My Weblog

Middle of the week...........

Well, I am celebrating. This is the last of the 100+ degree days in the 15-day forecast. That will make being outside much more comfortable and be a significant help with the power bill. I received the most recent power bill and, if I didn't believe "my God will supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus", I'd sit down in the middle of the floor and sob. This after policing the house to make sure as many lights are turned off as possible and drying clothes on a clothes rack, etc. I will try to applaud myself for establishing some good habits and move on............ 

I am now the proud owner of completely vacuumed floors and shiny, clean hard floors. Yesterday's focus was on scrubbing the hard floors. I am finding my steam cleaner to be invaluable with the hard floors. That is something I bought myself a while back. Of course, when I was sick, there was no hope that I was going to push that thing around. It isn't that it is so heavy, rather that I was so weak. But, as I get stronger, I love that thing more and more. Today, I will try to dust and see how far I get with that.

I got the new shredder in place and all plugged in. It works and it works well. It even shreds CDs and I'm thrilled with that. I got the bright idea one tax season quite a while ago to put each client's retained copy of their tax file on CD and used a bundle of CDs. Lots and lots. I was not looking forward to sitting here reformatting beau coup CDs and I already have a stash of usable CDs. Thrilled to just be able to shred them and be done with them.

My existing shred pile, that massive pile I had a couple of weeks ago, is all but gone! This shredder is indeed smaller than the old one. And you have to be more precise on the way in which you feed in the paper to be shredded, but I can live with all that. Another thing I really like about it is that it has a "window" on the bin. So, you can see when the bin is filling up. I have massive amounts of cross-cut paper on the floor around the shredder where the old one spilled when lifting the top off to empty the bin. With the "window" on this one, hopefully that will be less likely to happen. It seemed useless to worry about the spillage when I was doomed to make more the next time I sat down to shred. I can now clean it up without feeling doomed to have to repeat the clean up hourly.

Even though I've really done well going after that BIG pile of shredding, I'm sure there's more. I still have 2 piles of paper to go through on or around this desk and another on the other desk. Then I can start cleaning out whatever can be gotten rid of from the filing cabinets. So, you can see I'll be shredding for quite a while.............

I don't think I remembered to tell you, but I bought a bread machine. It's got a reasonably small footprint so I don't feel as though I've lost acres of counter space to it. I made bread in it for the first time last night. I'm not thrilled with the outcome, but it will get better as I work with it. One problem was that I did not have sufficient bread flour on hand. So, I had to substitute regular flour for 2 of the 3 cups of flour. This results in less rise to the bread because regular flour is lower in protein. The other problem is either with my taste buds or the recipe. The bread came out salty. I thought at the time that the salt called for in the recipe book that came with the machine was a bit much. And it is. Of course, I tend to be pretty careful with salt in my food so it could just be my taste buds. But, that's a problem that's easily fixed.......I'll just reduce the amount of salt I add next time. 

I got a great deal on the machine. I bought it through Amazon's warehouse deals. I guess it had been returned by someone else. It was supposed to be either without the manual or without original packaging or have some "blemishes" on it. Well, I got the original box (though I could tell it had been opened and re-taped), a manual, and I can't find a "blemish", so it's all good. The statistics I've read indicate you can make a loaf of bread for about $.20 when you make your own. Eventually the machine will pay for itself. I'm sure you could even cut this a little if you bought your flour in bulk.

I was making a sourdough bread from an "artisan bread" recipe I had. However, the "starter" was taking up a lot of space in my fridge and I was making smallish round loaves. Try making a sandwich with that! 

My bean salad (from the previous post) is all-y all-y gone gone. I polished it off for lunch and dinner last night. It was still good. I thought it needed a bit more vinegar the second time around, so I just sprinkled some on and was happy with the results. 

Do you remember that I cleaned out the freezer last week? The one in the kitchen, above the fridge? Well, I am making a vow to you right here and now. I vow NEVER EVER again to put ANY meat product in the freezer until it is wrapped in a suck-'em up bag. Stuff that went in straight in the store packaging did not survive. The real surprise, though, was that stuff I had left in the store packaging but slipped into a freezer bag also did not survive. Freezer burn! Way to ruin some usable meat, Marci. The items I had taken the trouble to put in Food Saver vacuum bags are good as new. Lesson learned, with the possible exception of a turkey, LOL. They don't make Food Saver bags big enough for that! Suffice it to say the dogs got some "treats" consisting of boiled freezer burned short ribs and a BIG chicken breast.

