No Spring Flowers - This picture was taken last spring. Our spring flowers will start blooming in a couple of weeks...maybe.

Word of the Day

Prescribbled - A method used by doctors with bad handwriting to assign medication to patients.

I just finished vacuuming the basement. Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Fly Away Home! Over the winter, the ladybugs invaded and set up camp. HTP vacuumed all the living and dead ladybugs from our upstairs...yesterday...before breakfast. Not an hour later and there were more. So...I vacuumed our upstairs living area after I finished with the basement. They seem to like the bathrooms and the warmer south side windows. HTP and I think there must be tons of them up in our attic. I'm not going to look. HTP took apart the ceiling lights in his shower and in our bathrooms this morning to dispose of all the ladybugs that were trapped. He washed everything up and got everything put back and...after his shower he noted that his carefully cleaned light fixtures had trapped lots more ladybugs. Murphyism of the Day material. Sis told me that she and her hubby have been having to battle the ladybug invasion all winter long. She had to remove one from her coffeemaker's water reservoir yesterday morning before she could make coffee. Ewwww!!!! At least she noticed it before she started making coffee. I expect that the ladybugs will fly away home as soon as our outdoor temperatures warm up, the gardens are growing, and the leaves are on the trees.

Murphyism of the Day

Stitzer's Vacation Principle

When packing for a vacation, take half as much clothing and twice as much money.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I never took hallucinogenic drugs because I never wanted my consciousness expanded one unnecessary iota.

- Fran Lebowitz (1950 - )

Dinner at Outback with Friends - April 25, 2009

Word of the Day

Preambulator - One who makes a living by writing introductions or forewords to other documents.


We're


Home!


AND......


Happy


Anniversary to


HTP and Me!



HTP already got me a wonderful anniversary gift. He vacuumed up the ladybugs for me this morning...before breakfast! Best anniversary gift EVER!


Our travels were uneventful. We stopped in Albuquerque and decided that neither of us really liked eating at El Pinto, a New Mexico-style Mexican restaurant. We'll have to find a new favorite restaurant for Albuquerque. The food wasn't was it used to be and the ambiance of the restaurant didn't make up for it.

Our second night was spent in Denver. HTP and I met up with friends for dinner. It was great to get together with them...even though we'd just seen them for Easter. I was able to deliver some Arizona wines to them that they couldn't bring back with them on the plane. And...my friend gave me some wine glasses that she couldn't bring to me on the plane.

The only bad day, driving-wise was encountered on our third day when we hit a patch of heavy rain as we were driving toward Omaha. I was glad that HTP was driving. I hate driving in heavy rain while surrounded by trucks and heavy traffic. I’ve driven in almost every type of weather. I can do it. I just don’t have to like it.


Ms. En is Getting Tall!

We spent night three and four at DD Daughter’s place. It was great to have a chance to visit with her, GI Joe, and our grand-daughter Ms. En. They went to a lot of work to get a guest room ready for our stay. It was beautiful! Ms. En is getting so tall. I’m glad I held off buying her any clothes because she’s lots bigger than my imagination allowed. 2T and growing. DD Daughter and I went out shopping and I got Ms. En a cute little Radio Flyer trike to grow into. HTP got her to say “Grand Pa!” She’s not talking much right now…at least not much that her Mom and Dad or we can understand as yet. However, she speaks fluently and in long sentences in the language of the toddler. We’re looking forward to having them all visit us here later this summer. My guest room isn’t nearly as nice as DD Daughter and GI Joe’s but…we do have a crib.

We finally arrived at our lake home last night at around 8 PM. Fibber McGee’s closet was unloaded. It was bursting at the seams because we stopped to pick up groceries. “Just the basics to last us a couple of days” morphed and grew. Oh well…HTP and I are pretty good with Tetris-style packing. Only the onions fell out of the car when we finally opened the car doors to unload.

HTP and I are a bit obsessive when it comes to unloading and unpacking after a long trip. Some people would have just unloaded the basics. Heck! Some people really would have just bought the milk, eggs, bread, and coffee that was on my shopping list. However, we hauled EVERYTHING inside. HTP got the water pump switched back on and the computers up and running while I called the DirecTV people to get our TV’s up and running, unpacked and put away the groceries, unpacked the cooler, and unpacked my suitcases. By this time, HTP got our computers all hooked up and good to go and he unpacked his suitcases. All done! Except…I’ll unpack the boxes later today. It took a couple of weeks to pack. I shouldn’t expect to get everything unpacked in one night. I’m always amazed how long it takes to pack and how fast HTP and I can manage unpacking.

HTP started vacuuming up all the dead ladybugs that wintered over inside our relatively warm house while we were gone. Piles of them! Some of them are crawling on the ceiling and walls. One landed on my cheek last night, startling me awake. The ladybugs HAD to go! They were even on the kitchen table! At least it’s just ladybugs and not scorpions or spiders. And…no mice (corpses or other…at least none that we could see or…smell.) HTP got as many ladybugs vacuumed up as he could find before we even sat down to breakfast. I'll work on the ones that are littering the basement later. There will be more coming in...probably from the attic. I'll still be finding them when it comes to vacuuming the house on the day we head back to Arizona. That's just a part of life here at The Lake.

