Hi All!
Friday -
Something seems up with the water. I was washing my face before going to bed and . . . well, something just seemed wrong. It ALWAYS takes forever and a day to get hot water but tonight it seemed to take a bit longer. How frustrating! I really want instant hot water! Maybe I should talk to Hubby again about getting a small, tank-less, hot water heater for under my bathroom sink. Of course, the last time that we looked, they were a bit too expensive. Rats! Cold water just doesn't work for me!
Saturday -
*Yawn* I feel good. I slept in as long as the kitties would allow and then leisurely read the comics while enjoying a nice breakfast. SCRATCH THAT!
No - I woke up with the alarm buzzing like a swarm of angry bees and with both cats crawling around on my body. This, of course, hampered my ability to reach the alarm clock to silence the bees. Hubby woke up and mumbled something about people waking him up too early on a Saturday morning. Finally, the bees were silenced, the cats vacated the bed, and I was able to drag myself up to get dressed to walk. As I was pulling on my jeans I wandered to Hubby's side of the bed to check the temperature on the weather station receiver. I had to lean close to decipher the numbers in the near darkness of the bedroom. I squinted, rubbed my eyes, and then looked again. Yes. It really did say 32 degrees!
Back to my armoire to find my thermals. I peeled off my jeans, tugged on the thermals, grabbed a thick turtleneck and my favorite over sized sweatshirt. I was almost to the kitchen before I remembered that socks might be a nice thing to wear on a cold morning like this. Turning around swiftly, I barely avoided a collision with the cats who were following me around the house. I grabbed some socks and then completed the voyage to the kitchen. Stopping for a minute to pull my socks onto already chilled feet, I then took care of kitty business. Food, water, litter box. Gulping water and morning pills, I scurried into the office to nab my iPod and then to the kitchen bar to find my keys.
With everything I needed, including a new Kleenex in my pocket, I plopped on the floor, put on my shoes, got up and put on about twelve layers of coats, scarves, mittens, hats, and ear muffs. I was out the door running - well, not quite running but walking briskly.
After the walk, which was abbreviated due to the possible freezer burn on my cheeks, I reversed the insulation process and stripped down to my thermals and turtleneck to do my weights. Huffing and puffing through the set (yes, I am back down to only one set these days), I finished and headed to the computer.
After turning on the computer I headed to the bathroom for a pit stop as the computer booted. I turned on the hot water full blast to wash my hands and got a nice, strong stream of ice-cold water. Okay, so the hot water didn't make it to this bathroom in time to warm my hands. Thinking nothing of it I continued my morning routine of talking to my mom on IM while blogging.
Because an allergy headache was dogging my steps, I returned to bed after my computer time and slept for a couple of warm, blissful hours.
The water wasn't an issue until Hubby and I had finished dinner. Trying to be good I immediately turned on the hot water to fill the sink so I could wash the pots and pans. Cold water. Hmmmm. It seemed to be taking longer than normal. I let the water run for five minutes as I cleared the table and puttered around the kitchen. Still ice-cold.
Finally, I had to inform Hubby that something was up. After hearing my report Hubby did his own investigation which involved running water in every bathroom and in the kitchen to see if he could get hot water. Zilch.
We decided we had a problem. By this time, it was time for bed so I heated some water in the microwave to wash my face, gave myself a quick "sponge" bath, and crawled under the covers.
Sunday-
I think the cats know something is up. They let me sleep until 7:00 A.M. Getting up, wrapping myself in my cozy robe, and avoiding the kitties twining 'neath my feet, I headed to the kitchen. First I took the morning meds and then went out front to collect the paper.
Thinking that the hot water issue may have resolved itself during the night, I tried out the water situation. Lots and lots of cold and colder water. Absolutely no hot or even mildly warm water. Rats!
Taking care of the kitty business, I headed back to bed. In the faint light I read an article in Reader's Digest as I settled down again into slumber.
The next thing I know Hubby is walking into the room telling me that the hot water tank is fried.
"Literally?" I asked.
"Yep." he replied.
"Not good." I mumbled before falling back asleep.
After much debate Hubby called a local plumber and had him come out (yes, on a Sunday!) to check out the tank.
"There is water everywhere." Doug, the plumber said as he strode through the house to the front door. "That is never good."
