Master Artisan at work!

What a beautiful, perfect day He made!

I was amped from the time I got up this morning. Went in to work with a gung-ho attitude, where absolutely nothing was going to be too much for me to do. And it wasn't! Even though we were still short-staffed, the whole aura of the day was such that I felt we could accomplish a whole crew's work with only two or three, and we did! I love that positive feeling. I even stayed an hour late to finish up so the boss and a co-worker could leave and for once it didn't feel "draggy" like it usually does.

The weather had so much to do with it. It was cool this morning, but I had shorts on by 9 AM. Maybe a bit optimistic on my part, as it was mostly overcast and a chill wind picked up about 9:15, but inside the greenhouses it was nice. The clouds blew over in huge rolling chunks, spitting a bit of rain that always sounds so good on a plastic roof. In between the sun would shine just enough to maintain 55-60 degrees. I couldn't resist stepping outside periodically to enjoy it and look at the sky. This was my absolute favorite kind of spring day. Today, I was just high on life and feeling incredibly blessed. I was inspired and on fire!

At lunch, I scooted down to the Amish market to pick up lunch for myself and a co-worker and while I was there stepped back to my childhood. I bought a Whoopie Pie. Haven't had one since I was a very small child, and I believe due to the resulting sugar-rush chaos my grandmother was forbidden to ever give me another one! A Whoopie Pie is a cake sandwich, kind of. Two three- or four-inch rounds of cake with that cloyingly sweet, thick, lard-and-sugar frosting in between. Absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever... you can feel your teeth corroding as you eat one... why parents let children have these things is beyond me. But I got a pumpkin one today and it was really tasty. Now I don't need another one for the next 20 years or so. (Said Whoopie Pie had nothing to do with above-mentioned inspiration! It just added to the experience.)

I went out around 4 PM to sit down and take a five-minute brain dump... just let my mind wander away from work so I could soak up the atmosphere without interference... best five minutes of the day, right there. Everyone was gone; it was quiet except for the wind blowing across the roofs. I could smell wet grass, saw a kestrel clinging to a power line with his feathers blown up over his head like a fur hat, heard a killdeer screeching as it claimed its new territory, felt the chill of the air in contrast with the sun's rays... and gave a bit of thanks to He who created it all.

My Hero!

Forget the crack-ferret. I love Scrat!

Tried to embed the video but it wouldn't work for some reason. So here's the link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6736485077799381484&q=gone+nutty&pl=true

ZZZZZZzzzzz wha...? Oh, hello.

Lost a couple hours tonight to the Couchmonster. I sat down to sort some stuff and next thing I knew, my husband was home and asking how to cook pork chops. Even though I thought I was dreaming, turns out I wasn't; he really wanted to know. (I found out later he meant "which way" as in baked, fried etc... should have realized if it's meat, he can cook it. Usually better than I can.) I got up around 7:00 to find the kitchen clean and the table ready, but he was still waiting for me to actually make supper and had fortified himself in the meantime with cheese danish. Poor guy... I told him he really should be more assertive when trying to get me to wake up, but he replied that if I didn't hear him washing the dishes, as he wasn't being quiet about it at all in hopes the noise would get me up, then I probably needed the sleep.

That's the thing about being so amped most of the time. When I keep myself focused I can go like a ferret on crack, but once I lose that focus I crash pretty hard. That's one of the reasons I avoid the living room. Comfy surface + mind-numbing television = I am out within 60 seconds, usually. Can't sit and watch TV unless it's incredibly riveting or I'm in the mood for funny videos; usually I watch a minute, go do something else, come back, go away, etc. Same thing happens at work. As soon as I sit at my desk for five minutes I start to nod off. I had to turn down an office job last year because of that... a manager asked if I wanted to help get the new system ready, but I had to be honest and tell him there wasn't enough caffeine in the world for me to sit at a desk all day and do data entry. Just the idea itself made me sleepy.

Another bad thing about crash-and-burn effect is that I don't bounce right back, bright-eyed and bushytailed. There is no such thing as a ten-minute power nap for me. Once I'm out, I can sleep for 12 hours straight, if circumstances allow. Sometimes more. From crack-ferret to tree sloth in the blink of... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

*Above photo courtesy of HubbyCam.

I love piano!

Someone in the downstairs apartment is playing Black Sabbath. "Ironman" played on an upright piano is interesting. Much better than "Heart And Soul" in an endless loop!

As I was walking up to my porch, my dad drove by and honked. It must be spring because he was driving the '73 Electra. That 455 sounds soooo good... you can actually hear the dollar signs chinging at the gas pump when he hits the accelerator. He keeps trying to sell it to me, presumably so he can go buy a Nova. Or anything else that doesn't have a big-block which only runs on premium.

For the first time this year I had to close the shade blankets in the middle of the day to protect the plants from that odd bright thing called the sun. Caladium burns easily and after living under clouds since they were bulbs, the poor things were falling over once the sunshine hit. Many of the employees broke out their shorts and t-shirts today so there were a lot of pasty white legs running around. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the high 60s and all the way to 70 on Friday. That means 80-90 in the hothouses. Guess I better find my shorts and start working on my sock tan. (Can't wear open-toe shoes there. Every year I get a nice tan on my legs, except for the ankles down, which makes me look as though I stepped in a bucket of white paint. When I wear sandals or heels on my days off it looks ridiculous, but even sillier is trying to use self-tanner on my feet and turning them orange... YES I've done it. Shut up.)

Piano stopped. Drat, she had a nice bass thing going on... I was about to go into the bathroom to listen better. Great acoustics in there and the downstairs sounds are amplified, especially if one sits in the tub. (Which I do, on occasion.) I don't think it works the same for them, though. Their bathroom is on the other end of the apartment, under the old attic stairwell. Good, cause I don't think they want to hear me playing mauling my harmonica too often!

Tuesday is my Monday

And I'm rockin' the typical return-to-work headache. I'd take a Tylenol but with all the dope the doc wants me on I'm unwilling to add anything else. He called me to say my thyroid levels had gone high enough to warrant a low-dose thyroid pill. Oh goodie. That's 4 pills a day, one of them twice a day, and I'm not even close to 40 yet. *Sigh* At least two of them are over-the-counters and not serious pharmaceuticals.

I want to just dump them all. I mean, I hate putting stuff like that in my system... I know it's doing some good, but still... I don't even like taking aspirin if I can avoid it. (Only thing I'll swear by is TheraFlu, and only when I actually have the flu.) I'm going to switch BC and get off the hormones this year, so that's one less thing, but I just wish I could can it all and chew roots and herbs or whatever instead.

OK... I'm thinking about this now... what else am I putting into my system? Additives, preservatives, food dyes, more than likely chemicals and fertilizers at work, city water (mmm! chock-full o' chlorine!), processed sugars, hybrid and hormonally enhanced vegetables, and Pop-Tarts. A couple pills probably aren't anywhere near that bad now that I think about it. The Pop-Tarts alone are worse, I'll betcha. Let's not even start on cocktail weenies.

In other news: I'm searching for an elusive Unicorn. #121 for those in the know. I'll trade an Elf Queen and Cleopatra... and throw in a Pirate for good measure.

My darling hubby pulled one over on me last night. He wanted to stop at his sister and BIL's house; I didn't feel like going in, as I was tired and sore, so he did the visiting while I catnapped in the truck. When he came back I was informed that 1. he invited them over soon to play the CSI board game we gave them and 2. since they were coming over, he told them to bring their recent vacation photos so I could scan them on the computer and adjust them. And then he said they have a bunch of them...

Thanks hunny!... ?

So... I have to not only make my house presentable (no big deal, just give me a deadline) but I've also been volunteered to be a photo editor for the evening. I don't really mind because that will give me a reason not to play the CSI game. (I don't watch the show and probably wouldn't get it.) I like visiting with them though. Nice folks. Wonder if he volunteered me to cook supper too? I want to make some pulled-pork BBQ, sounds like a good a time as any. Show these Yankees what real BBQ is. And it AIN'T sloppy joes!

Sunday Morning Comin' Down

I am frustrated with the lack of 24-hour food establishments here. There are two, neither local: one is Denny's and the other is a truck stop. There's a diner over in the big town but it closes at night and when it's open it's either full of college kids or their visiting relatives. DINERS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO CLOSE! I guess that one does to avoid drunken frat boys from trashing the place at 3 AM. That's reasonable. They trash the streets enough as it is.

We need a Waffle House. Not here, in my town, but in the new development near the truck stop. Or even better, an IHOP. While I'm dreaming, how about a good buffet-style restaurant? The new Chinese one by the new Wal-Mart sucks; we'll drive 30 miles to eat Chinese rather than go there again. But I'm talking Old Country Buffet or Ryan's or something like that. Preferably a place with a breakfast buffet. One can GET breakfast at Denny's, Cracker Barrel, etc. but there are no breakfast buffets in the area.

Tomorrow morning we are going to get up, get in the vehicle, and drive to a city an hour away in time for OCB's breakfast. I have a mad craving for scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms on top. And silver dollar pancakes, and fruit and danish and grits and stuff. Now, we're on a shopping mission as well, so it isn't a frivolous trip. I need work shoes/boots and jeans; hubby wants to price tires for both trucks, which we're going to need soon; and of course we're scoping out all the car dealers as usual.

That's what we're going for. What will happen: we'll have breakfast, head for the flea market, look at cars, lose track of time, and wind up at either Best Buy or Wal-Mart since everything else is closed. I'll try on three pairs of jeans and none will fit right. If we make it to Gander Mountain before they close, they'll have the exact pair of work boots I want, but they won't be on sale (or will be, and they won't have my size) and I'll end up writing down the brand and searching for them on the internet, only to find that everyone is out of stock. Then two weeks from now I'll walk into Boscov's and pick up a different brand on sale for 75% off and be out the door in 10 minutes. (Oh who am I kidding? It's BOSCOV'S! More like an hour, if the Auditorium is open.)