Well, I have loads of work to get done. So, I'd best get started. YOU be BLESSED today!

Kudos to the cook--Bean Salad

If you've been around here long, you know that where food is concerned, there are two things with which I struggle. First, budget. And second, getting enough veggies and fruit into my body.

I decided that one food that would help in this regard was beans. I'm not a big fan of beans ordinarily, but they do meet my two criteria. Additionally, they are known to be a good source of protein. I am working hard at trying to rebuild muscle so protein is important. 

I ran across this recipe recently. I decided if it tasted good, it would be a winner in the budget and nutrition categories as well. 

White Bean Salad

2 (15-ounce) cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia)

2 TBS white wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 TBS olive oil

(This recipe is posted on the blog "Cheap Good Eats".)

First, place the beans, pepper, parsley, and onion in a large salad bowl. 

In a small jar or bowl, place the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Cap the jar and shake or whisk to combine. Add the oil and shake or whisk again.

Toss the salad with the dressing, folding gently so as not to break up the beans. Adjust seasonings and serve. 

This salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

 

I did not have two cans of cannelini beans. However I did have one can of white beans and one can of garbanzo beans so I used those. I had chopped red bell pepper stashed in my freezer which saved me having to chop the pepper.  I was making this quite late last night and I just didn't feel like messing with the onion so I skipped it. (I will probably add it next time, as long as I am putting this together before 10PM, LOL.) I had no fresh parsley, but I did have dried parsley, so I threw in some of that. I'd guess I put in about 2 Tablespoons of dried parsley. I substituted garlic powder for the minced garlic--I didn't measure it; I just sprinkled some in, stirred, tasted, and added a bit more. I did not have white wine vinegar so I substituted red wine vinegar. I just dumped the vinegar, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper into the bowl with the beans and peppers and stirred it around some.

As you can see, I found it necessary to make a LOT of substitutions and this still came out tasting great.

I found this to be a very tasty dish. In fact, at my house, it was "dinner". It went together in a very few minutes. I'm pretty sure that this is the kind of dish that will just get better as it stands so I'm looking forward to lunchtime today. If you have some Romano cheese lying around, you might want to try some, finely grated, in here. I think that would add another layer of flavor that would go well. I have to say that the colored bell pepper and parsley added not only to the flavor, but also to the visual appeal of the dish.

The recipe says this serves 4. However, I'm pretty sure that is based on using it as a side dish. I will be eating it as an entree, maybe with some fresh baked bread on the side. I think it will make 3 meals and I will absolutely be making it again! With extra dressing, I think you could add this to some torn up lettuce and have a darned good winter salad.

I will probably experiment with making this with dried beans as they are less expensive than canned. I'm not sure exactly how to convert X amount of dried beans to 30 oz of canned beans, but I'll figure it out. I own a kitchen scale and I know how to use it. Besides, considering all my substitutions and the good result, exactitude doesn't appear to be necessary here, LOL.

Starting a new week..............

Well, yesterday was a lost day. That back problem with which I woke up put me to bed on Flexeril. The Flexeril, as is par for the course, knocked me out. However, it knocked me out for 5+ hours instead of the usual 3! So, I think that helps to make up for the lousy sleep I had the prior couple of nights. In addition, I slept 7 straight hours last night! That is a rarity. I didn't even wake up for a potty call. I should be ready to take on the world today, right? Right! 

My big task for the day is going to be vacuuming the floors throughout the house. They need it! They will, literally, change color when I get the dog hair picked up with the vacuum, LOL. 

Of course, I will continue on with my daily kitchen straightening and desk maintenance. 

And, I will get that new shredder properly positioned, plugged in, and working. As I get closer to getting some control on THIS side of the office, I am more anxious to get control on the other side (where the pile of shredding sits). 

I'm also planning on one load of laundry. I have a few items on the drying rack that are ready to be folded up and put away. These days, I am not hanging tee shirts in the closet any more. Instead, I'm folding them up as I wash them, getting them boxed up and ready to stash for the winter. It's still 100 degrees here, but I have PLENTY of tee shirts in the closet. Boxing up the freshly laundered shirts will just mean fewer to work at storing away later in the month of October, always a good thing.