He left to call his boss from his truck and Hubby told me that there was/is apparently a leak in the tank and that the water from the leak had met up with the electrical parts of the tank and resulted in a big, old "melt-down." Thank goodness Hubby had enough sense to turn off the breaker controlling the electricity to the water heater and to unplug the heater from the outlet just to be safe.
Doug came back in the house and immediately headed out to the garage to access the water heater again (which, by the way is in our attic!). He traveled in and out about three or four more times before telling us that his company could come out tomorrow to replace the tank. The tank, it seems, will be covered by warranty since it is way less than a year old. The labor - well, that is our responsibility.
In the meantime there is no hot water and I am not looking forward to another microwave sponge bath!
I don't smell, do I?
Trisha
Voice Update: My voice is doing well. I did two of the three sets of exercises yesterday. Such fun!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Darn That Mountain Cedar!
Hi All!
Ten years ago, when Hubby and I moved to Texas, I accused him of moving us to Hell. Why? Well, we moved in September and the temperatures were still in the 100s! Compared to mild Ohio weather, that seemed like Hell to someone who doesn't like heat (me). Little did I know that there was more to come.
Hubby has always had allergies. In Ohio they were annoying but not really too bad. Once we moved to Texas, however, they began to increase in intensity and duration, much to his disgust. Me - I had never experienced allergies in Ohio. After about a year in Texas I noticed that I got a "cold" every year around the same time. As time went on these "colds" got worse each year. Finally, I talked to a doctor and was informed that I didn't have a cold, I had allergies.
Allergies???? I didn't know what to do with that information since I had never experienced allergies before. With Hubby's help I found some meds that made my yearly allergy experience bearable. Then we started to ponder just what I could be allergic to.
On the news here they always give you a pollen and mold count. I didn't think that was odd at all because every channel did it. Hubby and I started paying attention and narrowed my irritants down to . . . Mountain Cedar. Each time Mountain Cedar numbers started to rise I got a stuffed nose. Each and every time. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was the cause of my suffering.
Well, this year has seen my allergies at the worst that they have ever been. My nose clogs, I sneeze (which, by the way, is messing with my throat and my voice), I have drainage (lovely to talk about, isn't it?) and coughing related to the drainage. What fun!
In the past three days I have added a new symptom to my allergy arsenal - headaches. I wake up with a headache. I end the day with a headache. It is not a good thing. I know the headaches are allergy related and not migraine breeders (thank goodness) because of their location and the fact that when I take allergy meds again, they go away. Each time the meds start to wear off - headache!
This year I found out some very interesting facts about the "hell" Hubby and I live in. Not only are the temps HOT in the summer but, apparently, the area is at a convergence of five (count them - FIVE) major "allergy zones." Allergens from five different "high concentration" areas blow.drift, waft, migrate to exactly the area where we live. GREAT! This explains why Hubby's allergies are a billion times worse here than in Ohio AND why I have allergies now when I never did before.
My problem is that a major concentration of Mountain Cedar, located in the Austin area, always sends pollen and allergens north during this time of the year. The problem goes as far north as northern Oklahoma. Super!
I think I will just buy stock in allergy meds and Kleenex.
Trisha
Voice Update: Not too bad considering all the allergy junk going on. Each time I sneeze, it hurts my throat and my voice is a bit rough for a few minutes. Not good. I didn't do my massage yesterday - I don't really know why. I think I was just tired and distracted (I spent about 3 hours in the ASL lab). I am determined not to forget today!
Ten years ago, when Hubby and I moved to Texas, I accused him of moving us to Hell. Why? Well, we moved in September and the temperatures were still in the 100s! Compared to mild Ohio weather, that seemed like Hell to someone who doesn't like heat (me). Little did I know that there was more to come.
Hubby has always had allergies. In Ohio they were annoying but not really too bad. Once we moved to Texas, however, they began to increase in intensity and duration, much to his disgust. Me - I had never experienced allergies in Ohio. After about a year in Texas I noticed that I got a "cold" every year around the same time. As time went on these "colds" got worse each year. Finally, I talked to a doctor and was informed that I didn't have a cold, I had allergies.
Allergies???? I didn't know what to do with that information since I had never experienced allergies before. With Hubby's help I found some meds that made my yearly allergy experience bearable. Then we started to ponder just what I could be allergic to.
