Canning in Arizona

Word of the Day

Pedwipe - The action of cleaning liquid off the floor with a sock that is still on one's foot because one has run out of paper towels, is to lazy to go get something else to clean it up, or is to lazy to lean over and clean it properly.

I used a recipe that Sis e-mailed me to make salted lemons. Preserved lemons. I dug out a couple of quart canning jars from the garage and… GASP… inside one of the jars was a scorpion… a live scorpion. EWWWWW!!!!! I grabbed a lid and canned that sucker. He’s sitting in a sealed canning jar, scurrying around and around. EWWWWW!!!!! I went back to the garage and got a different (scorpion free) quart jar and continued on with the recipe. *shudder* Oh well…I have two quarts of preserved lemons started which I’ll probably bring to Wisconsin with me this summer…if I don’t forget. I haven’t decided what to do with the scorpion. I may just decide that I really don’t need that particular quart jar, tossing it AND the scorpion out. *shudder*

Murphyism of the Day

Klipstein's Law of Specification

In specifications, Murphy's Law spersedes Ohm's.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Never knock on Death's door: ring the bell and run away! Death really hates that!

- Matt Frewer

After Pictures of Gypsy sitting in her relocated box and my desk area...I dug out the camera.


Word of the Day

Pedofile - Someone with a creepy obsession with filing one's nails.

The music director at church stopped by this morning to drop off the music that I'll be playing on Sunday...all but three pieces. She promised to have them for me on Sunday morning.

HTP and I celebrated Friday by going out to eat for lunch at Floridinos. They have the best calzones. Lots of lovely calories. However, in penance, HTP and I will skip supper tonight.

My neighbor gave me a huge bag of grapefruit and a bag of lemons, this morning. I'd already finished the grapefruit that she gave me previously and most of the lemons. I had a half of a grapefruit with my breakfast this morning. I hope I get the chance to eat the rest of these grapefruit before they go bad. I'll probably have to store them in the fridge. I'll be eating grapefruit well into March. As for the lemons, I saw a way to preserve lemons on The Food Channel. Sis sent me the recipe this morning. Moroccan Salted Lemons. Someone commented on a chat line that their preserved lemons have lasted (un-refrigerated) for two years and counting. Sounds like a plan. You can only eat so much lemon meringue pie or bake and freeze so much lemon bread. Even sugarfree desserts have calories.

Murphyism of the Day

The Twentyth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Warranty and guarantee clauses are voided by payment of the invoice.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.

- Jeff Bezos

Before Picture...I'll have to dig out the camera to take the After Picture...maybe tomorrow.


Word of the Day

Pedlock - 1. The condition of a bicycle pedal wedging itself against one's leg. 2. The condition when a shoelace winds up on a bicycle pedal causing oneself to fall off. 3. The condition of a bicycle pedal wedging itself against the kickstand.

Gypsy and I are settling back into my bedroom "office" while I blog or work on the laptop. I've moved her basket over to a spot under the window from its spot under the desk...more room for my feet...and now that she's used to having a basket, she's content to doze in her basket under the window...right by my side. If I leave the room for whatever reason, she follows me (*sigh*), even to the bathroom.

This morning, I took my laptop to the kitchen with me so I could check my e-mail without disturbing HTP. I sat at the kitchen table while sipping on my coffee. The battery on my laptop lasts two hours before it needs recharging so I had plenty of time this morning to blog but, as you can see, I've been grasping for blog entry ideas.

I'm not being gassed today like MC Daughter (training for her job at a correctional facility in Texas). My roof isn't leaking and I don't have to worry about drywall damage or mold like IBM (cousin in Minnesota)...at least...I hope not. My sister's husband hiked over to our lake home and reported that everything looked fine and my propane tank is at 45%...which is also fine. I don't live close enough to help DD Daughter make drapes for her new house...but...that's probably a good thing because I tend to suffer panic attacks when I think about sewing machines.

Nope...aside from a kamikaze bird that broke its neck when it slammed into the kitchen window yesterday (I disposed of the body before Gypsy found it), I've got nothing new to write about here in Arizona. The weather remains the same (perfect) and I just closed the windows so it don't have to turn on the air-conditioner. I only used the furnace a couple of times this winter. I'd like to avoid using the air-conditioner for as long as possible.


