My Weblog

5 of 5

I made it through the week. I worked every hour available. It has been a challenge, mostly because of the short staffing. When there's not enough staff, customers cannot get the service they expect. They arrive at the checkstand impatient and a bit cranky. I do my best to jolly them out of it......... The new screens they promised for April delivery have arrived and are installed. And I don't know what is going on with them but they do NOT seem to be an improvement. Perhaps there is some sort of software conflict. At any rate, the screens  will just freeze up. You are doing your thing with the scan gun and NOTHING is registering anywhere. Nothing on the screen at all. You have to stop and clear the log jam on the screen and start over. That doesn't help at all with moving customers through the line.

They had free food again today. Of course, there wasn't much I could eat. The unwashed masses of employees seem to get excited on days with free food. It doesn't excite me much. First there's the problem of not being able to eat what they have to offer. Second. I cannot help thinking that maybe I could see another dime or so in my paycheck if the money spent on "free" food went into payroll instead.

I got to thinking yesterday about the "Trump tax cut" bonus. I got the equivalent of 7 hours at my pay rate. Between June 8th and July 20th, I will have lost 7 days pay due to the staffing thing. Which would I rather have, 7 hours of pay or 7 days of pay? I'd rather have been able to work those 7 days! It is my impression that the "blessed one" is at least partially responsible for this mess. I was told, by someone who is in a position to know, that he was heavily overstaffing the front end, to the point that corporate threatened to take staffing into their hands. AND, I think sales are down. I could be wrong, but, once again, for the 3rd time, they are offering 20% off coupons on the bottom of every register tape (for our store only). It seems they are trying very hard to draw customers. However, they have not told the cashiers they MUST bring the coupon to the attention of the customers. Not many people read their register tapes. They may check the numbers to make sure they didn't get charged for a 24K gold faucet, but I don't think they read all the verbiage below unless someone turns a spotlight on it. I've faithfully been telling customers the terms of the coupon except in those cases where people are obviously fidgety to get out of the store. I know one other cashier who is at least mentioning that there is a coupon at the bottom of the tape.l But, that's it..........I am going so far as to give people ideas of what they can buy to take advantage of the coupon--paint, storage containers, sprinkler clocks, plants for their garden, even TP and paper towels. At 20% off, it's a pretty good time to buy whatever you've been thinking about.............

I am still faithfully watering my baby tree. And it is still in full desert sun a solid 6 hours a day. I am hoping the watering is enough to help it survive. My buddy from the store wants to come by tomorrow and finish off the second hole so we'll plant that second "tree". It's supposed to be a tree, but since I've been keeping it alive in a trash can, it looks more like a vine. Hoping training it will work...........

I had a list of things to get done tonight. I haven't succeeded in doing much of it yet, but the night is "young". I've had a nap so I can work fairly late and maybe get some things done.

 

Fighting the good fight of faith..........

Pretty much every day, on the way to work, I remind the Lord of His promise of "all sufficiency in all things" and also that He will "supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". Tonight I'm having a struggle with that as a result of a 60% cut in hours the second week of July. I HAVE enough. I CAN make it--in the short run. But, certainly, this thing needs to turn around...........God is able and He loves me. I'm one of His favorites..........

I took out the trash. I washed a load of clothes. I paid more of July's bills and figured out how to bail out the checking account so that I can actually pay them ALL. And, I spent some extra time in the kitchen. Together with the hedge trimming, not too bad a showing I guess.

Now I'm off to bed. We'll see what I can get done tomorrow. Thanks for being there. Sometimes this "alone" thing gets to me. Not often. I am very aware that God is always with me. But, sometimes it would be good to have a human with whom to exchange conversations and confidences. At least, it would FEEL good though, on second thought, it might not BE good. When one is taking each day on faith, one doesn't really need someone with whom to commiserate. Rather I think the need is for someone to remind, remind, remind me of God's promises which are ALWAYS true. I think I'll spend some time with Him before I sleep.............

Day 4 of 5

And, so another workday has passed. Not that I've quit working, you understand. Just that I'm working here at home, not at the store. It was a BUSY day. It was made busier because staff was truly bare bones. It was so tight that the head cashier had to cover my station so I could have my mandatory break. And, til sometime after 1PM, I had the only station open. I worked on my usual register for a while til the scan gun stopped working. Then I tried the next station but that didn't work either. Then I finally opened a 3rd station and got it going. Lines were long and I was pushing pretty hard to move people through in a timely manner. It was such a relief when a few more people came in and there was more than just my register open. I only looked up once to see the line dictated that I should call for backup. But, there was no backup to be had, so why call?

I have been working on trimming the hedges out front. They are overgrown. I would say it's at least 2 years since they were trimmed. For all I know, it is entirely the wrong season of the year to be doing this, but I'm doing it anyway. I think it's necessary because the hedges are overgrowing the sidewalk to the front door. I've gone after it two nights in a row now. I'm guessing it will take me 3 more sessions before I get it done.............I've put some of the trimmings in the trash, but I will try to get the rest into the compost pile. I have been waiting til somewhere after 6PM (when the sun starts to drop below the mountaintop to the west) to do this. Otherwise, it would be too hot for me to attempt. But, once the sun starts to set, the hedges are in shadow which also helps.

I have been working on budget stuff in my "spare" time. I haven't paid all the bills for July yet, but I can see that there isn't enough money in the account to cover them. I do have some cashed saved from the last 3 very small paychecks, so I'll have to deposit some of that to cover the monthly bills. It's getting serious around here.