Speaking of 100 degree days, they keep messing with the forecast. Originally, I think, we were slated for 4 in a row. But, now, if my count is correct, we are on the 4th day with 3 more to go! I am not amused! I think I have pretty much done everything I can think of to control my energy consumption.

I am policing the house to make sure lights are turned out when not in use--except a few strategic ones that keep me from breaking my legs til I can navigate to the next light switch. I am not turning off the computer every night, but I am at least switching off the monitor. Where I am keeping "navigational" lights on, I am choosing those with the lowest wattage usage. For example, the overhead light in my dining room has 4 bulbs and is good enough to light the dining room, the living room, and the hallway. But, I don't need all that light all the time. I've opted to keep that off and substitute a lamp with just one LED bulb. I can't see to do much with just that lamp, but at least I don't stumble over a dog! It's less cheerful and bright in here, but I'm sure it saves a few pennies. Just little things like that, but being done consistently.

I will be working feverishly to get the last of my back-ups done for September. I still have 4 BIG files to back up! I can do it, but I'm going to have to be very conscientious about it.

That's it for now. YOU be BLESSED today!

This may be the day.........

I fill the prescription I got from the doc for Soma. I woke up hurting and it hasn't gotten any better as the morning has worn on........ Something I didn't mention, but which seems a bit funny to me: the doc was very careful to give me all sorts of warnings when writing out that prescription: "Don't drink alcohol." "Don't drive or operate heavy equipment." And so on. I've been taking Soma for SO LONG when my back acts up. So long, actually, I can't remember exactly when I took it the first time, but I know it had to be at least as far back as the 80's! And my reaction is the opposite of other people's. Soma is the muscle relaxer that allows me to stay awake. It doesn't knock me out like Flexeril. I guess the absence of the DEA number made him think I knew nothing about taking that particular medicine.......... What can I say, I'm easily amused! 

I have had 3 nights in a row of really poor sleep. Thursday night I went to bed at midnight. At 2:30 I got up because I was tired of laying there wide awake. I went back to bed at 4:30 and at 6:14 I was still awake. Somewhere after 6:14, I finally got to sleep. Friday and Saturday nights have yielded up a series of 1 hour (or less) naps. That isn't going to leave anyone feeling rested! 

So, I'm dragging. Dragging around the house, not accomplishing what I think I should. And, with a muscle spasm in my lower back, today doesn't look any better. But, prayer changes things, right?

My new shredder arrived yesterday. I haven't got it set up yet. It's unpacked and put together, but it needs to be lifted and carried to the office and then I need to crawl around on the floor to try to get the old one unplugged and the new one plugged in. I honestly don't think I'm going to do that today! It looks small. I haven't actually compared it to my previous shredder, but it looks like a "mini" to me. Well, I guess that just means I will empty it more often so emptying it will be something less of a chore.

Saturday night I made a quick trip to Trader Joe's. I had two purposes in mind: 1) turn in the job application I finally filled out as a step of faith, and 2) buy some food I could cook and eat quickly. I was blessed on turning in the job application. I met with the manager and we talked for 10 minutes or so. I got the impression that he was seriously considering me. He mentioned that they have an opening expected SOON. Yippee! Not so "yippee" is the shift--4-8AM! You know how I wake up--V.E.R.Y.  S.L.O.W.L.Y. However, while those hours will be tough for me, I know, at least, that I didn't flinch or stand there with my mouth open, dazed, when he said that. Thank you, Lord! Actually, it might be a good thing to have gone to work, done my job, and returned home by 8:10AM. I will have the whole day to work on other things.

I figure I will have to get up no later than 2AM in order to be awake enough to arrive at work with all the appropriate articles of clothing in all the appropriate places, LOL. I tell you, even thinking about working that shift is a faith walk! But, if that's where God wants me, He'll help me do it right. But, in that the manager mentioned the upcoming opening and even mentioned the shift, I think that indicates a positive response. 

So, I'm looking forward to God moving on my behalf in this. By the way, Trader Joe's is just about a mile from my house. Love a 1 mile commute! 

