My Weblog

Busy day............

Today will be a busy day. I have big plans.........

My apple butter is cooking away on the stove. It is still quite liquid-y and needs to cook down. I'll be canning it today as well. It was quite the undertaking to peel, core, and chop 7 pounds of apples. I have decided that is the last time I'll be doing that! Before the applesauce next week (12 pounds of apples), I'm ordering a food strainer and sauce maker, probably this one:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BYDR1/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0VZ8VCBYNQNHXR8EQSXN&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

Rumor has it that with one of these babies, you could just cook the sliced apples. No peeling, no coring. Once they're cooked, just run them through this thing. Out one spout comes the fruit. Out the other spout comes the peel, seeds, core, etc. Then, apparently you can run the "trash" through the strainer a couple of times more and get even more fruit and juice to work with, while still not having to deal with the core and seeds and peels. 

I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to continue to do this (and I am!), I need this strainer. It is not the canning that makes this hard work. It is the prep work. I spent a major part of yesterday, back and forth between the kitchen and this computer. I DID have enough sense to wear good shoes this time, but by the time I gave up and went to bed, my back was sending out loud protests. 

So, apparently, no matter what I do, without this piece of equipment, I will spend a LOT of time and have a backache from the process. That's not my idea of how to get things done. There's so much still to be done in this house and I don't want to spend all my available time prepping food to can. So there! 

I am headed to El Cheapo today. Today is the last day they have milk on sale. I've used one gallon since I was there last week and I'm into the second. It makes sense to me to buy more before the price goes up. They also have "vine ripened" tomatoes on sale for $.59 a pound. Yes, Virginia, I am going to go buy a BUNCH of these tomatoes. I won't have time to can them today, but I have learned there is a viable short cut........... You simply wash them, remove any bad spots, core them, and pop them into freezer bags whole. Then, when you have the time, you can thaw them and make tomato sauce or tomato puree. Makes sense to me. Unless I move closer to a place where gardening is a favorite passtime or a cottage industry, I'm not going to get tomatoes for less than $.59 a pound. I am also getting low on salt, so I'll throw some of that into the cart. And I need some lemons for next week's applesauce.

I spent a good bit of time on design yesterday. I had told my team that I thought I would go back and finish up the ice cream kit this week. Well, no, I ended up having no inspiration for that. So, I'm working hard on another kit I started way back when. I ended up changing out the color palette just a bit. That meant I had to re-do a bunch of papers. Yesterday, I pulled together about 65 megs of elements and all the solid papers. So far this morning, I've worked on doing layered flowers and bringing the working preview up to date. It's lookin' GOOD! I'm trying hard to get seasonal stuff done and into the store while finishing up other kits I started and didn't finish. It's a good goal, I think. Half a kit isn't worth much, LOL.

I did accomplish a bit more than peeling apples and design yesterday. I finished packing and sealed up one box of stuff from the china cabinet and carted it off into a back bedroom. I have another box about 3/4 full and one box just started. It would be lovely to think that three boxes is all it will take, but I don't believe that for a second. However, I had the boxes and some packing material sitting around and figured I'd rather put it to use than let it just sit around. 

I sorted through some more stuff on the surface of the desk. The pile of stuff to sort is dwindling, praise be! I also did a mountain of shredding with another mountain, about twice that size, awaiting me. And I did some much-needed dusting. It never ends, does it? 

The sorting on the desk has basically been a rough sort. Next, I'll have to go back through what I've kept and get it filed in all the appropriate places. I don't enjoy that part.........

By the time Sunday night rolled around (midnight or so), I had finally managed to get a decent image on this wide screen in Photoshop. It took me hours. I worked with it all day yesterday and it worked well. But, I was also on the internet, reading and deleting e-mail, doing backups, etc. By last night, I knew it was time for a reboot. Ugh! I was so afraid the screen would open in Photoshop all wonky again. However, I rebooted this morning and I have a "normal" screen. Meaning, of course, that square images are actually looking square on the screen now. I don't have a clue how I made that happen, but I sure hope I don't inadvertently undo it! And, unlike that dinky little replacement screen, I can actually see the back button at the top left of the screen and scroll bars on the right side of the screen. I even have a clock back, at the bottom right of the screen. I'm a happy camper! 