I’m drank my first cup of coffee…made with rusty water…and it tasted wonderful. The rusty water will clear out as soon as we've run enough water through the pipes but I wasn't going to wait for it. The trees are bare. My tulips and daffodils are just sending up their first shoots. It’s 47 degrees outside and a bit overcast. I expect we’ll be seeing a bit of rain today. Gypsy and I took our first hike this morning to check out my gardens. I’ve got garlic poking up in my vegetable garden. I planted it last fall…an experiment. I’m going to pull some today to mince and enjoy with the steaks that I bought for tonight’s anniversary dinner. In the meantime, I've got boxes to unpack and the laundry has been started.

Murphyism of the Day

The Airplane Law

When the plane you are on is late, the plane you want to transfer to is on time.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

Gypsy is Dogging my Every Step...even though she's got her kennel back.

Word of the Day

Preambulance - A vehicle equipped for helping those with writer's block.

So...HTP complimented me yesterday when he said, "Hey! You're all packed and ready to go!" At least...I think it was a compliment. He only just started packing today. Of course, he really has been doing everything that needs doing aside from packing. Believe me when I tell you that the list of things that need doing, people who need calling, dealing with the post office here and in Wisconsin, getting our DirecTV taken care of so that it'll be ready for us when we get The Lake, getting the computer stuff ready so we'll have DSL when we get to The Lake, getting a desktop system all set, pulling stuff out of the bank deposit box and putting stuff into it....Believe me. HTP didn't have time to pack until today...not that he would have if he did have the time. He's one of those guys that makes his list and is totally confident that he can get everything packed on that list at the last minute.

As I was listening to Coast to Coast last night...one of the several times that I woke up during the night and found myself unable to shut down my brain...I remembered several things that I forgot to put on my Packing List. I rectified the situation this morning but...if I'd waited until the last minute to pack, like HTP, I'd have forgotten something. I know this. My brain is a wonderful, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) thing. I make my lists but that doesn't mean that I remember to put everything on the lists. I remember to do things (mostly) but...I forget to put that stuff on the lists. That's why I keep revising my lists and keep them on my computer so I can use them as a guide for "the next time". However, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to forget something again. I always do. Oh...and HTP? He forgets stuff too.

HTP and I are hitting the open road tomorrow morning. We have a Closing List. Most of the things on that list have already been accomplished, as many as we could do, but, there's some things that we can't do until today, and there's some things that can't be done until tomorrow morning. It takes some time to do those things tomorrow morning. Thus, I have no real idea what time we'll actually be hitting the road. What I can say is that we plan to spend tomorrow night in Albuquerque. We'll have our laptop with us on a nightly basis so we can check in to make sure that everyone is OK and that we, in turn, are OK. But, having said all that, don't be surprised if you don't see a new blog from me until HTP and I get to The Lake. Blogging isn't high on priority list after I've been driving all day and I know that I'll be driving all day the next day...and the next day. And I plan to spend every available moment with DD Daughter, GI Joe, and Ms. En while we're visiting them for a mere two days before driving all day again to get to The Lake. I'll catch you up later...after I get unpacked and sweep away all the ladybugs and dispose of any dead mice that have piled up while we've been here in Arizona.

Murphyism of the Day

First Law of Travel

It always takes longer to get there than to get back.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.

- Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Don't Forget to Pack Me!

Word of the Day

Prant - A tiny useless piece of chalk, virtually unusable for anything.

Poor Gypsy is totally stressed and confused right now. All this packing frenzy is driving her crazy. She figured that she'd be safe if she sat in her kennel because there was no way that we'd leave without the kennel and if she's in the kennel...she goes too but...I took her kennel blankets out to wash this morning and then took her kennel outside, took it apart and washed that. It's outside drying in the sun. I figured it might be nicer while trapped in tight quarters as we travel cross-country for several days if we started with a clean dog, clean dog bedding, and a clean kennel. However, this has upset the poor dog. Now, she's been "dogging" my every step...which makes packing and doing laundry a bit more of a challenge. Poor puppy. There's no way that I'd forget to pack my baby but there's no way to tell her that.

In the meantime, I'm doing laundry and the pile of Everything that has to go is growing in a spot in the dining room. I'm putting it all there so HTP will be able to subconsciously see Everything so he won't be so startled and upset tomorrow when he has to figure out how Everything will fit into one small red Gator. There are still more things to add to the pile but that's just HTP's stuff.

Murphyism of the Day

Oliver's Law of Location

No matter where you go, there you are!

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Everything has to fit into that red Gator
Wish us luck.

Word of the Day

Potticize - To make wild, harebrained, and utterly unfounded hypotheses about everything.

Everything is under control. I've done all the packing that I can do for today. I'm doing laundry tomorrow so we don't need to pack up too many dirty clothes. I won't pack any dirty clothes...if I follow my plan. Wednesday, Thursday (until we manage to fit a EVERYTHING but our overnight stuff, the cooler, and the dog's stuff into the car), and Friday (until we hit the road) will be the stressful days. After that, I plan to put the car on cruise and enjoy the drive.