My primary goal as far as shopping was to buy stuff I could cook up quickly. I did pretty well at that. Even bought a couple of their pre-made salads. In that it's just me, it really doesn't pay me to buy stuff to make my own salads. Invariably, the lettuce turns brown or stuff gets slimy before I can eat it. So, the pre-made salads are just the ticket for me. And, they have actual veggies in them! Another good thing is that they pretty much all seem to contain protein in one form or another. I ate a spinach salad for dinner Saturday night. It had spinach and tomatoes--veggies--and uncured bacon, cheese, and a hardboiled egg. All together, that's reasonably nutritious, I think.

I have a hard time buying staples in that store. It's hard to find canned goods other than beans. I find that seriously mystifying. I also found pretty much NO pasta. That too seems odd. I was prepared to buy enough pasta products to stock up. I've pretty well totally depleted my stash. Instead I came home with nothing. I saw whole wheat pasta and some egg noodles. But, seriously, they had at least 3 shelves set aside for pasta and I think maybe one shelf was about half full. And nothing on the other shelves........

So, I will need a trip to another grocery store soon. But I'm covered for now. 

I've been working on a new kit and, at least for now, I'm inspired and motivated. I sure hope inspiration and motivation sticks around for a while! I design mostly for the joy of it, and when I'm not inspired and motivated, the "joy" is gone; it becomes "work". I don't like that! 

Well, I'm going to go take a pill and get flat on my back for a while. At least, this muscle spasm may allow me to catch up on sleep, LOL. YOU be BLESSED today.

I found it, but I don't want to.........

spend the money for it! Geez. I found a fabric yesterday that is JUST RIGHT for my living room/dining room. I LOVE it. Here, let me show you:

My walls are plain 'ol white. My sofa and loveseat are beige. The room needs some color. And this fabric is a mix of just exactly the colors I'd like to use to wake that room up. It's really just perfect. The problem is, this fabric is not available at JoAnns with a 50% or even a 40% off coupon. No such luck. And it costs around $40 a yard. I figure I could get two sofa cushions out of a yard, but............ I am having a hard time imagining spending $20 a pillow for sofa cushions and still having to supply my own pillow inserts! And, I know, I would end up wanting to use this stuff in other places besides just on sofa cushions, know what I mean? And how likely am I to find something with this same color scheme somewhere else. Apparently not likely at all. I've checked every online fabric dealer I can think of--no such luck. I did however find florals and geometrics that would coordinate. I shall have to think long and hard about this............

I was shocked at some of the prices I encountered for home dec yard goods. I gasped when I saw one (beautiful) piece for $104 a yard, but that was nothin'. Later on, I almost fainted dead away when I ran into a piece that was $203 a yard. I squinted hard at my screen, looking for real gold threads, but I didn't see any............

In the meantime, I have more down-to-earth things to think about. I NEED a trip to the grocery store. I really do. The problem with only doing a decent shopping trip once a month is that by the time the end of the month rolls around, I am out of everything! I am not a big fan of prepared frozen food, but I will give in to it if it's in my freezer and I'm running late. Well, at this point, there is one chicken pot pie in my outside freezer and some beef and bean burritos in my inside fridge! (I dare you to try to find the beef in those burritos!) I'm out of half 'n' half, surviving on canned milk in my coffee. I'm out of apple cider vinegar. I'm out of macaroni, spaghetti, and pretty much any other variety of pasta you can think of. My NesQuik is getting low and so is my butter. And the list just goes on and on.......... I have plowed through a good percentage of my homemade frozen soups. The only fresh fruit I have is some apples that need to become applesauce because they're too far gone to just eat. I own one bag of green onions and that's the extent of my fresh veggies. There are no potatoes. My stash of canned goods is pretty well depleted as well. Yup, I'm going to have to pull my big girl panties up and go to the store........

The inside of the fridge sparkles after yesterday's scrubbing. I still need to go through the freezer and figure what is in there that I can eat or use as an ingredient in something. 

I have bills to pay here at the desk and I am working hard at doing monthly backups of all my scrapbooking stuff. 

I guess I need to tackle that pile of linens that is sitting on my dining room table. It doesn't look very good and I can't donate it til I list it (for tax purposes) and bag it up. 

Today is drag the trash to the curb day for tomorrow's pick up.

I need to carry multiple buckets of dog food in from the van so there's room for groceries when I go. There's still a full bag of dog food out there. 