That's what ALWAYS happens, but I keep trying anyway. I like wandering around in Gander Mountain. They had these sweaters... felt like clouds... I could never afford one, but I'd pick one up and carry it around the store with me like a stuffed animal just because it was so incredibly soft and wonderful. Only time I can recall ever wanting a white sweater. Boscov's had some robes like that too. I wanted to climb in the middle of the rack like I did as a kid and just stand there feeling all light and fuzzy. Now I'm imagining a memory-foam mattress and a warm, soft chenille blanket. I have neither, but I'm so tired I think I'll let my imagination take over.

The hubby and I went up to my dad's tonight. My stepmom's sister and her daughter are in town; they drove stepmom's mother up and are flying home Saturday. My step-grandma will be here for the next 6 months. She's OK, a southern genteel woman with a classic drawl. It's her little dog... "Jakeypoo" is 50% poodle, 50% bichon, and 100% annoying. He yaps, he piddles when he's scared, he yaps some more, he jumps around or waves his widdle paws like bichons do, and he yaps. When he yaps, the other two dogs bark. When the other two bark, he runs yapping even louder. And SG is so paranoid that the big dog (Rott/Lab) is going to eat Jakeypoo that she starts with the worrying and fussing. It's a cacophony only the deaf could tolerate.

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Dad saw a mountain lion tonight! Pennsylvania doesn't have any, according to the Game Commission, but there have been random sightings. Dad, stepmom, the neighbor, and one of the guys putting on the neighbor's roof have all seen this cat at one time or another over the past few years. Tonight Dad said it crossed the lower part of the driveway when he was pulling in. How cool! I wanna get a picture of it. I haven't seen any wild cats since I've been here, except the ones at wildlife exhibits and a rescue habitat. Neat that one of the rare big cats is on our property from time to time. There used to be a family of bobcats up on the ridge behind the house; I heard them once or twice but never saw one myself. Dad's seen them with two kittens in the field. Goal this year: photograph a wild kitty. Preferably from a distance!

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Met another "Greenhouse God" today. Ron Derrig, horticultural consultant, makes an occasional tour through one of our sites; this time it was ours, and I was invited to go along on part of the tour. Although I've seen him before (and read his tour notes and articles whenever I get them) I never got introduced until today. This man is a walking horticulture encyclopedia. Most of our techniques and rates come from his notes and suggestions and if we have an enigma he's the one our head grower calls. I learned some valuable info about PGRs (plant growth regulators) today and was very happy to listen to him speak. Would have loved to go on the whole tour but even my supervisor had to break away... lots of work to get done! Gearing up for a madhouse weekend... again, not enough people and a lot of ground to cover, plus the potting crews will be working Saturday so we lost another "catch-up" day when we can spray or do other things without people driving carts or setting new plants down all over the place. Spring has sprung and we're sproinging around like crazy... and it only gets springier from here!

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Stepmom's sister is from down Bama way, and she made REAL southern sweet tea up at Dad's. I had to... just half a glass... after some South Carolina muscadine cider I took up there. Yeah, I was in liquid heaven tonight.

Sweet tea rocks. That is all.

Flashback Post

I love this picture. I must have been really ticked about something!

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Work is picking up rapidly. They're opening our last greenhouse tomorrow so we'll be spread pretty thin covering it plus the other two. Four people + eight acres = busy! Our company president was in today... he got sidetracked in one of the other plants, so I didn't get to meet him. Boss said we might be asked about how we're achieving our K.R.A.s (Key Results Areas), which include efficiency, productivity, and order fulfillment... the site manager quizzed me about it, and I said K.R.A. stood for Kick Royal A$$, which is what we're going to do this year... she laughed. I didn't come up with that, either; another co-worker did but I think it will be our motto for Spring 2006. K.R.A! K.R.A! Last year's was Git 'Er Done. (props to Larry the Cable Guy.)

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Toasted Marshmallow Jelly Bellys rock. That is all.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my fellow Irishpersons! Sláinte!

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

When we drink, we get drunk.
When we get drunk, we fall asleep.
When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.
So, let's all get drunk, and go to heaven!


ERIN GO BRAGH

Dinner of Champions... or just us.

Breakfast for dinner is a wonderful thing. I'm not a morning-breakfast person, never was, and besides the last thing I want to do when I get up is cook. Putting on the full spread at a more reasonable hour is a lot more fun, and I have less tendency to burn myself!

On a whim, I called Dad and my brother and invited them over for "breakfast" tonight, causing momentary confusion on my brother's part. He did get the part about "come over and eat" and that was all he needed to know! Standard fare... pancakes, sausage, toast, hash browns and dippy eggs. NOT the healthiest of meals, but since I rarely eat that kind of thing I guess it's OK.

I made the best dippy eggs I've ever cooked! Didn't break a one, and they were perfect. Funny since I don't eat them that way. I scramble mine and put ketchup on them. Everyone else likes over-easy so I had to learn to do 'em up right.

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Work was interesting today. I learned that over the past 2 days, a water main for our floor heat came apart (with a whoosh!), one fertilizer injector stopped working again (On Saturday I had canceled the work order to get it fixed), production crew hung the wrong group of baskets before they were rooted, all the environmental changes I'd made on the computer had to be redone due to the loss of floor heat, two mini-injectors are broken, and the only two ATVs that are rigged with hitches to pull our 200-gallon sprayer aren't running. Boss has been gone since Thursday and he'll come back tomorrow to a stack of notes on his desk. Oh, I love a busy day! Absolutely no sarcasm there... in spite of the nonfunctioning items, I get a rush when things go awry. It makes me think of ways to get around them and still get the work done. Thinking outside the box was one of the Leadership exercises we did in that meeting and it's one of my specialties.

I picked up another dead snake in one of the hoophouses today. Poor little guy. Looked like somebody squished him... wish they'd leave the snakes alone! :-( I also taped a "No Critters" sign to the trash can by the office. The people in there tend to dump mouse carcasses in the can instead of outside in the dumpster, and we don't find out about it until we smell it. Ew.

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Fazermints ROCK. That is all.

The Party

Not as many people as I expected there. Met some of hubby's family I'd never met before. One aunt is a minister who goes around to retirement homes to preach. Another aunt and uncle told us about a house for sale by owner, which we're going to look at; then we got to reminiscing about Sequoia Park. Food was OK, the sister who organized the party went a bit overboard so our share came out to be twice what we expected. But Dad's only turning 60 once! Might as well make the most of it.

We called B's grandfather to see if he was coming. He was, and did, and it was nice to chat with him again. The man is a riot. Case in point:

FYI, the bottles were not actual liquor, but the gun was an actual .357 Magnum. (Unloaded of course.) Pop wanted to see it so I grabbed the camera... he's 92, by the way. Just now starting to "slow down a bit." Gotta love him! (Sidetrack: this photo reminds me of Grandma Mazur shooting the turkey in a Janet Evanovich novel. If you've read the Stephanie Plum mysteries you're laughing to yourself right now.)

Hubby, his sister's boyfriend, and the kids had fun target-shooting with the .22 and his crossbow. They plinked coffee cans hung from a tree. Somebody brought out a shotgun and decimated the cans. This is what one of his family parties entails, y'all. Food, weapons, and endless banter among the guests. And usually at least one drama... this time it was subdued, but the drama was there nonetheless. Ah well, makes things interesting.

Miscellaneous

• The fish fry was good, except for a couple of things. One, my friend H. stood us up, which she's never done before, and didn't call to tell us she wasn't coming. Apparently she had some home issues and wanted to go hide for a while. Understandable. It just wasn't as fun without her. Two, my husband remembered to tell me that my uncle had a stroke. This was several hours after he learned about it from my dad. Of course I called Dad and found out that it happened three days ago and Uncle was home already. Gotta love the "oh, by the way" mentality of people up here. *Shakes head* Hubby's family is the same way.
• The gall of some people... we got separate checks for our group of three and our friends' group of four. Their tab was over $50 and they each pitched in a dollar for the tip. We took up table space at a popular restaurant for two hours and had a great waitress, and they left her four bucks. I swapped it out for a ten and some singles, all the cash I had, combining the tip on our smaller bill with theirs to make the minimum 15%. And I still felt bad. She deserved 20%.
• Got a new washer and dryer! Totally unexpected. A woman Hubby delivered to asked if he knew anyone who wanted her W/D set, as she'd just bought a stack unit to make more space in her laundry room. He looked at the set: Kenmore Elite, less than 2 years old! Oh yeah, he knew someone all right. We swapped out our ancient almond-colored set for these newer white ones and finally our kitchen appliances are all the same color. I had to figure out the controls because I've never had one that didn't have knobs and dials before. All electronic push-buttons... wow. Praise the Lord, we won't have to fix the old dryer every six months anymore. Bless that woman.
• The Leadership meeting ran a half-hour over. It was fun, in a way. The site manager at one point was talking about giving concise instruction to trainees, as most people's attention span is about 20 seconds before they start to tune out. Very ironic since we were in a 4 1/2 hour meeting, and she kept interrupting the training to go on and on and on about whatever. I don't remember; my attention wandered and I tuned out. ;-P They had a couple of logic excercises with prizes. I won a nice Day Planner. I love logic puzzles!
• Off to Dad's birthday party now. Hubby wants to go over early to help set up; if it wasn't raining and if I could afford to waste the gas I'd wait and go over in a couple of hours by myself. I just don't like being over there waiting. Never was too comfortable at his brother's house. He's taking his .22 and some targets so if the rain stops at least I can go out and shoot something. Whee!