Murphyism of the Day

The Nineteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

If, in engineering practice, a safety factor is set through service experience at an ultimate value, an ingenious idiot will promptly calculate a method to exceed said safety factor.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Acquire inner peace and a multitude will find their salvation near you.

- Catherine de Hueck Doherty

Old Grey Frog Has Moved...to her bedroom office

Word of the Day

Pediddel - A car with a burned out headlight.

I got a call yesterday from a fellow clarinet player who is going to be playing a duet with me next month at church. A clarinet duet. He wanted to schedule a time to get together to pick out what music we'd be playing and practice. We chose today. 1 PM. He's bringing over several duet books. I hope they're not to difficult. I'm getting the feeling that this guy REALLY knows how to play the clarinet. Actually, it'll be nice to have a chance to see and practice a piece of music before getting up in front of the church. The music director usually picks out the music and hands it to me about an hour before I end up practicing my sight-reading skills. We'll also have a chance to get to know each other before getting up in front of the church to play a duet. Still...I hope he brings along music that isn't too difficult. I play the clarinet. I'm definitely not a pro at it. I went through my clarinet music yesterday after he called to see if I had any duet books. I found a couple of them but they're pretty elementary. Most of my clarinet books are pretty elementary and they come with CD accompaniment.

Because I have someone coming over at 1 PM...someone that I've never met...I decided it was time to clean up the house a bit. Besides, my amaryllis plant got a bit top heavy (it's blooming) and fell over onto the floor of the living room, scattering potting soil everywhere...as well as breaking the long flower stem. *sigh* I put the flower into a vase, scooped up as much soil as I could, but, vacuuming couldn't be postponed for another day...not that I planned to postpone it. Dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the guest bathroom were all on my To Do List for the day. I also made some iced tea. Then, as I was dusting and clearing off the coffee table, I decided it was time to relocate my laptop. I've been using the living room coffee table as a kind of office desk since Christmas. Every time we have company coming over, I've had to button everything up and move it temporarily until company leaves. I've got a perfectly nice office desk in the bedroom. It's huge! I haven't used it since Christmas. I kept thinking that I really should pack up my desk top and store it away. Since I got the laptop, the desktop computer hasn't seen much use....no use since January.

You can imagine the thick layer of dust I found under and behind the monitor when I moved it off my desk. Yuck! Dusting under and behind a computer monitor hasn't been top on my cleaning priority list. Untethering the monitor from the CPU wasn't an easy task (wires everywhere). Almost as difficult was finding a place to store said monitor. I moved a few things to make a nook and cranny in the guest room closet. For the time being I've decided to leave the CPU sitting under my desk. It's not in my way and I have no idea what to do with the tangled spaghetti of wires. Lots of wires! I know that I could set up a separate keyboard for my laptop but I really don't need any more wires. The way I've got it set up right now, it won't take more than a minute to untether and move into the kitchen, the living room, or even out onto the patio with the laptop.

My house is clean (reasonably clean...good enough...). I've got my laptop all set up on my desk in the bedroom. I've got all my blog materials within easy reach on my desk. I'm sitting with perfect posture while blogging (no more back pain caused by scrunching up with the laptop on my lap in the living room...but...I can if I want to).

Update - My duet partner is/was a music major. I'm betting that he's a former band director for a school. Needless to say, he's LOTS better than me but I don't think I embarrassed myself too much. We picked out a couple of easy Celtic duets from one of my books which he's going to transition to fit them together as a single piece and a classical duet (Adagio) from one of his books. On a scale, easy to hard, it's about a medium when it comes to the level of difficulty. I can handle it.

Murphyism of the Day

The Eighteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Identical units that test in an identical fashion will not behave in an identical fashion in the field.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying you can't change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good. Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you don't fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it. Moreover, if you don't fully accept the situation, you will never really know if the situation should be changed.

- Peter McWilliams

Word of the Day

Pedaeration - Achieving perfect body heat by having one leg under the sheets and one hanging off the edge of the bed.