So, as you can see, I've got quite a day ahead of me. I don't think I want to go grocery shopping til I go through that freezer, but still, I'll be busy. 

What do you have planned for today? Whatever it may be, YOU be BLESSED today!

Wow! It's amazing.........

how much earlier you can start your day when you go to bed at a decent hour! I was up and kicking this morning at 7:30, the earliest in a long time. I like it. It's great to get a bit of a headstart on the day and even better because, early in the AM, it's still cool enough outside to open up the house for a few hours.

Hey, before I forget........... As you know, I went on a search for Vitamin C supplements made with citric acid rather than ascorbic acid. I searched a number of web sites and finally ordered some chewable ones. I was a little paranoid about that--I've had chewable Vitamin C's that more or less turned my mouth inside out--they tasted so bad. I did NOT want anything like that. I kinda felt like a wimp, but I ended up ordering some chewable gummi supplements. Here's what I ordered:

I have to tell you that these things are more like candy than vitamins. I have to measure out my day's dose when I get up or I am tempted to "forget" I already had enough and eat these babies just because I enjoy them. The downside to these is that you "have" to chew 2 of these a day to get 1000mg of Vitamin C. And, the doctor whose recommendations I am trying to follow calls for 3000mg a day. That means a bottle of 90 gummies, like this one, is only a 15 day supply. 

Anyway, if you want a citric acid Vitamin C, I do recommend these. And right now, Amazon has them on sale for $6.97 a bottle. Even if you're not a Prime member, there's free shipping on orders of $35 or more so that's something to think about. And, there's also a clipable coupon for $1 off per bottle, bringing them to less than $6 a bottle which is about 1/3 off from what I paid and I ordered from someone else and paid shipping. In other words, this is a good deal.

I did not fare so well around here yesterday. I do a lot of desk type stuff during the day and end up working in the house in the evenings, pretty much all the way til I drag myself to bed. About 8PM last night, my blood pressure went climbing. That brought on the wraps-the-back-of-my-head headache and I ended up sitting quietly for the rest of the night. That also spelled doom for my treadmill time. I wasn't going to get on the treadmill and elevate my blood pressure even higher.

I really did do a good job on the part of the fridge I got cleaned. I wiped down the exterior and it really sparkles. I got the top two shelves cleaned out (the fridge looks "empty" now). Still need to clear/clean another shelf and the three drawers. I even rolled out the pantry-on-wheels I had built a while back, got down on my hands and knees and did my best to clean the floor between the fridge and the cupboard. I wasn't able to get to the very back 6 inches of the "hole", but the rest of that floor is clean. 

Someday some guy will come to visit who wants, really wants, to move my fridge. (Right!) I'll get that back 6 inches then..........

More sorting and filing here on the desk occurred. And I did do that application as I promised. That's about it.

Today, I want to finish up work on that fridge. Next will be using some Liquid Gold on the cupboards so they look better. There is a small bay window in the kitchen that needs cleaned. I'm not sure if I will actually tackle that. It sits behind the cabinet that holds the double sink. I have a terrible time reaching that thing to clean it and I'm not sure I'm up for that adventure just yet. I need to grow longer arms. Part of the problem also is that there are shelves that span the window and those have to be completely unloaded before any window cleaning can occur.........

Out here, the work on the desk continues. 

 

I am thoroughly disgusted!

My shredder has died a sudden death! I have no choice but to buy another, no matter how much I don't want to spend the money. Darn. They sure don't make shredders like they used to! And the model I have is supposed to shred paper, staples, credit cards, etc. I haven't, to my knowledge, fed it anything but paper. I can't operate this office without a functional shredder.

Last time, I bought from Office Depot/Office Max. This time I am buying a cheaper product with a replacement guarantee that costs an extra $4 for a 3 year term. I can't order it til tomorrow though or I risk not having enough money in the checking account, LOL. 

I've failed in the Faith Department. And it's a pretty big failure, if I do say so myself. When I started working at the store, I was probably in better shape, in some ways, than I am now. I am, however, working at getting stronger and working at it more regularly than I was then. I have held off on applying for the job I THINK I'm supposed to have because of my physical condition. Yet, I believe God isn't going to put me in a place where I cannot perform adequately. And I ABSOLUTELY believe God heals and it is His will to heal everyone. So, the big question is: Why have I put off applying for this job? Well, the only answer I can come up with is that I've been too busy looking at the problem(s) and not busy enough looking at the Solution. 