And, so, while it's good to feel I actually accomplished something yesterday, it's on to today's list of things to do, starting with laundry. I finally got a bright idea a few weeks back. I have to continually do small loads in order to have clean pants to wear to work. However, since they're small loads, I've been able to cut 1/4 of the dryer time. That should help with the gas bill, I hope. The clothes still get dry, there is less wear and tear on them, the gas bill should go down.........it's a win-win!

I'm out of here. I need to get going on today's chores. Lots to do and I work Wednesday and Thursday again......... But, I have been working hard at doing stuff in the house and I can see that things are improving, slowly. I'd love it if everything was squeaky clean and perfectly in place. However, I'm beginning to wonder if that will ever happen in my lifetime, LOL. In the meantime, I try to find joy in what is better than it used to be. Time to go lookin' for some joy. Back later, most likely. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

Never satisfied????

Maybe, but I have some reason for dissatisfaction. Really I do. Mr. Fixit came by last night to discuss the next project around here. (More on that later) He saw the monitor sitting here and, of course, had to set it up, unpaid, of course. It's great for watching movies. It's a bugger for Photoshop. The screen is wide. My problem in Photoshop is that while the on screen rulers say my work area is giving me a 12 x 12 view, everything is oblong. It is wider than it is deep, visually. 

If you're watching a movie, particularly a movie sized for a wide screen, it's great. HOWEVER, a 12 x 12 paper when viewed in photoshop should look square, n'cest pas? Well it doesn't. Nor does a 3 x 3 file. It confuses my eye something terrible and I can't stand the looks of my elements and previews looking all squished. It disorients me something fierce. Does that paper flower look okay where I have it? I don't know because the paper flower is oval, not round and the screen area is rectangular, not square. 

I researched Adobe Help. I researched tutorials on the net. One problem is that I don't really know if it's a screen problem or an Adobe problem or some sort of weird interaction between the two. Is the answer hidden somewhere in Adobe or is the answer hidden in the Control Panel? I don't have a clue.

At the moment, after spending hours on it, I have a square display where I ought to have a square display. However, I have no clue what I did to make that happen and am scared to reboot or close out the program because I have serious doubts I will ever be able to replicate whatever I did. Oy! It's always something, isn't it? The other problem is that while the display is square, it is reduced in size. I had such dreams and visions of being able to work with big images.............

When you live on a budget, there are two generally accepted methods to control the cost of food. One is to buy only what you need each time you shop. The other is to be a stocker-upper--buy extra of anything that represents great value. I am a stocker-upper. I can't tell you how many times, when hard times have hit, my "stock" has kept me going. However, I am slowly getting pretty disgusted with my "pantry". No, actually, that's not true. I've been disgusted with it for a LONG time. 

I have one of those "pantries" that always look like a builder's afterthought. It is simply a deep hole with a few shelves and a finish like the cabinets. It is impossible to organize or to keep organized. I really dislike the thing. I have bought things designed to allow cans to be displayed more efficiently. I don't think they do the job. And, even if they did, not everything in the pantry is can-sized. There are tall bottles like pancake syrup and ketchup. There are chubby containers like those big round oatmeal containers. What do you do with those? I don't know. But, after 20+ years of looking at a "pantry" that is a hot mess and non-functional, I am finally going to do something about it.

To create a real "pantry", you know, the walk-in kind, I'd have to knock out walls or something. I do not have the funds for that. Understand, I'd really appreciate a larger kitchen, but it's just not in the cards. So an alternative solution has to be found. 

Have you seen those storage units that are on casters that fit between say, the edge of the fridge and the edge of the cabinets? Yeah, I'm having Mr. Fixit build one. I can show you a photo from Pinterest so you will know what I'm talking about........ Hang on........

Here's an image from a blog called "Classy Clutter". That's sorta like what Mr. Fixit is going to build for me. I had originally thought to build it myself. If I had the proper tools, I think I could do it, but I'm afraid it would take some fits and starts to get it "right". For example, I would never have remembered to take the thickness of the shelving wood into account when determining the shelf placement. (I've now learned that lesson the easy way instead of the hard way, praise be!) I don't have a saw. I could have had Lowe's cut the wood to size, which would have worked if I had proper measurements. But then there's the problem of actually putting the thing together. Mr. Fixit owns a nail gun. I don't. And Mr. Fixit knows how to use a nail gun and, for me, there would be a learning curve. I would have to sit and think about the size of the screws to use to attach the casters. He knew immediately. It is just generally more efficient for him to do it than for me. I might have it done by sometime in November, LOL. He'll have it done next week! 