I'm just finishing up my last load of laundry for the week. I've got all the windows open. I opened them after breakfast. My purpose was to get some fresh air moving through the house. Unfortunately, I probably should have shut the windows at around noon. It's getting pretty warm outside.

I haven't decided whether or not to watch President Obama's speech tonight. I'm not sure if I can take another uplifting speech about hope and change.

Murphyism of the Day

The Seventeenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

If more than one person is responsible for a miscalculation, no one will be at fault.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The human tendency to regard little things as important has produced very many great things.

- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

"We can do it, We can do it..." MC Daughter as a mouse in Cinderella - 1983? 4?

Word of the Day

Peanut Butturbulance - 1. Any uncontrollable urge to dive into the smooth surface of a freshly opened jar of peanut butter. 2. The special emergency response team coordinated to rush to the need of someone whose hand got stuck trying to scoop out the last molecules of peanut butter from the bottom of the jar.

It was my MC Daughter's birthday yesterday. I didn't forget. I just forgot to mention it in my blog. However...


Happy


Belated Birthday


MC Daughter!


I hope you get whatever you wished for when you blew out your birthday candles!


HTP and I went out last night with friends. We went to a movie (Taken) and out to dinner (not good for our diets). Taken was a really good movie. I loved it. Even a very hard to please HTP liked it. HTP pointed out that with all the violence on screen, there really wasn't a lot of blood and gore...not that he was complaining. I loved that. I never had to look away or close my eyes. I loved the fact that the bad guys lost, dying horribly, and the good guys won against what seemed like impossible odds. This was my kind of movie. Any movie where I can feel good and happy as I walk away from the movie theatre is a really good movie. Too bad these sort of movies are so few and far between. I go to the movie theatre to get away from reality...escape from the day to day. I don't want to leave the movie theatre feeling bad about myself, bad about my life, bad about my country. If I wanted to be depressed, I'd re-subscribe to the newspaper....or open my mutual fund statements.

Murphyism of the Day

The Sixteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Service Conditions as given on specifications will be exceeded.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction.

- Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982)

Word of the Day

PBD - Programmer Brain Damage; a label applied to bug reports revealing places where the program was obviously broken by an incompetent or short-sighted programmer.

I've got three batches of Arancello and one batch of Limoncello ready to sit for the next forty days in a cool dark area of my closet. I finally finished filtering and getting that last jar sealed and toted off to the closet at supper time last night.

Allergy season has started. I woke up with a sinus headache. No-one needs to tell me that the time I've been spending outdoors hasn't been helpful when it comes to my allergies. I noted that my citrus trees are starting to develop teeny tiny blossom buds. It's not the citrus trees that are causing my allergies; it's all that other stuff that's starting to blossom.

Murphyism of the Day

The Fifteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Any device requiring service or adjustment will be least accessible.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

By learning to discover and value our ordinariness, we nurture a friendliness toward ourselves and the world that is the essence of a healthy soul.

- Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

The hunters didn't get ALL the deer last fall. Browsing deer at The Lake. - Picture taken by T-Square February 2009


Word of the Day

Passhole - 1. The person who has been driving slowly for miles but speeds up the minute one tries to get ahead of him. 2. The idiot who drives too slow in the fast lane.

I used all but two of the lemons that my neighbor gave me in my baking marathon yesterday. The sugarfree lemon meringue pies that I made turned out fine. I wasn't too happy with the meringue but...it tastes good. It didn't get as poofy/big as a meringue made with sugar but it worked and tastes great. HTP and I enjoyed a some of the lemon meringue pie last night for dessert. I had a piece of the lemon bread with my coffee this morning at breakfast. Wonderful! My neighbor was thrilled to get the pie and bread that I gave her last night.

I'm spending the day working on my Arancello and Limoncello. It takes LOTS of patience to filter this stuff one time. More patience to filter it the second time...not to mention lots of coffee filters. Oh well, the simple syrup that I made will have plenty of time to cool before I have to mix it into the filtered "cello"s. My kitchen smells like someone spilled a bottle of orange perfume. I wonder if one can get drunk on fumes. I'll need to filter this stuff two more times before the final bottling.

Murphyism of the Day

The Fourteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Installation and Operating Installations shipped with the device will be promptly discarded by the Receiving Department.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect.