So, I'm going to rectify this. I am going to fill out the application and submit it this week. Then I am going to take on a dedicated job search. You might ask why I would be searching for a job elsewhere when I think I know where God wants me. Well, because I frequently have difficulty distinguishing God's voice from my own. 

I am actually pretty convinced I know the place. The idea of working at this particular place has haunted me. It will not go away. On my own, I can think up great ideas and forget them just as quickly. However, I don't think there's been a single day when I wasn't reminded I should apply to this particular place. 

I have held off because this body has been SO debilitated after two rounds of pneumonia and the craziness with my thyroid meds. But, if I REALLY believe my healing is there, waiting for me to take it, then I am way late in getting this thing done. I have learned the correctness of the following statement along the way: Faith makes it possible, not necessarily easy. 

One thing I know: The Lord NEVER, EVER fails to do His part!

So, today I am doing the job application, even if I don't get another thing done, in faith, believing that when I'm hired, He will give me whatever I need to do it and do it right.

I did a decent job around here yesterday, but nothing stellar. I still need to tackle that refrigerator, but I got the trash out and that was a big job with a contractor's bag filled with shredding and a FULL trash bag from the kitchen as well as a bunch of smaller trash cans. And I got the remainder of the first 50 pound bag of dog food brought in from the car, scrubbed down the kitchen door, etc.

I did a good bit here at the desk. I tried to do a good bit of shredding as well, but see paragraph 1 above, LOL. 

I did crawl around on the floor and work on the carpet spots. I am still singing the praises of hydrogen peroxide. It's CHEAP and it works! My very light colored carpet looks good. Kinda funny: Before I actually got to cleaning the spots I knew needed cleaning, Parker managed to make yet another spot! I was pleased to be able to get down there and get back up again. A few months ago, I pulled back from getting down on the floor because I knew I just might get stuck there!

So, today, I tackle that fridge. Inside and out.

And, there's always more to be done here at the desk, starting with that job application.

I still have a very small pile of linen closet stuff to put away and I want to use some Liquid Gold on the doors there. Then, I think it's time to try to deal with the big donate pile in my dining room. There is a big pile of stuff to list for tax purposes and bag up. Then, it all needs to go to the van so it can be delivered to the charity dropoff.

It has taken me forever, but after today, I will have cleaned out the four scariest "closets" in my house--my master bedroom closet, the linen closet, the hall coat closet, and a big utility cabinet that also sits in the hall, opposite the linen closet.

I think I will try to do some work in the garage SOON. It is cooling down enough that, if I time it right, by next week it should be almost pleasant out there. I have been trying to figure something out. Everything out there is a "mish". Plumbing supplies are mixed with wallpapering supplies which are mixed with doggie leashes which are mixed with electrical wiring stuff which are mixed with lawn and garden stuff which are mixed with...........Well, you get the idea. I am going to have to do a major sort on this stuff. The BIG question is what I'm going to sort this stuff into.

I think I am going to have to buy some of those big plastic tubs. I'd considered laundry style baskets, but a) I don't think they are sturdy enough, and b) they don't come with lids. It is incredibly dusty in the desert, even in the house, but in the garage, a storage container without a lid is just an invitation to a total mess. I will label the tubs, of course, but I want something that is see-thru as well. I have boxes, so I can start, but I don't want to have to move everything into tubs at a later date. So, I need to acquire some storage tubs.

I also need to buy some filters for the HVAC system. I think I will purchase those through Amazon's "subscribe and save" system. That way they will arrive every month (or I can set the time frames) and that will remind me to climb up there and change out the filter! Tomorrow...........

Well, I need to get on with this day. I just had blood drawn for a thyroid test that is 3 weeks overdue. I will be anxiously awaiting the results! It is one thing to WANT an afternoon nap; it is entirely another thing to NEED an afternoon nap every single day! YOU be BLESSED today! 

 

 

They've got to stop this!

The last time I checked the 10-day weather forecast and then checked another 5 days beyond that, there wasn't a 3 digit high temperature to be seen. I was SO happy. But, darn it all, I just checked this morning and they've upgraded 3 days to 100+. I am so tired of having the house closed up, hiding from the light and heat. I want to open doors and windows. I want to be able to climb into my van without burning my butt on the vinyl seats. I ask you--when will it stop? It's already the 20th of September! It's time already!