New Blog!

Since I like to talk about cars so much, I started a blog just for that purpose.
www.alteregomutters.blogspot.com

Going to post the car stuff over there from now on. Check it out, feedback welcome!

In other news... well, there isn't much, actually. Next two days will be busy at work; tomorrow I have a Leadership meeting to attend for four long hours, but at least lunch is provided. Saturday there's only two of us in my plant so I expect to be running around like crazy all day. I wish I could skip that meeting to get some work done in advance but I guess it's mandatory attendance. Fooey.

I won't be able to take St. Patrick's Day off this year. Double fooey! I haven't been to a real St. Pat's Day celebration since I lived down south, when I'd go to Savannah every year. One of these years I'm going to book a plane ticket just to fly down for a couple of days. I just want to hang out and soak up atmosphere, listen to the street musicians, eat crawdads, and people-watch. This year I'm working Friday and Saturday so catching the parade in Wilkes-Barre is out. Might just go have a wee nip of Bailey's or Irish Mist with my dad and toast our Irish heritage. Did you know that there are more people of Irish descent in the U.S. than there are in Ireland? Faith and begorrah!

My mother got a really great deal on a cool old chair, gold curved frame with red cushions... she calls it the Throne... I'd love to have a place for something like that. It would go well with my planned Victorian-themed room. I have the rug and draperies (and bay window!) but haven't moved up to actual furniture yet. Or the actual room to put said furniture in. Someday...

Booked a table for eight at an all-you-can-eat fish fry tomorrow night. The Creekside has the most delicious fish, it's cheap, and we've got a group of friends to catch up with over dinner, so that should be a nice evening out. The restaurant is insanely popular; they have a Trash Bash every Sunday which involves huge piles of food- BBQ ribs, chicken, fish, fries, corn, baked beans- being served on metal trash-can lids. (Not lids used for real trash cans, of course.) I love discovering places like that. Nothing against the chains, but the best food is where the locals eat!

Impeccable Timing

Previous comments about dragging home a 1965 Barracuda were written half-jokingly. I pulled that car, at random, out of my head as ONE of the vehicles I've always loved, not the ONLY specific classic that would go over a newer Toyota. (Still... look at that rear window! I've always been a sucker for huge, rounded rear glass on old cars. Ranks right up there with chrome and tailfins.)

Dad just called. There's a red '65 Barracuda for sale in town. He saw it and immediately thought of me... and yes, we're going by to look at it later. Along with a Toyota Matrix, if I can get past the sheer fugliness of the thing.

Dad must be returning the favor. We took him a sale sheet for a '63 Falcon Ranchero yesterday. He drooled... see where I get it from? Even so, he spent our last car confab trying to convince me I needed another Buick, in this case a new Lucerne. *Shudder* I really wonder about my genes sometimes. Will I someday be trying to convince my own kid that he/she needs a Cadillac instead of the hydrogen-powered MitsuToyoMazDai that they want?

A Recollection

I bring this up after reading on a friend's site that his father recently passed away. I was a bit more surprised than I expected to be, maybe because I'm one of the few friends who ever met and interacted with the man. I bought one of the best cars I've ever owned from him, talked about getting better gas mileage out of a Cadillac, laughed at some of the things he mailed to my friend. But the first thing that popped into my mind was the time I scared his real estate agent.

His house was a big expensive one in a nice neighborhood. He didn't live there. The house was on the market; my friend was staying there in one room until it was sold. I happened to be homeless, and in my mind all those empty rooms in that beautiful house were going to waste while I was sleeping in my car in the WalMart parking lot. My friend would let me crash there sometimes but if his father was coming to town I had to go elsewhere. He didn't want others staying there (understandably) and I don't think he liked me all that much anyway. More than once his car would pull in unexpectedly and I'd have to act like I was just visiting. I don't think he ever believed it though.

There was one time... I'd been without sleep too long and had no other place to go, so decided to stay in the empty guest room at the house. There was a bed with a blanket though I'd have been fine with a patch of floor at that point... I was sleeping more soundly than usual and didn't hear the realtor, potential buyers in tow, arrive the next morning until they came in to look at the room I happened to be in. I finally heard them and bolted straight upright in the bed, hair and blanket flying. Until that point they hadn't noticed me at all... whoops! There were some exclamations and muttering from the group and a hasty exit to another part of the house. In my waking discombobulation I thought the best course of action for me was to hide, so I dove under the bed, pulled my bag with me, and stayed there until I heard the cars leave. I always wondered what the agent said to the father about that little incident.

I really miss that car, and that neat house. I still have one of the garage-door remotes. And a memory of an odd man who probably let me get away with a lot more than he could have.

Weekenders

• I think I'm going to get a Toyota Camry or Corolla instead of another truck. With two 4WD vehicles in our family already, a third would be pointless, when what we could really use is a newer vehicle that gets better than 15 MPG. I still want that Tacoma but it can wait. For once I'm going to be practical instead of emotional. (Check back in a couple months, when instead of a Camry I've dragged a 1965 Barracuda home from Carlisle... if you know me, you know that's more than a remote possibility.)
• Blue Diamond smoked almonds rock. Almonds are supposed to be great for lowering cholesterol, but I'm pretty sure that refers to plain nuts, not the salt-and-smoke-flavor-covered ones. It's the thought that counts, right? Same with oatmeal and cholesterol... is it defeating the purpose to eat maple & brown sugar oatmeal? Or iced oatmeal cookies? Probably. I don't care.
• I tried some fruit water flavored with Splenda and had a NutraSweet gag reaction. I reallyreallyreally hate aspartame. To this day I can taste those sampler gumballs NutraSweet sent through the mail in the 80s to get consumers to try their new sugar alternative. It's not a good memory. Splenda brought that back... don't think I'll be buying it anytime soon.
• Almost over that persistent flu at last! Except for the bronchitis symptoms. The random coughing will probably continue for another week or so like always. Flu shot? No thanks. My extreme dislike for injections is greater than a week or two of feeling like I've been hit by a truck and had cement poured into my head.
• My husband is not only a mind reader, but must truly love me. Love is when a guy who never frequented Taco Bell will agree to eat there to satisfy his wife's cravings every two weeks. True love is when the same guy will go pick up burritos on his way home without waiting to be asked. He did it of his OWN FREE WILL. You could have knocked me over with a spork. This is the man that will never suggest Taco Bell if there is any other viable alternative within 15 miles. And by "viable," I mean "vaguely food-like." (I kid... he likes the Bell, just not as much as I do. Nobody likes them as much as I do.)
• Hubby's dad is turning 60 and the family is throwing a major shindig. The most interesting reason to go, besides Dad himself: B's brother invited "a couple of Dad's girlfriends" to the party. Dad's a widower, so he's entitled I suppose, but I asked Bro if the two women had met each other yet. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone... and then Bro said in a cheerful voice, "Well, if they haven't, nobody's gonna be bored at the party!" Dad knows lots of women... I'm sure these two are just friends... but just in case, I'm not missing it for anything. Anyone know where I can buy Hai Karate cologne? We need a birthday present. *grin*
• Skipped out on bowling tonight, hubby's back was bothering him so we're opting for a quiet night instead. Maybe I'll be in the mood to go see a movie. It's been so long... they still have movie theaters, don't they? With popcorn and sticky floors and all that? Will I need a loan to see a film? Too bad the local drive-in isn't open for the season yet. We have several in the area; my goal this year is to hit the one with three screens for the triple-feature. Funny how I know about that one but have no clue where the closest actual theater is.

Take Five

Random lists.

5 food items you will almost always find in my lunchbox at work:

1. instant oatmeal
2. vanilla yogurt
3. granola bar or Pop-Tart
4. couple hard candies or mints
5. Gatorade, juice, or water

5 non-food items in same lunchbox:

1. chapstick
2. set of Allen wrenches
3. pencil stub
4. loose change
5. emu oil hand lotion

5 work items I couldn't do without:

1. slip-joint pliers
2. pocketknife
3. sunscreen (SPF 15 at the very least)
4. pencils
5. Micro$oft Excel

5 things I found in my coat pockets today:

1. leather gloves
2. custard-flavored "Peanuts" lip balm
3. tin of Orbitz mints
4. half a roll of wintergreen LifeSavers
5. Fireball wrapper

5 things I will eat too much of, given the opportunity:

1. Mom's potato salad
2. Ellen's cheesecake
3. any cake (except chocolate) with cream cheese frosting
4. avocados/guacamole
5. rice and gravy

5 celebrities I think are overrated:

1. Paris Hilton
2. Jessica Simpson
3. Brad Pitt
4. Tom Cruise
5. any reality-show actor/actress

5 modern (last 10 years) automobiles I like*:

1. Toyota Tacoma TRD
2. Subaru Baja
3. That boxy-looking Scion thing
4. Cadillac DTS or STS, Luxury Performance packages
5. Pontiac Ram Air Firebird (black, of course)

*Off the top of my head. I will own one of the first two in a year's time! Yay!

5 classic automobiles I like:

BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! Yeah right, like I could narrow it down to 5. Easier to say "almost anything built before 1973." I don't think I could pick 5 I don't like. Sheesh.

BlogHopping

You know you've done it... clicked the "next blog" button at the top of the screen to see what comes up. (This is not really a good thing, as a lot of faux blogs contain spyware and/or try to get you to download stuff you don't want.) Most likely you've bloghopped like I do: you're on a friend's blog, click a link to another, then another, etc. It's 6 Degrees of Blogs, or more in my case... once I kept clicking one link on each new site until I'd been through about 30 or so, wound up on a blog from Singapore that I ended up bookmarking. THIS is how you find stuff you weren't looking for that is often interesting and inspiring.