- Esther Dyson

If a neighbor gives you twelve lemons and you use four of those lemons to make two loaves of lemon bread, how many lemons do you have left to make lemon meringue pie?

Word of the Day

Parkma - The uncanny luck of someone to be able to find a good parking spot everywhere they go.

My neighbor gave me a bag of lemons this morning. When someone in your life gives you lemons.... I wish I had more time to start another batch of Limoncello but...I don't...so... I mixed up some dough for pie crust. It's in the fridge where it needs to chill until this afternoon before I can roll it out and bake the crusts. I plan to make a couple of sugarfree lemon meringue pies. In the meantime, I baked a couple loaves of sugarfree lemon bread. I've never made a sugar free version of either of these recipes before today. I tasted the lemon bread. Yummy! I'm going to give the other loaf to my neighbor. I won't know how the lemon meringue recipe turns out until tonight. I'm a little nervous when it comes to the meringue part of the recipe. So...I plan to make a single recipe, try a piece and if it passes the taste test, I'll make the second pie. If not...I'll make a lemon chiffon pie instead(sugarfree).

Speaking of Limoncello, I'll be straining and adding simple syrup to the Limoncello and Arancello tomorrow.

Murphyism of the Day

The Thirteenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Salespeople's claims for performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.25.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

To err is dysfunctional, to forgive co-dependent.

- Berton Averre

Lazy in the Sunshine

Word of the Day

Parkalicious - Describing a really good park and or (wildlife) sanctuary.

Watching with a great deal of envy as Gypsy sat outside, enjoying her narrow wedge of sunshine, I decided to move the lounger into the only bit of sun large enough for a human to enjoy...in our backyard. The lounger looked a bit out of place in the raised bed garden, partially shaded by the Brazilian tree but...it worked. I changed into some shorts and a sleeveless shirt and adjourned outdoors to enjoy some sun and a book. It was too sunny to see the screen on the laptop. I'm not one to enjoy soaking in the sun too long but I enjoyed it until it got to feeling a bit too warm. I stayed out long enough for a good dose of Vitamin D...but not enough to burn. At that point, a took my laptop into the shade of the covered patio (still too stubborn to retreat back inside)even though I had to put on sweatshirt over my sleeveless shirt. Remove the direct sun, remove the heat, 68° F in the shade feels pretty darn cold without a sweatshirt. Come to think of it...maybe a sweatshirt isn't needed when the wind dies down. Ah well...it's nice to be sitting outside, the sound of the water falling in the fountain, the birds, the planes (not so much), Gypsy barking (again, not so much)...but...it's nice to be outside again and not pulling weeds or pruning bushes.

My neighbor promised me a bag of lemons in exchange for some lemon bread...or some lemon meringue pie. I think I may make both...and maybe a sugarfree lemon chiffon pie too. We'll see. Her husband is still in care facility. He can't have sugar but she can. HTP can't have sugar but...I can. I guess I'll do some experimenting as soon as I find out how many lemons she's planning on giving to me. But... not right now. Right now, I think I'll shift back into the sunshine for another dose of Vitamin D.

Murphyism of the Day

The Twelveth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Manufacturer's specifications of performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.5.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible - not to have run away.

- Dag Hammarskjold (1905 - 1961)

Word of the Day

Parcehole - An irritating person that works in the post office or shipping service.

I switched out the Valentine's Day decor in my dining room for St. Patrick's Day decor. HTP commented that he thought I was rushing things. I beg to disagree. If I'd decorated the dining room with Easter decorations, that would be rushing things. I noticed that the grocery stores have replaced all their Valentine's merchandise with Easter merchandise. I don't need any Easter candy but I may take advantage of the sale on eggs...but not today. And, I don't plan on buying my corned beef until March.

Gypsy has finally reached her ideal adult weight. My baby girl weighs the same as her Mom (her biological Mom...not me)...I weigh LOTS more than 15 pounds. I know this because I got on the dreaded scale with Gypsy and without Gypsy and then I did the math. Sadly, I noted, that I've gained a few pounds since the last time I got on the scale. I'm REALLY going to have to freeze that Valentine's candy that HTP gave me.