In the meantime, HTP has to go pick up his new glasses. I decided to wash my hair in hopes that it'll stay clean until we get to The Lake...like that's going to happen. Not to worry. I packed the shampoo, conditioner, and my travel curlers....just in case my plan fails...or it rains...or it snows. Tonight we're going out to dinner with friends. One last visit to a real Mexican restaurant with decent margaritas.

I've got the cooler all packed...mentally. I know what I plan to put in the cooler. I can't actually pack the cooler until Friday morning. There will be lots of last minute Friday morning stuff to do. Unfortunately, I tend to do a lot of mental packing these days. Even with a To Do List and a Packing List, I can't switch off the mental packing.

FYI-The temperature outside right now is 100 degrees...in the shade.

Murphyism of the Day

Basic Baggage Principle

Whatever carousel you stand by, your baggage will come in on another one.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

In terms of being late or not starting at all, then it's never too late.

-Alison Headley

This is NOT my outdoor thermometer, nor is the temperature shown the actual outdoor temperature right now here.
Picture taken by T-Square during the coldest temperatures this winter at The Lake.

Word of the Day

Potentater - The largest or longest French fry in a box.

My outdoor thermometer is reading 97 degrees. It's supposed to reach into the triple digits tomorrow or Wednesday. Time to get out of Dodge. Actually, it wasn't too hot when I was just outside with Gypsy on our daily walk to the mail box but...I was happy to get back inside. However, I'm noting that it's time to use the AC. My indoor thermometer is reading 80 degrees. I felt bad for one of my neighbors who was outside just now trimming his bougainvillea bush.

I did most of my outdoor work this morning before it got too hot. I fertilized the fruit trees, sprayed Roundup on any weed that I could see and pulled the bigger ones. HTP changed our irrigation timer to the summer schedule. And...I drained and cleaned out the fountain and disabled its indoor switch so no-one will be able to accidentally burn out the fountain motor...mistakenly thinking the switch is a light switch.

I've still got quite a few things left to do on my To Do List and I've only just started nibbling on my Packing List. I'm going to be doing laundry on Wednesday so I'll get REALLY serious about packing as I'm folding and putting away clothes. Some things I can't do anything about until Thursday and somethings will have to wait until Friday morning before we hit the road. But...for some reason...and I might be fooling myself...I don't feel stressed.

Murphyism of the Day

Davis's Explanation of Roger's Law

Serving coffee on an aircraft causes turbulence.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

- George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

See? See a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel With Short Hair.

Word of the Day

Postend - 1. In reference to instant messaging, the window that pops up after one has already closed the conversation, because one assumed the conversation was over 20 minutes ago. 2. The last 30 lines of a conversation in which both people want to have the last word and end up saying goodbye a thousand times.

I played my clarinet with the church orchestra for the first two services today. Afterwards, I did the last of my essential shopping before HTP and I hit the road on Friday...at least...I think I've got everything I need. I've packed up both my clarinets to bring with me to The Lake.

I'm not doing much of anything for the rest of today. I'll kick the preparations for Friday's departure into high gear tomorrow. Somehow, this year, I don't feel so stressed. That may change by Thursday.

Murphyism of the Day

Roger's Law

As soon as the stewardess serves the coffee, the airliner encounters turbulence.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

- John Wooden

Gypsy - Before her visit to the groomer

Word of the Day

Postalport - The annoying window in an envelope that rarely lines up with the address.

I'm bringing Gypsy to the groomer's today. She's going to look naked by the time they're done with her. Poor baby! The thing is that we have these plants that grow at The Lake that have teeny (smaller than a BB)burrs that stick in Gypsy fur. Even with short hair, I'll have to comb them out of the hair between her toes on a daily basis. Then...there's the woodtick issue. At least with short hair, I'll be able to spot any free-loading ticks. Thankfully, this isn't too much of a problem since I use Frontline. I wish there was a Frontline for humans. Sis tells me that the woodticks are numerous this year...already. I'll post an "After" picture of Gypsy later tonight.

It's hard to believe that HTP and I will be all packed up and hitting the road in less than a week. The age old question arises, "Will all this stuff fit?" I'm never sure. By next Saturday night, we should be in Denver. I hope the snow will have melted by then. They really got dumped on...and it's April?! I heard that they had to close some of the very roads that HTP and I plan to drive on. Argh! Sounds like the same storm will be hitting The Lake by the middle of next week. I'm glad my Dad was able to get the plumber out to our lake home to turn the water back on.


Gypsy - After her visit to the groomer

I know you can't really see the difference but....she looks weird. Naked. They shaved her. All her feathers are gone and they cut back all the hair on her ears. However, she doesn't seem to mind.

Murphyism of the Day

Kauffman's Law of Airports

The distance to the gate is inversely proportional to the time available to catch your flight.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

- Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849)

The Ice is Off the Lake - April 2009
Photo taken by T-Square when there was still a bit of ice left...but not much.

Word of the Day

Possessment - 1. The act of possessing a speech that makes people feel strangely closer to the speaker. 2. A period of time in which someone or something is possessed.