On the news here they always give you a pollen and mold count. I didn't think that was odd at all because every channel did it. Hubby and I started paying attention and narrowed my irritants down to . . . Mountain Cedar. Each time Mountain Cedar numbers started to rise I got a stuffed nose. Each and every time. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was the cause of my suffering.
Well, this year has seen my allergies at the worst that they have ever been. My nose clogs, I sneeze (which, by the way, is messing with my throat and my voice), I have drainage (lovely to talk about, isn't it?) and coughing related to the drainage. What fun!
In the past three days I have added a new symptom to my allergy arsenal - headaches. I wake up with a headache. I end the day with a headache. It is not a good thing. I know the headaches are allergy related and not migraine breeders (thank goodness) because of their location and the fact that when I take allergy meds again, they go away. Each time the meds start to wear off - headache!
This year I found out some very interesting facts about the "hell" Hubby and I live in. Not only are the temps HOT in the summer but, apparently, the area is at a convergence of five (count them - FIVE) major "allergy zones." Allergens from five different "high concentration" areas blow.drift, waft, migrate to exactly the area where we live. GREAT! This explains why Hubby's allergies are a billion times worse here than in Ohio AND why I have allergies now when I never did before.
My problem is that a major concentration of Mountain Cedar, located in the Austin area, always sends pollen and allergens north during this time of the year. The problem goes as far north as northern Oklahoma. Super!
I think I will just buy stock in allergy meds and Kleenex.
Trisha
Voice Update: Not too bad considering all the allergy junk going on. Each time I sneeze, it hurts my throat and my voice is a bit rough for a few minutes. Not good. I didn't do my massage yesterday - I don't really know why. I think I was just tired and distracted (I spent about 3 hours in the ASL lab). I am determined not to forget today!
Friday, January 23, 2009
I Told Them So!
Hi All!
Yesterday was the second day of classes for me - and I survived! I must admit that taking three classes, all back-to-back makes for a LONG day! This situation was compounded by the fact that every single clock in the darn place was WRONG! I was in four different rooms and each clock had a different time! Supposedly the clocks are the atomic clocks which reset themselves automatically but - they must need new batteries! Frustrating.
As I was leaving the building from my last class, Deaf Culture, I encountered a rather large group of people near the doors. Recognizing several of the people, I stopped and asked what was going on.
It turns out that the group had just come out of ASL 2 with my "favorite" teacher (remember my experiences with her from last semester????) and they were upset. Mad. Disgruntled. The group was brainstorming ways to approach the dean of the college and the head of the ASL department to voice their displeasure.
What were they so upset about? The teacher, of course! Apparently, she has said some things that directly contradict what they were taught in ASL 1 (which was taught by a Deaf person, by the way). Also, she allegedly told the class one thing and they went to ask the head of the department. When he said she was wrong and confronted her, she then claimed to have never told the class the wrong information.
There was also a rumble of dissatisfaction with the way the teacher signs. When she signs, she sort of "talks" along with the signs. This is annoying several of her students and this was only the second class of the semester.
When the group was done telling me what they were upset about, they then asked me what it was like for me in this teacher's class last semester. I told them the truth - that I basically ended up just gutting it out for the semester in order to get through the class. They didn't seem too excited about the prospect of sitting in the class all semester.
What can I say other than "I told you so!"
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing pretty good. I did my massage yesterday. Drainage from Mountain Cedar allergies are sort of mucking things up at the moment. Darn those trees!
Yesterday was the second day of classes for me - and I survived! I must admit that taking three classes, all back-to-back makes for a LONG day! This situation was compounded by the fact that every single clock in the darn place was WRONG! I was in four different rooms and each clock had a different time! Supposedly the clocks are the atomic clocks which reset themselves automatically but - they must need new batteries! Frustrating.
As I was leaving the building from my last class, Deaf Culture, I encountered a rather large group of people near the doors. Recognizing several of the people, I stopped and asked what was going on.
It turns out that the group had just come out of ASL 2 with my "favorite" teacher (remember my experiences with her from last semester????) and they were upset. Mad. Disgruntled. The group was brainstorming ways to approach the dean of the college and the head of the ASL department to voice their displeasure.
What were they so upset about? The teacher, of course! Apparently, she has said some things that directly contradict what they were taught in ASL 1 (which was taught by a Deaf person, by the way). Also, she allegedly told the class one thing and they went to ask the head of the department. When he said she was wrong and confronted her, she then claimed to have never told the class the wrong information.