Here's some of the sites I found while bloghopping:

http://ridetheamericas.blogspot.com/
No new posts, but read the blog from the beginning if you're so inclined... it's an on-the-road journal from a man who rode from New York City to Alaska (with pit stops in the southern states for BBQ) on a motorcycle. I read this daily while it was happening and received a nice email reply from Mathew when he got home. (Warning: some profanity.)

http://amishelectricpublications.blogspot.com/
With tongue firmly in cheek, Elijah Yoder shows the lighter side of being Amish. Some jokes I've read before but his spin is quite amusing. Be sure to click on some of the links on his blog, too, for more humor and some (factual) Amish history. Funny stuff!

http://pcjm.blogspot.com/
Pop Culture Junk Mail is the title, which pretty much sums it up. Gael (the author and entertainment editor for MSNBC.com) is always blogging about the comic strip "For Better or For Worse", one of my favorites, so it's amusing to read what snarky comments she's come up with. She also manages to find some of the weirdest commercial products available... Luke and Leia wedding cake topper, anyone?

http://sprinkler5.blogspot.com/
Randomness at its most simplistic. Mostly a collection of links to really odd stuff.

http://trent.blogspot.com/
Total and complete celebrity snarkiness. If you absolutely need to know what Britney Spears is wearing (white trash couture), how skinny Nicole Richie has gotten (very) or what's up with Brad & Angelina or Jake Gyllenhall, visit Pink. It's there. (Some mild profanity on occasion.)

http://members.aol.com/immurdoc/a-team/stuff.htm
"A-Team Oddities." I think I had some of that stuff. Other pages on the site as well, great for nostalgic A-Team fans. Includes a link to Dwight Schultz (Murdock) website. (Note: this isn't a blog, but it was a link on one, so it counts!)

There's more but this is enough for now. I have to go try to recover from the flu so I can work this weekend. Nappy time!

Spring has.... recoiled.

I thought spring was well on its way... all the signs were there... it was above 50 degrees, there were two roadkilled skunks on the way to work, I could see terra firma instead of slush and frozen puddles. Alas, 'twas not to be...

It was pretty windy the last few days, enough that we were all making sure the greenhouse roofs were staying attached and having to open the outside door by bracing a foot against the frame and pulling with both hands. An exhaust stack cover took off like a Frisbee and smacked the back of my car (glad nobody was in the path of that thing! We're talking sharp spinning metal at high velocity.) In spite of the wind, the temps were still fairly reasonable until Friday night. Then it dropped 40 degrees or more. Saturday morning was deceptive... there was every indication that the sun would be out, but by noon there was snow blowing everywhere and causing whiteouts. Didn't last long, maybe an hour, and the wind blew most of it away afterwards. But last night... single digit temperature. The air was crackly-cold, the kind where you can feel the air going into your lungs like tiny little icicles. NOT that I'm complaining, mind you. I love cold weather. But I fell asleep early and missed most of it, and I'm looking out the window right now and the sun is out bright. Only going to be in the 20s today and around 9 tonight, but two days ago it was 60...

I had every intention of going outside to watch the sunrise this morning, hoping the icy air would lend itself to some more halos. But it was shiver-inducing cold in our place, more suited to hiding under the blankets for another hour. If we ever have a house with steady heat we won't know what to do. I've switched from flannel pajamas, wool socks, and a robe to a t-shirt and shorts, and back, in the space of an hour on more occasions than I can count. Anyway I'll try to catch the sunset later, as long as there isn't anything super-interesting going on with the Daytona race.

Yes, it's Daytona Day! The most over-hyped race of the year, the one Dale Earnhardt lost on the last lap in every way imagineable (including hitting a seagull, running out of gas, and even dying... sadly, he's done it all). At least he got one win in there. Since my long-time driver Rusty Wallace retired, I had to find a new driver to cheer for the first time in a decade. Mark Martin will be my guy this year. Always did like him. It's his last year so I hope he wins it all.

Here's a great halo photo from Atmospheric Optics :
The site has technical explanations and diagrams for various optics, plus photography tips. Very extensive submitted image galleries... check it out!

Weekend Highlights!

Well, Harrisburg area got 5-6 inches of snow... not too bad, and in fact it was quite beautiful. There were intermittent flurries in between squalls. Harrisburg crews seem to be much better about clearing the roads than they are up here so driving, while a bit slower, wasn't as much of a hazard as it would have been at home.

More about the trip later... I HAVE to share what I saw Sunday! The cold air lent itself to some incredible atmospheric optics. About 4-4:30 we were walking across a store parking lot when I saw a rainbow sundog. I should have gone back to the truck for the camera right then, but it was cold... bad excuse, I know... but it started fading not long after I saw it, and by the time we were inside it was gone. That's event #1. We were leaving the same parking lot a while later and of course I was trying to see the sunset through the back window... something caught my eye and I asked hubby to pull into the lot behind the store where there was a better view. Events #2 and #3 not long apart... a beautiful upper sun pillar and my first viewing of what I believed to be a weak, but still awesome, circumzenithal arc! (That's an upside-down rainbow over the sun.) I scrambled for the camera, which I'd foolishly stashed in a bag... I managed to get a few shots of the sun pillar before it went away completely, though my photos were too late for the full effect. Missed the arc entirely, drat it! Here's the tail end of the pillar, as it was fading:

Winter is the best time for seeing halos and anything caused by ice crystals in the air. Pillars can happen any time, I believe, but seeing 3 optics in one day really had me stoked.

On to the rest of the weekend... Saturday, as we were cruising through Hershey, we saw a sign for the Antique Automobile Collector's Association museum. Having a fondness for spontaneous detours, and especially for ones involving old cars, we turned left instead of right and went to check it out. It looked small at first... we were a bit disappointed, and didn't want to pay a lot to see just a dozen or so cars, but when we rode by the main window a 1987 Buick Grand National on display changed MY mind. After drooling over the GN we paid eight dollars each for admission (dollar off with AAA, by the way) and went to see what else was inside. The museum turned out to be huge and chock-full of not just autos but memorabilia, including a service-station diorama and a complete (!) mobile diner from the 50s that you could walk into. There was an antique bus display and part of the Nicola Bulgari car collection. As it turns out, Bulgari (of watch and jewelry fame) just happens to be a Buick aficionado... yay!... And like I am (or would be, if I could afford it) he doesn't buy cars just to show off, he actually drives them! I was pleased. And he owns a GN... *sigh*

Onward... to the Eastern Outdoor Expo... where within 5 minutes I fell in love with a pontoon boat. And a minute later was trying (halfheartedly) to convince my husband to move down South, move into my great-grandfather's empty house, and haul that boat out to my cousin's dock. He actually thought about it for a good 30 seconds before laughing.

There were a million and one things to look at there... we managed to get through about 3/4 of a million... saw a booth for the charter-boat guy who took us striper-fishing on our honeymoon. He wasn't there but it was nice to have that bit of memory pop up unexpectedly.

Had to check out the 4x4 section too. Decided I liked the Toyota Highlander almost as much as the Tacoma. B found a hybrid Chevy fullsize pickup. I could go with or without the hybrid option. Nice idea, but I think it will be a while yet before the technology is streamlined and fine-tuned.

Saw an accessorized van that we decided NEEDS to be in any A-Team remake from here on out. Mr. T would have traded his gold bling for this van:

I also learned why I rarely see red foxes around, and why I've never seen a wild cat (bobcat, lynx, etc). They're all dead, stuffed, and mounted, and put on display at the Expo. Seems like every booth had some kind of mounted critter hanging around. One booth had a revolving rack full of fox pelts. *Shudder* Yes, I hunt. But I eat what I kill, and I don't agree with animals suffering in traps... I hate the idea of trapping them just so their pelts can be sold at flea markets and sports shows. Does anyone really eat fox, mink, or bobcat? I don't think so. And we're long beyond the age where fur clothing is necessary for survival, at least in the majority of the world today. (If you all want to sell critter skins, find a use for groundhog hides and leave the foxes alone, okay? And come up with a few woodchuck recipes while you're at it.)

Off my soapbox now... we bought a new deer drag harness, a really neat one. Hope it works. Got a few samples here and there, crawled in, under, around and through a bunch of boats and trucks... watched two Grizzly bear cubs playing at the animal exhibit, which also had a young grey wolf, tigers, a black bear and a coatimundi... watched the log-rolling and chainsaw show... I recommend the Expo to anyone who likes that sort of thing because it's a lot of fun. Just leave your credit cards at home!

So... between the snow, sky, cars, and Expo, and a couple of ostrich burgers at Fuddruckers, we had a great time. Left with a lingering urge to go fishing and camping but what we need to do first is go wash the salt off the truck. ;-P

Dashing Through the Snow

Okay, more like negotiating highway through the snow... supposed to get more white stuff coming up from the south tomorrow. And naturally, we're driving south, right into it. Hopefully we'll be in the Harrisburg area before it gets bad (preferably before it hits at all).

I seriously thought about canceling this trip, but my husband was incredulous when I said that. He doesn't see a few inches of snow as a deterrent from anything. Crazy northerners...
I'm thinking about Rte 15, which is full of insane drivers on a good day, and city traffic once we get there. I'm not keen on being in either place in snow. The good news is that it isn't supposed to start until after lunch, by which time I hope to be safely inside the Farm Show Complex, drooling over pontoon boats and custom rifle stocks and Alaska sightseeing excursions. The other good news (?) is that we're only supposed to get a few inches... this can be good or bad. On one hand, that's enough to either be a nuisance or make the roads slippery as all-get-out. On the other hand, our local weather forecasters have a lower accurate prediction rate than Punxsutawney Phil (who is at, I believe, 30-35%). Meaning, we could get anywhere from zero to twelve inches in localspeak.