It's been rather cool outside for the last couple of days. Cool...by Valley of the Sun standards. It's actually 75 degrees outside right now which feels a lot cooler than one might think if they didn't live here. I think it has something to do with how dry our climate is. I've noted that 65 degrees is a darn nice day at The Lake. Oh well...I'm not really complaining...even though I'm having to wear a sweatshirt to keep the goosebumples away. The sun is shining and there's a breeze that isn't kicking up a dust storm and there are some high wispy clouds chasing each other across a blue sky. The breeze is causing a certain wind chill factor. It's either wear the sweatshirt or close the window...and I'm enjoying the sound of my fountain...so closing the window is out unless we get another dust storm. However, it's too cool for the iced tea I have in the fridge because I don't drink pop. The hot tea I just brewed is hitting the spot.

Murphyism of the Day

Rune's Law

If you don't care where you are, you ain't lost.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There are a hundred billion stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.

- Richard Feynman (1918 - 1988)

Wine = Health

Word of the Day

Posilutely - The contraction of absolutely and positively.

A friend sent me a "funny" that I've seen before but was particularly appropriate considering the Arizona wine activities of last weekend.

Water and Wine

To my friend who enjoys a glass of wine.. . and those who don't.

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,
in beer there is freedom,
in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whisky, Arancello, Limoncello, or other liquor), because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:

Water = Poop
Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

Cheers, my friends!

Murphyism of the Day

Parson's Law of Passports

No one is as ugly as their passport photo.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860)

An Annual Migration to The Lake Picture from...199? Front Row: Alex, #1 Son, and DD Daughter Back Row: Joy and Sarge. Picture taken on the front steps of my friend who lives in Colorado.

Word of the Day

Porkus non gratis - The scraggly piece of bacon at the bottom of the package.

IT'S


TAX


DAY!



There are multiple Tea Parties planned across the nation today...demonstrations against the incredible amount of money our government is spending. These demonstrations aren't against the current amount of taxes people are having to pay...though...the taxes always seem to be higher than anyone would like. Who likes to pay taxes? No-one. Actually, these demonstrations are about government spending and the obvious fact that SOMEONE will have to pay back the money our government is borrowing, printing, and spending. Figure out how much you've just paid the government (State and Federal) this year and then do the math. And you thought you were paying high taxes this year? We'll all be hamsters running on a wheel from birth to death and we still won't be able to pay back what our government is spending. But...enough about death and taxes....

NINE MORE DAYS?! OK...this is NOT the time to panic. I bottled (re-bottled) the Pyracantha wine that was in the screw top 1/2 gallon jug. Done and did. It's all labeled, sealed, and packed. That's one less thing that I'll need to think about once I get to The Lake.

HTP dug out my suitcases. Yeah! I can start packing the suitcase that will remain in the car until we get to The Lake. I'll have to wait until next week to pack the smaller suitcase that I'll have to bring inside each night.

In the meantime, HTP and I were able to pick up my old clarinet at the repair shop yesterday. The repair guy raved about it. I noted that a similar Selmer clarinet was priced at nearly $9000 in that music store. This prompted HTP to take insurance inventory pictures of both my clarinets when we got back home.

I've got my To Do List and my Packing List edited and on my computer. I'm not ready to print it out as yet but...I'm working on both of them. One of the things that I forgot to remember was calling the plumber to turn our water back on at The Lake. HTP tried to call the plumber but...there's a time difference issue and this plumber doesn't believe in answering machines...or computers. *sigh* I called my folks last night to ask if they could call the plumber for us. They live in the same local calling area. Hopefully, they'll have better luck in getting a hold of the guy than we did.

Murphyism of the Day

Wolter's Law

If you have the time, you won't have the money. If you have the money, you won't have the time.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty.

- Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

Sarge, Joy, and DD Daughter at the Phoenix Zoo - Easter Vacation 1982?

Word of the Day

Pooydrink - An alcoholic drink that doesn't taste right.

I've packed away my Easter snow globes and decided to pack up DD Daughter's Easter snow globes to bring to her when we see her on our way to The Lake. I know I have Christmas snow globes that belonged to her but...I don't feel like dragging all the Christmas snow globes out and sorting them. DD Daughter will have to wait a bit longer for those. I'll sort through them next Christmas and then sort and pack them up for her...setting them aside for the next cross country trek.

I decorated the dining room with a fall theme. I suppose I could have picked out a summer theme but...we won't be here to see it. We will be back here this fall but I'll wait to put out the pilgrims and turkeys and pumpkins until we get back here. Instead, I put some non-season specific decorations so the table doesn't look too bare while we're gone.

Murphyism of the Day

Langsam's Ornithological Axiom

It's difficult to soar with eagles when you work with turkeys.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

September tries its best to have us forget summer.

- Bern Williams

Old Grey and Friend Bottling Wine in Arizona - April 11, 2009

I forgot to set all the bottles out onto the table after everything was all bottled, sealed, and labeled...and now that I've got everything packed up and put away...it ain't happening.

Word of the Day

Pooty Pie - An affectionate term used to address a loved one, usually a significant other.

