Happy


New Year


Everyone!

Word of the Day

Slowmobile - Any vehicle that turns in front of one's path on the highway and cuts their traveling speed in half.

Christmas has come and gone. Today was Laundry Day. I've been tempted to take down and put away everything Christmas but...I'm going to wait until...next year. Believe it or not...this has been a bit hard for me...leaving everything Christmas right where I put it. However, the task of having to do the laundry helped a bit. Kept me busy. I've also been so tempted to throw away all the Christmas cookies that HTP and I haven't eaten...yet. Again, I'm holding off until...next year. Next year is going to be arriving faster than you'd think. We might as well enjoy the cookies...until next year.

Random Thought of the Day

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There is no Them, there is only Us. Some of Us think this or some of Us think that, but we're all Us.

- Lisa Williams

Memories of Christmas Past



Merry


Christmas


Everyone!



I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Me? I'll worry about cleaning up the kitchen tomorrow. We enjoyed a wonderful meal which was made even more enjoyable because we got to share with friends. We watched GI Joe on Blu-ray (a present from Santa).

And now, it time for bed. Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight!

Word of the Day

Slow Driving Club - A group of cars in front of oneself on the highway that block one from passing while doing exactly the speed limit or even several miles below it.

It's


Christmas Eve!!!!!


Tomorrow is Christmas! I've got a prime rib thawing in the fridge...but...I may have to let it thaw a bit more on the countertop today. I'm going to be cooking it for dinner tomorrow and don't want to risk a rarer than rare center. I like my meat rare but not THAT rare.

HTP and I are having problems keeping to our diet. The Diet Gestapo (that's me) has decided to let up a bit on her rules, due to the holiday season. Normally, during the week, HTP and I stick to our diet breakfast. A piece of toast with jam, an egg white omelet with salsa...no cheese...and coffee or tea. But, today is Christmas Eve so...I made eggs...basted...toast,Italian sausage, and stollen. But...we're not having lunch so I can justify the calories...right?

We don't open presents until Christmas but...our main present, the new television and Blu-ray player, has gotten quite the work out. I just finished watching the last of twenty episodes of Kolchak - The Night Stalker. I used to love that program. Campy. I still love it. Of course, now it seems even campier due to all the 70's stuff. Love it!

I also opened some of my presents on FarmVille...not all of them...just some. I'm saving the rest until Christmas. Way cool! I got a couple of lambs and some baby turkeys and LOTS of gas for my farm vehicles. Sis hasn't been playing FarmVille lately. She's missing out on all the cool Christmas stuff.

I'm planning on spending the day cleaning...and not just because we've got company coming over tomorrow afternoon. Gypsy does shed. Not much but she doesn't shed and her hair tends to clump up in dark hair balls on the carpet. I'll probably giver her a bath too...even though it is cold outside.

Sheet dances will be preformed in my yard tonight. It's supposed to get below freezing tonight...tomorrow...the next night. Winter has arrived. No snow...just cold. HTP and I did manage to clean all the dust from our patio and entry way yesterday. I'm dreaming of a duststormless Christmas.

Random Thought of the Day

How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time.

- Rebecca West (1892 - 1983)

Mr. T - Ain't He Cute?!

Word of the Day

Slottery and vendication - A public misdemeanor in which a person gambles on a vending machine, loses, and tries to exact revenge by kicking it.

Only Two More Days and then... Wake Up! It's Christmas?!

I actually NEEDED to use my alarm clock to wake up in time to get ready for church on Sunday. For some reason, I've been having a hard time waking up like I normally do in the mornings. HTP thinks it has something to do with the time the sun rises. Unfortunately, the sun isn't rising all that early during these winter months and if I want to get to church in time for an orchestra practice before the first service on Sunday...well...the sun is definitely NOT up at the time I need to rise and shine. However, I must say that playing my clarinet at the church makes the whole getting up before the sun thing well worth the effort.

I started two batches of Arancelo yesterday. My tangelos have finally ripened enough for picking. I picked thirty tangelos from my tree and if you should go outside to check the tree right now, you'd never know that I'd ever picked a one. My tangelo tree has outdone itself this year. There's plenty more tangelos to make a couple more batches of Arancelo...with lots more leftover fruit for gifting or...just peeling and eating. In the meantime, I peeled off the zest from the fruit I picked to use for my Arancelo, and I juiced the peeled fruit for...tangelo juice. However, DD Daughter recommended a mixed drink called a Fuzzy Russian that calls for orange juice (I think tangelo juice will suffice), vodka, and orange liqueur (I think Arancelo will work). Should I rather call the drink a Fuzzy Russian of Italian Extraction with an Old Grey Frog Flair? Seems a bit wordy to me.

Yesterday was my day to work on Adult Beverages. I cooked up a couple batches of simple syrup to make liqueurs. I filtered some of my raspberry schnapps to make Raspberry Liqueur and then filtered some of my strawberry schnapps to make Strawberry Liqueur. And then...I discovered that my label-maker program didn't want to work with Windows 7. Argh! However, HTP was able to fix the problem by running the program using a Windows XP patch? Beyond my pay grade. However, I was able to finally print out labels for the liqueurs that I plan to gift my friend who is coming over for dinner on Christmas. I'd send some to Sis, my folks, #1 Son, DD Daughter, Sarge and Sistah's but...."The Man" frowns upon people sending alcohol through the mail...unless you've got a license which...I don't...and won't.

Today? It's Tuesday, therefore, today was Laundry Day. Aside from laundry, I had a whole list of To Do things that I didn't...do. However, I did run outside to rescue the cushions on my patio. They're safely sitting in my living room now. Dust Storm! HTP and I will be spending a great deal of time tomorrow sweeping and vacuuming desert dust from our patio. *sigh* Again! We actually had a thunderstorm today! Gypsy barked in protest at every clap of thunder. She doesn't like unexplained noises. Thunder in the desert is definitely an unexplained noise. We don't get many thunderstorms here during the winter months. Gypsy doesn't even flinch at the thunderstorms at The Lake...but...thunderstorms at The Lake are a more common thing.

Random Thought of the Day

Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Providence has hidden a charm in difficult undertakings which is appreciated only by those who dare to grapple with them.

- Anne-Sophie Swetchine

Word of the Day

Sloppywords - Words coined and submitted to an online dictionary in such a manner that resulted in poor spelling or research of the very word one was submitting.

Only six more days until Christmas! I'm resisting the urge to do any more Christmas decorating. Not to sound like Mrs. Scrooge or anything but whatever I drag out and scatter about the house will just have to be packed away again after Christmas and before I decorate for Valentine's Day. I'm planning on leaving the few Christmas decorations that I've put up until next year. January 2010...not Christmas 2010. I'm not that lazy.

HTP and I are joining friends for supper tonight at Valle Luna...one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. I wish I didn't have to get up so early tomorrow morning. I'm going to be playing my clarinet for two services tomorrow at church. So...no late night for me. I have to be at church tomorrow morning at 7 AM. *moan*

Random Thought of the Day

When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.

- Hasidic Saying

Sarge, DD Daughter and Santa - Christmas Past


Sarge, HTP and Me - December 17, 2009

Word of the Day

Sloopage - The tendency of precious items to slip out of ones grasp.