There was also a rumble of dissatisfaction with the way the teacher signs. When she signs, she sort of "talks" along with the signs. This is annoying several of her students and this was only the second class of the semester.
When the group was done telling me what they were upset about, they then asked me what it was like for me in this teacher's class last semester. I told them the truth - that I basically ended up just gutting it out for the semester in order to get through the class. They didn't seem too excited about the prospect of sitting in the class all semester.
What can I say other than "I told you so!"
Trisha
Voice Update: Still doing pretty good. I did my massage yesterday. Drainage from Mountain Cedar allergies are sort of mucking things up at the moment. Darn those trees!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Linguistics and a Word Fest
Hi All!
Yesterday I dove into my homework for my classes. Because I am pretty much a geek, I actually LIKE doing homework. It is interesting to me (unless it is just worthless "busy work") and I enjoy the challenge of learning something new. Even presentations are a challenge as I attempt (normally successfully) to work everything I know and/or have learned into the required time frame and format.
My homework last night involved reading. One chapter in the Deaf Culture book and one chapter in "the green book." The Deaf Culture book was fine. In fact, it was pretty enjoyable since the book is research but is presented in a narrative style which makes the material easy to read and interesting. I whipped through that chapter and half of the next in no time at all.
The "green book," however, is a different story. The "green book" is a book of grammar and history of ASL. Chapter one is entitled "What is Language?" Doesn't that sound exciting? Even that title didn't deter me in my mission to read the chapter. But then I hit the content . . .
The entire chapter is 13 pages long and I have gotten through 5 of those pages. Each page is a dense collection of technical linguistic terms explaining the characteristics of language. English and various other languages including German, Latin, Russian, and Mandarin are compared and contrasted with ASL for each of the characteristics.
Doesn't that sound like fun? I stopped when I hit the characteristic that a language must have relatively arbitrary symbols. My mind just couldn't take it anymore!
I will read on later today. Or maybe tomorrow. . .
All of this linguistic reading led to a fun "word fest" with my mother last night. I called her to tell her about my "fun" reading and we ended up brainstorming words. The favorites turned out to be pejorative and mollycoddle. I thought they were neat! It was also a lot of fun just finding different words in the dictionary (the new electronic one Hubby got my for Christmas) and the thesaurus (also on the electronic dictionary). I do have to wonder though - do other people do this kind of stuff?
What is YOUR favorite word?
Trisha
Voice Update: Pretty good. Speech yesterday went well. Susan confirmed that my throat was a bit "crunchy" and managed to get in there and work a lot of it out in a pretty brief massage. She said that my voice was doing pretty well considering that I was sick last week and am dealing with allergy sinus drainage and sneezing, etc. I am to continue my routine of exercises and massage.
Yesterday I dove into my homework for my classes. Because I am pretty much a geek, I actually LIKE doing homework. It is interesting to me (unless it is just worthless "busy work") and I enjoy the challenge of learning something new. Even presentations are a challenge as I attempt (normally successfully) to work everything I know and/or have learned into the required time frame and format.
My homework last night involved reading. One chapter in the Deaf Culture book and one chapter in "the green book." The Deaf Culture book was fine. In fact, it was pretty enjoyable since the book is research but is presented in a narrative style which makes the material easy to read and interesting. I whipped through that chapter and half of the next in no time at all.
The "green book," however, is a different story. The "green book" is a book of grammar and history of ASL. Chapter one is entitled "What is Language?" Doesn't that sound exciting? Even that title didn't deter me in my mission to read the chapter. But then I hit the content . . .
The entire chapter is 13 pages long and I have gotten through 5 of those pages. Each page is a dense collection of technical linguistic terms explaining the characteristics of language. English and various other languages including German, Latin, Russian, and Mandarin are compared and contrasted with ASL for each of the characteristics.
Doesn't that sound like fun? I stopped when I hit the characteristic that a language must have relatively arbitrary symbols. My mind just couldn't take it anymore!
I will read on later today. Or maybe tomorrow. . .
All of this linguistic reading led to a fun "word fest" with my mother last night. I called her to tell her about my "fun" reading and we ended up brainstorming words. The favorites turned out to be pejorative and mollycoddle. I thought they were neat! It was also a lot of fun just finding different words in the dictionary (the new electronic one Hubby got my for Christmas) and the thesaurus (also on the electronic dictionary). I do have to wonder though - do other people do this kind of stuff?