We had a bit of excitement this morning. HTP woke to discover a flooded kitchen. I think he had got up to get a drink of water from the fridge. Nothing like stepping into a small flood in the morning to wake a person up. There was no sleeping for anyone after that. He discovered that one of the connections for our reverse osmosis had managed to "pop out". HTP managed to fix the leak but every thing under the kitchen sink was flooded. What a mess! It's a good thing that I have lots of towels. We mopped up the mess with the towels. HTP dragged the rug that I keep by the kitchen sink outside to dry in the sun. The carpet between the kitchen and the laundry room had to be "blotted" as well as we could with towels but HTP had to dig out a fan to plug in to finish the drying process. Then...we had to wash all the towels. I know...laundry day isn't until tomorrow but HTP ended up doing most of the work today. He even folded the towels. I'm just thankful that this didn't happen yesterday morning. I'm not sure if I could have handled a flooded kitchen at 4 AM before heading to church and then hosting an Easter buffet.

I finished up bottling the rest of the Pyracantha Wine this morning...after breakfast and after cleaning up the kitchen RO emergency. After bottling the rest of the wine, I put the shrink-wrap seals on all the wine that my friends and I bottled on Saturday and the wine that I bottled this morning. Thankfully, I didn't have to use more than one of the 1/2 gallon jugs...however, I had to use three 1.5 L wine bottles. There was a LOT of wine and I ran out of the smaller 375ml bottles and the traditional 750 ml bottles. Grand total? We ended up with twenty-five 750 ml bottles, three 1.5 L bottles, thirteen 375ml bottles, and whatever amount is in that screw top 1/2 gallon jug...all Pyracantha Wine. That was the biggest batch of wine. Then...we ended up with ten 750 ml bottles, and nine 375 ml bottles of the Prickly Pear Wine. Next? We ended up with six 750 ml bottles and ten 375 ml bottles of the Pomegranate Wine which used barley water. And last, but not least, we ended up with seven 750 ml bottles and nine 375 ml bottles of the Pomegranate Wine with white grape juice. I made two separate recipes of Pomegranate Wine...experiments. I wasn't happy with the color of my pomegranate fruit this year. It was really pale. The Pomegranate Wine with white grape juice looks like a clear white wine. It should have been more of a rose color. Oh well...I've fertilized the pomegranate tree and plan to fertilize again before we hit the road.

I'm keeping some of the wine here for gifting to friends and neighbors but...I've packed up five boxes containing Arizona wines, Arancello, and Limoncello to bring to The Lake this summer. (HTP will be thrilled at the amount of space they'll take up in the car.) Half of it will go to Sis and some to Mom. After all, Mom picked the pyracantha berries for me. I'm afraid that none of this wine will be drinkable until next fall...and that might be pushing it a bit. I think the Pyracantha Wine might want to age a bit longer...according to the recipe. The sample we tasted while bottling didn't draw rave reviews.

Murphyism of the Day

Kranske's Law

Beware of a day during which you don't have something to bitch about.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth.

- Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

The Vegas Gals Do The Desert Botanical Garden

Word of the Day

Poopoolashka - A expression of dissatisfaction.


Happy



Easter



Everyone!

The last of the dishes have been washed and put back into the cupboard. My friends departed for the airport about a half hour ago. Exhaustion! But...good exhaustion. We've had two fun-filled days.

Yesterday, we toured the Desert Botanical Gardens with the Chihuly glass sculptures. Impressive! HTP and I haven't been to the botanical gardens for almost thirty years. The place has changed...improved...and Dale Chihuly did a great job of integrating his glass sculptures into the desert gardens.


Hiking Through the Desert Botanical Gardens and Enjoying the Chihuly Glass Exhibition

After returning to our house, we all pitched in and bottled wine. Lots of wine. I've still got one bucket of wine remaining to bottle and I have to get out a hair-dryer for the shrink-wrap seals but...we made a good start before enjoying a relaxing dinner.


Bottling Wine in Arizona

It was early to bed and early to rise this morning. I had to get up at 4 AM so I could play at the sunrise service this morning. I had to be there at 5:15AM. We had Easter Brunch at our house. Egg Casserole, Aebleskivers (made by my friend's husband), ham, and lots more food than we could possibly eat at one setting. However, after chatting out on the deck and then watching several episodes of The Big Bang Theory, we enjoyed a nice piece of chocolate turtle pie. Yummmm!!!!! Two of our friends had to leave at that point to head to a family function and then shortly afterwards, our other friends had to depart for the airport.

I'd head for bed but...it's too early to go to bed, no matter how tired I am. My daughters, DD Daughter and Sarge, called to wish us Happy Easter! I wish I'd had a bit more time to talk to them.

I'll have to work on getting the rest of the wine bottled next week. HTP and I have less than two weeks left before we depart for The Lake. HTP has already made our reservations. We're looking forward to having dinner with the friends who just left for the airport when we spend a night in Denver on our way to The Lake. And we can hardly wait to spend some time with DD Daughter, Ms. En, and GI Joe at their home in Nebraska. But...I'm getting ahead of myself. There's lots to do in the remaining days before we hit the road.