Wow! What a week! My daughter, Sarge, came for a surprise visit. Well...it was a surprise for me. HTP knew all about it. Sarge flew in on Saturday. HTP told me he was going out to do some shopping. He told me that he'd probably be getting home kind of late for supper...but...he'd pick up a pizza for us. Sounded good to me. I was going to be spending the day with the Christmas music cranked to the max while I decorated brown sugar cookies. Meanwhile, HTP was doing his shopping but he also was picking Sarge up at the airport. I'd just finished decorating the last of the brown sugar cookies and was finishing up with cleaning up the kitchen when HTP got back home from his shopping. I helped put away the groceries he'd picked up and noted that he'd forgotten the pizza. The doorbell rang and I went to answer it. There was Sarge at the door! What a wonderful surprise! We didn't get any pizza until Wednesday night. Instead, we went out for burgers and peanuts that night at Teakwoods.

Sarge and I did lots of shopping. Cost Plus World Market and Lee-Lee's Oriental Market. We wondered the local mall. We talked and walked and laughed. We ate entirely too much. Sarge made us some wonderful cinnamon rolls. Yummmm!!!!! I set the fire alarms off in the house again when I made some prime rib. Sadly, time flew by way too fast. Entirely too soon, HTP and I found ourselves driving Sarge back to the airport. She flew back to her Texas home last night. *sigh*

I finally got all my Christmas baking finished. I'm glad I was able to get most of it done before Sarge got here so I could send some of the cookies back home with her. I packed up some of everything for her and D Buddy. Even after packing up cookies for Sarge and D Buddy, my neighbors and my friends, HTP and I still have plenty of cookies left for ourselves. I probably should freeze some...but...I do have friends coming over for Christmas dinner and...well...I have to serve something for dessert. If there are any cookies left on New Year's Day...well...we'll just have to wait and see.

Random Thought of the Day

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The more I give myself permission to live in the moment and enjoy it without feeling guilty or judgmental about any other time, the better I feel about the quality of my work.

- Wayne Dyer

DD Daughter, Old Grey Frog and Santa - Christmas 1980

Word of the Day

Sleeky - A positive, descriptive term referring to anything that is cool. Similar in nature to sleek.

Christmas baking has started. HTP helped. He finished the clean-up from our winter dust storm so I could concentrate on all things Christmas. With Christmas music blaring, I baked two batches of regular Russian teacakes, and two batches of sugar-free Russian teacakes. I baked two pans of Fruitcake bars. Yes, I happen to love fruitcake. Please feel free to send any unwanted fruitcakes to me. I baked one batch of Rich Shortbread cookies, using a recipe that DD Daughter sent me. Next? I baked two batches of regular Jan Hagel (Dutch Hail) and two batches of sugar-free Almond Jan Hagel. Finishing my Christmas baking/cooking for the day, I made three batches of peanut brittle. I would have made more peanut brittle but...I ran out of peanuts. Even so, I almost out of Karo corn syrup. Both of these ingredients are vital when it comes to making peanut brittle.

I need to buy more baking supplies. I used up all of my Maltitol powdered sugar which I can only purchase online. I don't actually need any more this year but I decided to order some for next year. Knowing me, if I waited until Christmas baking 2010 to order it, the Maltitol powdered sugar would never get here in time for actual 2010 Christmas baking. I've run dangerously low on margarine and butter. I'm down to my last cup of chopped pecans. Grocery shopping is on my To Do List tomorrow...tomorrow morning. I'll concentrate on baking Brown Sugar cookies tomorrow and a couple batches of Katherine Hepburn Brownies...my sugar-free version.

Random Thought of the Day

How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

- Bible, Old Testament

DD Daughter - December 1979

Word of the Day (Week)

Slavor - To slurp ones soup, coffee, eggs, or dessert in an attempt to enhance the flavor or increase the brief time period in which the food can be savored.

Well, CARP! It takes longer to nurture good habits than to destroy them. Daily blogs are becoming very difficult for me to maintain. It's going to take a while to nurture my blog back into full gear. However, one must at least try.

No excuses but things have been rather busy around here. I've been trying to get into a Christmas mood. HTP and I are going to be doing the empty nest thing this year. Just HTP and me. It's been kind of hard to get into the mood. However, DD Daughter, Sarge, and #1 Son bought HTP and me tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here in Arizona...an early Christmas present. Wow! It was great! Our seats were right up front. HTP was really watching the guitarists as their fingers flew over the strings. The show was spectacular. And? It jump-started my Christmas mood.

So...I wrote my annual Christmas letter...first draft. HTP took that draft and as Editor and Chief, he edited it. We printed out our final draft, got our address lists checked twice and I "think" I've got all the Christmas cards in the mail. Of course, it seems, that there are always those few that come back undeliverable or those few that we "forgot" to send but...I think I've completed the Christmas card portion of our Christmas preparations.

Christmas shopping? Well...HTP and I are already enjoying the Christmas present we bought for each other. I've completed all of my online shopping. As for the rest of my gifts, I planned to start my Christmas baking today. Unfortunately...

We got a monsoon-style storm that hit our area last night. The wind howled through the Arizona, bringing lots of snow...but not here. We got all the wind and LOTS of desert dust and a half inch of rain. The half inch of rain was greatly appreciated, but, I could have done without the layer of dust that coated my patio, including my grill, my patio furniture and clogging my fountain. Dust?

I WAS going to spend my day baking Christmas goodies. Instead, I spent the day shoveling, scraping, and sweeping "dust" from my patio and from the walkway in front of my house. Dust? It's amazing how the word "dust" seem to quite fit what I always end up removing after one of our Arizona "dust storms". Big mistake? I should have removed all of my patio cushions and stored them in the relative safety of my garage. When I woke up this morning, every cushion looked like it had been dyed the same color. Desert brown. The top of my mosaic table was a uniform desert brown. The water in my fountain was...desert brown. My grey concrete patio was...as desert brown. Dust? We're talking a fine silt...kind of like pancake makeup. Because it was a bit damp...I had pancake makeup sticking to everything. It took me a couple of hours to just sweep off the first layer of this stuff. I've got to wait for a couple more days before I can bring out my shop-vac so I can vacuum up the rest of the mess. And then...HTP will have to wash everything down with the hose. And then? We just might have another "dust" storm coming by the weekend. I'm not sure what they (Indian reservation land) plan to grow in that empty field just south of us where all the dust came from (the state just paid for and installed a special irrigation system)but I'm afraid that me and my neighbors just ended up sweeping up and disposing off most of the topsoil from that field.

Despite the major weather and its resultant mess, I did manage to bake two stollen today. Yesterday? I put up a new artificial Christmas tree that I bought on Sunday...on sale. Cheap. And, yes, Virginia, you get what you pay for. However, our old Charlie Brown tree had seen better days. However, as I said, you get what you pay for. As I was putting this six-foot tree together, branches were coming off in my hands. At the price I paid, there was no pre-installed lighting. I decided to buy some of those new LED lights which aren't supposed to use so much electricity. So far...so good. I've got my new tree up and decorated. Even at six-feet, it's a bit short so I set it up on a chair. However, HTP says it looks nice. Gypsy hasn't complained.

So....why bother putting up a tree when it's just me and HTP this year? Celebrating Christmas without a tree is kind of like celebrating the 4th of July without fireworks. And...following that line of reasoning...Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without Christmas cookies....which...I've got my baking list and I've checked it twice. I'll be baking Jan Hagel tomorrow....if we don't get hit by a plague of locusts. I plan to turn on the surround sound, crank up the Christmas music, heat up the oven and concentrate on Christmas baking...knock on wood.