I wish I'd gone to weather person school. Meteorologists have it made... they study scientific weather phenomena, learn a bunch of technical terms, spend a lot of time on TV pointing out said phenomena using the terms that no one else understands, and get paid beaucoup bucks... and they're wrong half the time and DON'T get fired! What a sweet job that must be.

Heck, I'm more accurate than that... if my husband's hip aches, it's going to be cold. If my hair's frizzy, the air is dry. If I can hear birds outside the window, it's warm. And if it's humid inside, it's raining out. We have a great system at work, too... if we want to know what the weather's like, we go outside and look around. ;-P

Seriously, being a meteorologist would be fun, I think. For me, the best part would be learning and fieldwork. I love studying the sky... am fascinated by storms... have been known to run outside with a camera during a lightning storm or tornado warning... one day last year, as I was leaving work, I heard on the radio that there was a funnel cloud forming not a mile from the road I was on. Anyone who knows me knows exactly what I did... pulled over to watch! I actually wanted to be one of those kamikaze idiot reporters who were on location during hurricanes, yelling into the microphones over the wind and rain and fighting to keep from blowing out of camera range. I wanted to be on the crew that launched "Dorothy" during the movie Twister (up until the end, that is... you can keep the flying cows, thanks!).

That's my alternate-life dream, right there... in a nutshell, I wanna be a stormchaser. How odd, from someone who doesn't even want to drive two hours south because it might snow three inches. *eyeroll* The biggest risks I take nowadays involve driving in the dark through deer territory and the above-mentioned tornado/lightning watching. The latter is because I'm determined to catch one or the other on camera. I WILL get an awesome lightning shot, you just wait and see!

Return of the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Girl!

I got called back in to work a few weeks early, along with a dozen others. Apparently the potting schedule has been changed so much and on such short notice that they're now a week behind. So I got the call yesterday to come in today... no warning, just like the sudden layoffs a month ago, just "Come in." Had I not been half-asleep at the time, I might not have answered the phone and thus gotten in a "readjustment" day. Meaning, now I have to be awake and mentally functioning enough to drive only three hours after I've *been* going to bed. Yeah, this morning sucked.

But I was only on the potting line until 11:00... then my regular supervisor called me back to my usual stomping grounds to prep bays for new plants... Spent the rest of the day in a white suit, boots, and gloves, slinging chemicals around. It actually felt good to be "home." I had to break into my own office, though. Before Christmas, someone ran into the doorframe (twice) with the sweeper (not a vacuum, but a propane-powered industrial sweeper with tires and a seatbelt). The frame was knocked out of whack and the deadbolt wouldn't line up. I didn't have anything in there worth stealing, and probably would have laughed at anyone who stole my prehistoric computer anyway, so I never locked the door. Well, someone decided that computer *needed* to be secured, wedged the door shut, and locked it. My key wouldn't open it because of the pressure against the bolt... couldn't get in the inner door because the knob is on backwards... I'm going to fix that. I got locked in the middle office right after it was switched, since the door locks were on the other sides of both doors. Dumb dumb dumb! First time I ever had to break OUT of the office.

The reversed doorknob sums up the site management. Nobody has any idea why they do things the way they do, and even if something is obviously bass-ackwards to everyone else, there will be ONE person who insists that it needs to be done that way. That person will be in upper management. And after the problem is recognized no one will go out of their way to fix it until it inconveniences upper management. I still don't know why that knob was turned around with the keyhole on the inside. I'm sure someone at some point had a reason for it; they just neglected to tell anyone else what it was. Maybe they were waiting for the radio help call from a hapless grower locked in the middle room, so they could have a laugh. As long as I have a pocketknife on me, it ain't gonna be me making that call.

Back on the potting line tomorrow... it's fun, really. Hard on the legs and back, but fun. Tough to get out of the growing mindset though. We were potting New Guinea impatiens this morning and I kept looking for diseased spots and anything else that might be of concern to a grower. Someone finally said "Look, you don't have to think today. Just pot the plants." Gave me a chuckle! For the first time ever, I felt like I was overpaid for what I was doing instead of the other way around. What a nice (and strange) feeling that was!

Heather V. Graham Harden!

I can't read your email on the website you sent it through, and I haven't been able to get to you on IM. Email me through this blog PLEASE! Or look for me on Yahoo... you know who I am... or even join the LHS Alumni site (it's free), I'm on there too. LHS site

I posted this in case you or someone you knew happened to be Googling your name for whatever reason. I just want to know how you're doing, what you've been up to... just to catch up with an old friend. So buzz me already! :-)

Soy Dung Chow,
Me

It's The Hoff!

I really have no words. I was laughing too hard. Who knew David Hasselhoff was such a comedian? (I think the ooga-chakkas did it for me. I always liked those.)

Happy Birthday B!

We didn't really do much today. Hung around the house, washed some clothes, then went for a ride around the back roads looking at houses. Stopped at the Amish market for some meats n' treats (deli ham and dried fruit). On the way home we passed a guy who had tried to turn his minivan around in a small field and got stuck in the mud, so B went back to give the guy a pull. It was done in five minutes, B wouldn't take any money as usual, and our two vehicles slogged on back to town slinging mud and gravel.

Dinner was okay... the elk steaks were marinating all day, stuck them under the broiler and they were a bit chewy but tasty. I think I like elk better than venison, and definitely more than beef. Had sweet corn and homemade potato salad and we're now eyeballing the cake... I made an ABS (Almost Better than Sex) cake and it's so rich and yummy that I'm drooling just thinking about it. I am Cake Girl, after all.

Hubby's sister sent him some German brandy-filled (Asbach) chocolates for his birthday and now I'm jonesing for chocolate cordials. It's so hard to find good ones; these were great, but I like the round kind that come in 20 different flavors. *yum*

All in all, not a bad day. I have to go because hubby just decided he wants cake and I am so there....

Kibbles & Bits

It's foggy out there, has been all day but got worse right at sunset. (Sunset used loosely, cause the sun was nowhere to be seen, it was just greygreygrey all day.) My hubby surprised me... he isn't one for noticing anything beyond the windows, but when I heard him say "Wow... freaky" while peering out of the kitchen window I had to go look. I assumed the one neighbor had modded his car again, or the other neighbor's kid had done something weird to his hair, but it turned out he was looking at the fog through the bare trees out back. And it was kinda freaky, like something straight out of the opening scene of a horror movie. Really neat though. If the telephone pole wasn't in the way I'd have taken pictures.

Segue: I love the perspective from the second floor. And higher, when I can get there... the landlord left the attic door unlocked so we could check for leaks (lots of rain lately), and the last time I went up I just had to go look out the window. And since it was dark, and I had a flashlight, I can only imagine what the neighbors were thinking. A light in the attic? (Wait, wasn't that a Shel Silverstein book? It was.) So now I want to put the blue filter on my flashlight and go wave it around the next time I check the attic ceiling. Nobody EVER goes up there, or sees lights, so it might get someone talking... *grin*

Last night's TNA wrestling show was another chapter in the Sting history book. He came out and gave a very emotional farewell speech and "officially" retired. Of course it's an angle and he'll be back in a couple of months, but the whole segment was incredibly well done. The man has got some mad mic skillz, yo. I personally don't care if he ever wrestles again, just give him a microphone and some airtime and let him roll with it. He'd be a great commentator too. Guess that's why he's a good guest host on TBN.

February 4-12 is the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Expo in Harrisburg. We obvs aren't going next weekend, since it's Super Bowl Sunday and we wanna watch the Steelers on Dad's bigscreen TV. The weekend after is a good possibility. The Expo is HUGE, and features everything you never knew you needed for any kind of activity that takes place beyond your front door. There's even an indoor archery range, with targets set up in the bleacher seats of the arena. Not to mention trucks, bikes (both varieties), boats, equipment, gun manufacturers, and a whole slew of people trying to sell hunting/fishing/camping trips to the far reaches of the earth plus Colorado and Montana.

We're also having a belated birthday party next Sunday for the love of my life, who turns 31 tomorrow! We met when he was a young 25 and haven't been apart since... Love you hunny! Happy Birthday! XXXOOO!!!

For tomorrow I think I'll bake a cake just for the two of us, since a friend is making one for next weekend. (She makes him some form of chocolate cake every year and it's a given now.) And maybe cook him his favorite dinner, which is... umm... hmmmm... Well, he eats almost anything, so whatever I make should be fine. I'm lacking a fresh deer heart so that's out. (Whew.) Maybe elk steaks on the grill... he'll love that.

A true story: I was having major access problems with my computer and after weeks of fighting with it, took it in to a (well-known chain) shop for repair. It was determined that when the pre-installed Norton Antivirus software expired (and I didn't renew cause I use AVG) it went haywire and started blocking more stuff every day. Cost me almost a hundred bucks (techs ain't cheap!) to have everything manually uninstalled and my access restored. When I picked up the computer and paid for it, the guy at the counter says... get this... "If you want a better antivirus program, we strongly recommend Norton." (begin sarcasm) I said "Isn't Norton WHY I had to bring this thing here in the first place?" He gave me a funny look, smarmed a bit with the "Well, if it's properly installed...." spiel but I reminded him that it came pre-installed, I didn't do it myself. He stopped talking and I thanked him and left. I had an appointment to get my headlight fluid changed... (end sarcasm)

And now I have to go bake a cake, like a good wife who knows her place is in the kitchen and not on a computer or under the hood of a car. *eyeroll*

Cars and Wrestling: A Redneck Saturday Night!

My drool glands are working overtime. The Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction began this week and today the big-money cars are going on the block. It's on Speed Channel and if you are a classic car buff, or if you just like shiny things, you HAVE to be watching this. You won't see some of these babies anywhere else.