Mine will have shelves of varying heights. A couple of "tall" shelves with "shorter" shelves for canned goods. Makes sense to me and I am anxious to get this baby yesterday. 

My hope is to free up several shelves in the deep hole while still establishing some sort of order in there. Then I will stuff as many small countertop items in there as I can. Also appliances, like my crockpot. I have virtually NO counter space in this kitchen and I'm going to have to find a place to store things that I don't use everyday somewhere out of the way. I think this will work.......

Mr. Fixit will put it together. I will paint it. And it'll cure in a few hours or a day or two and be immediately pressed into service. I am over the moon excited about this.......

Well, first up today, while my photoshop screen is functioning the way I want it to will be quality checking the kit for this week's release and getting it uploaded and links sent out. I would have done that yesterday, but........ I was going a bit nutso trying to do it with the oblong view. 

I am also working on backups. Backups and more backups. I haven't done a proper backup in a couple of months and I usually do one at least monthly. Well, I'm pressing in on it. It helps that my newest EHD has a 3.0 cable rather than a 2.0 cable. I am noticing the difference in speed. But, I still have several LARGE files to back up. 

I did get some dusting done around here yesterday. Much needed! Still more of that needs to be done. I also did some shredding and there's plenty more of that to do. And, I hope to work on making apple butter. I would have liked, I think, to make the applesauce first, but it requires more lemon juice than I think I can muster. I find it interesting that canning applesauce requires copious amounts of lemon juice while canning apple butter does not. I can't get the logic of that. Obviously, there's a reason; I just have no idea what it is. 

So, those are a few things I'm going to work on today. I will definitely keep busy. I am also working on packing up the living room (again). Long way to go on that project, but I don't have the money pulled together yet for getting that carpet laid........... So, I have some time. 

I'm outta here. I want to get going around here. I do not want to be canning apple butter at midnight (like I almost did with the pear butter........) YOU be BLESSED today!

When I was much younger,

I had a fascination with bad boys. I was dating 2 guys; one was a super guy and the other a bad boy. I threw the good guy back and kept the bad one. Typical me......... In any case, I dreamt this morning of the super guy and we were "together" at a religous meeting. My daughter was a little girl, 5 or 6. My cousins were also there, cousins I love very much, think of often, and really miss. It was a wild and crazy dream, but a nice one. I could stand more dreams like that! Except the part about being together with the super nice guy--that part just depresses me. Way too late to cross that bridge in the opposite direction, though I frequently have wished it weren't. Well, I take dreams about other people that I can actually identify as a call to prayer so everyone is well prayed for..............

I hung out here, waiting for the Ibuprofen to kick in til about 5:30 AM and then went back to bed. Seems to have been a good idea as, at the moment, my back is feeling pretty darned good. If this holds, maybe I'll be able to unpack and install my new monitor today. Gosh, I hope so. This itty bitty old monitor I'm using until I can get that done is making me nuts. It cuts off the sides of the display. So, important things like the back button and side scroll bars aren't visible. PITA, if you ask me. Also, since I only planned to use this monitor for two days, I haven't dealt with the cord. Once again I have cord spaghetti under my computer desk which threatens to get tangled around my feet and cause me to fall everytime I get out of this chair. I will attend to the cord on the new monitor immediately! 

While I was up I got some preview stuff ready for my design assistant. I hope she's up for it--I'm sending her 4 files! Whoa! Only one is a priority and we have two weeks on that one, so, hopefully, her nerves will be intact, LOL. I've had quite a long period of starting kits but not finishing them. Now I'm knocking them off, one by one. Getting 4 at once will be a surprise for her!

Next job for the day is getting a kit ready for upload to the CT for next week's release. A designer's work is never done, LOL. My creative ladies are the reward though. I love having them as friends and, oh boy, the things they do with my kits! They're some very talented ladies!

I started some dusting the other day but didn't get too far. I want to try to continue with that today. I remember that I wanted to do the vacuum cleaner/corner cleanup thing too, but I don't think I should tackle that yet today. I want very much to take the really lightweight vacuum cleaner (the one I think came from Joe's place when he was living in CA) and vacuum out the van, too, but I think that might requires some contortions I'm not in shape for yet today.......

I have 3 days off in a row this week, today, tomorrow, and Tuesday. I hope to be the proud owner of either some apple butter or apple sauce before the 3 days are up. Hopefully, I will have enough sense to wear decent shoes this time. I think standing around peeling bazillion pears in not-so-good shoes may have been the beginning of the back problems I am experiencing now.