Murphyism of the Day

The Eleventh Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Interchangeable parts won't.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It's important to begin a search on a full stomach.

- Henry Bromel

Word of the Day

Parannoy - The act of annoying someone in such a fashion that makes him or her paranoid.

It's really hard to type when you've got a dog who wants to sit on your lap...or lick your hands. Oh well, there really isn't much to write about. You're really not missing much. It's Tuesday. We got enough rain over the night time hours to make Gypsy reluctant to got outside to get her feet wet. I've got one load of jeans in the washer, the lights are in the dryer, and I've already folded two loads of laundry and put them away.

Murphyism of the Day

The Tenth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Parts that positively cannot be assembled in improper order will be.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.

- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Too bad exercising my brain doesn't burn too many calories.

Word of the Day

Papertexting - To jot down a note on a scrap of paper, take a camera phone snapshot of it, and picture message (MMS) it over to a friend; often more expressive and expensive than regular SMS text.

HTP and I will be starting back on our diet today. Actually, we'll only be kind of dipping our toes back into the diet lake...at least until the leftovers are all gone. I refuse to waste food. I've got so much food in my fridge that every time I need to take something out or put something back into the fridge, I feel like I'm playing a game of Tetris. Everything fits but only if you put stuff in the exact right spot. We've got leftovers from Valentine's Day and from my birthday dinner. I've got a huge tub of spring mix lettuce because it was cheaper to buy the huge tub of lettuce than one teeny tiny bag of the stuff so we'll be eating LOTS of lettuce in the coming days. It's a good thing that lettuce is on the diet. I may freeze the rest of my birthday cake. It was REALLY good and LOADED with calories. OK...maybe I'll just freeze all but a couple of slivers. Martyrdom really isn't something that I'm striving for as a personal goal. I think I might freeze the See's chocolates that HTP gave me for Valentine's Day too...after I've enjoyed a couple of non-frozen pieces of chocolate candy. Everyone knows that frozen chocolate candy doesn't have as many calories as non-frozen chocolate candy. Right?

Murphyism of the Day

The Ninth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Major changes in construction will always be requested after fabrication is nearly completed.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy.

- Steve Jobs

Word of the Day

Pantyho - One of the legs in a pair of pantyhose.


Today is my birthday!


Happy


Birthday to


Me!


I had to get up really early this morning. Nevermind that it would have been nice to sleep late on my birthday, the orchestra was playing for two services at church this morning and I play my clarinet with the church orchestra. No complaints here. I love having opportunities to play my clarinet. Besides, HTP treated me to breakfast at Village Inn afterwards...and he bought me my favorite cake for dessert tonight. Chocolate Gateau with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. Yummmm!!!!!


Murphyism of the Day

The Eighth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

All delivery promises must be multiplied by a factor of 2.0.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?

- James Thurber (1894 - 1961)

Word of the Day

Pantaloony - One who excessively shops for pants.


Happy


Valentine's Day


Everyone!


I've got champagne and orange juice for mimosas, fresh blueberries for pancakes, bacon and eggs....and that's just for breakfast. I've got a whole separate menu for dinner tonight.

Murphyism of the Day

The Seventh Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

If a test installation functions perfectly, all subsequent production units will malfunction.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If there was strife and contention in the home, very little else in life could compensate for it.

- Lawana Blackwell

Old Blond Frog

Word of the Day

Panetelarium - Another word for planetarium. Used when one feels like expressing their words uniquely to suggest they don't understand the science of planetary bodies.

Yesterday, I finished the last half of the last grapefruit from my tree. I still ate a half of a grapefruit this morning. My neighbor gave me a big bag of grapefruit from her tree. I love grapefruit. There is no more fruit on any of my trees...well...except the pink peppercorns on the Brazilian pepper trees. I don't plan on picking ALL of those. Too much work. Besides, I have enough pink peppercorns already picked, cleaned, and dried. I had to drag the ladder out of the garage in order to reach the last few tangelos.

My neighbor's husband just got out of the hospital and will be staying at a transitional care facility for the next few weeks. I baked some of my famous sugarfree brownies for him this morning. I'll bring them over to the neighbor's house as soon as they're cool enough so she can bring them to him.