Seriously, it's worse than getting sucked in to fishing tournaments or Cheers reruns.... the polished paint and gleaming chrome (enhanced by their special lighting and cameras for that extra-sparkly effect) will hypnotize, mesmerize, and stupefy. I found myself sitting slack-jawed as a Hemi Cuda sold for almost half a million big ones. And that wasn't even the top seller of the day... that honor (so far) went to... get this... the RIGHT to buy the first 2007 Mustang Shelby Cobra. $648,000 for the deal, plus whatever the car is going to cost once it's built.... flippin' insane. (UPDATE: 4.2 MILLION for a 1950 GM Futurliner "Parade of Progress" show bus. Yes, I said a BUS.) The top 20 sellers so far have all gone for over 200 grand and there's still the rest of tonight and tomorrow to go. Addictive. VERY addictive.

And in this corner.... TNA iMPACT! is on at 11:00 PM. See high-flying action! See Jeff Jarrett get booed again! Tune in to hear what's up with Sting!

We're doing the entire routine... cheese steaks (Philly style, with Whiz of course), chips, and brownies. Collective oohs and aahs for the cars, a couple of "dang, that was COOL" comments for the wrestling (and much eye-rolling) and maybe some Scrabble. We have no life! I love it.

Friday the 13th Recap

Y'all, I like Friday the 13th. Not the movies, but the day itself. I always thought I'd make it my lucky day since nobody else did... what I failed to consider is that there is more than one kind of luck. Today has probably been one of the most stereotypically insane Friday the 13th days ever.

• I went to work, hoping against hope that I wouldn't be doing a lot of bending today. I've been working on a different crew for 2 weeks and the new movements and repetetive actions have put my back and legs into severe agony. It hurts to lift my own weight, much less sit down or walk... I hoped my muscles would be adjusted by now but I spent all day yesterday bending and turning to set pots on the greenhouse floor and that just took a major toll. Anyway, sure enough I was scheduled for the same job today... *groan* It didn't last long, as I was called away to do something else, then something else again, and I was thinking it was going to be a good day after all. I could deal with the pain as long as I could move around and stretch now and then.
• I was called to the bunker after an hour or so at work. The site manager handed me my paycheck, explained that they had too many people and not enough work, and asked me to leave the site immediately, and I'd get paid for the whole day. Okay, so I'm laid off... at the time, my poor legs were imminently grateful.
• The company can't lay off an employee who has vacation time on the books. So they cut me a check for the vacation and then deducted the next 3 weeks' worth of health insurance co-pays and taxes from it. After that I have to pay the premium every week to keep it. Now, when I get called back, I'll have no vacation time left and will have to start my accrual over again. (This, after I shorted myself over Christmas break so I could carry some time into the new year...)
• I was told that I could collect unemployment benefits during the layoff. Great, except I had to open a new claim and this week is counted as a "waiting" week (that means an unpaid claim week which is mandatory for a new application). I can open the claim next week, but it will be 3-4 more weeks before I'll see a check, and that will be 50% of my gross pay less 10% taxes. If they'd told me (or all of us, for that matter) that layoffs were coming, I could have already had the claim open and the waiting period over with, but it came as a surprise to everyone. Therefore I have a week's worth of pay to last me for the next month. Yay.
• My mom didn't have such a great day either. Her car broke, I believe the clutch finally went out, and she doesn't have the $ to fix it right now. She was also off over the Christmas break so she doesn't have any time off either. The pharmacy didn't have a prescription she needed, she had to cancel some appointments... if she wasn't 800 miles away B and I could fix the car for her, but she doesn't even have a reliable mechanic in town she can trust. Toyota is a bit proprietary when it comes to parts too, so I have a bad feeling she's going to wind up getting soaked at a dealer service center.

And that's our day. Everything will work out, I have faith in that. None of it is life-threatening (maybe quality-of-life, temporarily, but oh well, not like we haven't seen worse) and nobody is going to be anything more than inconvenienced for a while. In the grand scheme of things it isn't worth stressing about too much. But if anyone would like to send up a few prayers for us, especially my mom, we would greatly appreciate it. I hate not being able to help her out.

Great Show Tonight!

Once again Steve "Sting" Borden will be hosting "Praise the Lord" on TBN. This time some of the guests are also wrestling-related: Vince Russo and "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels will be joining Steve on tonight's show. Should be interesting!

Showtime 10 PM EST, 7 PM Pacific, on Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN)
If you miss it or don't have TBN, archived shows can be viewed at www.tbn.org

More Sting news: the man did indeed sign a year contract with TNA wrestling; his first appearance will be at the "Final Resolution" pay-per-view this Sunday night at 8 PM. For info check out www.tnawrestling.com! Tune in to their weekly shows... they're 100% better than the garbage spewed forth on WWE. Check out the X-Division and get back to me once you pick your jaw up off the floor... some of those guys need clearance from Air Traffic Control to perform moves like they do!

A Slice of Southern Life

This is a conversation from earlier today. Imagine the one in blue font speaking like a Southern grandma.

e2000: Short story....wanna hear?
cj: sure
e2000: Last week I heard a noise in the garage...scuffling. Opened the door and shined light....BIG ole possum....I chased him back out the hole he came in. I went back inside and stood by the door, waiting to see if he came back. THEN I hear "knock, knock, knock"....
e2000: possums DON'T knock.
Heart Failure Max..... It was YOU coming on line on the computer
cj: *laughing*
e2000: Something is gonna get me yet....
cj: *falls off chair*
e2000: Then you cuss while heart is slowing down.
e2000: Possum hasn't come back either.
cj: Did you cover the hole?
e2000: Scared the shiznit out of him
cj: heh heh
e2000: Also had big rat traps in the garage....they kept tripping....no rats...MMM? watched to see what was setting them off, eating bait, and not getting caught. BIG roaches.
e2000: So I set out roach bait, and the rats ate it.
cj: *eyeroll*
e2000: I need some tiny roach traps
cj: Roach motel?
e2000: No, they moved in and invited the possum
e2000: Now about that snake in the attic....
cj: Is he back?
e2000: I hope not....he just left his skin and moved out.
cj: Didn't want to eat poisoned rats
e2000: or big roaches or shiznitty possums
cj: heehee
cj: smart snake!
e2000: I have had TOO MUCH COFFEE
cj: NO.............. I haven't had any
e2000: up at o dark 30
e2000: Now I don't want to go back to bed, so I will sleep good tonite.
e2000: unless the possum comes back...

After a very long Christmas day of wassailing from one place to another, and eating approximately 47 pounds of cookies, the Jingle Elf just wanted a quiet place to nap.

Oops...!

Romans 12:14

Wish good for those who harm you;
Wish them well and do not curse them.

This Week Is....

• Silent Record Week• Universal Letter Writing Week• Braille Literacy Week• Universal Week of Prayer• National Law Enforcement Training Week• Diet Resolution Week

Tonight is Nat'l Girls Night Out, and tomorrow is Leisure Suit Saturday!

So... make a record of your resolutions, write them in a letter, try to use the ATM via the Braille keypad to get your cash for Girls Night Out, and pray that you don't run into Law Enforcement or cheat on your diet. :-P

I don't know what to say about leisure suits. But if you have one in your closet, wear it!

Lost and Found

Continued from last post... these are the people I either want to talk to again, or ones who once were lost but now are found!

Lost:
Joseph "Hamster" H: Where are you? I feel like we left something unfinished there, like you just dropped off the face of the earth. We never said goodbye or wrote that last letter. I just want to know that you're happy, doing what you love, and being with someone you love. You deserve it. I still have the Violent Femmes tape. Come over and listen to it with me sometime. I could use more friends like you, comfortable to be around, no eggshells. Your poetic imagery was wonderful too.

Fidget in Cali: I just want to know if you still go by that name, and if not, can I have it?

Vladimir K, the Flying Man: Okay, so I never met you, but you were the first breathtakingly stunningly gorgeous man I ever laid eyes on. I heard you're still doing shows in Vegas. I'm sure the years have changed you, but I still want to fly with you, just for the thrill of flying! (If anyone has a copy of People Magazine's Beautiful People issue from sometime in the late 80s/early 90s, the one with Vlad hanging around in the middle, I'll give you $10 for it. $20 if it isn't drooled on.)

Don E, my non-date dateless date: Slamdancing at Cadillac Club, and the motorcycle trip over the Sierra Nevadas... you know who you are. We have some catching up to do. You will love my husband, and I would like to know how you're doing now! Hopefully better than you were then. All my best. You're the only one of that bunch I actually miss.

To All The Cars I've Loved Before: Red '65 Barracuda, I wish I'd bought you. Same to the '61 Chrysler and the '62 Buick and the '59 Ranchero and the '72 El Camino SS... *sigh* And esp. to the Yenko Chevelle in Shamokin Dam, if I ever see you again I'm taking pictures this time. I doubt I'll ever see another one like you!

Found:
Diane W in SoCal: Your babies are adorable! I'm glad I found you, and I love the pictures and updates. I'll write soon. Please swat Tim for me. Thanks.

Joy V: We haven't done much more than exchange cards, but it's really nice having a connection with you again. You have a beautiful family!

Chris B: I was floored. I mean, of all people to hear from... I don't even know what to say. Just amazing that after a bazillion years you can still make me laugh with your snarky witticisms. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. You and L. are incredible folks doing incredible things! Much love and blessings to you both. Do. Not. EVER. Lose. Touch. Again. I mean it. I hope we can all meet up someday! Enchiladas y guacamole, my treat.

Jenn M, my step-sister and former partner in weird goings-on: After 10 years we finally got to talk. I was a bit teary-eyed, I'll admit, because it was so wonderful to not just chat but to see you, even if it was on a webcam from 2000 miles away. I can't wait to come to NYC when you get there to see you in person. I'll bring Skid Row, you bring Gorky Park, and we'll stay up all night reminiscing... Love ya, sis. If you ever decide to disappear again, call me. I promise not to tell the 'rents.