Random Thought of the Day

If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children.

- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Monk Marathon

Word of the Day

Slavior - The prince of this world, the one who imitates the Savior and promises to save people but instead makes them slaves. Sometimes referred to as the Antichrist.

I'm Alive! With #1 Son here, I didn't take the time to blog. We did LOTS of stuff and stuffed ourselves with LOTS of food. HTP converted my laptop from Vista to Windows 7. We had Thanksgiving dinner here and our niece joined us. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! After dinner we introduced our niece to The Big Bang Theory. She'd never seen it and it seemed very appropriate since she works as a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory here in Arizona. She loved it.

While we had #1 Son here, we took him out to eat for sushi, Indian food, and Mexican food. At home we ate and ate and ate. French dip, turkey and all the fixings, prime rib and all the fixings. I have LOTS of leftovers which I need to freeze because there's no way HTP and I should eat all this food, especially since it looks like HTP and I are going to join the couch potato crowd.

On Saturday, we bought ourselves an early Christmas present A brand new TV. A big TV. HDTV. #1 Son helped HTP and me move our old TV (REALLY HEAVY AND AWKWARD TO LIFT AND MOVE) into the guest room to use as a guest TV and then he helped us lift the new (much lighter) television into our living room entertainment center. It only just fits. But, HTP had already done all the research and size was an issue. He knew it would fit.

This wasn't a spur of the moment purchase. The decision was already made. HTP had done all the research. As a matter of fact, we'd actually purchased this model of TV online but when it was delivered last week, the box was so badly mangled that HTP and I refused to sign for it and the TV was shipped back to the distributor. We were supposed to get another one later this week but we were told that the TV was on back-order. Disappointment. However, this only shows that sometimes a bad thing can turn out to be the best thing. Saturday morning, HTP saw (online) that one of our local electronics stores had the same TV on sale (one day only sale) for even less then the smoking deal we thought we were getting online. Then, when we got to the store, the sales person threw in a free Blue-ray DVD player? Wow! Needless to say, we canceled the online order...after we made sure that we had our bird in hand which cost LOTS less than the back-ordered bird in the bush (online).

The new TV almost hurts my eyes to watch it. I'm reminded of the time I first got glasses and finally got to see how sharp all the edges of everything looked. Weird! It also reminds me of how my Grandma used to turn the color off on her TV because she preferred to watch TV in black and white. Technology sure has come a long way since the days of black and white TV. I watched lots of TV last night and stayed up far later than I normally do and I kept thinking, "Wow! You can see the tiny individual hairs on that bad guys chin! And that actress needs to get a hair cut!" It was fascinating and...a bit distracting...but...kind of cool. There's a Monk marathon today. Guess who's going to park herself in front of the new TV today? I'll be sure to tape a nice shiny red bow to the new TV which HTP and I plan to enjoy...even though it's not Christmas as yet.

#1 Son headed back to his home in the big city last night and was greeted with snow. Plus, he'd forgotten his cell phone in our car. *moan* We can't even do anything about getting it back to him until tomorrow morning. But, thankfully, #1 Son already figured something out so all we have to do is box up his phone, print out the label he e-mailed us and hand it over to the UPS guys. It's nice not to have to worry about it anymore...other than figuring out what box to use.

Random Thought of the Day

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

- Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784),

Word of the Day

Skunky - 1. State almost any food or beverage when of an indeterminable origin, age, color, flavor, etc. 2. The state describing an area that has been sprayed by a skunk.

#1 Son is here! HTP and I picked him up at the airport and then we took him to Teakwoods for breakfast/lunch. He was hungry. Afterwards we made a quick trip to the grocery store and then came home to get #1 Son settled in for a short nap before his friend came over to pick him up. When asked whether or not we'll be seeing him again tonight, #1 Son couldn't answer. Oh well...#1 Son is here...kinda.

Random Thought of the Day

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Anyone who has gumption knows what it is, and anyone who hasn't can never know what it is. So there is no need of defining it.

- L. M. Montgomery (1874 - 1942)

Word of the Day

Skrilla - Money; cash to be spent freely, not saved.

I've never been fond of cream-style corn. It's one of those foods that end up reminding me of baby food. Texture and taste is paramount with me when it comes to food. I've always felt that cream-style corn came up lacking when it came to both texture and taste. Blech! I happen to prefer chewing my corn off the cob. In a pinch, I'll settle for canned whole kernel corn. Since I've always done most of the cooking in my family, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I bought and cooked cream-style corn. How selfish of me? Well...I happen to love beets and since none of the rest of the family liked them...I never bought or cooked beets...after that one time. I always had to quench my craving for beets at salad bar buffets. However, having said all that, I do happen to like the way HTP's Mom used to cook something she called Scalloped Corn Casserole. Maybe this was because I do like egg custard (another food item that I don't often have the opportunity to enjoy because HTP hates it) and was willing to overlook the addition of cream-style corn. I imagine HTP was equally willing to overlook the egg custardy part of the recipe in order to get to the cream-style corn. Oh well, to each his..or her own. I remembered that HTP's sister sent me her Mom's recipe a long time ago...when I was entertaining HTP's folks for a Thanksgiving dinner but for some reason or other, I just haven't been able to find the recipe that she'd sent me. It's probably sitting on some computer hard-drive somewhere in some landfill. HTP was able to find the recipe that his Grandma used to use which sounded good but HTP's sister came to the rescue. HTP's Mom used a different recipe than HTP's Grandma. So...long story short, I'll be making Scalloped Corn Casserole as one of our side dishes this Thanksgiving.

Random Thought of the Day

Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people will ever have.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Maturity is only a short break in adolescence.

- Jules Feiffer (1929 - )

Word of the Day

Skiffy - A somewhat less derogatory way of referring to someone who the mainstream would refer to as a "sci-fi geek."

I've always thought that shopping was a bit like the sport of hunting. My Mom excels at the sport. Her shopping strategies rival that of world class chess players...or, dare I say, many a military strategist. She has been known to exhaust both my sister and me during any one of her many shopping campaigns. Sis and I have no stamina (we're wimps) when when it comes to shopping if you compare us with our Mom. Me...well...I check the ads, clip my coupons, and figure in the cost of gas while I'm doing my shopping/hunting. After perusing the grocery ads that came with our Wednesday paper, I plotted my route and decided upon two targets for today's shopping expedition. My first stop netted a free turkey. Of course, I needed to spend $100 to get that free turkey but with the price of groceries these days $100 doesn't buy as much as you'd think. By the time I bought all my "fixin's" to make a Thanksgiving dinner, I'd spent just enough to get my free turkey...which I put in my freezer because the free turkey was could only be fifteen pounds and I'd already bought a 23# turkey to serve for my Thanksgiving dinner...but...that's beside the point. I got a free turkey. Plus, the friendly cashier informed me that I'd saved $65 dollars as she handed me my cash register receipt. Score! On to the next hunting spot. My next target was another grocery store on my way back home. What?! $100 didn't cover the cost of an entire turkey dinner. Well...yes, but, #1 Son is coming and I'll need to buy enough groceries to last while he's here. Besides, they ran out of the traditional size marshmallows at my first stop and I knew that I'd be able to buy bread flour for a lot cheaper at my next stop. Then...I stumbled upon some 97% lean ground beef (butcher's special) and a nice roast that will cook up into a couple of nice meals. Roast beef and then French Dip. Score! I still plan another grocery shopping expedition after #1 Son gets here...$6.99/lb. for king crab legs and $5.77/lb. for standing rib roast but I'll wait until I see the whites of my son's eyes and figure out if those particular bargains sound tempting or not. I've got time.