Murphyism of the Day

The Sixth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

If only one bid can be secured on any project, the price will be unreasonable.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Now and then an innocent man is sent to the legislature.

- Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)

Word of the Day

Palpicake - To test baked goods for freshness by prodding.

I caved. I had decided NOT to dye my hair from now on (go grey) but...I couldn't take it anymore. I just didn't like the look, especially as it was growing out. I found a non-permanent hair dye at the store the other day, the palest shade of blond that they had. No bleach. No ammonia. All my grey hairs are now various shades of blond. I still have a fairly wide band of hair that doesn't quite match the hair that I had professionally dyed last April but it looks like this non-permanent hair color will cover my grey hairs while leaving the natural non-grey color hairs alone. Eventually, after a few more hair cuts, I'm hoping that I'll look like I've paid a great deal of money for someone to weave my hair with blond highlights.

I got to use my new hair-dryer for the first time today. Works great!...so far. What happened to my old hair-dryer, you may ask? Since I bought my old hair-dryer shortly after HTP and I got back to Arizona in October, it really couldn't be called old. However, last week, while drying my hair, I heard an ominous crackling and snapping sound. I smelled smoke and the hair-dryer stopped working. It didn't blow the safety fuse. I quickly threw the smoking hair-dryer into the sink, expecting to see flames shooting out of it at any moment. I figured that the sink was a safer spot for it...just in case. I unplugged it. Since it was under a year old and under warranty, HTP and I returned it to the store (Walmart) for a full refund. They asked me if I wanted to exchange it with a new one (same kind) but once bitten... I bought a different brand. Hopefully, this new hair-dryer will last longer then that last one. It sure seems like I've been going through a lot of hair-dryers lately. Of course, the one that blew up at The Lake last year was about twenty years old...maybe older. It would be nice if this new hair-dryer will be the last one that I'll ever have to purchase....but...I'm not holding my breath. Things aren't made to last these days. There's no profit in it.

Murphyism of the Day

The Fifth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

The most vital dimension on any plan or drawing stands the greatest chance of being omitted.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Exercise relieves stress. Nothing relieves exercise.

- Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata

Word of the Day

Pajangle - Condition of waking up with one's pajamas turned 180 degrees.

Phew!!! We didn't get freezing temperatures last night which is a really good thing since I didn't bother to dig out or apply my sheet dance sheets. Once again I put my faith in the weather forecaster online and my faith was rewarded.

The grocery store ads came in the mail yesterday. We get them in the mail these days because we don't receive a daily paper anymore. When the local paper raised their rates while lowering the amount one actually received from said product (They actually decreased the physical size of the newspaper!), HTP and I decided to cancel our subscription. I still pick up the Sunday paper but even that edition is smaller and hardly worth the cost. We noticed that the grocery ads are all online now and if you don't get the paper, the grocery ads magically arrive, free of charge, in our mailbox.

After carefully studying the ads (a practice that I learned at my Mother's knee), I decided to go out and do my Valentine's Day shopping this morning, taking advantage of some of the specials at the stores. I couldn't resist. HTP and I are going to have crab legs for supper tonight. I resisted buying any strawberries or spring mix lettuce. I still plan on buying some...on Saturday. Some things taste lots better when they're bought and used on the same day.

Murphyism of the Day

The Fourth Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

The best approximation of service conditions in the laboratory will not begin to meet those conditions encountered in actual service.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators.

- Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Word of the Day

Pairification - 1. The coupling of two objects, ideas or elements in a particular course of study. 2. The coupling or adjoining of multiple (most often two) closely related ideas, elements or objects in a particular course of study. 3. The putting together of two similar objects.

I've finished all the books that I needed to read and judge for the contest. After filling out all the paperwork, I've got my judging sheets in their envelopes and ready to mail. Sadly, none of the books that I had to read were really my favorite kind of reading. However, even though I wouldn't have actually bought any of these books, some of them were fun reads...and best of all...I didn't have to pay to read any of them. You can't really argue with free. I didn't even have to pay for the required postage to send in my judging papers. Well...it's back to re-reading books written by my favorite authors. Unlike some people, I don't mind re-reading my favorite books. Visiting with old friends.