Oh, I've been meaning to tell you--I got my power bill for the first month after I had solar film applied to two west-facing windows and a bunch of weather stripping installed on a leaky west-facing door. I was hoping it would make a sizeable difference in my bill. Well, I guess it depends on your definition of "sizeable"............ The bill is down about $20 which is about 10%. To be honest I was hoping for more than that, but that's what I got. I'm grateful for that. Really, 10% isn't too shabby, but August/September were also cooler than July/August. Most of our highs in the more recent month were in the high 90's as opposed to 3 digits the month before. To be honest, I have to attribute a good bit of that savings percentage to that...........

Okay, well that sums things up for the moment. Time to start on some serious work. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

I'm 5 hours richer..........

I made it through another 5 hour shift. Mostly on sheer gut and determination. I ache like a booger. 

At this point, what I wouldn't give to be the proud owner of a functional heating pad..........

I spent the whole night bending to the left for bags. NOT good. 

Now it's the middle of the night and my back ached so badly I decided to get up. I'll toddle back down the hall shortly, but for now it seems to feel better if I am moving about, very carefully. 

It's chilly here tonight. The high for today was forecast to be 82. I haven't seen a weather report, but I know that around 7PM my car's thermometer was registering 71. Now, I know that's not "cold", but after months of 100+ degree temperatures, it feels pretty darn chilly to me, LOL. 

For weeks now, it has seemed "hot" in the store. Not so today! I was actually feeling cold in there this evening.

Well, I just wanted to post a note so you'd know I am still kicking (not very high and VERY gingerly), LOL. Laters............

Saturday morning...........

Yesterday, a day off, went by in a blur. I spent a lot of it in bed, flat on my back, trying to give my back a chance to heal. Today I face 5 hours of work. I felt a sense of urgency to behave myself yesterday so that I'd be able to make work today.

I did do a good bit of design work yesterday. I think I can call my "vision" kit finished. I've quality checked most of it but I need to check the rest. Then it's on to alphas, previews, details and calling it done.

We had quite the rain yesterday afternoon. There was thunder and lightning and, as I sat here, I could watch the water pouring off one of the valleys of the roof. It's been a very long time since I've seen a rain like that here. I'm a little bit afraid to check the local news. Just wondering what road washed out, what neighborhood had wretched floods......... Love the rain and we need it. It's just that this hard packed clay based "soil" around here doesn't do a good job of absorbing the rain. It just flows like a raging river downhill. Well, thank God for the rain. We are SO DRY here. It would be grand if we could accumulate enough rain to offset the drought and restore our water table.

I haven't taken my new monitor out of the box yet. I want to, so badly. This dinky old monitor with which I am working is a pain. But, I'm grateful I had this old thing sitting around. It just sounded like the incarnation of stupid to be lifting around a new monitor. Not a good idea when my back is already touchy!

It is better today. It isn't "fixed". But it is better. Now the miracle will be visible when I make it through 5 hours of work without a flare-up. 

I'm uploading this week's new kit in the background. You need to see this one. I'm so very proud of it, not just because it's beautiful but because it speaks my new message--choose happiness on a daily basis. Sometimes I have to look hard for it, but every cloud has a silver lining. 

Well, I'm going to go get the day going. I'm running "late". I stayed up working on my vision kit til the wee hours of the morning and so I slept late. Time to get rolling. YOU be BLESSED today!

Throughout the afternoon and evening.........

I was reminded: Faith doesn't make it easy; faith makes it possible. I made it through my 5 hour shift. It wasn't easy! 

I learned that one sure way to make my back spasm was to reach up to grab cigarettes from the top rack. And guess which cigarettes are up there.....go ahead, guess.......... The two most popular brands. I had to freeze, mid-motion, several times. It was not my finest hour.

I am home and now I would be so happy if I still had a functional heating pad. I don't. I thought about that on the way home, but, honestly, didn't relish the thought of walking through a drugstore looking for one. So, I'll just tough it out.

I was a bit of a stinker today. I didn't go near the trash. I figured since Accident Lady has taken that over every time in the past 3 weeks, I'd just let her have it. And so, she found herself facing a busy store and full trash cans 45 minutes before I was due to come home. Truth be told, I probably had no business trying to deal with trash cans today, but I didn't bother to explain. I was pretty sure I did not need the lifting, bending, and tugging that dealing with the trash entails. So I just kept my nose out of it.

