she was greeted by a few of the neighbor's grandchildren. She was loved!...and she didn't even piddle...well...only a teeny bit. No-one really noticed. They were busy giving her lots of hugs and kisses. After returning home, we watched the movie Ironman. Our friends had brought it with them since there really weren't any football games that looked interesting. The movie was great. None of us had seen it before. Afterwards, we enjoyed some pumpkin pie that my friend had made. It was a wonderful way to end our Thanksgiving together. They headed on home and I put away the clean dishes and loaded the dishwasher with the few remaining dirty dishes and finished cleaning up the kitchen.

It's Black Friday. However, I have no intention of hitting the stores. Any Christmas shopping that I need to do this year can be done over the Internet. Gypsy and I did take our morning walk around the neighborhood. I saw the dachshunds' owner and her friend and greeted them...at a safe distance. There weren't too many people out walking. I think the grandchildren had all gone home. The sidewalk was still a bit wet from the rain that we got last night after I'd gone to bed. My rain gauge reads that we've had 1/2" of rain.

I dressed my dining room table for Christmas. I thought it might get me into a Christmas mood but then when I started to spread the tablecloth out, I discovered that it had grease stains on it. I guess I didn't notice them last year after I pulled the tablecloth out of the dryer to fold it. So....I sprayed the stains with Zout and threw it into the washing machine along with my Thanksgiving tablecloth and some other things that needed washing. It's not Laundry Day but.... Anyway, the stains came right out with the Zout so after pulling out my Christmas candles and such, my dining room looks like Christmas. Since it's just me and HTP this year, I'm not going to do all that much besides maybe setting up my Charlie Brown tree and hanging our Christmas wreath out on the front door. It won't take me long to change out the bulbs in the carriage lights on either side of the garage and I may tuck a few sprigs of holly into the grapevine wreath my Dad made for me that I've got hung outside on the wall of the house adjacent to our front door.

I'm trying to get myself in the mood to write my annual Christmas letter and maybe start my Christmas baking. Maybe next week? Again, it's just HTP and me, and HTP and me are both on a diet. Even sugar free cookies aren't calorie free. I don't plan on doing as much baking as I've done in previous years. I think I'll just bake enough for gifting for the neighbors and my friends. But...I think I'll just take it easy today and see what might be interesting to watch on TV while I work on yesterday's Sudoku puzzle from the newspaper.

Murphyism of the Day

Shirley's Law

Most people deserve each other.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Don't laugh at a youth for his affectations; he is only trying on one face after another to find his own.

- Logan Pearsall Smith (1865 - 1946)

Word of the Day

Moonswank - To change into fashionable clothing for the purpose of going out to a social event, specifically at night.



Happy


Thanksgiving


Everyone!


After much wrestling and spilling of brine down my clean jeans, the turkey is in the oven. In a couple of hours, I'll slip a foil tent over the turkey so it doesn't get too brown. Other than that? I made the mashed potatoes yesterday. All my sides are in the fridge, just waiting to be reheated in the microwave and then slipped into the oven to brown. My guests aren't going to be here until noon. We'll sit down to eat at 1 PM.

I set the table (just getting ahead before I find myself behind) and.... *shudder* I found another scorpion. It was in one of my pickle dishes. A pickle dish that was clean. EWWWWW!!!!! The thing that's weirding me out is that I don't think it was there when I took that pickle dish out of the china hutch yesterday. Did it crawl in there to die sometime last night? EWWWWW!!!!! Yes, thankfully, it was dead but......it made me squeak. You know that involuntary squeak that comes out before you can stifle it? Scorpions may not be actual bugs but when it comes to my bug phobia, they fit right in. The pickle dish is in the dishwasher being sterilized. Orkin was here yesterday. It was their last visit. HTP and I've hired someone else to take care of killing bugs and such. That someone else is going to dust the attic for scorpions so I don't have to worry about finding scorpions all over the house anymore....even if they are dead. I'm told that scorpions like to hang out in your attic. *shudder* I'm thankful that I haven't run into any live ones...yet. Needless to say, I continue checking my shoes each morning before putting them on.

Murphyism of the Day

Gluck's Law

Whichever way you turn upon entering an elevator, the buttons will be on the opposite side.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Word of the Day

Monopulate - To manipulate others into accepting a certain viewpoint or idea by controlling a conversation.

It rained this morning. Gypsy did not want to go outside. And...even though I forced the issue, she decided to test my patience and...I had to clean up a piddle accident when she pee'd on my carpet. Grrrr!!!!! She earned an hour in the kennel for that and several swats on the butt. It's not like I wasn't outside getting wet right next to her. At least she had the protection of the tree. I just got wet. Normally, Gypsy is a very trustworthy dog but... D Buddy figures that she's the dog equivalent of Paris Hilton. She doesn't like getting her paws and hair wet....unless someone is giving her a bath.

Oh well...while Gypsy was in her kennel, I got the brine mixed up for the turkey. My Thanksgiving turkey is sitting in a bag-lined cooler right now. Brining. Along with the turkey, I have about 5# of ice and some blue ice. My cooler is one of those that promises to keep things frozen for up to five days. With all the ice and the blue ice, I figure my turkey can safely sit in the brine for one day. I'll have to rinse it off and pop it into the oven tomorrow morning at around 8 AM.

In the meantime, having freed up some refrigerator space, I decided to make some of the side dishes. I baked four sweet potatoes and one yam last night before sticking them into the fridge. This morning they were really easy to peel up and make into HTP's favorite sweet potato casserole. I've always used canned sweet potatoes before. I had no idea that baking up the fresh ones would be this easy. Aside from the prep time (one hour of baking), slipping them out of their skins took about a minute. If fresh are available in the future (at Christmas), I'll use fresh from now on. My sweet potato casserole is sitting in the fridge right now and all I need to do is heat it up tomorrow, top it with marshmallow and stick it into the oven as soon as the turkey is done. Right next to the sweet potato casserole (in the fridge) is my green bean casserole. I still need to make the stuffing but...that will have to wait until...

