Summer stuff

Found the charger to my Nook and I have been reading, reading, reading. Since my washing machine leaks, I have had to babysit the appliance during the rinse cycle and after consuming a box of books my sister gave me for Christmas, my nook is my companion in the basement washroom, now.

Currently reading Theroux. My nook is full of about a hundred books and I have so much to pick from and I keep downloading more.

If I am not reading, I am working on my filter training. I have a class Monday morning (why oh why did they pick Monday?) for 16 people. I know the filter very well so I am not too stressed. There will be the occasional question that I won't know the answer to, but after working with a few on the telephone over the past few weeks I can see that I am miles ahead of them. I am not bragging, this is how it is supposed to be. They are very busy with a million other things, while my main focus is the filter. I have had so much more time to learn this and it is a passion with me.

I love sharing my knowledge with them. A lot of times I get the call that says "My district cannot access such and such." It is my job to help them figure out why and fix it. I love a puzzle.

So, not much here at blogdom these days. Not much else going on in my life. Animals are itchy and should probably be treated for their summer allergy/flea/dry skin condition.  I need to buck up and get them in for all their shot updates, too. Kennel cough (bordetella)  is the big one. I think they are due for a distemper booster, too. Some other vaccines are on a 3  year cycle and I believe I caught those up last year. The vet sends me a postcard reminding me.

In fact, I am going to sign off of here and call the vet right now to make an appointment.

What is it with these people?

Well, we had just recovered from the shocking story of this school outrage: /Cover up    ,

and now we are slapped with this story:

This goon

What is it with these people?

Wow! There IS an app for that!

There you are in a movie theater, the middle of a movie and the urge to pee just won't go away. But, you don't want to miss anything important, right?

Well, worry no more! There's an app for that!

Straight from their web page:  http://runpee.com/

Each movie has a list of carefully selected Peetimes. We try to find 3-5 minute long scenes that don’t have crucial plot twists, or LOL moments, or exciting  action.

Blueberry banana bread

This picture does not do the bread justice. I had some very ripe bananas and decided to make my banana bread (or Pillsbury,s rather) and having lots of blueberries decided to try adding them. It turned out great! Very moist. I also just happened to have mixed berry cream cheese (for some blueberry bagels I had picked up) and the combination was heaven.

We can't stop eating it. My daughter and her boyfriend both insisted on taking a loaf to work with them today. I awoke with a stomach ache (having imbibed in two small pieces right before retiring). That will teach me. Pfffttt!

Black icing

I am wondering if the parents were thinking that Minnie Mouse on the baby's cake may not have been such a great idea. Black icing! Photo courtesy of my nephew (her dad).

She cleaned up wonderfully, though. She was clean as a whistle when she returned to open her gifts.

I don't have much guys. I don't know what it is. I don't know if nothing is going on, if I am being lazy, or what?

I forgot my 10th year anniversary of this blog. June 21st or so. I am not stopping, now. I am in for another ten years.

Which brings me (again) to the mystery of writers who just stop and disappear in thin air. No remark of "I'm done, good-bye!"  Or, "I am taking a break. Maybe I'll start posting again."  I have two more that I went to where I was a regular reader, and 'poof' nothing from them in months.

Where do they go?

Too much water

This is the little neighbor boy playing in some standing water between my house and his. He is three years old and I grabbed this photo opportunity hidden behind my front door. As soon as he sees me he comes over and he is stuck to me like glue. Sigh.

Anyway, their basement wall caved in that night. This side of it. There was a crew that began working on water proofing their basement on Monday. The wall fell in on Wednesday (heavy rains on top of this water already standing and no place to go).  Fortunately, for my neighbor the crew that is water proofing the basement will pay for all damages.

Today there is a huge mountain of dirt that divides our houses. And yellow caution tape. I joked with my neighbor after calling my dogs back away from the cave-in. "Now if a couple of dogs go missing when this mess is finished, I wouldn't mind a bit.  Nor, a couple of cats."

They laughed. I wasn't kidding. Oh come on! Yes, I was. Just kidding. ;)

Independence

I grabbed this shot at the end of June outside a Bob Evans near Cleveland. The wind was howling and a storm was coming fast. It rained while we were inside and sunny when we came out. The flag was drooped and lifeless when we returned to our car. I was glad I got this shot when it was windy.

My Independence day was quiet. My town set off fireworks last night. I waited until about two minutes before ten and under the cover of darkness snuck outside, grabbed my lawn chair and quickly made my way to the far side of my house and yard (away from my neighbors). Don't get me wrong, I love my neighbors - I just wanted to be by myself and I was afraid if they saw me, they would invite me over and you know I would have had to go sit with them. And the three year old boy. I have been avoiding them lately - just not in a social mood. I wanted to be independent. LOL!