Random Thought of the Day

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow them.

- Madame de Stael (1766 - 1817)

Gypsy

Word of the Day

Sketch - Something that is of questionable merit or validity. Origins: A modified form of sketchy.

Gypsy is feeling lots better today. She wanted to go for a walk this morning but I decided to wait until this afternoon for any walks. Poor Gypsy kept running to the front door, scratching at it and looking at me longingly all morning. But...I held firm. Good grief! She was still limping around yesterday. There's no way that I was going to risk another visit to the vet. Her eyes lit up and she raced to the front door when I got out her leash this afternoon. We went for a leisurely walk...just around the block and then on to check the mailbox. She was thrilled when one of our neighbors greeted her and patted her. Gypsy loves it when people (other than me and HTP) greet her and pat her. It made her day.

Random Thought of the Day

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If you live long enough, the venerability factor creeps in; first, you get accused of things you never did, and later, credited for virtues you never had.

- I.F. Stone (1907 - 1989)

Word of the Day

Skeptimistic - Optimistic, yet still skeptical that a particular outcome will occur.

HTP and I went to Vegas on Wednesday and came back home on Saturday. We picked Gypsy up at the pet-sitter and...Gypsy wasn't acting like Gypsy. She wasn't happy. Her tail was a half-mast. Lethargic. Upon reflection, I now "think" I know what her problem might have been but I didn't know at the time so, to be on the safe side, I took her to the vet...for my own peace of mind. Visits to the vet on weekends are considered emergency visits and therefore cost LOTS more money than if you bring your dog to the vet on a weekday. If I'd waited, I might have reflected upon the fact that Gypsy's treats were all gone. I had sent along a bag of treats that should have lasted through the end of the year. 75 treats to the bag. 3 treats per day? The pet-sitter must have been feeding Gypsy treats by the dozens. I think Gypsy's main problem was a raging case of indigestion caused by an over-indulgence of treats. She's still not 100% back to normal. Poor baby. Plus, the pet-sitter had cats. When I went in to pick up Gypsy the cat smell was HORRIBLE. Needless to say, I don't think HTP and I will be using that particular pet-sitter again. Gypsy doesn't get along too well with cats. I think she may even be allergic to them.

Random Thought of the Day

What would happen if you hired two private investigators to follow each other?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Literature is news that stays news.

- Ezra Pound (1885 - 1972)

Happy Birthday Willie!

Word of the Day

Skeeve - Unidentifiable filth, usually of a particularly atrocious variety.

It's my favorite brother's birthday today!


Happy


Birthday


Willie!


I hope you have a very wonderful day!


And guess what? My brother is sharing his birthday with that of the Marine Corp.


Happy


Birthday


USMC!


********


I'm doing laundry today. It must be Tuesday. But, after that little chore, I'm packing. HTP and I are going to escape to Vegas for a few days. Will I blog? Maybe...maybe not.

Random Thought of the Day

You know you're getting old when people say you look "Great" and then they add, "for your age"!

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Refuse to be ill. Never tell people you are ill; never own it to yourself. Illness is one of those things which a man should resist on principle.

- Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803 - 1873)

Word of the Day

Siris - A temptress; a beautiful woman, often an actress, who likely dates so many men that she randomly marries one and divorces within a few months of marriage.

Today was my first day back at church, playing my clarinet. Wow! I really need to get my lip back into shape. However, I despite my lack of practice, I don't think I made too many mistakes...at least none that too many people noticed. It was wild getting back into the flow of reading the minds of fellow musicians again. I do love playing my clarinet with a group. Much nicer than playing my clarinet with a CD player as back-up.

Random Thought of the Day

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.

- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

Gypsy

Word of the Day

Siplets - To Take tiny sips when one's beverage is scalding hot.

Wow! I guess you may have noted that I'm not doing too well keeping my promise to blog on a daily basis. I can't believe that it's already Saturday! What happened to Thursday and Friday? Obviously, there was nothing worth noting...or blogging about.

Today, Gypsy and I went over to meet and visit with The Pet-sitter. She (The Pet-sitter) lives right here in the neighborhood. She and her Mom live right next door to each other which comes in handy because both of them take care of the dogs, the cats, the rabbits, and the pets. She also owns a miniature dachshund and a cat. I'm not sure what animals The Pet-sitter's Mom owns but I heard mention of a couple of standard poodles and a cocker spaniel....two of which are trained therapy dogs. I surmised that the standard poodles aren't always around. Show dogs? The house has no carpeting...none. It actually looked there had been carpeting at one time but it had been removed and replaced with special rugs that won't slip and slide but can be easily washed should one of the guests have an accident. As long as the animals get along, the house belongs to them. I'm not sure if I could live like that but...whatever. Gypsy won't mind. All I have to do on Wednesday morning, when HTP and I plan to leave for Vegas, is bring Gypsy over there, along with her kennel (because Gypsy actually likes her kennel), a couple of her favorite toys, Gypsy's food and dishes, and her leash (for daily walks). This is a trial run for me and Gypsy. I've never left Gypsy with anyone but my folks. I used to have a pet-sitter (before Gypsy came along) who would come over to the house several times a day, but I'm afraid Gypsy would feel lonely all alone...in between visits. She loves people. Besides, this will be a great opportunity for her to learn how to interact with whatever other animals there might be cohabiting The Pet-sitter's house next week.

Random Thought of the Day

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It's odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don't quite fully share the hell of someone close to you.

- Lady Bird Johnson (1912 - 2007)

Word of the Day

Silly-bo-dilly - A person who is either oblivious to a situation or causes some attraction that appears funny and/or ridiculous. Usually used in a friendly manner.

My Alltel cell phone account (Pay-per-minute) has officially morphed into a Verizon account. HTP and I were a bit concerned about this forced transition but...all is well. No surprises other than having to set up a new profile on a Verizon website in order to view my account or purchase more minutes. A rose is a rose by any other name. I'm promised that my account will remain the same until mid-July 2012. I'm not sure what will happen at that point but I'll worry about that sometime in June of 2012. The cell phone that I currently carry around is a no frills, no thrills model but...it works for me.

Random Thought of the Day

Remember, half the people you know are below average.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness.

- Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719)

My Mom and Sandy

Thanks Sis for taking the photo. I'm told that T-Square and my Mom have decided to call their new puppy, Sandy...not Annie. However, since Orphan Annie's dog was named Sandy, the new name seems oddly fitting.

Word of the Day

Signoramus - Someone who drives along in their car unaware that their signal light is flashing. Similarly, one who is ignorant to signals from potential love interests.

With the laundry done, I can't figure out another excuse for not blogging. *sigh* Of course, one excuse might be that I don't have anything of interest to blog about....which is too true. However, I need to get back into the habit of blogging and stay the heck away from Facebook. I've been spending entirely too much time working on my farm in FarmVille and trying to beat my own time at BeJeweled Blitz. *argh* I'm finding myself rushing around doing mundane tasks around the house...all due to the hyper-activity necessary to reach a decent score in BeJeweled Blitz. Right now I'm finding myself typing faster than I really need to type about absolutely nothing worth typing about.