Murphyism of the Day

Connor's Law

If something is confidential, it will be left in the copier machine.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I have the worst memory ever so no matter who comes up to me - they're just, like, 'I can't believe you don't remember me!" I'm like, 'Oh Dad I'm sorry!'

- Ellen DeGeneres

Sarge - Taken before Sergeant status (I'm supposed to get an official Sarge picture sometime before we leave for The Lake. It's coming snail-mail.)


Word of the Day

Pooja - A word to describe something that means alot to you, such as a pet or friend. A pet name.

Today is the day that MC Daughter is going to officially become Sergeant MC Daughter. Sarge.

Congratulations


Sarge!


WTG!



Preparations are underway for the weekend. Things are going to be busy and I don't think I'll have or take the time to blog. We're going to be spending time with our friends for the short time they'll be here this weekend. The plans are to pack too many activities into too little time. Wish us luck. It's supposed to rain? And we're going to The Botanical Gardens? Lovely. Umbrella time. I dug out all of our functioning umbrellas. I only had to throw away one which had holes in it, which left us with four. Four umbrellas in a state where it rarely rains...but...chances are we'll be needing them on Saturday.

HTP and I picked up my clarinet from Milanos. A day early. Nice. It's working great! I practiced last night...to be on the safe side (not that I didn't trust them but). While I was practicing, I was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell...well...actually, I didn't hear the doorbell ring, I heard HTP shouting for me to get the door. It was the musical director from church with the music I need for Easter Sunday's sunrise service. Six sharps...again. I marked the music but I've got questions about some repeats that go nowhere and a D.S. (go to the sign), that doesn't have a sign to go to. Huh? It's hard to practice a piece of music when that happens. I'll have to wait until Sunday at 5:15 AM, when we'll run through the music before the service. I hope it's not going to rain.

Update

I washed and sterilized the equivalent of 64 (750ml) bottles for the wine-bottling party tomorrow. I suspect I need more than that but...that's all I've got. I really need to start going to the wine-tasting parties at the clubhouse and pass the word in the neighborhood again that I'm saving bottles again...and I should stop drinking box wine. Hey! You really didn't think I drank all the wine that was in those empty bottles, did you? We have our ways of collecting empty bottles without actually consuming the alcohol that they used to hold. Anyway, I dug out and sterilized some 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon wine jugs ( also given to me by neighbors)...just in case. If I end up using them, I'll have to bring them to The Lake this summer so Sis and I can re-bottle the wine into smaller, more traditional bottles (the ones you can put a cork in). Heads up Sis!

Murphyism of the Day

Pinto's Law

Do someone a favor and it becomes your job.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Leave well - even 'pretty well' - alone: that is what I learn as I get old.

- Edward Fitzgerald (1809 - 1883)

DD Daughter and MC Daughter(Soon to be referred to as "Sarge") - Easter 1981

Word of the Day

Polyvinylmallowmar - 1. Designating any group of polymerized thermoplastic vinyls used in areas of pseudo-confectionery. 2. A substance used to make fake cookies.

I went out and took care of most of the grocery shopping. I've got ham. I still need to buy some eggs but I'm going to get those tomorrow when I'm out picking up my clarinet...which they haven't called me about but I was guaranteed to have one working clarinet ready for pick up on Friday.

HTP just vacuumed the patio for me. I'd asked him to wash off the patio after I got around to vacuuming it again but...I ran out of steam so he's doing both. This cold really wipes me out. I opened our last box of tissues last night and had to pick up more at the store today. I'm hoping that buying all these boxes of tissue will act as a guarantee that I won't need to open a one and will have to store them away in the linen closet for next cold season. One can only hope.

Murphyism of the Day

Rush's Rule of Gravity

When you drop change at a vending machine, the pennies will fall nearby while the other coins will roll out of sight.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?

- Vince Lombardi (1913 - 1970)

Pyracantha - Picture taken by T-Square in 2004

Word of the Day

Polymorphical - Having polymorphic abilities.

HTP has been tutoring me so I can design and print out my own labels for canning and wine. I printed out my first labels this morning for the Limoncello and Arancello and I was able to get the bottles all labeled and stowed away. With HTP's help, I designed a new label for the pyracantha wine using a photo T-Square took of the pyracantha bushes they have in their backyard at their Nevada home. I also designed a label for a wine that Sis and I started making last fall..Mulligan Berry Wine. She's waiting until HTP and I get back to The Lake before we do the bottling. I'm sure she's anxious to get 'er done.

I've got all the labels for the wine that my friends and I will be bottling on Saturday. All I have to do is print them all out. I won't know how many of each I'll need until we're done with the bottling. Let's just hope that I have enough bottles.

Murphyism of the Day

Cafeteria Law

The item you had your eye on the minute you walked in will be taken by the person in front of you.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Many men can make a fortune but very few can build a family.

- J. S. Bryan

Had to share this Sis. Mom clipped it out and gave it to me.

Word of the Day

Pointful - To have a point; to be full of good arguments; opposite of pointless.