I'm cleaning the oven. Normally, I cook my stuffing inside the turkey but I've been warned that it might get too salty this year if I do that, since I'm brining my turkey. So...I'm going to bake my stuffing outside the turkey this year, which means that I can bake it ahead of time. Today...after my oven is clean. I was thinking about making the mashed potatoes today too but I prefer fresh mashed potatoes so I'll wait until tomorrow to make them. Besides, I don't want to use up all my fridge space. It won't take me long to mash up some freshly boiled potatoes tomorrow. No point in trying to do EVERYTHING in one day. Besides, I'll have to leave space in the fridge for the sides that my friend is bringing. And...I still need to put the pickles in the fridge and the wine. Nope...I'll save making the mashed potatoes and gravy until tomorrow.

I know I'm making too much food. I always do. There's only going to be four of us. I could have made one of those turkey breasts and we'd still have had leftovers. Oh well...this way I can send some leftovers home with my friend and her husband.

Murphyism of the Day

Dedera's Law

In a three-story building served by one elevator, nine times out of ten the elevator car will be on a floor where you are not.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

One person can have a profound effect on another. And two people...well, two people can work miracles. They can change a whole town. They can change the world.

- Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

HTP, Me, and DD Daughter - Thanksgiving 1981

Word of the Day

Monoemotionistic - Capable of feeling or having only a single emotion at a time.

My rain gauge is supposed to get a workout in the coming days. I suppose there's a Murphyism in this. I'd hoped to sit outside on the patio, sipping on a goblet of wine, while chatting quietly with my friend. I was even thinking that it might be nice to walk around the neighborhood after eating more than I should eat in a week. We don't get much rain here at our Arizona home. Oh well.... Maybe we'll rent a movie to watch. Originally, the guys were going to watch football games but HTP tells me that the interesting games aren't until the evening hours. Maybe we'll play one of the games that Santa brought us a couple of Christmases ago. We haven't played them yet. We don't spend a lot of time playing games.

Murphyism of the Day

Drummond's Law of Personnel Recruiting

The ideal resume will turn up one day after the position is filled.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Use what you have to run toward your best - that's how I now live my life.

- Oprah Winfrey

Racking Wine

Word of the Day

Mongo - 1. To be overly big for one's size; namely a human who is big boned but not otherwise fat. 2. Someone who is overly big for one's size; namely someone who is big-boned, but not otherwise fat.

The music director at church stopped by last week to drop off my orchestra music. If she hadn't dropped off the music, I have to admit, I probably wouldn't have gone to the scheduled orchestra practice yesterday. I would have taken Gypsy for a walk. Oh well...I must say that playing Christmas music, even at an early hour of the morning, does tend to get your blood moving. Maybe, just maybe, I'll eventually get into the mood for Christmas....eventually.

I didn't feel like racking the pomegranate wines or the prickly pear wine but it was either rack the wine yesterday or rack it in a week when I have to work on the pyracantha wine again. Since just racking the pomegranate wines and the prickly pear wine wore me out, I'm glad I took care of this job yesterday. At least this way I don't have to mess with it until this time next month.

Someone asked me the other day if I'd ever made any grape wines. Actually, Sis and I plan to experiment with that next summer. My brother brought her some grapes from his vines in Minnesota. I've even considered planting some different varieties of grapes that will withstand the frigid temperatures at The Lake. However, why make a grape wine when you can buy it so cheaply in the store? I just bought a box of wine that holds enough wine to fill 6 bottles of wine for $18.99. It takes two years from the time you start brewing a grape wine to when you can actually enjoy it. I can't buy the kind of wines Sis and I make. Prickly Pear Wine? I did see a bottle of Pomegranate Wine on the shelf the other day but it wasn't cheap. I don't think I've ever seen Dandelion Wine for sale. Sis bought a bottle of Rhubarb Wine but she thought it wasn't as good as our rhubarb wine. I've never seen Pyracantha Wine. Prickly Gooseberry Wine? Nope...I've never seen it at the liquor store. Sis and I will make some grape wines but I think we'll concentrate on making wine that you just can't find.


Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Twelve

I wasn't hired to do that.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If you can't do what you want, do what you can.

- Lois McMaster Bujold

Wine-making 2007 looks pretty much like wine-making 2008. Only...this is Arizona wine-making rather than wine-making at The Lake. Just a 2000 mile difference.

Word of the Day

Mogulate - To make a fool of ones self.

Gypsy and I haven't taken our morning training walk yet. I had an orchestra practice at the church this morning so I had to hit the road about the same time that Gypsy and I take our walk. Maybe I'll take her out later this afternoon.

Yesterday, I went out shopping at Saver's with a friend of mine. I needed some "new" jeans. I've lost enough weight that I only had two pair of jeans to choose from...everything else was too big. So...off to Saver's (Boys and Girls Club of America thrift store) to buy some "new" (new to me) jeans or capris. I'm still dieting so I've got hopes to lose more weight. Besides, I have jeans at The Lake that would probably fit. Unfortunately, they're at The Lake and I'm not...at The Lake. I bought four pair of jeans, three pair of capris, and three sweaters for less than what it would have cost me to buy one pair of jeans. I'm not sure what Eddie Bauer jeans go for right now or what the fleece-lined LLBean jeans would have cost me new but I didn't pay that much. Thank goodness for Saver's. Actually, I love getting "new" jeans because they've already been washed and broken in so there's no doubt that they'll still fit after I throw them into the washing machine and dryer. I know that my sister loves garage saling for clothes but I prefer buying my "new" clothes at the thrift store where I can try things on in a dressing room.