The floor was in bad shape when I left. Ordinarily, I might have stayed late just to help out and make sure that got taken care of. However, anyone who has ever experienced a back problem knows that the back and forth motion of vacuuming or mopping is NOT a good thing. 

My new monitor arrived today. I want so badly to install it. But, I just don't think it makes any sense for me to try to lift it and put it into place. The monitor I'm using is old and much smaller than usual. It is cutting off part of the display. NOT fun to try to use for design or much of anything.......One thing I do know is that the box is LARGE. If the monitor is anything close to the size of the box, I've got one humdinger of a monitor! 

Well, gotta go. YOU be BLESSED today.

Payday..........

Well, today is payday. One way or another, I'm going to make it to the store! That is easier said than done today, however. I'm not sure, but I think you could bounce quarters off my left hip/buttock today. And my upper thigh has a few choice words to say too.

I didn't "do" anything that I know of to bring this on. Just lived. That's all it takes sometimes........

I am a little disgusted with some folks I work with today. I will record it here and then I will work on forgetting about it.

3.5 weeks ago, I was working with my usual partner. He decided to show me how he likes to go about emptying the trash. (His words.) Well, okay........... We have a shopping cart, like you'd see at a grocery store. We put the trash in there to take it out. So, HE lines that shopping cart with a big black bag. Then HE fills it up with all the other bags from all the trash cans. His reasoning is that this way he only has to heave one bag into the trash and by lining the cart with the bag, if any of the other trash bags is leaking, it won't leak onto the floor. Interesting but not earthshaking to me.......... The floor in that place ALWAYS needs to be cleaned. If the trash leaked onto the floor, who would notice. Folks would just think another kid spilled a darned icey drink...........AGAIN.

2.5 weeks ago, since I was collecting the trash, I did it the way I've always seen it done, the way everyone else who works there does it........... Pulled out each bag, tied it off, piled it in the grocery cart, and went on to the next can. He says, "I see you forgot how I showed you to do the trash". I said nothing. 

After thinking about it, I did go back to him and let him know that I did not pick up on the fact that he really wasn't showing me how HE did it but rather how he wanted ME to do it. Okay, so I did it his way last week...........

The rule is that trash must be emptied once a shift. I THINK that has something to do with Health Department regs but don't try to take that one to the bank. In any case, there is no "rule" about WHEN during a shift this should be done. My thinking is that, as busy as we've been, you do it whenever you can snatch a moment to do it. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Accident Lady got all unbent because I started collecting the trash around 6. According to her, that's way too early to collect the trash. Quite honestly, you could start at 6 and not be done by 11, depending on the flow of customers. Customers come before trash. That's just the way it is. So, if customers come in while you're in the midst of doing the trash and your partner is unavailable, you just have to stop what you're doing and hotfoot it to the cash register. Well, according to Accident Lady, 6 is way too early to do the trash. Funny thing is she had already taken care of the outside trash.......... This "too early" thing has happened 3 times now, including last night. Okay............ But, given the volume of business, what really is too early? Well, it turns out it is no longer "too early" 20 minutes later when I am busy on the register. At that point, as soon as I'm busy, she takes off and does the trash! 

I have come to the conclusion that I will play my usual partner's game. With one variation. I will save a bag. We have one indoor trash can that requires a big black bag as a liner. I'll use that to line the cart! (Let me point out, my usual partner and I do not encounter the "too early" problem! We get it done when we can get it done..........) I think he would agree that the big deal is to make sure whatever gets done before I leave because once the store is down to one employee, ain't nuthin' gonna be done but taking care of customers............

With Accident Lady, I think it is that SHE wants to do the trash. Well, more power to her! Digging in other people's trash cans is not my idea of fun anyway. So, if she wants to be in charge of trash, she can be in charge of trash. In reality, I think she needs to feel "in charge" of everything. Well, alrighty then. I am not going to fight about trash! 

But, it IS irksome to spend many hours with a control freak. Male or female. Still irksome.

So, anyway, I am going to try to get along on ibuprofen today. If need be, my back brace is always in my tote bag that I take to work. I could use the back brace now, but I can only stand it for a few hours and then, no matter what, it comes off. So, I figure it's better to wait til I am required to stand in one spot for 5 straight hours.........