So much for hoping my old clarinet would work. However, thankfully, I was wrong about how difficult it would be to get my clarinets fixed. I was able to bring both clarinets into Milano Music and they promised to have one of them fixed and ready to play on Friday...if not sooner. They promised me the other clarinet sometime next week. I'm going to have to be more careful about playing both clarinets from now on. The problem with my old clarinet was something that wouldn't have happened if I'd used it more often. Silverfish had been munching away at the pads. Yuck! I vaguely remember another clarinetist at my church talking about a problem she had with her clarinet but since I'd never had problems...I dismissed it. I wonder if the infestation happened at that time. I was told that it didn't look like I had any live silverfish in the case but, to be on the safe side, I was told to set my empty clarinet case, open, out in the sun for few hours and this would kill anything remaining...including eggs. Sounds like a wonderful activity for next week.

HTP and I were out and about in the Milano neck of the woods anyway. HTP had another eye appointment at the retinal specialist. Shot #2. This time I was able to sit out in the courtyard while HTP was getting shot. Ouch! It hurts just thinking about someone injecting stuff into an eyeball.

Though I still feel crappy, my cold seems to be somewhat better today but...I still can't do much. I get winded really fast. Hopefully, this will all go away by Friday and I can do my cleaning in between rest breaks until I'm 100%. At this rate, I'd be happy with 50%. I'm trying to get the fridge cleaned out and up today while I'm doing laundry.

Murphyism of the Day

Lynch's Law

The elevator always comes after you have put down your bag.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.

- George Carlin (1937 - 2008)

I think Gypsy will need a summer haircut like this one before we head to The Lake at the end of the month.

Word of the Day

Poety - Poetry-like; something closely resembling the work of a poet. Often used derogatorily to describe bad poetry, rap, and self-indulgent spoken word sessions.

My cold continues but I still went outside to clean the patio. HTP had kindly put together the shop vacuum so... First I went outside to clean up the branches that had been pruned off the trees by the wind storm that hit the other day. Then...I cleaned up after Gypsy. By then it was time to take a break because my cold wouldn't let me breath and I felt like I used to feel after running around the track a couple times when I was in high school. Gasping for breath, and lungs burning. After lying down for a while to recover, I returned to work and vacuumed the outdoor patio which was littered with leaves, desert dust, and flower blossoms...the usual debris left over from a desert windstorm. Maybe I should have taken a couple of pictures of before and after but, I didn't. I found myself again feeling like I'd run around the track a couple more times by this time and didn't even feel up to putting away the garbage can or the shop vac. HTP tells me that we may be getting another dust storm in a day or so, maybe I'll just leave the stuff out there. After another break, a long break this time, I took Gypsy out for a short walk. That's all I had left in me for the day. Pretty pitiful.

Murphyism of the Day

First Rule of Applied Mathematics

98% of all statistics are made up.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Your idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours alone. The more the idea is yours alone, the more freedom you have to do something really amazing. The more amazing, the more people will click with your idea. The more people click with your idea, the more it will change the world.

- Hugh Macleod

See all that YELLOW? That's half the source of my misery right now. A Palo Verde tree in full yellow bloom. *moan*


Word of the Day

Pockalanche - Perpetual action of reaching down to pick up an item fallen from a shirt pocket, only to have another item fall out.

Despite feeling really crappy, I went to church. I took some DayQuil and headed off to church to play my clarinet. Then, one of the pads from my clarinet fell off. The vocalist found it but even though we managed to put it back...my clarinet wasn't all that. I did manage to work around it a bit but a couple of the transitions were pretty rough. I probably could have stayed home...but then I'd have found out about the pad problem on Easter Sunday. Besides, I hate to promise that I'll be somewhere and then call in sick. I won't be able to get my clarinet fixed before I have to play on Easter Sunday but, I've got my other clarinet...I hope. It looks like getting any clarinet fixed before I head to The Lake this summer is slim to none. I'm going to practice with my old clarinet for the next few days. Put it through its paces and hope nothing vital falls off. Well...maybe tomorrow. I'm still feeling crappy despite the DayQuil.

Murphyism of the Day

Alvinak's Algorithm

When graphing a function, the width of the line should be inversely proportional to the precision of the data.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Riches may enable us to confer favours, but to confer them with propriety and grace requires a something that riches cannot give.

- Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832)

Filtering the Arancello and Limoncello - 2009

Word of the Day

Plumple - A large pimple.

Time to bottle the Arancello and Limoncello. Filtering and bottling these Italian liqueurs takes patience and a strong tolerance for sticky messes...oh...and lots of coffee filters. The fumes alone can make you drunk. They sure have cleared my sinuses. The citrus smell has over-powered the smell of the bacon HTP cooked up to go with our breakfast this morning. I'm staying out of the kitchen except to replace the filters and fill the bottles with the liqueur after it's been filtered twice. Self-preservation. I really don't need to get looped on top of the allergy/cold medicine I'm taking. On the plus side, the fumes have cleared up my sinuses. On the down side, even with all the windows open, I'm beginning to feel a bit like I've been doing a bit too much sampling...which doesn't seem fair since I haven't even licked my sticky fingers.

Murphyism of the Day

Walder's Observation

A mathematician is one who is willing to assume everything except responsibility.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth…Tame the dragon and the gift is yours.