My friend and I also stopped at the grocery store so I could pick up lemons and oranges and golden raisins for my pyracantha wine. My wine-making supplies arrived last week so I was able to get the pyracantha wine started....but first I needed to purchase the rest of the ingredients. Citrus and raisins. I started the pyracantha wine after I got back home. Since my Mom picked nine quarts of the pyracantha berries, there was enough to make NINE recipes of wine. I was able to start three triple batches which meant that I had to juice 18 lemons and 9 oranges into three large buckets. I'm not sure exactly how much wine I'm going to end up with but I added the yeast to the buckets this morning. I'll have to stir the "must" a couple of times a day for the next week before I can strain out the pulp and transfer this new wine into fermentation jugs. In the meantime, I need to rack the pomegranate wines and prickly pear wine today. It's a good thing that I'm not expecting any guests who need to occupy my guest room in the near future. My guest room is full of buckets and jugs full of what will some day become wine.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Eleven

I thought I told you.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If our early lessons of acceptance were as successful as our early lessons of anger, how much happier we would all be.

- Peter McWilliams

Word of the Day

Mittsquinter - A ballplayer who looks into his glove after missing the ball, as if, somehow the cause of the error lies there.

I was making a batch of stew for Gypsy yesterday and was reminded of a time when my Grandparents came to stay with us kids while my folks were in New York City. It always amazes me how little things remind me of something that happened in the past. I mean, here I'm cooking up a huge pot of stew to freeze in portions for Gypsy and then I'm remembering when my Mom decided to cook up some wormy noodles and scraps for our dogs, Mitzi and Patsy. Of course, I don't use wormy noodles, but, if I had any wormy noodles, I probably would use them for Gypsy. Waste not, want not. Just a bit more protein in the mix. Heck, the meat that I used in the stew this time was freezer burnt beyond what HTP and I would eat, and the carrots had seen better days. However, Gypsy doesn't mind. She loves her stew. Mitzi and Patsy loved their stew too. Only, Mom kept the pot of dog food stew in the fridge. She didn't think to tell her Mom that this pot of stew was for the dogs before she and Dad headed off to New York. Grandma, being Grandma, tasted said stew and decided that it wasn't fit to feed her Grandchildren. *Blink* She tasted it? EUWWWW!!!! Wormy stew?! None of us kids knew that she'd tasted it or we would have stopped her. We KNEW what was in the pot in the fridge. Dog food. We weren't consulted. When my Mom and Dad called from New York to check on things, my Grandmother (tactfully, I'm sure) mentioned that the stew in the fridge wasn't very tasty so she decided to cook up something different for us kids. My Mom, horrified, explained that the stew in the fridge was for the dogs. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Grandma found out that she'd eaten some wormy dog food. Some things like that just stick in your mind and make you laugh.


Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Ten

I'm so busy, I just can't get around to it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Word of the Day

Misunderestimate - To misunderstand someone's behavior, writing, or speech in such a way as to be led to underestimate that person.

I'm finished with my Spring cleaning. I don't do Spring cleaning in the Spring here in Arizona. When Spring rolls around, I'm busy getting things packed up and hitting the road for The Lake. I do Spring cleaning at The Lake. I do a basic cleaning here in Arizona before I hit the road for The Lake because I have a neighbor who comes over to water plants and flush toilets, run water through the faucets and generally keep an eye on our vacant home here in Arizona while we're away and I don't want her to think that HTP and I live in a pig sty or know that I HATE cleaning even though I DO HATE CLEANING! But....dust happens. Lime rings still form in the toilets. And bugs die in the bathtub. I have no idea why bugs seem to head straight for my bathtubs to die but this particular bug idiosyncrasy happens in Arizona AND The Lake. After six months, my bathtubs become a bug graveyard....kind of like the elephant graveyard in those Tarzan movies but smaller.

My congetella didn't turn out like I'd planned. I ended up with an herbed cottage-like cheese. However, it still tastes good. I crumbled some on our dinner salads last night. Congetella will have to wait. I think I'll try my hand at a formed cheese next. In the meantime, I made another batch of kefir-leban.

I bought my Thanksgiving turkey. After talking to MC Daughter, I'm considering the idea of brining my turkey this year. I found a recipe where you brine the turkey overnight in a cooler. Interesting. This would free up space in my fridge for me to make my side-dishes ahead of time. There's never enough room in my fridge for holiday meals.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Nine

I didn't think it was very important.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The world is my lobster.

- Henry J. Tillman

Word of the Day

Miserability - The measurement of how miserable one is at any given moment; the maximum level of one's ability to be miserable.

If at first you don't succeed..... Congetella. I tried to make a batch of a mozzarella-style cheese this morning using kefir, whole milk, some chives, and some basil. Fail. Back to the drawing board...or the Internet. Using the pot of milk that was cooling on the stove and had never congealed, I made a second attempt. Apparently, my idea of gently stirring something isn't the same as other people's idea of gently stirring stuff. In other words, you REALLY need to hardly even stir this stuff or you're going to lose your curds. Plus, the recipe isn't all that clear. I think you have to heat the milk and herbs up to 80°C before you add in the kefir milk...drizzling it into the pan. Anyway, this latest attempt netted me some curds. I'm not sure if I'll end up with what I should end up with but I squeezed out as much whey as I could, compacting the balls of curds before tossing them into some ice water to sit for the next 30 minutes. We'll see what I end up with later. It kind of tastes like fresh mozzarella....maybe....I hope.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Eight

We don't make many mistakes.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist.

- Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones.

Word of the Day

Misembalm - 1. To embalm the wrong person or any other life form. 2. To botch the embalming of a person or other life form.