Last night, the Pepsi order came in. And I was out front solidly for the full 5 hours. At one point I asked for a break and she just put her jacket on and went into the cooler, leaving me stranded at the register. Again, I asked for a break and she took one(!!!!!), again leaving me stranded at the register. I literally had nothing but half a small (pack it in your lunch sized) bag of potato chips to eat for the whole time I was there. I ran out of anything to drink well before 6PM and had no opportunity to even go fill up my cup with water. I think maybe this might have something to do with the state of my back, if you want to know the truth...........

And, so, I am going to have to ask God to help me FORGET about this junk and keep my mouth shut! We are told that Christ only said what He heard the Father say and He only did what He saw the Father do. I'm pretty sure He didn't hear the Father mouth off about questionable treatment or control freaks, so I shouldn't either since I'm supposed to be behaving in a Christlike manner when I'm there.

Someone (I have no idea who) left a scanner laying about in the store. Not in the backroom where it's supposed to be. And, sure enough, someone stole it. There are 40 bazillion security cameras in that store so rest assured there are photographs of the culprit emerging from the store, waving it in his hand as though he's achieved a big victory. This is not a scanner like you might think. Instead, it is a handheld instrument that is used to scan UPC codes when deliveries are made to us. This allows us to compare what is delivered to what has actually been ordered. Now, what the heck is this dude gonna do with a scanner like that???? Nothing.............. Mr. Owner was in the store yesterday and stated once that the thing cost $1400 and the second time that it cost $1200. I guess it must be in that range somewhere. Anyway, the dude did a bad thing.

We also have a customer who has been "86'd" from the store. Meaning she is not to enter the store ever again. Apparently she and Mr. KIA got into it. She flipped Mr. KIA off (yes, we have a picture). Then she picked up an energy drink and threw it at Mr. KIA when she left the store. Well, you have heard many Mr. KIA stories and you know how aggravating he can be.......... But the owners' position is that she is guilty of assault. In a way, I suppose they are protecting us, the employees. So, there you have it. 

This crazy hip/back thing happened last night after I got home from work. Needless to say I didn't get a whole lot done in the house! I did do some design work, though, so at least progress was made on one front or another, LOL. 

Well, I want to see how much closer I can get that kit to finished. And, I am going to force myself to do a few things around here. It won't feel good, but I don't want this thing to stiffen up either. I'm gonna leave you now. YOU be BLESSED today, okay?

Work-A-Day World

Well, I found out how I happened to get an extra 4 hours tacked onto my schedule at work this week. Mrs. Been There Forever took the day off. I think the owner worked the first 4 hours of Mrs. BTF's schedule and I worked the last 4. In any case, I was happy to have the opportunity to make a few more $$$$. I got to work with Mr. Nice Guy and that is always a pleasure. 

Today is a 7 hour day. I'll have a couple of hours with Mr. Nice Guy, followed by 5 hours with Accident Lady. At least I have good people with whom to work. Of course, it's likely I'll be exhausted by the time I get home. I do think business is slowing down just a teeny bit. That is a relief. On our busy days, even with two of us there, it's a real challenge to keep up with all that's supposed to be done. Perhaps if it slows down a little, we'll actually get a chance or two to sit down for 30 seconds. What a relief that would be!

I didn't get a whole lot done around here after work yesterday, but I wasn't a complete slouch either. I worried about that as normally when I get home from work, I'm about done in. I headed in and took a short nap right after I got home. Later, I tackled some chores. 

I know you aren't going to believe this, but I am packing up again. It's not my idea of fun, believe me. However, soon, I'll be getting that carpet put down and I do not want to pay laborers to pack my stuff. I am able to do it myself and that is my intention. I cannot put down carpet and pad and I will have to pay folks to do that. But I sure am experienced at packing boxes, LOL. In case you don't quite get that, let's go back a bit. In November, 2008, Joe decided he would paint the living room/dining room, with the expectation that the office would be next on the list. Well, we packed up pretty much everything moveable in those two rooms. When he died in January 2011, we had two coats of primer on the walls and nothing more. My former employer was supposed to come in and put down finished concrete floors. Anything that was still left sitting around, I packed up. Then about 6 months later, I had accumulated about $2000 in rubber paychecks. It was costing me more in gasoline to get to work than I was able to make......... So much for the free finished concrete floors. Finally, I began unpacking, sorting, throwing stuff away, donating. Now, I am packing again.......... Well, at least there will be less to pack, LOL.