I had a pretty good day yesterday. Saturday I made crockpot pumpkin butter. It's outrageously good! Yesterday I baked bread in the crockpot. The combination of fresh baked bread slathered with butter and pumpkin butter is over the top!

I did some plant maintenance in the kitchen. The kitchen is actually the only place I have plants. It seems I can remember to water them there but I can't remember to water plants elsewhere in the house. Weird, I know. I washed the inside of the kitchen window and scrubbed down the water cooler. I want SO MUCH to replace that water cooler. I don't even have it plugged in any more. I don't particularly like cold water and I don't want to use the power to make what I don't enjoy. But, that thing has been "rented" for 17 years. 

I figured it out. I've spent $816 on rent for that darned water cooler over the years. Yet, I don't want to be without the stand for my bottled water. Water in Vegas is so full of chlorine it smells like your local public swimming pool when you try to drink it. 

So, I'd like to replace it. But, there's so little counter space in my little kitchen that I can't possibly use a rig that sits on the counter. And, a quick price check on a free standing unit tells me it would take more than 2 years to pay myself back for purchasing instead of renting. Oh, well. Maybe someday when there's more cash..........

I worked some more on the desk. I have some stuff that needs to be filed pronto. As I sort, my desktop gets out of control again and I won't stand for that. It's been such a hard-fought battle to get it cleaned up. So, today I'll be filing and probably sorting some more. Also, the budget needs work and there are a few bills lying around that need to be paid.

I did two shredding rounds yesterday. I added some stuff to the pile as I sorted stuff on the desk, but I got that pile reduced by about half. I am anxious to get that area cleaned up. I bought a cross cut shredder when my old one died and it makes the biggest mess. It doesn't warn you that it's full til it's overstuffed. The moment you lift off the top to empty it, bits of crosscut paper go everywhere. I hate that! I have a huge bag of shredding to drag to the curb today! And probably at least one more huge bag to fill..........

So, today. In the kitchen, I'm going after the refrigerator. I'll have to climb on a chair to wipe down the top. Then, the sides and the exterior of the door and then starting on the interior. When that's finished, I will have cleaned just about every square inch of that kitchen, from top to bottom and it will be time to start again, LOL.

I'll be sorting and filing and budgeting and paying bills here at the desk. In the background, I'll be running backups of my design-related computer files.

And, I'm going to be shredding as well. I'd like the piles of paper to be shredded to be gone by tonight. We'll see if I can make that happen. It might depend on what I find along the way that has to be added to the pile.

And, if there's time, I want to do some spot cleaning on the carpet in the living room and hall. The dogs have been at it again, being sick in inconvenient places, etc. It's Parker who does this. Though she's never been trained in any way with regard to this, Punkin has enough sense to go outside. Well, hydrogen peroxide to the rescue--again.

And, it's drag the trash to the curb day. Boy, do I have trash! The trash collectors will not love me when they arrive tomorrow! 

The place is starting to look better. There's still a LOT to do, but it's rewarding to see order and a degree of cleanliness being restored here and there. Now to expand that orderly view..........

I did not work out last night. The soreness from Saturday night's Total Gym workout finally hit around 8PM. I was feeling it in my upper thighs and in the area just above my knees. Well, both areas have needed work so I'm doing something right, I guess. Tonight I'll stick with the treadmill.........

That's it for now. YOU be BLESSED today!

Sunday morning.........

If you weren't at my house yesterday, you should have been! I made homemade pumpkin butter in the crockpot. The house smelled fabulous all day! And the pumpkin butter turned out super good. Somehow, I ended up with 3 BIG cans of pumpkin in my pantry. I used the first to make pumpkin bread and that was yummy. Now, I've used can #2 for the pumpkin butter. About 30 ounces of pumpkin morphs into about 3 cups of pumpkin butter. This stuff has to be stored in the fridge or freezer, but I filled up 3 small containers and stored 2.

I also made another batch of bread dough. I haven't turned dough into bread yet because my crockpot was busy making the pumpkin butter. (It gets baked in the crockpot, which keeps the house cooler and the power bill down!) But, in just a little while, I'm going to be eating fresh made bread with pumpkin butter and I know THAT is going to be good!