What is YOUR favorite word?
Trisha
Voice Update: Pretty good. Speech yesterday went well. Susan confirmed that my throat was a bit "crunchy" and managed to get in there and work a lot of it out in a pretty brief massage. She said that my voice was doing pretty well considering that I was sick last week and am dealing with allergy sinus drainage and sneezing, etc. I am to continue my routine of exercises and massage.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Classes and Crock Pot Crash
Hi All!
Yesterday I started a new semester of classes at the community college. I am taking three classes, all related to American Sign Language, in an effort to further my progress in the program so that IF I go back to work next school year I can continue taking relevant classes. There are two "background" kind of classes which need to be taken and so I am taking those, Finger spelling and Deaf Culture, along with ASL 3.
All three classes are basically back-to-back-to-back on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is convenient for me. I can get all three out of the way at one time without having to worry about going on different days. A few focused hours and . .. done!
While attending ASL 1 and ASL 2, I have met many of the other ASL students in the program but last night, I met a LOT more. Two of my classes are packed to the gills with 23 and 24 students. Most of these students are people I have never met. Since I am not really comfortable with meeting new people (even though people think I am really outgoing, I sort of quake inside at the thought of meeting new people), last night was an interesting time for me. Luckily, in two of my classes, there is at least one other student from my ASL 2 class - the teenager. It is nice to have a familiar face!
Now that I have the first day out of the way I can settle in to the homework I have for Thursday. Fun, fun! I will be reading A LOT this semester and spending a LOT of time in the ASL lab! I am required to have 20 hours for each of two classes for a grand total of 40 hours! Of course, I have 30+ hours last semester for ASL 3 so it shouldn't be too much more effort. I hope.
Do you cook in a crock pot? I never do but I tried to yesterday. Why, you may ask, don't I cook in a crock pot when it is SOOOO convenient? Well, Hubby is afraid that the house will burn down if I leave the thing on while we are both at work and since that was for the large part of our life together, I have gotten out of the habit of thinking of the crock pot. Yesterday, Hubby was out of town and I had a beef roast just begging to be made and I had classes all afternoon/evening. So, I got out the crock pot.
First, I browned the roast on all sides, seasoned it, and added water and orange juice (I don't know why the OJ - I just like the flavor it gives the roast).. I put the whole shebang on the base and set the temp to medium low while I was home in the morning. After an hour or so, I added cut up potatoes and carrots. I checked the whole thing before leaving for class and it seemed to be doing fine. I turned the temp to low and left - for nine hours.
When I got home, the house smelled wonderfully like roast beef. My mouth watered in anticipation. Then . . . I was disappointed. The beef was done but the potatoes and carrots were half cooked and half hard. Where did I go wrong?
I decided to cut up the roast and potatoes and cook it some more today to make a beef stew. I will thicken the liquid and, hopefully, it will turn out yummy.
Oh - I just want to say that this week - since it is my first back to school and with Hubby away - is a bit wacky so if I don't get a comment posted at your blog, forgive me and be patient! I am reading but don't have the time to type!
Trisha
Voice Update: I have speech today. I say that with a bit of a nervous feeling. Despite the fact that I HAVE been doing my massage and exercises pretty regularly lately (right?) my throat is a bit "crunchy." Normally, that is a sign that I haven't been massaging. I am worried that Susan is going to think that I have been slacking when I haven't! I don't know if the allergy bout I have been dealing with has caused some of the crunchiness or not. I have been sneezing a LOT lately and some of the sneezes seem to reach my throat. Also, I have drainage that causes me to cough -I try not to since coughing isn't good for your vocal cords (it isn't good for even healthy cords, by the way) but sometime I wake up coughing. I guess I will have to wait and see what Susan says.
Yesterday I started a new semester of classes at the community college. I am taking three classes, all related to American Sign Language, in an effort to further my progress in the program so that IF I go back to work next school year I can continue taking relevant classes. There are two "background" kind of classes which need to be taken and so I am taking those, Finger spelling and Deaf Culture, along with ASL 3.
All three classes are basically back-to-back-to-back on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is convenient for me. I can get all three out of the way at one time without having to worry about going on different days. A few focused hours and . .. done!