So, anyway, I started emptying the china cabinet. I had some of that bubble packing material and I decided that instead of throwing it away, I might as well use it. I hauled the trash can in from the curb, did some shredding, worked my way through some more stuff from the surface of the desk and tackled running the vacuum cleaner in this room. 

I have this dinky little vacuum cleaner I found while I was turning the "junk room" into a "sewing room". It really is NOT up to the job of keeping up with the hair the dogs shed and the stuff they bring in from outside. However, I did press it into service to do this room. 

The dinky little vacuum cleaner has handy on-board tool storage. If it isn't much good for anything else, I think it will make doing corners and edges easier than either of the other two vacuums. At least, I'm hoping so, as that's the next thing I want to get taken care of around here. I am also eyeballing it to take outside to vacuum out the van. I do not relish the thought of dragging one of the bigger, heavier vacuums out there! 

Earlier this year, my shredder died. Though I would have been perfectly happy with another strip shredder, I couldn't really find one I liked. So, I ended up with a cross-cut shredder. I have to tell you that using a strip shredder seems to result in strips of paper on the floor, primarily during the bin-emptying process. But, for real honest-to-goodness mess, I don't think there's much that can hold a candle to this cross cut shredder (except maybe for a puppy in the chewing stage). I do try to be oh-so-careful when emptying the bin, but it doesn't seem to help much. My plans at the moment are to use the shredded paper as cushioning material in the packing boxes for breakable stuff. I figure that's cheaper and more environmentally friendly than going out and buying packing materials. And since we're just moving stuff from room to room, it should be adequate. Particularly since I plan to move the breakables out of the workspace before anyone starts work on the living room/dining room area. 

I started a new budgeting program. I think it will be a help. It's called YNAB. They pronounce it Why-NAB. It's an acronym for "you need a budget". I think it is going to force me to be more conscious of the daily expenditures which is something I need. Sadly, after working with it a bit, I've come to the conclusion that in order to provide for rainy day funds, long term savings, and household repairs, I need a better paying job. Well, that's up to the Lord. All I can do is do the best I can with what I have. I don't feel as though I've been doing that and I hope this program is going to help. I've been keeping a good handle on the $30 and up expenditures, but pennies and nickels and single dollars are slipping through my fingers. Honestly, I can't afford that....... I'll try to give you more details on it as I use it a bit more. I have 32 more days on a 34-day free trial. If it encourages me to track my expenditures on a daily basis (and it does), then it will be worth buying. And a 34-day free trial is long enough to encourage me to form a habit of doing that daily tracking. There are still categories that need a budgeted amount but to which I can attribute nothing at the moment. That is disheartening.

I think the other thing that will be easier from here on in is keeping track of expenses for tax purposes. I believe this budgeting program will do that for me. That will be a relief. 

Well, I didn't get a whole lot of design work in yesterday, so I'm going to sign off and see if I can do better on that today. YOU be BLESSED today!

Ruh-Roh!

The day is not starting off too well. For weeks now, my monitor has taken longer and longer to "awake" from "sleep" mode. Today it just didn't happen. After 15 minutes, I disconnected it and brought over an old one that still works and connected it. I am not loving it! The viewing area is much smaller and I'm halfway afraid to open Photoshop for fear of what stuff will look like. Anyway, I just ordered a new CRT. It doesn't give me a lot of pleasure to do that since I really didn't want to spend the $$$$. But, it's kind of a cinch that I can't get along without one. And this dinky old thing, well, I don't think that's gonna work very well. The monitor that is retiring has been around a LONG time and has served me well, so I can't complain........... One thing that I really miss is that this monitor does not show me the time! I'll have to do a bit of research and see if I can get that fixed...........

I also ordered a little $7 somethin'. A pan in which to make baked donuts. I really like this idea. No more deep fried donuts in my future. Which also means less hydrogenated fats, the artery clogger extraordinaire. 

Well, the final report on the pear butter is that all 9 jars sealed properly. We are in business! I am thinking applesauce will be next. I dread peeling 12 pounds of apples! But one thing for sure: since I own the apples and don't have to go anywhere to acquire them, it will probably be an all one day process. This is as opposed to making the pear butter which, after I'd spent hours and hours peeling little pears required all the cooking and actual canning to be done the next day. 

Anyway, with all the mucking around with the computer monitor, I am now running to be ready to leave for work in less than an hour. Today it's a 4-hour shift........ Should be more than manageable and give me time to get some things done tonight.