The trees are either very tall or the fireworks are not reaching as high as they used to. Half of the display I did not see. It just looked like heat lightning behind the tree line. When they started, the dogs in the neighborhood began barking and they never stopped through the entire 23 minutes. My dogs remained silent (in the house) the entire time. They got special treats when I went back inside.

Some one's car alarm went off at the beginning, but either they stopped it or it just quit on it's own. My street was packed with cars parked while their occupants walked up and over the hill to view the display.

I sat in my lawn chair and watched the latecomers. It is kind of sad, really. The ones who are late. They are desperately trying to find a parking space, some even risking it and parking close to the fire hydrant. Then they drag their crying kids quickly through the dark streets with the fireworks booming and illuminating the sky like some eerie B-rated horror movie. If the kids aren't traumatized I would be surprised.

As I sat there, I was reminded of my previous 4th holidays when I would have the big party for the family at my house. It was fun but a lot of work. I don't miss it. At all. (I now do Labor day at the park). I always had them come to my house because they could watch the fireworks from my lawn, but really - the trees have grown too high. I guess after ten  years - they tend to do that. I can do without all the work and the expense, too. I always overdid it - that is my custom. It is genetic. And the alcohol. I don't miss the fact that things can always get edgy when there is alcohol around.

And the weed. I have some family members who smoke weed. It doesn't bother me - they are discreet and smoke in the garage so they don't let the children see or smell. The smell comes out anyway. I can remember one time sitting in a group and chatting with family and I said "Whew. I smell a skunk."  My next sentence was "Where is Jock, Susan and Larry?"  (Not their real names). After a two second pause we all looked at each other and just busted out laughing. Because I smelled the skunk (a lot of times weed smells like skunk) and they are the three that smoke it and that is exactly what they were doing.

I enjoy the quiet times because I have had so many crazy and loud times. There will be more loud and crazy. It is just nice to sit and relax and not have to converse. With anyone. I got to see my beautiful pink fireworks. They are my favorite. Not the red ones, but the pink ones.

I thank the military and the US for my independence and to spend it the way I want to. That is freedom. We have the choice. Some paid dearly for this privilege we are enjoying and I am so grateful to them.

Flash

Photo courtesy of niece. I did not attend these back-yard fire works. I don't usually feel safe when "amateurs" are letting off fire works. I love my nephew and I hope he is always safe.

My sister-in-law is home from the hospital and doing well I am told. I will probably go visit her later today or tomorrow.Or, I may just wait and call instead. I like to give people time to rest and adjust. She did have all of her stomach removed and we are hoping that the cancer does not return somewhere else.

Very quiet around here. I did nothing yesterday. There is a big festival in town for the week-end, but I don't go any longer. I don't need that food that I love so dearly and I don't need the noise.

Weather has turned cool here in Ohio, so just keeping windows and doors open instead of running the air is enough.

A beautiful bird had decided to build her nest on the top of my front door porch light. It is one that sits on the side of the door. I did not realize it until I went out after dark the other evening to retrieve the mail and she went nuts when I went to go back into the door.

I had no idea what the hell was going on and I thought I was under attack. Hearing the flutter of the wings I realized it was a bird and I figured she must have built a nest on my light. I wasn't looking up, I was holding the mail over my head. I felt like Tippi Hedron! I believe I twisted my neck - it was hurting all the next day.

I go out the back door and around the house to sneak into my mailbox, now. It is on my front porch wall. I move slow and she and I just eyeball each other the entire time. No sudden movements!

Bits and Pieces

Just a quick post to jot down what is going on around here, so that when I re-read this post five years from now I will remember.

My sister-in-law is having surgery today. I may post more about that at another time. It is cancer. The photo above was what I sent to her on f@ceb00k.

My neighbor's basement wall collapsed the night before last under all this rain. A crew started water-proofing their basement on Monday. What do you think? Co-incidence or was the crew responsible? Tough situation to be in. I am going to double-check my wall on that side of the house. A few years back I had a company come in and put two big braces on that wall using steel anchors that lead to a brace ten to twenty feet out into the yard underground. Water has pooled in the little ditches between our houses for years.

My daughter's car broke down. Same thing that happened about a year ago. It was a piston then, sounds like a piston, now. She said it is doing the same thing. When I told my appliances (that were breaking down) not to let word slip out to my car in the driveway that I was spending money on them, I guess I forgot to tell them that also includes my daughter's car. Cripes.

I had to go out to a couple of schools yesterday and work with my hands instead of my brain. It was hot and muggy in the wiring closets. The schools are not keeping their equipment cool AT ALL. I was sweating up a storm and guess who forgot to put on deodorant yesterday? Yep, that's right. Not a pleasant morning.