I didn't do a whole lot else in the house, though I did spend some time on the desk and I did some shredding. I had gathered up a huge pile of paper from various places in the office. I'd guess it was a good 4 inches high. I went through every stinkin page and sorted out what should be shredded, what could simply be trashed, and what should be filed. There is one more pile about 2 inches high that I need to attend to and then it's back to sorting and filing that last pile of paper that's on the desk. I also paid some bills. Then I moved over to the other side of the office and got a good bit of shredding done. I have stuff in my house with other people's Social Security Numbers on it and I have to be VERY careful as to how I dispose of said "stuff". Shredding is not one of my favorite activities, mostly because I have to pull all the staples for my particular shredder to continue to work well, but it has to be done. 

Technically, I've been working with two different kits on the design side. I am flat out of mojo, but I'm working at it. I have a new kit I've been working with for quite a while now. I also pulled out a kit that is mostly done--just needs more elements--and have added a few things to it. Finally, I created a color palette yesterday and started playing with it. I don't like it so it's going to get either altered or thrown away. 

I climbed on the Total Gym last night and did my workout. I upped my reps on everything, but I'm still not sore.......... You know my theory--if your muscles aren't at least a little bit sore, you haven't worked hard enough. So, the next time I use the Total Gym, I'll increase the reps some more. I know what I'm doing on there doesn't really work the same muscle groups as what gets worked on the treadmill or with my free weights, so....... I know I could increase the resistance and get faster results, but I am NOT in the mood to mess with that mechanism again! 

So, that's all I have to say for now. YOU be BLESSED today. I'll be going to church here soon, so I know I will be blessed too!

 

He came!

Holy Mary! The doctor actually came! I am beyond relieved. I now have a 'script to get me past the time period it will take to get a new blood test scheduled, performed, and results sent to him. I also have a prescription for Soma.

I have had back problems for years. In fact, my first "back problem" happened when I was 14. Decades ago! Over the years I have found that if I take Flexeril, I am knocked out for hours and hours with "drug hangover" when I finally start to be conscious again. However, if I take Soma, I can stay upright and my brain still functions. Now, apparently, this is backwards from the way most other people's bodies function. Well, I can't help that! It is what it is. 

Anyway, I had a round of back pain a few weeks ago and was pretty desperate to get a prescription for Soma. I had things I needed to do an absolutely no plans to spend the day zonked out on Flexeril! I e-mailed the doc and rec'd a reply from his office manager that he would not prescribe that unless he saw me. 

I addressed that with him and he told me the problem is that I don't have a "DEA number". Okay?....... Apparently this is some sort of control number assigned so doctors can search and determine if you are just a pill seeker. Well, I haven't had medical insurance since 1993. I just recently got some (not great, but some) coverage. In the 90's, I heard from a client of the glories of getting meds from Mexico at a much reduced price with few hoops through which to jump to get what was needed. And that began a process of DH and I making trips to Mexico about every 6 months. At that point, the cost of spending a night in Yuma and the cost of gasoline to get there and back was far less than a doctor visit here and prescription meds at US prices. So, that was the route we chose. We came back with thyroid meds, blood pressure meds, antibiotics, and more in addition to Soma and Flexeril when they were needed.

We didn't often bring back Soma or Flexeril. And, it's been more than 5 years since we last made the trip. I still have some Flexeril left from our last trip, but had used up my stash of Soma. I guess I wouldn't have a "DEA number", bringing the stuff in from Mexico.........

Well, I guess I'll have a "DEA number" now. He gave me a prescription for 30 pills. That's a lot different from coming across the border with 3 bottles of 100. But, unless something totally unforeseen and way out of the ordinary happens, I'd bet by next year this time I will still have Soma left. It's not like I want to stay doped up or anything. I am certainly NOT a pill seeker, LOL.

I flat out asked him if I was on someone's black list there at his office. He denies it. Well, I don't know, but 4 no shows or skipped opportunities make me wonder............ But, apparently, the employee who lied about calling me and calling my pharmacy is gone now. Glory Hallelujah. He (the doc) indicated he had caught the employee in several questionable/objectionable practices as well. 

Well, I promised myself I'd do some design work today. My design mojo is missing again so I will have to fight to grind some good stuff out. So be it.

YOU be BLESSED today!