I am, at the moment, unable to locate my cell phone. This makes me crazy. Totally hate this...........

I did pretty well last night. I got through a couple of rounds of shredding. I didn't wash the kitchen floor--that should happen this evening--but I did get lots of dog hair vacuumed up. Vacuumed the hall, the entryway, the living room, and the kitchen. Then, for some reason the vacuum quit working. Honestly, I think it is the wall plug, not the vacuum, so I'll try again tonight to finish up the vacuuming in the office. Also got dusting done in the dining room and a bit of the office. The more of this I can get done, the better I am likely to feel as dust is one of my known allergens. 

I've been working away on the "afghan" I'm creating for my oldest DGS. LONG way to go, but it's about 5 inches long now, LOL. It looks more like a scarf than an afghan at this point. 

I have been taking a Niacin supplement for a while now. The "rumor" is that Niacin helps deal with the plaque in arteries. (Yes, I do think about this a lot.) Anyway, there is a Niacin phenomenon called "the flush". You literally turn red (pink........) and feel incredibly hot. Well, I just want you to know "the flush" is definitely working in my body. Last night, after taking the Niacin, I looked sunburned. And, goodness, was I ever hot! It's working! 

Okay, gotta run. Still need to brush my teeth, wash my face and put on makeup. Right around 30 minutes to blastoff! It sure would be wonderful if I could locate my cell phone between now and then!

YOU be BLESSED today!

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We have liftoff!

It's 12:23PM and we have 9 jars of pear butter cooling in the kitchen. The recipe was only supposed to make 7 jars. I have 9 and a Tupperware container full that I will store in the fridge. And, let me tell you, the stuff is "'licious". Me and my spoon--well, we've done considerable sampling!

At the very end of the cooking process, I added 1 tsp of nutmeg to the mix. So, there really are layers of flavor: pear, orange, lemon, and nutmeg. I was right to cut the sugar in half. Believe me, it is plenty sweet without an additional 2 cups of sugar!

The jars are all lined up on a cloth dishtowel in the kitchen. It will be exciting to hear them "pop" as the vacuum is formed.........

They will not be ready to store until tomorrow this time. That won't do me much good as I'll be at work. But I can get them all tucked away when I get home around 3PM. 

I am pleased to say that, although it took FOREVAH for the water in the canner to boil, I have not noticed the a/c cycling continually, so that is a very good thing. I did have the exhaust fan going just above the canner. I figured that made more sense than the a/c, given the choice. 

I am just a little amused at this process. As a kid, we often spent a good bit of time in Pennsylvania where my grandparents and other extended family lived. Now, admittedly, I was really mostly just around for the making and canning of strawberry jam, but I remember NOTHING about this water bath stuff. My grandmother hot packed the jelly. Period. If she was canning something and had any doubts, she'd float a layer of parafin on top. But she didn't do the water bath canning thing...... Now, maybe she did that when she canned beans or pickles or whatever, but not for strawberry jam. I know: I was the official stirrer and spoon licker! 

Grandma usually had a garden about 1.5 acres in size. She grew about anything you could think of. Potatoes. Corn. Tomatoes. Lettuce. Strawberries. Beans in any number of varieties. Beets. And she canned and canned and canned. She had a "root cellar". I didn't like going down there at the time. To me, it was "spooky". There was a bare electric lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, but that was the only light and it cast all sorts of giant shadows. And the stairs were kind of rickety with nothing at all that resembled a handrail. I'm surprised she never fell going up and down those stairs, especially as she got older. (Physically, she was one very hardy soul and, well into her 70's, she could outwork her daughters and grandkids.) But there was one beautiful thing about that "root cellar": rows and rows and rows of jars of canned goods sparkling green, gold, red, and so on. Grandma never had much cash. She lived on a black lung pension (my grandfather died in his early 50's from black lung disease) and a bit of Social Security. But, believe me, we ate well when we visited there! If it could be canned, Grandma knew how.........

So, at this point, I'm tired. Stupidly, I have been working in a pair of aerosole loafers instead of wearing good "supportive" lace-up shoes. My ankles are lodging a protest against that! Yes, my kitchen floor is concrete with a thin layer of linoleum over it. I need to get next week's kit uploaded for the Creative Ladies to work with and then I am going to get horizontal for a while. Then I'll be all over finishing the laundry and doing some cleaning!