I finally got around to cleaning the chandelier yesterday. HTP did not help me with the chandelier but that wasn't his fault. I just decided to start on the project when he was gone. It wasn't that difficult. I didn't even need a ladder since I was able to stand on my dining room table. I have a sturdy dining room table (read : it didn't collapse). Somehow cleaning a REALLY dirty chandelier (and my chandelier was REALLY dirty) is a lot more satisfying that cleaning a chandelier that isn't so dirty. I suppose that's why I've been putting off this particular chore. That, and the fact that you pretty much have to take the dang thing apart to wash it and every time you take it apart and put it back together you risk breaking one or more of the parts. I do have some replacement pieces but this chandelier came from Murano, Italy. It's one of a kind. I don't have replacement pieces for the whole thing. One of the pieces that I didn't have a replacement for broke during our last move. I ended up gluing it with glass glue and you can't really see where it broke unless you're the person who glued the thing back together. Actually, I didn't even remember the break until I was up on the dining room table cleaning that part of the chandelier that I have to clean in place because that part of the chandelier is just too hard to take down unless you're moving the whole chandelier from one house to another. Anyway, I got the whole chandelier cleaned without incident. I didn't fall off the table. I didn't break any of the main chandelier parts. I did break a light bulb when I dropped a brass fitting on it. Praise the Lord that the fitting didn't fall on one of the glass flowers. Bulbs can be replaced. I have a box of extra chandelier bulbs in the linen closet. When that fitting fell, my heart leaped into my throat and stopped beating for a second. If I'd lost one of those hand-blown glass flowers, I'd have felt horrible...even though I have some replacement flowers in the garage. I don't want to be the first in our family to have to use one of the replacement pieces. Hopefully, I won't even be around when one of my great-great grandchildren breaks one of those flowers and gets yelled at by their Mom and Dad. HTP and I bought this chandelier. I'm hoping to pass it down to the next generation some day....intact.

I never got around to taking a training walk with Gypsy yesterday. HTP picked up the mail and I just didn't feel like taking a walk after cleaning the chandelier. However, no matter how stiff and sore I was this morning, I didn't want to skip another training walk. We showed off in front of Jack's owner and his friends. Jack's owner and friends always seem to gather in the mornings for a cup of coffee and conversation and they wave at Gypsy and me as we take our training walks. Jack is a buff-colored Cocker Spaniel who would really love to cross the street to meet and greet Gypsy but he's a very well-behaved dog...off leash, and stays by his owner's side. Good dog. Someday, I hope that Gypsy will be that obedient. However, she did very well and showed off her sit/stay and finish.

Whenever I think the house is totally clean, I see something that needs cleaning. This morning it was the top of the fridge and the top of the china hutch in the kitchen. And the kitchen light really should be cleaned too. It may not glitter and shine like the chandelier in the dining room but...it still needs cleaning . Maybe this afternoon.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Lucky Number Seven

Wait till the boss comes back and ask him.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Most advances in science come when a person for one reason or another is forced to change fields.

-Peter Borden

Word of the Day

Misconfuse - 1. To fail in confusing someone. 2. To confuse the wrong person.

I worked myself to the point of exhaustion yesterday and I didn't even get the entire house dusted and vacuumed. I'm talking about thorough dusting...not the sort of dusting that I normally do on a weekly basis with a feather duster or one of those swifter dusters. I THOROUGHLY dusted. That's where you move EVERYTHING and dust EVERYTHING....even if you have to stand on your head and no-one ever sees the surface that you're dusting. The dust is there and you know it's been there too long if you could plant a couple of seeds in it and grow a crop. That which couldn't be dusted and could be thrown into the dishwasher was washed in the dishwasher before it was returned to its shelf. I vacuumed the lampshades. I vacuumed the upholstered surfaces...THOROUGHLY. I thoroughly dusted the living room AND the dining room AND scrubbed down every surface in the kitchen. I vacuumed the floors. I still need to dust the blades on the fan in the living room and I didn't have enough energy left to wash the chandelier in the dining room. I figured that I'd attack those things that require ladders today...or maybe tomorrow. HTP promised me that he'd help me with the chandelier...and the ladder.

I tackled the bedroom today and since I was already sore from all the cleaning that I did yesterday, I'm beginning to think that some of this cleaning will have to wait until tomorrow. Regardless, no matter how sore, today is Tuesday and today is Laundry Day. I'm doing laundry today (in addition to Spring cleaning) but in order to do laundry I had to go out and do some shopping. One can't do laundry without laundry detergent and I only had enough in the bottom of the laundry bottle for one of my normal four loads. Besides, with only 4 more eggs in the fridge and since eggs were .97/dozen at one of the local grocery stores and today was the last day for this sale on eggs, I couldn't put off shopping any longer. HTP and I go through a lot of eggs with this diet. Egg white omelets.

I was even too sore to take Gypsy for our morning training walk. Poor Gypsy. Maybe I'll combine my daily trek to the mailbox (about a block away) with a training walk. We'll see how much energy I have remaining by late this afternoon. Currently, I'm taking a break....blogging from my REALLY clean and dust-free desk and enjoying the smell of fresh and clean and trying to ignore that fact that I still have to clean the bathrooms....tomorrow?

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Six

That's his job, not mine.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.

- Paul Valery (1871 - 1945)

My Zulu Rubber Tree - November 2008 (That tree froze down to the ground last winter. My single-trunk tree has become a multi-trunk. Hopefully, we don't get another major freeze like last winter. I'm not sure if my dining room/golf cart garage garden will accommodate and even bigger tree.

Word of the Day

Misanthropism - The belief that humanity in general is rubbish; that humanity has a grim future; that people in general are evil and that one should stay away from them.

As I look around me at the layer of dust that is decorating my desk, I'm feeling pressured to dig out my cleaning supplies and thoroughly dust and clean and vacuum. I hate cleaning but when you can write "Dust Me" in the dust on your furniture, it's time to dust. I dusted when HTP and I got back here....yes, I did dust, clean, and vacuum....but with the windows open, we get desert dust wafting through the windows. This it the type of dust that shows up as brown dirt on the dust rag. Yuck! I'm going to have to vacuum/dust the upholstered furniture and cushions. If there's that much dust on the wooden furniture, there's just as much dust on the rest of the stuff...even if you can't see it...and I didn't vacuum/dust the upholstery when we got back here. The lampshades need vacuum/dusting too. *sigh* I hate cleaning....which reminds me of a "funny" that a friend of mine sent me the other day.