I won (sort of) four tickets to the Pitt$burgh z00. I visit a radio station's web site to read their lost & found (pets) and when they designed a new one, I could not find the l&f. I sent them a message asking where it was. They assured me it was coming and since I commented, they wanted to send me 4 tickets to one of three places. I chose the z00.

My work is switching from 26 pays to 24 this next month. I know it is easier for them to do, but I really looked forward to those two "free" pays every  year. Sigh.

Cool Air

I had to have a new controller card put in my furnace/air conditioner. I now have cool air again. I hope I will have heat this winter.

Two months ago it was the gas hot water heater. Yep. One has to have hot water, don't they. Kind of hard living without it.

I could have lived without A/C this summer, but can't do without heat. Living without A/C would not be pretty. Of my four dogs, three are black and they are always hot. They park themselves in front of the A/C vents and the fans if they can.

Then, there is me. I would be a "hot mess" to quote Chelsea what's her name. H@ndler? I've even read one of her books.  I can watch/listen to her in small doses. She is a bit over the top.

It seems to be a rainy summer so far here in my part of Ohio. I have huge puddles in my yard as I dragged my garbage cans out this morning in the pouring rain. Somebody did not do that task as I asked them to last night. "I will."  Sigh.

Oh, to be 22 again.

Cake

I think most people like cake. Some are either a cake person or an icing person. I am an icing person. I eat the icing and leave the cake.

I went to a party yesterday for a one year old. The parents did the traditional act where they give the little baby an entire little cake to devour or smash or throw or wear as they wish.

Then they clean her up and finish the party. Me? I'd save the cake smashing/wearing for last.

The icing was MUCH too sweet even for my taste. Whew!

I watched the movie "The Railway Man". It was hard to get into it at first. So boring. I am NOT a fan of Kidman or Firth. Both fine actors but YUCK! Something about them makes me cringe. Fortunately, a lot of the film was set "back in time" when Firth's character was young and a prisoner of war.

Based on a true story, the tale depicts how this man survived (barely) the torturous beatings and actions of the Japanese army only to meet his enemy forty-some years later. His life was full of misery as he re-lived his beatings almost daily and suffered severely what is now known as post traumatic stress syndrome. He discovered that the Japanese officer was giving tours at the place he was held captive - now a museum of sorts. He sets out to confront the man.

Nobody knows what they would do given the same circumstances. Do you torture them? Do you kill them? Do you forgive them?

April 31st

I had a vacation day today and I am off tomorrow. I killed some time on Pinterest this morning and this is what I found that tickled my funny bone.

In my early twenties, I used to get asked a lot "When are YOU getting married?"

Finally, I got fed up. I began to tell people "April 31st." 

The look on their faces. I never explained it to them. I figured to myself that they could figure it out - or not.

Usually, I got "What?!  Oh!"  ....then they would laugh. Some just look puzzled.

Needless to say I do not get asked this question any longer.

What prompted this post though, was at a dinner last night we talked about the one lady who is retiring. Somebody said "What are you going to do? Get married?" 

Sunk to a new low

First it was Fr!nge a couple of years back. I caved into what my sister kept pestering me about. Watching Fr!nge. Then it was Bre@king B@d about a year or so ago.  I don't recall who got me started on that one. Perhaps it was the site I visit often that said this was one of the best rated TV shows. Then it was D3xter at my daughter's insistence.

I hate fantasy. I did not like the books by J.R.R. To!kien and I did not care for the movies. I despise the entire fantasy/middle ages theme. So, G@me of Thr0nes looked horribly wrong for me.  And, it is. But I watched all 4 seasons. Much to my disgust. It's like eating an entire pie at one sitting. You know you are not supposed to do it. You know it isn't good for you. It doesn't even taste that great after the second piece. You just lose track of time and boop - gone.

That is my experience watching G@me of Thr0nes. I can barely stand any of the characters and I am quite delighted when they get killed off. Good. Next!

So, Cheyenne  - there you have it. That is where I have been. I got lost watching stupid shows and get addicted to them.

More babies

8 boys, 3 girls. My Mom's great-grandchildren. Nobody is currently pregnant that we know of. Youngest born Saturday. 10 days early. Mother went in for an exam and the doctor said be at the hospital tomorrow morning,  we are inducing. Bam!

Family get togethers are getting interesting. I am trying to choose more kid friendly places that do not allow alcohol. But they bring it anyway. Sigh. Can't even go ONE day without imbibing? They would say they can but they WANT to drink when they get around family. To them it is a celebration. I guess, but they don't remember how stupid they get. Or how ignorant. With all the little ones around now, most of us want the adults to be sober.

Where have you been all my life?

This one is so adorable. Each time I see him I try to grab him and I say to him "Where have you been all my life!?"

He started to answer me. He screams "AT MY HOUSE!"

LOL!

Most of the time I get a hug and a kiss on the lips from him.  Pure sweetness!