HTP and I missed our favorite show last night. Big Bang Theory. A friend of ours called. She had a death in her family. Her computer died. She called me and begged for HTP's help. Unfortunately, by the time we got to her house, there wasn't much HTP could do. The patient remained in a comatose state despite all HTP's efforts. The diagnosis was that her hard-drive was bad or... HTP wasn't willing to operate...just in case he should accidentally cause further harm. Do no harm. Anyway, HTP recommended that the computer be brought into Data Doctor for further testing. Our friend, unfortunately, had the equipment to back up all the data on her computer but...she never got around to actually using that equipment. We're all hoping that her data can still be retrieved...surgically.

Tonight? Our friends, the ones with the comatose computer, are coming over after supper to discuss and explore the possibilities of buying a new compute...with HTP's guidance. HTP pointed out that it might be cheaper to buy a whole new computer than just replacing a hard-drive on an old computer.

Random Thought of the Day

Have you ever noticed how many people never think about backing up the data on their computer until after they've had their hard-drive crash?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

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

- Robert J. Sawyer (1960 - )

Word of the Day

Siftware - A multitude of programs found on a magazine cover disk, often found to be completely useless.

You'll be happy to hear that the Casablanca fan in our living room is now fully functional. I have no idea why the intelli-touch computer board inside the main fan unit failed but...I sure hope it doesn't ever fail again. HTP and I make a good team but standing on top of ladders on our tippy toes isn't one of our favorite activities.

After racking my final batch of pomegranate wine yesterday, I'm pleased to say that I won't be needing to mess with any of the wine until the end of the month...or maybe the beginning of next month.

Breaking News! Sis tells me that my folks have adopted a puppy. I saw a picture of her and she looks really cute. I think they're going to call her Annie...due to her curly red/blond hair. She's a purebred Cockapoo. I imagine she gets her curly hair from the poodle half of her pedigree.

The music director from our church dropped my music off for next Sunday. I was assured that nothing in the music will be in the least challenging. Thank goodness! I haven't even blown the dust off of my clarinet all summer. However, I do plan to run through all the music before arriving at church on Sunday morning.

Random Thought of the Day

99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.

- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

That IS my costume

Word of the Day

Similiar - Alternate spelling of similar. Having like characteristics. Also, being strangely similar.



Happy


Halloween


Everyone!

and....


Happy


Belated


Anniversary,


Sarge and


D Buddy!


I never got around to blogging yesterday because HTP and I spent most of the day with our niece who just moved here from Minnesota. What was she thinking?! I mean, the only family she'll have here is HTP and me. Poor kid. Oh well, we helped put together an IKEA dining room table and chairs but we escaped before the IKEA bedroom set and IKEA entertainment center were put together. As we exited the apartment our niece was just getting started on getting the drawers to her new nightstand put together and our niece's Mom was working on the entertainment system. The dresser was still in its IKEA box and the bed frame won't arrive until next week. I've never seen so many bits and pieces of stuff. Needless to say, HTP and I aren't exactly used to all that sort of activity...so...we were a bit tired last night by the time we limped home.

However, after a good night sleep, today, we plan to fix our Casablanca fan in the living room. This is a two person job with both of us standing on ladders...standing on tippy toes. When we got back to our Arizona home, we noted that the fan in the living room was non-functional. After a lot of checking, HTP figured out that the problem was in the intelli-touch computer board...inside the fan housing. And, of course, it isn't covered under our warranty. *sigh* The only thing covered under the warranty is the motor. *sigh* Anyway, two people (HTP and Me) on ladders and on tippy toes, dismantled the fan last week and removed the computer board/module thingie. The replacement HTP ordered online already arrived in the mail. Let's hope this fixes the problem. I'd hate to think we've gone through all this work just to discover that the problem actually was the motor.



It was Sarge and D Buddy's anniversary yesterday! Happy Belated Anniversary guys! It seems like yesterday that you guys were married in Paris.

Random Thought of the Day

42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.

- Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Word of the Day

Shwacked - Extremely drunk. Obliterated.

Global warming has hit Arizona. The outdoor temperature when I woke up this morning was 38 degrees. Now? 49 degrees. I'm back to wearing jeans and sweaters. I dug my fall themed sweater out of the closet this morning. I can wear it from now until Thanksgiving...at which point I'll switch over to my Christmas themed sweater. I don't have a spring or summer themed sweater...yet. But, if this global warming continues...I'd better keep my eyes open.

I was finally able to take care of getting a medallion signature guarantee yesterday. I'd never even heard of this thing before I was told that I'd need to get one this summer. Apparently, a notary is no longer good enough for some people. All I wanted to do was transfer control of #1 Son's mutual fund to #1 Son. I was a custodian on the account while #1 Son was a minor. #1 Son is no longer a minor. He actually hasn't been a minor for years but for some reason or another, we've never taken the time to do the paperwork required to take me off the account.

It soon became apparent that there was no way in heck that I'd be able to get a medallion signature guarantee at The Lake. The local bank near The Lake had heard of it but they no longer felt it was necessary to provide this service for the very few people in the area that have never needed one before. So...#1 Son and I decided that since we'd waited for years to take care of this little thing, we could wait until HTP and I got back to Arizona where I'd purchased the mutual fund in the first place and where I could get a medallion signature guarantee...because I called to check. took care of the whole thing yesterday. It took lots longer than I expected.

I called the fund people to ask them exactly what I needed to write in my letter that needed this medallion signature guarantee. I actually got to talk to a person! Woohoo! I love talking to real live people. She walked me through the whole process and I was able to compose a really official sounding letter, print it out, and call my local bank to see if they actually had someone on staff who could give me my medallion signature guarantee or if I'd have to visit one of the larger branches of the bank. Simple...right?

I had to find the telephone number for our local bank, the closest bank, here in Arizona. The phone number wasn't in the phone book but, there was a phone number for all the branch offices that weren't listed in the phone book which would be able to help me. I called that number and I go that bleep-bleep-bleep sound and was told that the phone number was no longer in service but I should write down the new number. I called the new number and finally, after jumping through a number of automated phone hoops, got to talk to a person who didn't sound too happy with her job. I asked her what the phone number was for our local branch of the bank. She transferred me to another person. However, I have my doubts as to whether this was a person or not. The entity that I ended up having to talk to sounded a lot like the same computer that they use at NOAA weather service. It was weird. Really weird! I felt like I had fallen through a rabbit hole.

The entity first asked me for my social security number. What?! No!!!!!! I told the entity that there was no way that I was giving it my social security number. Then, the entity asked me for my bank account number. What?! All I wanted was the phone number for the local branch of my bank. What the heck did this entity need with my account number?! The entity asked me which state I was calling from...OMG! I wasn't even talking to an entity that was located in the same country? Thank goodness I didn't give it my social security number or bank account number! I told the entity that I was calling from Arizona. The entity repeated AAAARRRREEEEZONEAWWW. *moan* It then asked me which city I was calling from. I can't even tell you how badly a computer can butcher Chandle er. Thankfully, HTP and I no longer live in Ahwatukee. I was told that there were several branches of the bank in Chandle er. I already knew this. Finally, after some wrangling (I was trying to reason with a disembodied entity), I was able to get a phone number for the local branch of the my bank. I could have driven over there faster....but...I was hoping to save a step in the process of obtaining a medallion signature guarantee.

I wasn't sure whether or not our little branch of the bank actually had someone on staff available to provide a medallion signature guarantee. I figured that there was no point bringing a letter transferring ownership of #1 Son's account to #1 Son to our local branch if I'd have to find a different branch of the same bank elsewhere. Saving gas and time here. Thankfully, I was told that there would be no problem.