David F in Ohio: You shocked me when you called Mom's house. You're as goofy as ever, and I believe the best thing you ever did was to marry Missy and get away from your insane family. So good to hear from you and know you're enjoying life. You ain't that far away, Bozo! PS OZZY! OZZY! OZZY! *headbang*

Out With The Old

For this New Year, I've decided to clean mental house. So here's my version of purge therapy. Writing it down gives closure. Some things were good, some not so much, but all made me "Me" in some way or other. It's time to give thanks and apologies and move on.

To the random people hanging around the ol' memory banks: you need to go away so I can make room for others! Seriously. It's like keeping wire coathangers because you hate to throw something out, but all the useless wire ones are taking up space where your nice new wooden ones could go.

So... NO WIRE HANGERS! (don't go there)

To:
Ed B, the AWOL USMC cook: Thanks for the pierogie pie recipe. I still make it. And I still have the dustpan you swiped from 1st Battalion. Too bad you weren't nearly as useful.

"Bubba" Brian L, current (?) Alabama cop. If I ever drive through your neck of the woods and you pull me over, it better be just to say howdy. You know why. I sincerely hope you've found a woman who can handle your mood swings, or that you've at least gotten therapy. Oh, your step-mom makes the best cracklins EVER. I hold her and her cooking in much high regard to this day.

All the Mikes: The one with the Chevy Malibu, sorry you were too young for me. I didn't need the drama. Loved your car though. The one with the gothic jewelry, my former bar buddy cutie-pie, I really miss talking to you. I hope you found the gal of your wildest internet fantasies, and that she was legal at the time. The one with the red Chevette, when you say you have a place I can crash for the night, underneath a baby crib CONTAINING AN ACTUAL LIVE BABY is not an option. Thanks anyway. I'm over the trauma now.

Brian McN, pool shark extraordinaire: Your talent for checking all the fluids in your car without getting a single speck of grease on your white pants astounded me. It also should have warned me. By the way, I liked the Grand National WAY better than the green convertible. Sorry I called it a mere Buick. As a current mere Buick owner, I mean that sincerely.

Brian "Harley" D: Your photography is quite good, but your editor needs a promotion. Seriously. Not one misspelled word yet... Oh, and thanks for saying I'd be a good-looking woman in my 30s. I'm getting there. I still think you highlight your hair. And I think it's hilarious that your beautiful wife outranks you. PS Bite me. You never said goodbye.

Scott E, pervertus maximus: Had I only known. I used to hate myself for being so stupid, and for not seeing what you were up to, but you're not worth it anymore. You weren't then either but I was too young to realize that. The only good, worthwhile thing you ever did for me was introduce me to Joe, who is still my friend in some alternate universe somewhere. Your phone number should start with 1-900, at three bucks a minute. Now begone! *poof*

Lisa B, my horndog filter: Thanks for taking all the guys who just wanted sex. I never despised you for it, you were doing me a favor. Thanks also for sleeping with my ex-fiance. Saved me a load of trouble there. I owe you one.

Gene McK, liar, thief, babydaddy of the masses: HOW many kids do you have now? Do they come visit you in jail? Have you run out of blonde women with bad attitudes to knock up and cars to steal? Never mind. I don't want to know. Congrats on being the only person I ever really, truly, hated. Lord forgive me... I'll shoot if you ever come near me again. I mean it. I can be out in six months for justifiable homicide. (OK, I need to work on this one...)

Billy C (not Lisa's brother): I was five. FIVE. What were you thinking?!? I'm over it though. I truly hope you're a better person. I feel only pity for you now. When I think about it at all.

Robbie C, hottie classmate: Sorry I made fun of you. It was that kindergarten mentality, picking on those you like. And boy was I ever obsessed.

Mitzi B and Julie T: Where are you girls? Denim jackets and peeing on the railroad tracks and Prom Night... I used to wonder where you went. I'm going to stop wondering until one of you calls me.

Heather G: I give up. As much as I'd love to hear from you, I've realized I've spent too much time in NostalgiaLand. We probably have nothing in common anymore. But if you read this, pleasepleaseplease send me that recipe for Brown Sugar Drops, okay? Garfield stickers optional.

Traci and Kelli S: Stories about you two will be told for generations. Traci, lighten up! Kelli, thanks for not saying anything about Chris. I really, truly enjoyed getting one over on Lisa for once. SO worth it at the time. PS I wish you'd kept Bubba. I totally didn't need that.

Chris ("Christopheles"), tall Marine with too-long bangs: Our night of Lisa surveillance was so much fun. So was the garage and painting the Harley. I didn't have nearly enough time hanging out with you, but in retrospect it was a good thing. Thanks.

Che M: I miss our chats. But you were very bad for me. Please tell Jess I love her to bits and wish I could have gotten to know her better. She's one of the most beautiful people I've ever met, and it came from within. Count your blessings, man.

Timothy A, Trekker Extreme: It was weird. Really weird. I never knew toilet seat pins could be turned into fake teeth. You have so many talents, wasted by your bitterness. But thanks for introducing me to Data and crew, for the cosmic ceiling, and Spot, the Drooling Cat. My hope for you is that you get whatever it is that makes you happy and you don't ruin it by dissecting it too much. Oh, and you have great handwriting for a guy. Sorry for being so naive.

naD and ddoT, met on a road trip: That was the most fun I have ever had at a Waffle House. I still tell stories about that waitress. My sister has the box. Silence=Death, Dinner=WH? You guys were great and I hope I meet more like you. I tip a green-apple Blow-Pop to you both.

The Bass-Ackwards Guys in Scottsdale: Another memorable night involving total strangers, too much coffee, and fluorescent pens. And drums! And Red Rover at 2 AM! We really connected and I hope you're all successful. I kept your art but mice ate the kangaroo. Ah, to be young again, and silly! Thanks guys. Rock on!

Kevin and crew, off a highway in Shreveport: I want my hat back. It was ten bucks and three Dr. Peppers, right? I can swing that. No, wait, forget it... I don't want to go back to Shreveport.

Toni C: I wasted more time resenting you than I should have, when you were never worth thinking about in the first place. Hope you're happy with your own personal Jesus. And I hope you get older and find out the hard way that your looks won't carry you forever. Good luck with that when it happens.

Paul D in Armona/Hanford/Lemoore/???: The last time I saw you, you were drunk and barefoot, asking for a dollar. But that doesn't change the fact that I was wrong to treat you the way I did before then. I hope you're stable, secure, and happy now, and putting your soundboard skills to good use. I loved looking at the clouds with you and riding the "Who's Who of Mental Illness" AKA the Kings County public bus. And the VCR joke... I still use that. Thanks.

Steven, Navy guy from Alabama: You wanted to marry me, move me to a farm in Bama, and have lots of fat babies. You can see why it never happened, right? I hope you found your ideal wife. Thanks for letting me use your car; for a while it was the only place I had to sleep.

Steve W, career USMC radio guy: I admit I was naive and a complete witch to you. But what is it about guys named Steve who think every woman is going to fall all over herself wanting to get married? Really, I couldn't have taken the Charlie's Angels reruns, you ironing my underwear and starching my shirts, and lining up my shoes with precisely thismuch space between them in order of use. I hope you made somebody a good husband. I bet your house is spotless. OCD much? Best to you, and I'm sorry. Especially for the OCD crack... OK, not really. It's true.

Karen P: I last saw you a couple of years ago. Your boyfriend seemed like a wonderful guy, and I wish you all the best because you deserve it. Life gave you a basket of rotten eggs. I want only love and peace for you and the stability you've been searching for your entire life. But I'm sending you out too, because you're part of a past I don't belong to anymore. Thanks for the memories.

Tommy E: Rest in peace, friend. I tried, honestly I did. But you treated your short life so casually that there wasn't much more help I could give you. You were simple and "beyutifull." I hope your son grows up with more opportunities. I was shocked to hear of your death but then I realized it was always coming... I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral. A rose for the memories, and I'm done wishing I'd done more.

I know there's more... but now that I've cleaned out my closet, so to speak, I can stuff the rest back in the corner and drag them out later when I feel like I need the room. If you are any of the above-mentioned people, please remember me on National Forgiveness Day, the 4th Sunday in June. ;-P

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To all of you from both of us, have a safe holiday! And PLEASE drive carefully, or don't drive at all if you don't have to.

We are staying home, having a little drop-in party here tonight... it's been snowing so we might have some folks staying over. Never tried to sleep more than 3 people here at once so somebody's going to end up on the floor. Times like this I wish I had a Murphy bed, or at least a pull-out couch, but an air mattress will have to suffice. At least we have no shortage of blankets or sheets.

Should be fun... see y'all next year!

Bummed

We always park the good truck all the way in the back of our lot, next to a fence, where nobody can park on at least one side of us. We don't park up front on the pavement due to the constant traffic in and out for the local grocery next door (the truck was bumped once in a minor hit-and-run). When we got home from making the family rounds yesterday, we recalled that the store would be closed today... didn't want to walk across the ice unloading the truck, so we left it up front along the side of our building.

Nobody hit it this time, but when we came downstairs the first thing we saw was our bug shield smashed to pieces and a huge chunk of ice on the hood. The snow on the roof had melted and refrozen, then today when it warmed up, sheets of it were sliding off from two stories up and one of them landed right on the nose of our Bronco. I wasn't concerned about the bug shield (didn't like it anyway) but there are now two dents in the hood and one in the top of the fender. Not majorly noticeable but there nonetheless. As soon as we can afford it I'm going to call the pop-a-dent guy to see if he can fix them. Why bother, you ask? Because the Bronco is (or was) immaculately straight and beautiful and now he isn't and it bothers me. That's my baby we're talking about.