While attending ASL 1 and ASL 2, I have met many of the other ASL students in the program but last night, I met a LOT more. Two of my classes are packed to the gills with 23 and 24 students. Most of these students are people I have never met. Since I am not really comfortable with meeting new people (even though people think I am really outgoing, I sort of quake inside at the thought of meeting new people), last night was an interesting time for me. Luckily, in two of my classes, there is at least one other student from my ASL 2 class - the teenager. It is nice to have a familiar face!
Now that I have the first day out of the way I can settle in to the homework I have for Thursday. Fun, fun! I will be reading A LOT this semester and spending a LOT of time in the ASL lab! I am required to have 20 hours for each of two classes for a grand total of 40 hours! Of course, I have 30+ hours last semester for ASL 3 so it shouldn't be too much more effort. I hope.
Do you cook in a crock pot? I never do but I tried to yesterday. Why, you may ask, don't I cook in a crock pot when it is SOOOO convenient? Well, Hubby is afraid that the house will burn down if I leave the thing on while we are both at work and since that was for the large part of our life together, I have gotten out of the habit of thinking of the crock pot. Yesterday, Hubby was out of town and I had a beef roast just begging to be made and I had classes all afternoon/evening. So, I got out the crock pot.
First, I browned the roast on all sides, seasoned it, and added water and orange juice (I don't know why the OJ - I just like the flavor it gives the roast).. I put the whole shebang on the base and set the temp to medium low while I was home in the morning. After an hour or so, I added cut up potatoes and carrots. I checked the whole thing before leaving for class and it seemed to be doing fine. I turned the temp to low and left - for nine hours.
When I got home, the house smelled wonderfully like roast beef. My mouth watered in anticipation. Then . . . I was disappointed. The beef was done but the potatoes and carrots were half cooked and half hard. Where did I go wrong?
I decided to cut up the roast and potatoes and cook it some more today to make a beef stew. I will thicken the liquid and, hopefully, it will turn out yummy.
Oh - I just want to say that this week - since it is my first back to school and with Hubby away - is a bit wacky so if I don't get a comment posted at your blog, forgive me and be patient! I am reading but don't have the time to type!
Trisha
Voice Update: I have speech today. I say that with a bit of a nervous feeling. Despite the fact that I HAVE been doing my massage and exercises pretty regularly lately (right?) my throat is a bit "crunchy." Normally, that is a sign that I haven't been massaging. I am worried that Susan is going to think that I have been slacking when I haven't! I don't know if the allergy bout I have been dealing with has caused some of the crunchiness or not. I have been sneezing a LOT lately and some of the sneezes seem to reach my throat. Also, I have drainage that causes me to cough -I try not to since coughing isn't good for your vocal cords (it isn't good for even healthy cords, by the way) but sometime I wake up coughing. I guess I will have to wait and see what Susan says.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Shopping Cart Rescue
Hi All!
Well, Hubby is off on his business trip and I am looking forward to the roast which is bubbling away in my crock pot - something Hubby doesn't like to eat. The cats don't know that he is gone yet because they think he just went to work as normal. It will be interesting to see how they react tonight. This is the first time Skor will have experienced Hubby being gone with me still being home.
In preparation for my week alone, Hubby and I went to Wal Mart yesterday. We really went because Hubby rented a car for the journey from the Budget rental place in Wal Mart and I had to take him to get the car. Since we were there anyway . . . we decided to pick up a few things.
Isn't it always that was at Wal Mart?
Well, while shopping, Hubby and I had the dubious pleasure of escorting a shopping cart up and down the aisles. This, by the way, was not one of those shopping carts that smoothly and quietly went about its business of collecting miscellaneous items. No, this cart was bound and determined to make its presence known to all shoppers near and far. It wasn't losing its rubber wheel like a shopping cart we had a while ago but, for some reason, one of its wheels loudly protested any movement in any direction.
Hubby and I were accompanied by a loud "thump . . . thump . . . thump . . ." as we walked peppered with the occasionally skidding sound as the affected wheel simply refused to spin at all and let its co patriots push it along.
*sigh* It is at times like this that my most frequent fantasy comes to life.
No - it isn't one of THOSE fantasies! In this fantasy, I am a shopping cart rescue person - similar to a dog or cat rescue person. I troll the stores for shopping carts in distress and whisk them off to my truck waiting in the parking lot. Next, I hurry the ailing cart to my cozy workshop when I fix its broken down wheels and feed it a good diet of lubricating oil. I give the cart a thorough bath, making sure to scrape off the sticker residue on its handle and the gum from its basket. A warm blow dry with a brisk towel buff is the final step before I take the cart back to its natural environment and set it free.