Hah! Actually, there wasn't too much of a problem and there wouldn't have been a problem at all if the real person that I talked to on the phone at the local branch of the bank had told me that I would need to bring a statement from #1 Son's account with me. *sigh* Thankfully, I established the account at a branch of this same bank...or they wouldn't be able to help me...even though HTP and I have been banking with them for years. They don't give anyone a medallion signature guarantee...no matter how well they know you.

Oh well...,I eventually got my medallion signature guarantee which...well...it didn't look any more official than a notary guarantee. I was expecting to see a gold seal or something. All I got was green and red ink. But, in the end, I got my medallion signature guarantee and the letter with its medallion signature guarantee is on its way to #1 Son. The ball is now in #1 Son's side of the court. He actually has to fill out all the paperwork to open in a brand new account with these people so they can transfer all the funds to that account. Good luck #1 Son!

Random Thought of the Day

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

We've always been here and we'll always be here. We are a specific arrangement of particles and this instant is infinite. Did we luck out, or didn't we? The odds against this sentence having ever being typed, much less the odds against you reading it were inconceivable. Smile, because the fact that you're able to is almost impossible to comprehend.

- Jeffrey Rowland

Word of the Day

Shup - A contraction of "shut up". To cease writing or speaking or to cause (a person) to stop talking.

You know that you're getting old when you're thinking about heading to bed but won't because...it's only 7 PM....and...you're still young enough to maintain an inch of denial. I'm still young enough so I can wait two more hours before heading to bed. Yes, well...9 PM is a bit more acceptable than 7 PM. At least...that's what I'm going with.

We had a dust storm yesterday. Normally, Gypsy and I walk the block and a half to get the mail from our mailbox. She looks forward to this daily walk...ever in hope of meeting someone who won't mind if she piddles on their shoes. However, there was no way that I was going to risk black lung or Valley Fever to get the mail yesterday. I was at the point where I was debating with myself whether or not getting the mail was worth the effort or not but...I finally decided to hop into the car to get the mail. Visibility was less than a block.

And the result of a dust storm? I spend most of this morning vacuuming my patio with a heavy duty shop vac. The dust kept clogging up the air-filter on the shop vac, not to mention the leaves and flower pedals, but I persisted. Of course, I also had to beat the dust out of my patio furniture cushions. The patio was semi-dust free by the time I'd finished...and after I'd cleaned the filter of the shop vac...four times. I used a broom to take care of the sand dunes that had accumulated by our front door. After lunch, HTP took over and completed the task of cleaning up after a dust storm by washing the patio off with our hose. I now have a nice clean patio...until the next dust storm rolls in.

I still need to remove sand dunes from my entry way (indoors) and our windowsills. Since I've already done this once since we've been back to Arizona, I'm not too keen to repeat myself. Maybe tomorrow.

Random Thought of the Day

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.

- Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 - 1973)

Word of the Day

Shuggleftulation - The actions of two people approaching, trying to get around each other, and muttering "thanks for the dance."

Just when I've gotten used to wearing capris and sandals, it looks like things are going to cool off here. I'm told that tomorrow's high temperature will only be in the 60's. Time to dig out some warmer clothes. It was only in the 40's when I woke up this morning but I knew it was going to warm up to the upper 80's. However, I did have find a sweater when I took Gypsy outside this morning. Although we have a fenced backyard and no threat from wolves, bears, coyotes, or eagles, Gypsy prefers to have company when she's outside....guarding her back.

Having nothing better to do with my time while doing laundry today, I mopped the kitchen floor again. My new steam mop continues to work well. I've mopped my floors more often in the last week than I've mopped them in the last year. I'm glad I ordered those extra cleaning pads. However, you still won't find me smiling while I mop. Feel free to call those nice young men in their clean white coats to come and take me away if you ever catch me grinning while cleaning.

Random Thought of the Day

I find that as I get older, going out is a good thing; but, coming home is better!

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.

- Jacques Maritain (1882 - 1973)

Word of the Day

Shriting - To form poor, unreadable symbols or letters on a surface such as paper. It often is described as writing to the one who wrote the symbols, but to others it is considered to be in poor taste. This form of writing is often so bad that others must ask the writer about each individual squiggle.

My first batch of pomegranate wine and my prickly pear cactus wine are all set with air-locks and won't need further attention until the end of November. The morning was spent working on my wine projects. I started a second and final batch of pomegranate wine...for this year. After I get this final batch of wine air-locked, I won't need to do anything more with the wine until the end of November. However, I'm going to have to start collecting bottles so I'll have something to put this new wine in come April.

My new/used breadmaker isn't working out. Apparently, there is something wrong with the shaft that drives the paddle that kneads the dough. However, the parts are worth more than the whole. It looks like I can cannibalize the breadmaker...selling the various parts...and get more than what I paid for the thing. On the other hand, HTP is still looking into how to fix it. I'm not in a hurry. My other breadmaker is working just fine and I may employ my KitchenAid to stand in as a second bread-maker. Quite frankly, our home (my kitchen in particular) here in Arizona isn't all that big. I still hadn't found a place to store this new-used breadmaker for the times when it wasn't being used. Having said all that, I managed to bake two loaves of bread today...despite a malfunctioning new-used breadmaker.

When you own your own home, there always seems to be something that needs fixing. HTP and I discovered, shortly after we got here, that the fan in our living room was working. HTP did some research and he "thinks" he can fix it. Unfortunately, it looks like the problem is that the fan needs a new circuit board. *moan* Thankfully, HTP knows how to install the new one. The new circuit board isn't cheap but I shudder to think how much a repair person would charge to install it. HTP will be able to fix the fan himself...with my help...with "no tribble at all". Knock on wood.

Random Thought of the Day

A day without sunshine is like night.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred from talking of his own dear person.

- Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719)

Word of the Day

Shrinkcrap - The shrink wrap that becomes completely and utterly twisted such that it is useless.

With all the dusting, vacuuming, and mopping done...and the bathrooms clean...and the landscape clean up done...I figured that I'd take the day off. HTP and I are going out to dinner with friends tonight. Tomorrow? My wine-making projects will continue. I plan to rack the prickly pear wine into one or more of my large fermentation jugs and then start a double batch of pomegranate wine. Then...I'll probably have to mop my kitchen floor again.

Random Thought of the Day

As one gets older, yellow becomes the big color -- walls, hair, teeth.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener.

- Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982), Atlas Shrugged, 1957

Who actually smiles like that when they're mopping their floor?
And, in my humble opinion, if the pad looked that clean after I mopped my floors, my floors didn't really need mopping.

Word of the Day

Shoop - The singular form of sheep. Also applicable to fish as foosh. In the case singular moose, meese is the plural form.

I normally channel surf right on past infomercials when looking for something interesting to watch on TV. There's LOTS of infomercials on TV during the weekend. I avoid infomercials. The overly bright sales people and their overly bubbly sidekicks tend to drive me crazy, but a few of my friends mentioned that they loved their Shark steam mops. My first thought was, huh? Then, of course, I had to actually watch one of the infomercials to figure out what they were talking about. The thing cleans behind toilets? I've always had to get down on my hands and knees to clean the floor around the toilets. Still, I wasn't sure if I wanted to trade in my mop and bucket for one of these steam mops. However, my old mop has seen better days. Tile floors and grout tend to shred the poor things. My mop at The Lake was starting to disintegrate the last time I used it. My mop here, though pretty shredded, still works (kinda) but...I still had to get down on my hands and knees to scrub up the more stubborn spots with a 3M sponge.

