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.