If I were on the job, there would be significantly fewer "injured" carts out there demanding attention and the world of stores would be nicer and safer for everyone.
However, I realize just how fanciful this fantasy is when Hubby and I maneuver the thumping cart out of the store, across the horrendously bumpy tile in the entryway, and out to the parking lot. As we walk to our car we near another shopper pushing her cart up the row with her cart adding a nice "thump . . . thump . . . thump . . ." in syncopation to ours.
Poor shopping carts!
I walked today after a week of "loafing." It felt good to be back in the swing of things. However, I did not get my weight routine done. My eyes are really bothering me this mornings so, after my walk, I flushed them with solution and rested for about 15 minutes prior to getting on the computer to IM with Mom.
I hope my eyes calm down quickly - today is my first day back to classes at Collin County Community College and I have THREE classes all in a row to attend. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I can't wait to go to the bookstore to buy my new books but I hope I can handle three classes. I am a little out of shape for such a heavy class schedule!
Wish me luck!
Trisha
Voice Update: I did my exercises yesterday and my voice seems pretty good. I will have to make sure I get my exercises and massage in between classes today while I am "at school!" How fun will that be? With Hubby out of town I won't have people to talk to at night so I think I will need to be making some phone calls in the evenings (well, on Wednesday because on Tuesday and Thursday I will be in class until 8:30).
Well, Hubby is off on his business trip and I am looking forward to the roast which is bubbling away in my crock pot - something Hubby doesn't like to eat. The cats don't know that he is gone yet because they think he just went to work as normal. It will be interesting to see how they react tonight. This is the first time Skor will have experienced Hubby being gone with me still being home.
In preparation for my week alone, Hubby and I went to Wal Mart yesterday. We really went because Hubby rented a car for the journey from the Budget rental place in Wal Mart and I had to take him to get the car. Since we were there anyway . . . we decided to pick up a few things.
Isn't it always that was at Wal Mart?
Well, while shopping, Hubby and I had the dubious pleasure of escorting a shopping cart up and down the aisles. This, by the way, was not one of those shopping carts that smoothly and quietly went about its business of collecting miscellaneous items. No, this cart was bound and determined to make its presence known to all shoppers near and far. It wasn't losing its rubber wheel like a shopping cart we had a while ago but, for some reason, one of its wheels loudly protested any movement in any direction.
Hubby and I were accompanied by a loud "thump . . . thump . . . thump . . ." as we walked peppered with the occasionally skidding sound as the affected wheel simply refused to spin at all and let its co patriots push it along.
*sigh* It is at times like this that my most frequent fantasy comes to life.
No - it isn't one of THOSE fantasies! In this fantasy, I am a shopping cart rescue person - similar to a dog or cat rescue person. I troll the stores for shopping carts in distress and whisk them off to my truck waiting in the parking lot. Next, I hurry the ailing cart to my cozy workshop when I fix its broken down wheels and feed it a good diet of lubricating oil. I give the cart a thorough bath, making sure to scrape off the sticker residue on its handle and the gum from its basket. A warm blow dry with a brisk towel buff is the final step before I take the cart back to its natural environment and set it free.
If I were on the job, there would be significantly fewer "injured" carts out there demanding attention and the world of stores would be nicer and safer for everyone.
However, I realize just how fanciful this fantasy is when Hubby and I maneuver the thumping cart out of the store, across the horrendously bumpy tile in the entryway, and out to the parking lot. As we walk to our car we near another shopper pushing her cart up the row with her cart adding a nice "thump . . . thump . . . thump . . ." in syncopation to ours.
Poor shopping carts!
I walked today after a week of "loafing." It felt good to be back in the swing of things. However, I did not get my weight routine done. My eyes are really bothering me this mornings so, after my walk, I flushed them with solution and rested for about 15 minutes prior to getting on the computer to IM with Mom.
I hope my eyes calm down quickly - today is my first day back to classes at Collin County Community College and I have THREE classes all in a row to attend. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I can't wait to go to the bookstore to buy my new books but I hope I can handle three classes. I am a little out of shape for such a heavy class schedule!
Wish me luck!