- Noela Evans

Wine in the Guest Room

Word of the Day

Plotistical - Of or according to the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.

I'm beginning to suspect that my allergies aren't just allergies. I may have picked up a cold somewhere and it's piggy-backing on my allergies, settling into my chest. I just love feeling like this...especially when I've got so much to do. Hopefully, all this coughing won't be a problem on Sunday when I'm playing my clarinet at church again. Or for Easter when some friends are coming to town for a visit. I think I'll heat up a bowl of soup for lunch. HTP will be thrilled...not. He hates soup.

Murphyism of the Day

Einstein on Math and Science - Number Six

Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity ; and I'm not sure about the universe.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if it's a whisper.

- Barry Neil Kaufman

The Limoncello and Arancello is "fixin'" to be ready to bottle.

Word of the Day

Plotician - 1.One who can only perform an action if it has been done in a movie or book. 2. One who devotes their career to the elimination and repair of plotholes.

I only just now remembered that I hadn't blogged yet today. It's not like I have too many valid excuses. HTP took over my laptop for a while this morning because the darn thing was having connection issues. There seems to be a rather powerful Internet server/grabber in the neighborhood which kept leading my laptop astray. It took a while for HTP to figure out how to force my laptop onto the straight and narrow and protected home network we use. It was another one of those Vista things. Whenever our cable server would hiccup (and it seems to be doing that a lot lately) my laptop would briefly lose its connection to the Internet and then it would hook back up to this other mystery Internet connection. Anyway, it's fixed.

So, while HTP was working on my laptop, I decided to sort, wash, and soak labels off the wine bottles I've been storing in the garage. I'm going to be bottling Arancello and Limoncello this weekend. I use screw top wine bottles for my Italian liqueurs. I think I have enough of them but it took a while to match bottles with tops that fit...and then I had to soak off a few labels so I decided to soak off all the labels from all the wine bottles that were out in the garage that I hadn't done this for already because, I'm going to have to bottle wine in another couple of weeks. Let's just hope that I've got enough empty wine bottles. I've been drinking box wines lately because they're a lot cheaper than bottle wine. However, since I recycle the wine bottles from the wine that I did buy and drink from bottles, it probably would be more economical to drink the bottled wine, considering how much I'd have to spend to buy bottles at a wine shop. Still...I can buy a heck of a lot of bottles with the money I've been saving by buying box wine. I suppose it all depends upon how much I spend for the box wine. If the box wine costs $21.99, I might as well purchase bottled wine. However, if the box only costs $9.99, I can go out and buy a case of empty bottles. Hey! That $9.99 box of wine (Corbet Canyon Merlot)is pretty darn good...especially since I only really want a single glass of wine each evening and I don't need to worry about removing air from a bottle so the rest of the wine doesn't taste all yucky...even if I stick the bottle into the fridge.

On the other hand, HTP thinks I should be drinking more of my own homemade wine instead of buying the stuff from the store. It's not like I don't have quite a bit of it now. I could be drinking the 2006 and the 2007. I need to make room for the 2009 wines. I drank some of the 2006 Pomegranate II wine last night. It's mellowed quite nicely. I grabbed some of the smaller (375ml) bottles of homemade wine to stick the fridge to enjoy. I found that the Pomegranate II wine tasted best served at room temperature. Regardless, if I drink my own homemade wine, I not only am saving the money that I would have spent to buy wine at the store, I'm also freeing up bottles for all the wine that I've got brewing in the guest room.

Murphyism of the Day

Einstein on Math and Science - Number Five

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

- Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

This is a pomegranate blossom in full bloom on my pomegranate tree.


My pomegranate tree is LOADED with pomegranate blossoms this year.


Word of the Day

Plothole - A rough spot in a storyline; a storyline that doesn't quite work, like a pothole is to a road.

My allergies decided to ignore all my minor attempts to treat them. So, I brought out the big guns and will have to live with the resultant feeling of exhaustion. My neighbor's tree is in full bloom. I'd go outside and take a picture of it for you but...I'm just too tired. It looks like an explosion of YELLOW. Pretty, but deadly (when it comes to my allergies).

It's April Fool's Day! Happy April Fool's Day?! In honor of the day, I'm sticking close to home where no one can prank me...if I don't want to be pranked....and I don't. Today is also the anniversary of when I started blogging in 2003 and the anniversary of when DD Daughter became a Marine. So far, the computer worm that everyone has been nervous about (confikor?) and which was supposed to hit on April Fool's Day hasn't done anything that I'm aware of to spoil the day. However, I did note that I couldn't watch Fox news on my cable TV this morning until around 8 AM. What was with that?

I made dog food this morning. I took the last container of frozen dog food out of the freezer from the last batch I made. Doing the math, I won't need to make any more dog food until after HTP and I get to The Lake this spring. Which...of course...made me think about going to The Lake so I dug out my To Do List and Packing List, and started editing them for our return trip to The Lake at the end of this month. We haven't firmed up any departure dates as yet. I'll post a countdown ticker as soon as we do.

Murphyism of the Day

Einstein on Math and Science - Number Four

If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.

- May Sarton