We've Got an Ice Fountain


Icicles? Really? In the desert?

We've had three solid days of very cold weather here in The Valley of the Sun. The over-night temperatures have been in the teens and twenty's. I shouldn't complain because temperatures back in Wisconsin are LOTS colder. But, we're not accustomed to that sort of cold weather here where I live. My fountain is frozen over...solid. I'll have to wait until things thaw out a bit before I can safely run it...maybe tomorrow...or the next day.

Word of the Day

Teleflector - 1. One who uses a television as a mirror in its off position. 2. The television, in its off state, used as a mirror.

Once again I find myself having to play catch up with my blogging. So much has occurred since the last time I blogged. To cut to the heart of the matter, HTP is going back to work. I've got mixed feeling about this and so does HTP. Ideally, it would be nice if HTP and I could live out the remainder of our lives without HTP or me having to go back to work. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it has been for the last eleven years.... Thankfully, HTP was able to find a job because jobs are pretty darn scarce these days, especially for those of us who are getting a bit grey. I know, age discrimination isn't supposed to happen but...it does. Apparently, most employers assume that all learning leaks out of the senior mind. We can't handle such modern devices...like the cell phone or, a laptop. And, of course past experience has become null and void.

HTP starts back to work on Monday. That sounds pretty simple but the list of things that had to be done before Monday is just starting to come under some semblance of control. Because HTP will be working here in Arizona, we needed to officially "move" to Arizona. Since we've already been living here in Arizona during the winter months, there won't actually be any moving to do. However, we still had to do everything that needed doing to change our official residence status from Wisconsin to Arizona. We spent a LONG three hours at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) getting new Arizona driver's licenses and a new license plate for the car that HTP will be need here in Arizona. Our number was M852 and the first M they called (after one hour) was M825. I did have my Kindle with me which helped me pass the time. That place was packed. Unfortunately, I was so happy to get out of the place that I left my Kindle on the counter where they take those nice photos. *sigh* Oh well, we're official Arizona residents now. We've got our nice shiny licenses to prove it and at the same time, we were able to register to vote.

Thankfully, no-one stole my Kindle. However, to be on the safe side, I ended up calling the Kindle support people so they could make my missing Kindle unusable...after getting back home and finding out that my Kindle was among the missing and after calling the DMV and remaining on hold for the half hour from 4:30 PM and when they close at 5 PM. I know this because I was told, after holding for a half hour, that I'd have to call again in the morning. A computerized voice told me this.... I won't apologize for my language after I heard it. However, when I called the next morning, I actually got to talk to a person and was relieved to discover that my Kindle was safe and sound. I will say that everyone was very nice when HTP and I drove to the DMV the next morning to retrieve my Kindle and it didn't take more that a minute. We were out and about in that neck of the woods anyway.

Insurance. Because we changed the licensing of the car over to Arizona, we also had to stop over at our insurance agent's office to switch the insurance over to Arizona. And, because Wisconsin is east of the Mississippi river, that isn't as easy as you'd think. Even though our insurance company in Wisconsin is the same as the one in Arizona, they are in different regions. Apparently, these two regions don't talk to each other, Internet-wise. So, what should have taken a couple of minutes, ended up taking an hour. They had to write up a new policy. Oh well, another item checked off the "moving" list.

Next? One whole day was spent sorting through all the clothes that HTP has accumulated over the years in our over-stuffed closet. It turns out that HTP had a lot of clothes but very few of them qualified as official work clothes. Two huge sacks of his clothes ended up headed for our local Savers (Boys and Girls Clubs of America thrift store)because HTP has lost a lot of weight over the last few years plus, HTP keeps saving stuff to wear...just in case he needs to paint the house? Anyway, all of the work clothes that remained had to be washed because they'd been sitting in our closet for years. Although it looked like HTP had plenty of clothes to wear to work, most of the shirts had long-sleeves and there was only one pair of pants that wasn't black. Time to replenish and update HTP's work wardrobe. So, there went another day. Shopping.

Meanwhile, HTP had to read through all the various healthcare insurance options offered by his new employer. There are SOOOOO many different options these days. I won't go into all of them but it took days and days to decide which option made the most sense for us. And, of course, when and if Obama-care goes into affect, we may end up having to go through all the choices again because I think the one we chose might be eliminated. We'll cross that bridge when and if that road is taken.

I think we've got everything back under control now, here, not in Egypt, but I won't go into what will probably be a game-changer for the future, not because I don't feel that what's happening in Egypt isn't important, it is, but, there's really nothing I can do about what's happening there. I have enough trouble controlling my own little bit of my own little world and you'll just have to forgive my run-on sentences and trivialities. HTP just went off to get a hair cut. Our To Do List has more of the day to day tasks on it now. We're having friends over on Sunday for the Super Bowl so I'm working out a menu. I managed to get all the fruit off my trees and my neighbor gave me another three bags full of grapefruit which I'll either have to give away or juice. I made some orange marmalade, or maybe I should really call it tangelo marmalade from a few of my tangelos. We've been interviewing landscapers so HTP won't have to take care of that sort of thing now that he's going to be working. I think I finally found one that I can trust to do what I want while I'm not here to supervise but I still want to get another couple of bids. Kylee and I started her intermediate obedience classes which meant that I had to buy some new training equipment. There's the baby shower in Texas at the end of this month followed by a nice visit with DD Daughter, Ms. En, and Mr. T. before they head back to their home in Nebraska. There will be a Vegas Gal weekend at the end of March. And then it'll be off to meet and greet Sarge and D Buddy's new baby in April before heading up to The Lake for the summer. But...that's all fodder for future blogs.

Random Thought of the Day

Can a short person "talk down" to a taller person?

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

To achieve great things we must live as though we were never going to die.

- Marquis de Vauvenargues