Trisha
Voice Update: I did my exercises yesterday and my voice seems pretty good. I will have to make sure I get my exercises and massage in between classes today while I am "at school!" How fun will that be? With Hubby out of town I won't have people to talk to at night so I think I will need to be making some phone calls in the evenings (well, on Wednesday because on Tuesday and Thursday I will be in class until 8:30).
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday Fun
Hi All!
Happy MLK,Jr. Day. I hope everyone remembers what he tried to do with non-violence. If you haven't had a chance, drop by Sarah's blog to listen to his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Hubby's home. Why does that throw me off? I guess I have my plans made for my week and then suddenly, he is here with other plans. If he tells me his plans at all! Of well, I do enjoy spending time with him and tomorrow he heads out of town for work for the rest of the week so I will miss him horribly.
The temps here have been swinging as wildly as a dancer's tassels. In the day time the temps climb up to the high 60's but at night - brrr - it gets chilly. Need proof? Just check out this visitor to our bird feeder this morning.
I don't think he got that fat from our birdseed!
Last night my friend, D, and her daughter, C, joined Hubby and I for dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. This was a thank-you dinner from Hubby and me for their dedicated care of our kitties while we were gone during the holidays. We had a lot of fun at dinner. The food was good, there were lots of free yeast rolls and the company was great.
After dinner we invited D and C back to our house for cheesecake (we have a freezer full thanks to my MIL who sent us a package from Omaha Steaks for Christmas) and Wii.
First, we bowled. Hubby, C, and I bowled. D refused claiming some sort of video game deficiency (this was verified by C so . . . we let her off the hook). After bowling C and I raced cows. Yes, really.
On the Wii Play game there is a game called Chase! It involved riding a cow through a twisting course while mowing down scarecrows posted in the middle of the course for points. It is too funny for words! Normally, I have to race my poor cow alone since Hubby refuses to be drawn into the silliness of this game. However, C joined right in and this led to a giggle fest which Hubby retreated from.
Chase! was followed by fishing, target shooting, and billiards. D finally got into the action on billiards and wasn't too happy when I won (according to C I won totally by luck and I am pretty sure she is right!).
It was a fun evening. We need to do it more often.
Trisha
Voice Update: Okay - I was cranky much of the day yesterday from a lack of sleep. I didn't do my massage or my exercises. My voice was pretty good but, I know that if I don't get right back on the ball, I will regret it!
Happy MLK,Jr. Day. I hope everyone remembers what he tried to do with non-violence. If you haven't had a chance, drop by Sarah's blog to listen to his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Hubby's home. Why does that throw me off? I guess I have my plans made for my week and then suddenly, he is here with other plans. If he tells me his plans at all! Of well, I do enjoy spending time with him and tomorrow he heads out of town for work for the rest of the week so I will miss him horribly.
The temps here have been swinging as wildly as a dancer's tassels. In the day time the temps climb up to the high 60's but at night - brrr - it gets chilly. Need proof? Just check out this visitor to our bird feeder this morning.
I don't think he got that fat from our birdseed!Last night my friend, D, and her daughter, C, joined Hubby and I for dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. This was a thank-you dinner from Hubby and me for their dedicated care of our kitties while we were gone during the holidays. We had a lot of fun at dinner. The food was good, there were lots of free yeast rolls and the company was great.
After dinner we invited D and C back to our house for cheesecake (we have a freezer full thanks to my MIL who sent us a package from Omaha Steaks for Christmas) and Wii.
First, we bowled. Hubby, C, and I bowled. D refused claiming some sort of video game deficiency (this was verified by C so . . . we let her off the hook). After bowling C and I raced cows. Yes, really.
On the Wii Play game there is a game called Chase! It involved riding a cow through a twisting course while mowing down scarecrows posted in the middle of the course for points. It is too funny for words! Normally, I have to race my poor cow alone since Hubby refuses to be drawn into the silliness of this game. However, C joined right in and this led to a giggle fest which Hubby retreated from.
Chase! was followed by fishing, target shooting, and billiards. D finally got into the action on billiards and wasn't too happy when I won (according to C I won totally by luck and I am pretty sure she is right!).
It was a fun evening. We need to do it more often.
Trisha
Voice Update: Okay - I was cranky much of the day yesterday from a lack of sleep. I didn't do my massage or my exercises. My voice was pretty good but, I know that if I don't get right back on the ball, I will regret it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)