Knowing that I needed to buy a new mop here anyway because they don't make replacement mop heads for my old mop anymore, I decided to actually bite the bait tossed out by my friends and the infomercial. As you can tell, even with the endorsement from my friends, I was feeling a bit like a fish nibbling on a hook. I've been caught/stung before. Some things just don't work as advertised. I've got a few of those things taking up space in my cupboards. The electric tortilla maker? That thing that was supposed to perfectly dice potatoes and onions? It slices, it dices...not. I really should get rid of those things. It's not like I have a lot of spare cupboard space.

My Shark steam mop came delivered to my door just before supper last night. It was too late to give it a try out last night...besides, I'd already spent the day dusting and vacuuming. I'm not Mrs. Clean. The try out would have to wait until after breakfast today.

Now, I have to tell you that my floors were incredibly dirty. I hadn't washed the floors before HTP and I left for The Lake last spring and I'd only done a half-baked slapdash mopping after I'd bottled the winter wines. Plus, I'd cleaned those 120 pomegranates this spring and spilled stuff which I didn't completely clean up after starting my winter wines for this winter season. And then...well...my floors were NASTY.... YUCKO NASTY. Needless to say, I'm not fond of mopping or mops. My new steam mop was in for quite the trial workout.

Having said all that, the steam mop did an amazingly good job (considering) and I expect it'll do a better job next time. Due to the nastiness of the floors, I did have to use both the pads that came with the mop and I still had to use a 3M sponge to clean up a particularly nasty area near my stove where I'd spilled some grease last Thanksgiving...but it was only that one spot. The steam mop got all the other spots that would have required the use of a 3M sponge in the past. If that one area hadn't been so sticky, I'm sure the steam mop would have cleaned it up great!

I didn't want to touch the pads after finishing with my mopping. Ewwwww!!!! The pads are supposed to wash up in the washing machine. Of course, skeptical me, I immediately threw them into the washing machine to wash...just to make sure. Besides, they were gross and I didn't want the evidence of how bad my floors were lying out where someone might see. They really did wash up in the washing machine! I couldn't believe it. They're still a bit stained but they're clean. Ready for my next mopping adventure. I did order two additional pads....delivery pending. They wouldn't sell additional pads if people hadn't discovered that they needed them. Actually, if I'd had additional pads, I would have used them this morning. Unfortunately, the additional pads that I ordered haven't arrived yet.

My new toy, the Shark steam mop was easy to use. It was light. It dealt with my tile and my grout a lot better than my old mop. Woohoo! No more buckets of water. No more slippery floors. No yelling at HTP or the dog for tracking across a wet floor. No soap. No getting my hands nasty wringing out a mop. I just might feel like mopping the floor more often. Does this mean that I'll mop my floor on a daily basis? Positive reinforcement is a powerful thing....but let's not go crazy. However, if this steam mop works out well...I may just get one to use at The Lake. I wonder how well it deals with blood and fish scales? Actually, I'm surprised Sis hasn't bought one. She really does mop her floor on a daily basis.

Random Thought of the Day

Your kids are becoming you -- and you don't like them, but your grandchildren are perfect!

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.

- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Last Winter's Arizona Wines
They resided in my guest room but I'm expecting a visit from #1 Son so my guest room can't become a wine cellar...at least...not right now.

Word of the Day

Shoegating - Walking behind someone at a distance too close for comfort, much like tailgating in a car.

I have absolutely no excuses for not blogging yesterday. None. It was a beautiful day and I didn't even think about blogging. Instead I worked on my FarmVille farm, my Fish World aquariums, and Farkle. Facebook is becoming way too time consuming...a distraction when I really should be focusing on other things. I should have done a lot of things yesterday. I didn't.

Today I figured that I'd better get off my duff and get something...anything...done. I did and I plan to do more but I figured I'd take a break and blog. I dusted. I removed the fine layer of desert brown grit that had settled over everything while HTP and I were at The Lake. You can't really call this stuff dust. I still need to vacuum. I still need to scrub all the floors. However, that's for later.

As you can see...there's really nothing to blog about. My wine is still making lots of noise in their initial fermentation buckets. It's making so much noise that HTP thought we'd developed a leak outside with our drip irrigation system. He actually went outside to check...twice...but both times he went outside, the sound stopped. HTP has good ears. Me? I can hardly hear the effervescing sound the wine is making. However, I can smell the stuff. Good thing we've been able to keep the windows open or we'd probably both be drunk from the fumes. This house isn't as big as our house at The Lake. I don't have a basement or wine cellar where I can keep my wine projects. As a matter of fact, right now, my wine projects are sitting in buckets behind the couch in my living room where they aren't readily visible and where they're out of anyone's way...except...when I need to vacuum.

Random Thought of the Day

Everything old is new again, but if you wore it before, you're too old to wear it the 2nd time around.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There's something almost perfect in the ugly duckling syndrome. Because a sensitivity is tattooed on a part of you no one else can see but can somehow guess is there.

- Stephanie Klein

Neptune Aqua Club Picture of HTP and Old Grey Frog (and DD Daughter) - September 1978?

Word of the Day

Sho - Ghetto slang. Sure; Certainly.

My day started at 5:30 AM when my daughter, Sarge, called me from Texas. Nothing was wrong...she just forgot about the time difference between Texas and Arizona. Believe it or not, Texas shares the same time zone as Wisconsin. There's a two hour time difference between Texas and Arizona. I never did get back to sleep after that. Adrenaline. It takes a while to force your heart out of your throat and back down into your chest where it belongs. Sarge called me back at around 7:30 AM to apologise for waking me up. By that time, I was up and about. Actually, if she'd called me at 6 AM, I would have been up. I tend to get up pretty early...probably because I don't have to get up early.

By 7:30 AM, I already had the laundry sorted, on load in the dryer and another load washing. Gypsy had already been fed and my kitchen was in order. I'd just cued up my laptop and was about ready to start farming in FarmVille when she called. My farm was put on hold. Real live family trumps Facebook.

My wine-making continues. The yeast has been added to the brew...or "hooch"...as Sarge has called it. Apparently, Sarge has had to confiscate batches of "hooch" that the prisoners like to brew up if they can get away with it. Like that's going to happen under Sarge's nose. She tells me that the stuff smells incredibly bad. A couple of the inmates twitted her about it when she moved their confiscated "hooch" to her office so it could be disposed of by a higher authority. Did they actually think she planned to drink that stinky stuff? She told them that the "hooch" that her Mom makes is lots better than what they could ever come up with. "Your Mom makes hooch?" I'm developing quite the reputation out in Texas...and I've only just driven through the panhandle. However, if I do have to say so myself, I do make good "hooch".

Random Thought of the Day

As you get older, it's harder to tell navy from black.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity.

- General Douglas MacArthur (1880 - 1964)

Ms. En at the Play Ground - October 2009

Word of the Day

Shmoof - "It can be anything you want it to be."

It's been a wonderful day! Wonderful days are when the planets are all aligned and everything happens just the way you want it to happen.

The landscaper that did such an disappointing job the other day and who HTP thought we'd never see again, sent his partner back today (after I called) and this guy completed our landscape clean-up to my relief and satisfaction.