Spring

I could not resist posting another one of this little grand-niece (or great-niece).

By the way - the furnace/Air Conditioner people have NEVER called me with a quote on a new system. It has been mostly cool here in this part of Ohio this May. We have been freezing in the house.

I talked to some folks at work who gave me some other places that they use. I guess it is time to call somebody else. I figure if the one I have been using for several years does not need my business... well then.

Fur baby

I am not exactly certain what my sister put on this little one's head.  I doubt that she kept it on for very long. I don't get to see the little ones very often. Understandably it is hard for them to travel.

This Sunday is a big family cook-out, though. I hope to be surrounded by the little tykes.

My house is freezing! Last week I came home from work on Monday and noticed that the house was 84º Fahrenheit. My air conditioner had stopped working. I called on Tuesday- another very hot day.

It is the controller board. Thursday the temps dipped drastically. The repairman wired the fan directly and it blows 24/7. I have wooden floors. I have shut every vent that I can and my floors are like ice. This year Ohio is experiencing a very cold/hot month. One extreme or the other.

So, either I spend over $400 for a new controller board or get a new unit. It is central air and the controller board controls the furnace, too. I guess they were put in, in 1995 or so. I suppose I should replace both of them together.


I just made my first payment on my $800 gas hot water heater. So, this is the year all the appliances fall apart. My dish washer leaks (sometimes). My washing machine leaks so that I have to babysit it and when the rinse cycle fills up I have to hold the basin back so the water does not splash behind it.

My garbage disposal has been out for a few months, now.

Ahhh. And life goes on. I hope my car is not listening.

I got nothing

My days are the proverbial "groundhog day". Still training my schools on using the new filter. So, I thought I would share the above photo courtesy of my niece. She and her brother hiked the Shenandoah National Park this past week-end. Or, a part of it. I have not heard an update from them since they got back but it looked like they had a nice time from the pics she posted.

I do have on little blip update on the filter. That issue where an administrator was surfing p0rn at a school district and I notified my manager. (Again, it may have been a student using his computer). It has stopped. The reports show nothing more from him that is suspicious in nature.

However, my manager has told me nothing. Zip. Still has not even mentioned to me that he received my e-mail. So, I will never know if my manager spoke with the tech person at the school or if they spoke to the superintendent at the school to stop the incident or if it was just a fluke and it all stopped on it's own.

I have no idea what I should do if I see this type of traffic again. Sheesh. Some management, huh?

The English Language

I guess my energy or my creativity for writing has been zapped the past few weeks. I am doing a lot at work and I think it uses all of my energy and has left me with nothing to write about.

I am (almost) over the coughing. I still am caught off guard from time to time with a coughing fit. Like last evening we were in a burger joint. The thermometer on the wall said 82 º . Holy cow! The waitress said it was actually cooler in the kitchen.

Warmer temps have finally arrived in Ohio.

But that isn't what this post is about. Since I am slowly getting better, I am regaining one of my most important features. My sense of humor.

Working with the filter, I come across words that are flagged as p0rn. Here is a list of some that surprised me.

crest white strips
police car lights flashing

I finally figured out the offending words that were flagged must be "strips" and "flashing". I was like "really"? I questioned this with our representative. He said the list was very literal. Okay, but holy cow!

Then I came across:

Woody Hayes
Woody Harrelson
woody allen movies

and of course, Woody Woodpecker.

Clarinet fingering chart
Anaconda swallows man
nymph creature
water jugs

Bulimia nervosa ....wait, what? p0rn?
Right up above that search was anorexia nervosa and it properly appeared flagged as family health.
Okay, I just did a little research. (Bulimia is affiliated with food p0rn.)

Hmmmm. And, you know I've mentioned before that "To Kill a Mockingbird" comes up flagged as violence.

But the one that was flagged that made me laugh out loud. "Out loud"  was :

summa cum laude.

Take that, filter!

One tequila

This is a bottle of tequila. 110 proof the label said. My niece brought it to the family get together at Thanksgiving, I think. She did not open it and took it back home. Wait. Maybe it was March birthdays. Yeah, that was it. March birthdays.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, four. I don't sing that song anymore.

Had a relapse over the week end. Still coughing. But was sick to my stomach over the week end. Whatever this is, it has a hold of me good.

Work is crazy busy for me.

Finally, I may be starting to feel like doing things around the house again. Gah.

Way behind on yard work. I don't like it, but I am going to have to refuse family invites to do things. They get kind of grumpy when I do that. I get the guilt trip from some who say "No sense in going if you are not going."  That is such a sweet and nice compliment and I feel very honored to get it. But it also makes me feel pressured and I don't want to let anybody down.

I saw some pics of my sisters who were out this past week end. Let me just say this. I am so glad I quit the bar and drinking scene before the digital photo age and facebook. LOL! Good gawd!