Can Coldwater Clean Dishes??

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry about
using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very
secluded, rural area of Georgia.

After spending a great evening chatting the night away,
John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.
However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and
questioned his grandfather asking, 'Are these plates clean?'

His grandfather replied, 'They're as clean as cold water
can get them. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!'

For lunch the old man made hamburgers. Again, John was
concerned about the plates as his appeared to have tiny specks around
the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, 'Are you sure these
plates are clean?'

Without looking up the old man said, 'I told you before,
Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now
don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!'

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town
and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and
wouldn't let him pass. John yelled and said, 'Grandfather, your dog
won't let me get to my car'.

Without diverting his attention from the football game he
was watching on TV, the old man shouted .

'COLDWATER, GO LAY DOWN!!!!'

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Five

How did I know this was different?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped.

- Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933)

Gypsy on a Sit/Stay in front of the prickly pear cactus where I got the fruit for this year's Prickly Pear Wine. Good Dog Gypsy!



Gypsy sitting by the front door...waiting for her morning walk.


Word of the Day

Mintigrate - To destroy in an odd way. To obliterate.

We're Home! Actually, HTP and I got home from Vegas last night but what with unpacking and all, I decided to wait until today to blog.

I'm going to make some Pyracantha Wine...but not today. I reviewed my wine cabinet and it became apparent that I was missing some key ingredients. Ergo? I ordered some supplies this morning via the Internet. I'll start making the wine as soon as the supplies get here. Next week? The following week. Hey Sis! Guess what? I ordered some of those neat black grommet thingies that you need when you need for the fermentation buckets. This means that I can drill 1/2" holes into the lids of the water jugs (Water 'n Ice jugs)and fit them with the grommets so they can be used as fermentation jugs. I'll need to go out and buy another water jug at the Water 'n Ice store for my Pyracantha Wine. Me Mum picked 9 quarts of pyracantha berries. I'm going to need one of the BIG water jugs. As it is, I'm going to have to split the wine into three primary vessels before I can rack into the secondary vessel. We're going to end up with a lot of pyrachantha wine. I'm going to need to buy 9 cups of golden raisins, 18 lemons, and 9 large oranges. It's a good thing that I live in Arizona. Citrus isn't all that expensive here. If I'm going to make limoncello, I'll have to buy even more lemons. As soon as I get my wine-making supplies in the mail, I'll have to go out and check the citrus groves. The citrus isn't ripe yet so there's no big hurry. I've got the pyracantha berries in the freezer.

Gypsy and I took our morning training walk this morning. This time I remembered the camera. I must say that it's not exactly fun juggling a camera on our morning walks. Next time I'll have to wear a sweater with pockets. We met Daisy again this morning. Daisy DOES NOT LIKE Gypsy....to put it mildly. I've never seen anything quite like it. Daisy is sneaky about her mean. She wags her tail and turns around snarling and snapping. Gypsy didn't seem to notice. Neither Daisy's owner nor I can quite understand Daisy's antipathy but I think it's something that we'll have to work on. I can't walk around the neighborhood avoiding Daisy and Daisy's owners every morning. Gypsy and I also encountered a couple of snarling long-haired dachshunds that were taking their owner for a walk. We didn't stop to chat since it would have been two against one and it looked like the dachshunds' owner was having enough trouble controlling her snarling duo without adding a third dog to the mix. One of the other neighbors told me that one of those dachshunds took a nip out of her dog so.... Not all dogs are as friendly as Gypsy.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Four

I'm waiting for an OK.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The solution is to gradually become free of societal rewards and learn how to substitute for them rewards that are under one's own powers. This is not to say that we should abandon every goal endorsed by society; rather, it means that, in addition to or instead of the goals others use to bribe us with, we develop a set of our own.

- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Willie, Me Mum, and Me Cleaning Fish at The Lake

Word of the Day

Minion - A person or thing that annoys or aggravates someone.

Today is Laundry Day. Tomorrow? HTP and I are heading off to Las Vegas for a few days. I'm packing. I probably should make a packing list but we're only going to be gone for four days/three nights. On previous trips to Vegas, I've forgotten to pack my toothbrush, my hair brush, and one time I forgot my nightshirt and had to borrow at t-shirt from HTP. And then there was the time that we were almost to Wickenburg and I remembered that I forgot my belly pack and my gambling money so we had to turn back. That was fun....not. Maybe I'd better make that list. I'm not sure if I'll take the time to blog or not. I make no promises. I'm curious to see if Gypsy will remember her training for my Dad while she's visiting my folks. My folks are going to take care of Gypsy while HTP and I are in Las Vegas. I'll have to pack some of her toys so she can tease them into playing with her.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Three

No one told me to go ahead.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I just realized that there's going to be a lot of painful times in life, so I better learn to deal with it the right way.

- Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Word of the Day

Ming - A disdain for the lack of importance and expression in another person's speech. In response to the unword "meh".


Happy


Birthday


Willie!


It's my favorite brother's birthday today! He's my OLDER brother. And...he's my only brother so I don't have to feel guilty when it comes to playing favorites. Happy Birthday Willie!

Tiredness reigns. Gypsy woke me up at 6 AM. This, in itself, isn't all that unusual. She waits patiently in her kennel while I get dressed and pour my first cup of coffee in the morning. She started her "Wake up!" routine (digging at the kennel door and softly vocalizing)at 6 AM but I didn't FEEL like getting up because it was still dark outside. I don't mind getting up with the sun but somehow I'm not too fond of getting up before the sun. Besides, the coffeepot timer is set for 6:15 AM. Oh well...I grabbed a cup of coffee from yesterday's pot and nuked it. The temperature outside was 41°F. By 6:30 AM, Gypsy and I were taking our training walk around the neighborhood. We were alone. Even the gentlemen that normally gather at the end of the block, sitting, sipping on coffee, and socializing, weren't there to wave at us.