Then, the yeast I ordered for my winter wine-making projects got here. I've got a quadruple recipe of Pomegranate Wine (with barley water)started...six gallons. And I started a double batch of Prickly Pear Cactus Wine, also six gallons. I'm trying a different recipe this year for the later. I wasn't happy with the recipe that I tried last year. I still need to start a batch of Pomegranate Wine (with white grape juice) but...I've got to wait until I can transfer the Prickly Pear Cactus Wine into a fermentation jug. I don't have all that many buckets here in Arizona. I'm not going to be making nearly as much wine here in Arizona this year but I think I'll still end up with nearly 18 gallons when it comes to bottling time. I'll need to start collecting bottles. Maybe I'll post a notice at our local clubhouse.

Want to recycle your empty wine bottles? Going green? Drop those bottles off over at Old Grey Frog's house. She'll take care of them for you.

I'm a bit afraid to do that at this point. I may end up with more bottles than I could use in a lifetime of wine-making.

HTP had a productive lunch with a friend of his. He came back home in a much improved mood. When HTP is in a good mood...the planets are aligned.

Oh...and my folks have made it safely home...to their Nevada home. They only plan to stay there for about a week but...they're home. However, apparently the planets weren't quite so favorably aligned in Nevada. They ended up being delayed for four to five hours while they were driving home (Nevada home) due to a dust storm. Then...when they got home (Nevada home) they discovered that their air-conditioning had pooped out and the repair people can't come to fix it until tomorrow, AND, their hot water heater (I think it's only a year old) had died, AND, their runabout car that they keep stored in their garage...well...it wouldn't start. So? Oh well...the ceiling fans are still working. I suppose if the house gets too hot for them tonight, they can always head to the nearest casino and spend the night there. Maybe their luck would improve?

Random Thought of the Day

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The surest way to make a monkey of a man is to quote him.

- Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)

Ms. En (AKA The Book Shredder)

Word of the Day

Shmeg - A unit defined as the amount of wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

I picked and juiced 10 pounds of prickly pear fruit and ended up with 3+ quarts of juice. Plenty to make a double recipe of Prickly Pear Wine. Heck! I might not like this new recipe. There's no point in brewing more a double recipe.

Today, my friend and I enjoyed at girl's day out. Can we really refer to ourselves as "girls" at this point in our lives? I digress. We had a light lunch at The Pita Jungle and then sallied forth to inspect the merchandise at our local Saver's Store...a thrift store run by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. We both noticed that the place was packed...lots of customers. We also noticed (we think "supply and demand") that the prices have gone up....LOTS...on everything. However, despite these higher prices, I did pick up a used bread-maker for $12.50 but...I was shocked to find that if it didn't work...I couldn't return it? What the heck?! Aside from the fact that $12.50 was twice the amount that I expected to pay for a used bread-maker, I couldn't return it if it didn't work?! *sigh* I gambled. Thankfully, it seems that my gamble paid off and the bread-maker works just fine and I now have two functioning bread-makers. This is twice as many bread-makers as most people own but...HTP and I love home-made bread and HATE the taste of store bought bread. Actually, I didn't put this new (used) bread-maker through all of its paces but I really only use bread-makers to knead and make bread dough and it seems to be working for that part of its repertoire. At that point, I prefer to form and bake the bread myself...in my own oven...and I have a loaf of made bread baking in my oven as I write this. The slices of my own bread fit better in my toaster.

While at Savers, I also picked up a Golden Book called The Monster at the End of the This Book. Ms. En seemed to love this book so much that she shredded it while HTP and I were baby-sitting...while DD Daughter and GI Joe were occupied bringing Mr. T into the world. She loved it to death. *shudder* Ms. En's Great-Grandma, the Librarian would be horrified. However, even though this new (used) book isn't a Big Golden Book...it's still a Golden Book and it's the same story. I'll have to mail it off to her....or maybe to DD Daughter. Hopefully, DD Daughter and GI Joe can do a better job than me and HTP when it comes keeping this book safe.

The weather here at our home in Arizona has been lots warmer than the average for this time of year. Thank goodness for air-conditioning! When HTP and I first arrived home, the temperatures were average for this time of year and we were able to open the windows at night to enjoy the cool night air. Unfortunately, both the average temperatures and that cool night air have disappeared. We've had to depend upon our air-conditioning. I'm told that temperatures will cool down again...next week...maybe. Global Warming is such a fickle thing!

Random Thought of the Day

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball - the further I am rolled, the more I gain.

- Susan B. Anthony (1820 - 1906)

Steam Juicing at The Lake
My steam juicer here in Arizona barely fits on my stove because of an under the counter microwave oven. I was afraid I'd have to do my steam juicing out on the back patio on the burner of my BBQ grill.

Word of the Day

Shiznit - Crap! Shoot! Darn! Oh man!

There are some days that just don't lend themselves to blogging. Yesterday was one of those days. I started cleaning the remainder of my pomegranates right after breakfast and didn't finish until just before supper at which point I started the juicing process. Three hours later, just before bedtime, I ended up with another 3 1/2 quarts of pomegranate juice and cleaned up my juicer.

In the meantime, the window cleaners came and made my windows and screens look wonderful. I already heard on bird hit one of the windows. I'm not sure which window but...I haven't looked. There were no dead birds on my patio this morning so it couldn't have hit the window all that hard.

Then, I had a landscaper over to do a one time yard clean up. *sigh* He got here at 5:30 PM and he was supposed to bring a friend. He came by himself. Unfortunately, it was dark by the time he finished so...I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt at this point. I called him this morning and left a message on his machine. I either paid way too much money for the job he did or he'll be honest and come back to complete the yard clean up. I'm holding out hope that he'll come back and finish the job. HTP doesn't think we'll hear from him again. *sigh*

Gypsy and I took a morning walk around the neighborhood. I bumped into the neighbor who owns the prickly pear cactus. She again assured me that I could pick her prickly pear fruit any time that I liked. I may go over and pick some today after I go to the grocery store to pick up more jar lids. I've been "canning" all the juice I've been making...or...not actual canning. More like how I can my jams and jellies. The juice is so hot when it comes out of the juicer that the jars seal. I figure the juice will stay OK, sealed, until my yeast arrives next week. At least, I hope it arrives next week.

Random Thought of the Day

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The real power behind whatever success I have now was something I found within myself - something that's in all of us, I think, a little piece of God just waiting to be discovered.

- Tina Turner

Steam Juicing at The Lake

Word of the Day

Shim - 1. A masking term to point out someone of questionable gender. 2. A man dressed as a woman.

Starting right after breakfast yesterday, I cleaned pomegranates until 5 PM. I only cleaned a bit more than half of my laundry basket full of them but, as it was, the seed sacs filled my steam juice to the top. I'm not sure if I really needed to steam juice the fruit for three hours but...I did. I ended up with 4 1/2 quarts of pomegranate juice which I'll use for my Pomegranate Wine with barley. I can't start any wine yet until the wine-making supplies I ordered arrive in the mail so...the juice will have to wait for a bit. It's sealed in quart jars. I suppose I could spend the entire day cleaning the rest of the pomegranates and juicing them...but...

I've decided to take the day off. Well...off from toiling around the house. I made an appointment to get my hair cut...later this afternoon. And, I made an appointment to take Gypsy to the groomer. Plus, I need to pick up some supplies (barley and lemons)for Pomegranate Wine.

Random Thought of the Day

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You must learn to face the fact, always, that you choose to do what you do, and that everything you do affects not only you but others.

- Holly Lisle