Murphyism of the Day

The Third Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

In any formula, constants (especially those obtained from engineering handbooks) are to be treated as variables.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torturous.

- Anna Quindlen

It's not this cold in The Valley of the Sun

Word of the Day

Obe - Overcome By Events, used to designate dead projects that were overwhelmed and defeated.

It's snowing up in northern Arizona right now. We're supposed to be getting more rain down here in The Valley of the Sun. In the meantime, I'm glad HTP and I got the yard work done. It's really windy...and cold...outside. However, having said that, there's a possibility that I might not have to dig out the sheets for another sheet dance. The revised forecast is for cold but not for FREEZING temperatures. I'll have to keep a careful eye on the weather forecast. Tuesday night is still a bit iffy. I'm not really complaining. I'm sure that it's a lot colder at The Lake right now.

Murphyism of the Day

The Second Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

Any error in any calculation will be in the direction of most harm.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger.

- Franklin P. Jones

Word of the Day

O Dark Ridiculous - Unbelievably early in the morning.

We got rain...some rain. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll need to dig out the sheet dance sheets. There's more than a good chance that I'll need to cover my frost sensitive plants on Tuesday. Figures.

I had a music practice at the church this morning. I'm going to be playing with the orchestra next Sunday and the musical director picked out some special music for the flute and clarinet. We decided that it might be a good idea to fit in an extra practice to iron out a few wrinkles in the music.

Murphyism of the Day

The First Recommended Practice of the Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers' Universal Laws for Naive Engineers

1. In any calculation, any error that can creep in will do so.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.

- Michael J. Fox

Word of the Day

Oxpecker - A small bird that picks bugs off oxen; found in Africa and other parts of the world.

Mea culpa. I never got around to blogging yesterday. You didn't miss much. My back is back to near normal. HTP's back isn't. *sigh* Despite this, and since we had to go out shopping, we went out for supper. Bad for our waistlines but we don't make a habit of going out to eat. It was a nice treat.

HTP and I finally finished our yard work...front and back, this morning, after breakfast. I fertilized the trees and plants yesterday. Since rain is predicted for tonight or tomorrow and pre-emergent doesn't work unless it's "watered in", we decided that we'd better get some pre-emergent weed preventive spread...quick. With rain, comes weeds. Hopefully, the pre-emergent weed preventive that we just put out will short circuit this cycle. I've been having to spray weed-killer on weeds almost every day...without rain. We live close to open fields of weeds...and weed seeds happen. Hopefully, we get rain so I don't have to drag out the hose.

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy reading contest books. I only have to read one more book. The book I finished last night was...painfully awful. If I didn't have to read this book, I would have stopped after the first chapter. It was a real waste of time. The only positive thing I can say for that book is that I didn't have to pay money for it, adding insult to injury. The hero was a were-horse? Need I say more?

Murphyism of the Day

Farrell's Law of Newfangled Gadgetry

The most expensive component is the one that breaks.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Trust one who has gone through it.

- Virgil (70 BC - 19 BC)

Word of the Day

Outsourcery - The all-too-frequently tragic belief that all business problems can magically be solved by outsourcing.

It's another beautiful day in Arizona. I sprayed weed-killer on the weeds, front and back. Speaking about back (s), HTP's and mine remain on the fritz. We're both taking things easy for the near future. We're supposed to get some rain (maybe) tomorrow...or Saturday...or maybe Sunday...or not at all. We live in a desert. It doesn't rain all that often here.

Murphyism of the Day

Pattison's Law of Electronics

If wires can be connected in two different ways, the first way blows the fuse.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The really potent part of love is that it allows you to carry around beliefs about yourself that make you feel special, desirable, precious, innately good. Your lover couldn't have seen [these qualities] in you, even temporarily, if they weren't part of your essential being.

- Martha Beck

Word of the Day

Outsourcerer - One who propagates and promotes the belief in outsourcery, often for their own personal gain.

My poor aching back - Part II. HTP and I tackled some more yard cleanup this morning after breakfast. The front yard is now cleaned up. The weeds are still sprouting on a daily basis, but HTP helped me finish up the pruning and the leaf-blowing. Unfortunately, all that bending and stooping wasn't any better for HTP's back then my own. Thankfully, we've done all that we plan doing this year...aside from weeding so, our respective backs should eventually recover.