We actually got a bit of a thunderstorm yesterday. Not only did we get rain (not enough to measure but enough to get the ground wet), we also got hail. For a while I was concerned about the Gator which sits parked on our driveway, but, the hail never got larger than the size of a pea and it didn't last more than a couple of minutes.


Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number Two

I didn't know you were in a hurry for it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

[Abstract art is] a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered.

- Al Capp (1909 - 1979)

A Grey Day in Arizona

Word of the Day

Miffage - A measure of how much one can be miffed.

I woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise. The pink and red splashes and daubs of color looked like something that an overly exuberant artist might have dreamed up in some vivid imaginative dream. Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning? I'm not sure that we'll actually get any rain today....besides, there aren't too many sailboats here in Arizona that actually would need to listen to such a warning. Maybe out on Lake Pleasant? Right now the sky is a dull shade of grey. I'm glad that Gypsy and I at least got the chance to get outside and take our walk this morning under the glow of the pinks and reds before they faded to grey. And? I forgot to bring the camera.

I've lost enough weight that I'm down a couple of pant sizes since getting back here to Arizona. However, I'm not planning on running out to buy new clothes. Having pack rat tendencies, I was able to dig through my drawers and pull out some jeans that I haven't been able to wear for over a year. What is old is new again. Ever the pack rat, I don't plan on donating the jeans that are too big for me now. I'll store them away for right now and hope that I won't be needing them again before the end of the holidays. The diet continues. I've got some size 8 and size 6 jeans I'm hoping will fit before I head back to The Lake next spring.

Murphyism of the Day

Handy Office Excuse - Number One

That's the way we've always done it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

- Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)

Snow at The Lake?

Word of the Day

Mibble - An unwanted piece of lint, crumb, or any small, visible object stuck on anything its not supposed to.

Despite a morning temperature of 43°F, I did not wear my winter jacket, nor did I wear my gloves. I settled for a sweater that I picked up last winter at the thrift store. It was a bargain but decorated as it is with embroidered Fall leaves, it's a definite Fall celebration type sweater that has a limited window of opportunity when one can wear it...the Fall. I wore it over a long-sleeved turtleneck. Added warmth. I'll dig out the sweater that I bought to celebrate Christmas and Winter on December 1st. However, by December 1st, I may be wearing my winter jacket and the full effect of the beads and jingle bells will be muted.

I keep promising myself that I'll take the camera out with me the next time that Gypsy and I take our morning training walk. Gypsy is doing really well during our morning training sessions (aside from the occasional distractions). If I'd remember to bring my camera with me, I could put her on a sit/stay and take a picture of her as she eyes me anxiously at the end of the leash. What? Does she think I'm just going to leave her there? Where's the trust? I'm going to continue with our current training program until Gypsy can hold her position no matter how many fellow walkers happen to chance by in the morning during our morning training walks. I'm not sure if adding anything new like "down" might not just confuse things. Although...

This morning I thought to dig my New Balance exercise shoes out of the closet. My feet have been bothering me during these long exercise/training walks with Gypsy every morning. If Gypsy and I were walking any faster, we wouldn't be walking anymore, we'd be jogging. I left the New Balance shoes that I bought during the summer back in Wisconsin but I remembered that I had a pair here in Arizona (that's why I didn't bring the ones that I bought over the summer back with me when we returned). Anyway, after checking to make sure that no scorpions had taken up residence in the shoes (after finding six scorpions since we've been home...I decided that it would be better to check things out...better part of valor and all), I donned my New Balance shoes and wondered why I haven't been wearing them before this. My regular shoes are quite comfortable but these New Balance go beyond comfort. My toes practically rejoiced at the extra padding. And? So far Gypsy hasn't seemed inclined to attack the shoe-laces or chomp on the nibs. Good dog. I've decided to treat my feet and wear my New Balance for the rest of the day.

HTP woke me up last night to tell me that it was snowing in The Big City where #1 Son is living. Brrrrr!!!! I imagine that it's snowing at The Lake too. I'm sure it's pretty to look at...for a while. I imagine that I'd be building a fire in the fireplace as a regular activity...sipping on hot chocolate laced with creme de menthe....or hot tea with lemon and honey.

Word of the Day

Scott's Law of Business

Never walk down a hallway in an office building without a piece of paper in your hand.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.

- Henry Adams (1838 - 1918)

I think it might be snowing at The Lake

Word of the Day

Metabusy - Engaged in activity directed at becoming busy, usually from an inability to complete a primary task given the current situation.

This morning started out as a "Ditto Day". A "Ditto Day" is a day where you begin to wonder if you're trapped a movie like Groundhog's Day. The temperature was 43°F when I woke up. I had to wear my winter jacket and gloves when I took Gypsy for our walk this morning.

I'm not fond of "Ditto Day"s. So, not wanting to repeat yesterday, I made an extra pot of coffee, all be it, accidentally. I pressed the "brew now" button instead of the "delay brew" button. Oops. Two pots of coffee instead of one. I suppose that's what got me started on really shaking things up. Well...at least I decided to do something else. I decided to strip and wash the bedding today. Oh...and I decided to make myself an omelet with kefir-leban this morning instead of my usual cereal. Nothing earth-shattering. But...at least I can claim that today isn't going to be a "Ditto Day". In for a penny? I may even give Gypsy a bath and/or wash my hair.

Murphyism of the Day

Sandiland's Law

Free time that unexpectedly becomes available will be wasted.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams.

- Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)

Brazilian Pink Peppercorns

Word of the Day

Menuspect - To look at what other people have ordered in a restaurant while being taken to one's seat by the host or hostess.

My blood has thinned out. 43°F felt darn cold this morning when Gypsy and I took our walk around the neighborhood this morning. It felt cold enough that I wore my gloves and winter jacket. The sky is blue. The sun is shining. I wasn't the only one wearing gloves and a winter jacket.

One of my Brazilian Pepper trees is LOADED with little tiny berries. I've got three Brazilian Pepper trees but only the one has berries. I surmise that the two trees with no berries are male trees. I think, once the berries ripen to a nice red, I can pick and dry them to use as a spice. I e-mailed Sis. She's got a huge library of cookbooks. I don't think I need to do anything special with these berries other than laying them out to dry. They call these little berries, pink peppercorns. They're not related to black pepper but they're supposed to have a kind of fruity/peppery taste.

Murphyism of the Day

Tillis's Organizational Principle

If you file it, you'll know where it is but never need it. If you don't file it, you'll need it but never know where it is.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It's all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.

- Dr. Rob Gilbert

The Awesome Ms. En

Word of the Day

Mentoree - One having a mentor; the beneficiary of a mentorship.

I would be remiss if I didn't mark in my blog a historical event. Yesterday was Election Day. The majority of people in the USA decided that Barack Obama should be elected President Barack Obama for the next four years. He made a lot of promises. Politicians always make promises. It will be interesting to see in the next four years if he actually can fulfill these promises. There will be many people who will be more than just disappointed if the one that they voted for falls from the elevated pedestal where they've placed him. I'm not praying for this eventuality. I'm praying for just the reverse. If I sound pessimistic, it's because I tend to be cynical when it comes to government and politicians.

****

Kefir Madness. Before HTP and I left The Lake, Sis gave me some kefir grains. I've been enjoying the kefir milk that I've been making. It tastes like buttermilk. I do love a nice cold glass of buttermilk. Actually, I've decided that I like my kefir milk even more than store-bought buttermilk.

During the month that I've been back here in Arizona, my kefir grains have multiplied. I think I have three times as many grains as when I started. Sooo....? I now can experiment with some of the other uses for kefir....recipes that call for more kefir milk. Cheese recipes.

I'm just dipping my toe into this new kefir madness. Sis tells me that I can use the kefir milk in any recipe that calls for buttermilk. However, you lose the benefits of kefir when you cook it so I haven't used my kefir milk for things like pancakes or muffins. Besides, things like pancakes and muffins aren't on my diet. However, the salad dressing recipes that I'm seeing that use kefir milk sound wonderful and I plan to try them.

My first "toe dip" into finding other uses for my kefir milk took place a couple of days ago. I made something called Kefir-Leban. Kefir-Leban is made when you pour your kefir milk into a cotton bag (tight weave)and let the whey drip and seperate out for 24 hours. What you end up with is Kefir-Leban which has the same consistancy and (in my humble opinion)the same taste as cream cheese. I can use my Kefir-Leban in any recipe that calls for cream cheese. I've got a second batch of Kefir-Leban started. HTP and I don't use too much cream cheese but since I've been using skim milk? I may make a nice no-bake cheesecake using a sugarfree sweetener. I've also got company coming for Thanksgiving and I'll serve a couple cream cheese dips with crackers. I'm also thinking of making something called Congetella (a fresh mozzarella using kefir milk). If all my "toe dip" experiments work out well, I may even try making Kefeddar (a formed cheddar-like cheese).

My wine doesn't need much attention right now. I need to rack the new wines before Thanksgiving but then it'll be on its own again until just before Christmas. My citrus hasn't ripened enough to make Arancello or Limoncello. Right now is the perfect time to experiment with kefir. Kefir Madness.

Murphyism of the Day

Johnson's Law

The number of minor illnesses among the employees is inversely proportional to the health of the organization.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man; it is what he wants and must have to be good for anything. Hardship and opposition are the native soil of manhood and self-reliance.

- John Neal

Word of the Day

Memolandum - The miscellaneous note or letter you keep putting back in your in-box because you don't know what else to do with it.


It's


Election


Day!



Finally! I'm looking forward to being able to pick up my phone again without first checking the Caller-ID. Thank goodness for Caller-ID. HTP and I registered so that we shouldn't be getting advertising calls (the occasional advertiser still ends up calling but the number of these calls has gone way down) but, we're still getting political calls and charity solicitations. I didn't really need Caller-ID at The Lake but there were times that I wished I had it there. Come to think of it, hopefully, I remembered to turn off the answering machine at The Lake. This task was and is on my To Do List for closing things up at The Lake but.... Anyway, my hope is that tomorrow will bring a bit of sanity back to our lives. Knock on wood.

I woke up with a log in my eye. OK. You know that I'm exaggerating...right? It just feels like I've got something in my eye and I can't seem to get rid of it. Allergies. I hate them. Yes, I used eye drops. The drops helped for about a minute and then the log came back. Oh well...all I'm planning to do today is get the laundry done, maybe indulge Gypsy with another game of Frisbee if she can tease me into it, and read.

Murphyism of the Day

Quile's Consultation Law

The job that pays the most will be offered when there is no time to deliver the services.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The strongest possible piece of advice I would give any young woman is: Don't screw around, and don't smoke.

- Edwina Currie

Gypsy LOVES walking off-leash at The Lake but she also loves our morning walks here in Arizona....despite the Arizona leash law.

Word of the Day

Memnants - Any chipped or broken m&m's at the bottom of the bag.