Ironically enough, my old Buick was parked right next to the Bronco, and even though ice was falling on it too, nary a scratch could be found. Thing's a tank. Funny, the big bad "Ford Tough" 4x4 can't take a beating, but the junky former granny car doesn't even flinch. *Sigh*

Lesson learned... don't park so close to the house! The reason the Buick was up front stemmed from another lesson learned the hard way. My spot is next to an old barn out back. I came out one morning last winter to find my car buried in snow that had slid off the barn roof. This was the day after I'd spent half an hour digging it out so I could get to work... and I had to do it all over again. And I never even thought about the snow becoming ice on the house roof. Guess I will from now on. Going on seven years here and I'm still learning the nuances of living in a snow zone. Ice sucks...

Week In Review

Just got home from a night out. My longest-running friend here has a new boyfriend after being terminally single... just found out he plans to be married and have kid(s) on the way within the next year. My friend is of the opinion that words and actions are two different animals so we'll see what happens. Whatever the outcome, I hope she finds the happiness she wanted.

Work is winding down for the season. Just a handful of poinsettias left that only took me 2 hours to water today. Already started on the cleanup for the spring crops, spraying weeds and shutting down most of my greenhouse. We're shut down between next Friday and Jan. 2, so that's a lean week with no pay coming in. Bummer.

Hubby sunk his work truck today. A customer had put fill dirt in his driveway, but it wasn't packed and was covered with snow. B drove over it thinking it was solid and buried the front of the Mack up to the axles. A nice neighbor with a tractor pulled the truck out, wouldn't take any money for the help either. God bless farmers.

We had a soup party at work yesterday in lieu of a Christmas party. I was impressed with the Thai soup (spicy but very tasty) and the ham n' bean soup. There were four soups plus chili; I had to try some of each! Our Christmas gift from the company was a single glass ball ornament in a plastic gift bag. I'm surprised we got that much, really... Angela in Human Resources tries to have a little something for gifts, anniversaries, and birthdays, and it's nice that she goes out of her way to at least give a token of appreciation even if the company itself no longer does. Not that anyone expects anything, but she believes recognition is a morale-booster and people do appreciate the thought.

My buddy and co-worker Ray was having chest pains the other day. I ended up driving him to the hospital in a company car (quicker than waiting for an ambulance, and he refused to let anyone call one anyway). He's okay, nothing serious, just high BP and stress from working out in the cold. I got to drive a new Chrysler, which I didn't like. Too low to the ground and I couldn't see the front of the car. I hate that. I like knowing where the nose of the vehicle is so I can tell how close I am when parking and turning. Whatever happened to hood ornaments anyway?

B and I made our one gesture towards decorating for the holidays by hanging a string of lights on the porch railing (the old-fashioned big bulb kind, not those bitty things) and putting out my Moravian star. It's hanging from the porch and looks absolutely beautiful. I wanted one of those for so long, finally got one last year... it looks so nice! (Below image swiped off Yahoo; mine looks just like it.)

(For background on Moravian stars, visit http://www.mcnp.org/edeb/star.htm )

I have to get started baking tomorrow. My annual tradition of procrastination is going to bite me if I don't. We have no $ for Christmas gifts, so everyone's getting cookies and munchies. It's a gift that's always enjoyed. I make great cookies too... The Amish market no longer sells a certain trail mix I used for my family-famous dump cookies, so I'm going with date-walnut rocks and white chocolate-coconut this year, plus the traditional sand tarts, chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Maybe some chocolate mint too if I'm not sick of baking by then (or sick of eating the ugly ones!). I got an excellent chocolate-chip cookie recipe from the Amish market, which I tried earlier in the year, and let me tell you, the oft-used Tollhouse recipe can't compare. They're that good!

We had two days of sub-zero AM temperatures, with highs in the single-digit range, then a snow/sleet/ice storm that turned the roads into car ballet arenas. Our parking lot was as slick as an ice rink, or maybe more so, since I'm sure if I'd gotten a running start I could have slid from the sidewalk all the way to the fence a few hundred yards away. Of course, temps hit the mid-30s the day after, turning everything to gray slush which then re-froze overnight. I couldn't get into the Bronco tonight because the doors were frozen shut. A 99-cent can of de-icer is a must-have item around here. (I bought two, since silly me keeps leaving the can INSIDE the vehicle, where it does no good whatsoever. Nothing like being iced out of your car and being able to SEE the solution through the frosty window. Now I keep a spare can inside for those "duh" moments.)

Nothing much else going on. I have 8 Christmas cacti that will be presents for somebody, I hope, so I can get them out of my hallway. Anybody want one?

Painting What?

A European trend has made its way to Podunk, Pennsylvania. Suddenly painted poinsettias are The New Big Thing. Therefore, we spent some time last week... guess what? Painting poinsettias. I read the emails from Sales today and the sparkly blue ones sold out first. Blue poinsettias...*sigh* Just doesn't seem very Christmasy to me, but I guess all those people with trendy color schemes for the holidaze like being able to match their plants to their decor.

Anyway, we had fun painting them. I did a few trials on my own that were well-received by the Sales team, but I won't post those pictures. Don't want anyone else beating us to market!





My boss and a coworker on the "spray line." That's me in the background mixing paint.

Sting returns!

Former WCW wrestler Steve "Sting" Borden is rumored to have signed a deal with TNA Wrestling. This was more or less confirmed at the end of tonight's TNA pay-per-view, when the Sting logo appeared on the video screens and his trademark coat and bat were shown on a chair in the middle of the ring.

To be perfectly honest, I was hoping he wouldn't go back to wrestling at all, but TNA is hands-down a better choice than Vince McSatan's trashy WWE. It showcases more technical wrestling and is more viewer-friendly to younger audiences.

Steve is a Christian man, an elder in his church... he gave his life to God in 1998. As a result his marriage was saved and he kicked his drug and alcohol habits literally overnight. Lately he's been appearing at Christian conferences, stores, and on TBN television to give his testimony. He recently co-hosted Praise The Lord for the first time after being a frequent guest.

There are several Christian wrestlers out there but few who are as well-known or as vocal about their faith as Steve. It will be interesting to see what angles he, as Sting, is involved in, knowing how TV wrestling is all about getting ratings at any means. The unseen side of wrestling is full of temptations too... having experienced it for myself, I can say that only a person with strong faith would be willing to walk back into the lion's den and take it head-on after having the same scene nearly ruin his life. I first met him in his darkest days and he's truly a changed man now. Best of luck, Steve, and go with God.

Sting fans, come check out the Official Sting Site and stop in the forum to say hello. I'm there every night and Steve himself drops in often. www.therealsting.com

Determination or stupidity?

So it's supposed to be 0 tomorrow. As in 0 degrees Fahrenheit. As in cold.

And what are we doing? SITTING IN IT. Not just experiencing a bit of chill going between the front door and the truck, not dashing from the house to the store and back, not sticking our heads outside and saying " Woo! Cold out today" before returning to the relative warmth of the indoors.

Nope, we're going outside to deliberately park our tails in the woods for several hours. 5 AM to 5 PM, with an hour for lunch, which is just long enough to thaw out. Yesterday we were out in it, and even the deer were smart enough to stay in their beds. Not a creature was stirring, literally, except the two morons dressed in safety-orange winter gear, shivering under a tree in the snow. I lost my toes for a while... I mean, they were there, tucked into boots and socks equipped with heat pads, but the cold got to 'em anyway and they just didn't want to cooperate. I'm test-driving some battery-powered heated socks tomorrow. *eyeroll*

It's our last day to hunt so I hope we trip over a deer. I have a feeling it's the only way...

Now, if you know me, you know how much I love winter. I love the cold, the snow, pretty much everything except driving in it. I even like shoveling the walks. But there's a limit. I'm going to test that tomorrow. We were out hunting once when it was about 5 below, but we were moving the whole time so that was fine. Sitting still is going to be a challenge.

Too bad it doesn't apply to husbands!

He who knows the way of the Lord can find it in the dark.

Opening Week

The end of the first week of hunting season for us, and it's Deer: 3, Us: 0. Between us we've seen three bucks. One was a spike (not legal), one was a 4-point (not legal), and yesterday a big 6-point ran past us. B couldn't get a clean shot so we had to let him go.

I had a scary ten or fifteen minutes in the woods last night. I was walking back to the truck up the main trail while B went along the ridgeline parallel to me. I could hear and see him until I stopped to listen to some rustling nearby, thinking we'd startled a deer. When I started walking again just a moment later, my husband had disappeared. I whistled... no answer. I called him, still no answer. Now, a big man going through brush and dead leaves makes a lot of noise in empty woods, and I was hearing nothing except my own voice echoing back at me from the next mountain over. I called him for almost 10 minutes, at the top of my lungs, scared out of my wits thinking of what might have happened to him. I wanted to run get the truck but at the same time didn't want to leave in case he was lying in the woods someplace. By now it was dark and I had my flashlight out. I was two seconds away from firing off a three-shot distress signal when I heard a whistle from far off... and a minute later here came hubby down the main trail. Apparently when he dropped down over the ridge he couldn't hear me, nor I him, and he was almost back to the truck (a quarter-mile away) when he finally got up high enough to hear me yelling and came running. I wanted to beat him senseless but I settled for a hug. :-D My heart rate didn't drop for another half-hour though. Note to self: no matter that they might scare the deer, next year we WILL have two-way radios. My sanity depends on it.

Oh, and he was almost shot on Monday. We aren't going back there. Got some nice quiet private property to hunt on next week, thank God. The public lands attract ignorant, gun-toting, deer-fever-addled lunatics.