I finished the second book from the final category that I've been given for the Golden Quill contest. So far, this book was my least favorite. I'm going to take the night off from reading. Knock on wood, the final two books won't be as bad as this last book that I finally choked down. Ugh!

Murphyism of the Day

Logan's Lament

Even the best of friends cannot attend each other's funeral.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Nothing is more admirable than the fortitude with which millionaires tolerate the disadvantages of their wealth.

- Rex Stout (1886 - 1975)

Word of the Day

Outgeek - The action of a known geek being outdone or exposed to an event, occurrence or activity that is even geekier or dorkier than he or she actually is.

Oh, my aching back. Guilt won out and I spent a few hours helping HTP with the yard clean up yesterday. I really tried not to do too much bending and stooping but there's no way I can deny that my back hurts harder today than it did yesterday before I headed outside. I'm taking things easy today. Aside from doing the laundry (it's Tuesday, aka, laundry day), I started reading the first book of the second category of books that I need to read for the contest. I can already see that this second category is going to take me longer to read. I'm not really fond of science fiction books. The one that I started reading is complex. I've never read anything this author has written before which makes this book even more difficult to read. She keeps referring to events that happened in a previous book. I'm having to refer to the appendix a lot to figure out the words that she's using and the genealogy of the characters. Oh well...it's a well written book. It makes me think of an historical novel set during the Renaissance.

Murphyism of the Day

Liz Taylor's Observation

The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The joy of a spirit is the measure of its power.

- Ninon de Lenclos (1620 - 1705)

You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover

Word of the Day

Osteopornosis - A degenerate disease.

I tried not to watch the Superbowl game yesterday. After watching the first touchdown, I retired to my bedroom to read the fourth and final book for the Paranormal/Time Travel category of the contest. I stopped to watch the Steelers make that 100 yard touchdown...argh...and then returned to my bedroom to read some more. However, like that person who just can't stop themselves from watching the movie Titanic (the boat sank), or that train that's heading down the track toward train wreck, I let myself get my hopes up when the Cardinals pulled ahead during the last moments of the last quarter. *sigh* Oh well...at least the game wasn't a total disaster scene...like Custer's Last Stand (the Indians won). The Cardinals did lose but they made the Steelers work for the win. Still...I'll never know whether or not the Cardinals might have won if I hadn't forced myself to watch those last few seconds of the game. I should have stayed in the bedroom.

Oh well...I did finish reading that last book. I'll start on the next category later today. Maybe. I'm feeling guilty (aside from making the Cardinals lose), because HTP is outside doing yard cleanup...by himself. My back is still recovering from a major spasm that hit on Saturday morning. Do I want to go outside and bend and stoop and rake and bend and stoop and....NO!!!!! However, I'll probably drag myself outside because the work needs doing and I don't want HTP to wreck his back.

Murphyism of the Day

The Puritan Principle

If it feels good, don't do it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece.

- G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

Putting on My Game Face

Word of the Day

Orbituary - Worldwide coverage of a person's death.


GO


CARDINALS!


Actually, even though I happen to be wearing red today, I'm not really much of a football fan. I played my clarinet at church today and looked out into a sea of red. Everyone was wearing red Cardinal shirts. I didn't change into my red t-shirt which is just a red t-shirt (no Cardinal logo) until I got home from church. The only reason that I'm cheering for the Cardinals is because the Vikings and the Packers aren't playing today and I happen to be living here in Arizona. However, I did buy some beer and munchies and I'll sit and watch the game with HTP later this afternoon.

I finished the third of four books that I'm judging for the Paranormal/Time Travel category of the contest. Weirdly, I read another book by this author last year, but not for the contest. So, I decided, since it was one of a series, to go back and read and enjoy this previous book again before continuing on to read the fourth book that I'll need to judge. I've got plenty of time between now and the time I'll have to mail in my results so there's no real rush. I plan to enjoy myself.

Murphyism of the Day

Sarah's Law

You never begin your summer romance until the last day of the summer.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It's never too late to be who you might have been.

- George Eliot (1819 - 1880)