I've done everything that I normally do in the morning but...I haven't eaten breakfast. I would dearly love a bagel and cream cheese. Thankfully, I don't have anything like that stocked in my cupboard or I'd be noshing on said bagel and cream cheese as I write this blog. I've been dieting since the beginning of September. Serious dieting. Bagels and cream cheese aren't on the diet. Heck! The t-bone steak that I grilled up for supper wasn't on the diet either but I only ate about a third of it so the MY diet wasn't blown. One whole t-bone steak has a heck of a lot of calories....almost an entire day of calories. I didn't cook up any carbs to go with the protein but calories are calories. I'll think about whether to have a peanut butter and jam sandwich or a bowl of cereal (1 cup w/ 1/2 cup skim milk = 200 calories) for breakfast. Neither sound appetizing at the moment.

Gypsy is doing pretty well on her training. When we start out in the mornings, she tends to want to walk a bit ahead of me rather than at my side but soon settles back to the ideal heel position with the occasional tug at the leash when she forgets. Not bad. She's not walking me. We're walking together. The perfect companion walk. However, she still has the occasional problems with insecurities and distractions. Insecurities? She really doesn't like to stay sitting in one location while I walk away and stand for long periods of time several feet away...even if I'm within sight and standing there tethered to the other end of her leash. Mostly, she remains sitting but then there's the occasional time that she scoots forward, belly to the ground, looking like someone has been beating her. Poor baby. We're working on it. Distractions? She really loves people! Never mind that she's supposed to be walking at heel, if a person walks by, she wants to run over and greet them. And then there's the occasional slip if that person has a dog with them. She really hasn't figured out that an Akita may decide that a Gypsy might make a nice pre-breakfast snack. After witnessing a couple of Akitas kill one schnauzer and seriously maim another...I've decided to give Akitas a wide berth. We're working on these occasional overly friendly advances. She's doing better at remaining at my side then staying put on a sit/stay.

I finished reading both of the Heather Graham books that I mentioned in my yesterday's blog. I'll have to rummage around in my bookshelves to see what might want to be re-read today.

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Law of Punctuality

Being punctual means only that your mistake will be made on time.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You can't choose the ways in which you'll be tested.

- Robert J. Sawyer

Ms. En - October 2008


Word of the Day

Melty - Of a melted consistency; being partially melted.

I woke up, got dressed, actually put make-up on because I would be going to church, fed Gypsy, prepped a pot of coffee for tomorrow morning...or later today should it become necessary before tomorrow morning, worked my morning sudoku puzzle, took Gypsy for a long training walk, ate a peanut butter and jam sandwich so my stomach wouldn't make any embarrassing loud music that might not be on key, and then headed off to church. I got to church at 9:30 AM and the music director ran through the music with me and the flautist. We played for the third service. It was nice to make a joyful noise in front of the most forgiving of audiences.

After the service, I went shopping. $4.77/lb. for t-bone steaks. $1.77/lb for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. $1.88/gallon for milk. I've been using up a lot of milk what with cereal in the morning and kefir production. I picked up the latest Heather Graham book. It's been a month since I read the first of her new series. I changed out of my church clothes, made lunch, ate lunch, decided NOT to watch the news, decided not to answer the robo-calls for the election coming up on Tuesday. Since there is little that I can do at this point about the ebb and flow of politics and polls, I've decided to NOT listen to the news or talk radio. There really no point in it since my absentee ballot has probably already been counted.

What I have decided to do is make steak for supper tonight...on the grill...and maybe watch The Simpson's latest Halloween episode. I already started to read the latest Heather Graham book but then set it aside so I can re-read the first in this series so I can follow the threads of the story into this second book. I wonder if I'll have to re-read them all again when the third and final book of the series comes out in December. After that, I'm looking forward to Nora Robert's final Pagan Stone series. It's a good thing that I kept the first two of the series because I know I'll want to enjoy them again before starting on the last of the series. I do LOVE to read, and reading a favorite author's books again and again is not a problem where I am concerned.

Murphyism of the Day

Hampton's Homily

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The universe is not hostile, nor yet is it friendly. It is simply indifferent.

- J. H. Holmes

Playing Frisbee with Gypsy

Word of the Day

Melonfarmer - A much less profane version of its profane counterpart, m'er-f'er.

I'll have to close the windows pretty soon. HTP and I are trying avoid running the AC on a constant basis like some of our neighbors. I'm not going to complain about the heat.

HTP and I celebrated Halloween by devouring an entire Little Caesar's pepperoni pizza. Yummmmm!!!! Of course, I'll pay for my gluttony. I'm sure that I probably gained at least 5 pounds...even though I didn't eat 5 pounds of food. I'll never understood why I always seem to gain more weight than the weight of the food that I eat. Oh well...I'm staying away from the bathroom scale for at least a week or so. I don't want to know. I paid for my gluttony around 1 AM this morning because my body isn't used to eating greasy food anymore. Thank goodness for Tums! However, the price I paid and will pay?....That pizza sure did taste good. Well worth the cost.

HTP and I will continue on with our diet today and every day until we go to Las Vegas. Then we'll diet again when we get back until Thanksgiving. Then, it'll be dieting again until Christmas...diet again until New Year's....diet again until my birthday....diet again until Easter.... Can you see a pattern here? Endless dieting so we can take the occasional break and cheat a bit. Two steps forward, three steps back. *argh* OK. Actually, I've lost 16 pounds so it's more like two steps forward and the occasional BIG step back. However, at the rate that I'm losing weight, I'll have to go clothes shopping soon. My pants are getting pretty lose. Thankfully, I like to do my clothes shopping at thrift stores.

Tonight most of the rest of the nation will be busily resetting their clocks so they won't be late for church tomorrow. At least, I think they'll be switching their clocks back an hour. HTP and I don't do that here in Arizona. All we have to do is remember that my folks will be an hour earlier than us when we go see them in a couple of weeks and HTP's folks will be an hour later than us when we call them or they call us. I don't have to be at church tomorrow until 9:30 AM. Plenty of time to take my normal morning walk with Gypsy.

Murphyism of the Day

Jeff's Law of Procrastination

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)