I could use your prayers about my work schedule. For the longest time, I worked 5 day weeks. After I took that week off, the "blessed one" cut me to 4 day weeks, so this week is now an anomaly. I have 2  four day weeks coming up and after that I have a 2 day week. How is a person supposed to live on that? I don't know, but God does. I'll need Him to pitch in or shine some new light on things that I don't have right now.

One of the really "fun" things about this reduced schedule is that this store has a coupon for the 12th-15th of July. I had really hoped to buy some more paint for the exterior of the house because, with the coupon, I'd save about 20%. Now I'm wondering about doing that when I'm facing a 2 day work week!

Well, anyway, I need to get on with things around here. So far, all I've accomplished is watering outside, working on the hedge, and watering the new "tree". Oh, and I also accomplished a nap. Maybe I can come back later and catch you up on whatever else I can accomplish.

 

An okay day............

Work was okay. No cranky customers. A few really nice ones.

I called the oxygen concentrator people again the minute I walked through the door and they promised they'd have a driver call me. 2.5 hours later, just minutes before they closed, I called again. I rehearsed the story and 15 minutes later I had a call. Fifteen minutes after that I had a new machine. Glory be!

I made it to the bank before work and even made it to work with minutes to spare. It does no good to go in early. The most you can clock in early is 5 minutes.........

I have washed a load of clothes and hung everything to dry. I've done a good bit of work in the kitchen though it's nothing to write home about yet. It IS improved. I have to get better about putting away the things I drag out. There were 5 different kinds of cleaning solution in spray bottles on my counter top! I watered the hedges out front and poured a gallon of water on the new tree. I hope I am not overwatering it. It is, however, in full afternoon sun and it's HOT around here. I'm figuring it probably needs all the water it can get right now until it is established and acclimated to that hot sun. I also pounded a stake into the ground next to the tree as best I could and tied the tree loosely to the stake. I need to train it to be a tree, not a vine. I watered plants inside. And I've paid a few bills and straightened the desk a little.

Not a fabulous showing, but not too bad. I think now I am about ready to hit the sack. I did not sleep well last night and a somewhat earlier bedtime tonight seems reasonable. I hope you had a blessed day.

I lead...........

a life of adventure! Work yesterday went well until, at break time, I sprouted a nose bleed. Don't know why. I went looking for a cold pack from the first aid kit but, of course, there weren't any. It seems whatever I need in an "emergency" situation, they don't have. Eventually it stopped but it was going pretty good there for a while. The head cashier had no idea why I would want a cold pack. If you're going to supervise people, shouldn't you know basic first aid, like that a cold pack applied to the back of the neck helps stop a nose bleed? Apparently not.

When I left work I went to the bank to deposit money. I'd received notice that my bank balance had dipped below my "low balance alert" level. And, shock of shocks, I didn't have my ATM card in my card case. As of this morning, they have hit me with $68 in fees............. Ugh! So, my low balance is even lower! You may be able to guess that I'll be stopping by the bank on my way to work.

Then I went to get a hair cut. I told the operator that I thought it had been cut too long in the front and/or too short in the back the last time. She lopped off a solid 2.5 inches, cut it short in the back (the crown of my head, actually) and longer in the front--the very thing I'd complained about. Honestly, no disrespect meant to anyone--just the best description I can think of--I look like a person who has survived chemo and whose hair has just begun to fill in. I measured (with my finger) and the longest part is not quite an inch long! It's certainly not what I asked for! My only comfort is that hair grows. In years past, I would have cried about it, but I guess I've grown more stoic. There are more important things in my life than hair. You get what you pay for--I went to Supercuts, because, if I check my budget, that is the most I can afford to pay..........

I went to check my newly planted tree and it appeared to be bone dry. I didn't check the soil down deep--it may have been okay. I immediately poured a gallon of water on it and added about 4 inches of mulch. Hoping that will keep it going til this afternoon when I'll water it again. It IS supposed to be drought tolerant..............

The final adventure for yesterday was my oxygen concentrator quitting. I was in the far end of the house and I stuck my head out to make sure Roomie was doing her job. She seemed to be emitting a strange noise. As I got closer, I realized it wasn't Roomie making that noise after all. The concentrator was giving a loud, extended beep. Not a beep as in intermittent but a beep as to the nature of the sound. Anyway, no oxygen is coming out and it just beeps and beeps. I managed to get it open and checked the filter. There was some dust on it and maybe a lot of dust in it for all I know. I wiped the dust off the exterior of the filter but that made no difference whatsoever. So, no oxygen since 10 o'clock last night. Trust me when I tell you that I could certainly have had a better night's sleep. I tried to call them but, of course, they have no emergency service. So, I called this morning when they opened but the story was that all the drivers are already out on their routes. I was just supposed to hang around until one of them showed up. Unfortunately, that doesn't take into account that I work! So, I've been assured that if I call when I get home, someone will come out. I think maybe I'll have to talk to the doc about a backup system.............

I upped the dosage on my maintenance medicine and I also did the albuterol inhaler and went to bed. I prayed, knowing that none of us is promised tomorrow. I want to be around for a good bit longer as there is much work to be done on this house in terms of cleaning it out. But, I know my slate is clean with the good Lord and timing is in His hands. And, so, I am still here today. Not comfortable, but here........... Of course, I don't have oxygen at work and I manage. However, I'm also usually pretty darned busy so my mind is on other things. My choice for now is to think about/pray about those items I pray about daily.

So, an adventure, right? Yeah.............

What's up with that?

I am actually scheduled to work 5 days this week. The "blessed one" must have gotten confused......... I guess he decided to make up for it by scheduling me for only 4 days each of the next 2 weeks............ With the reduced paycheck, I've been having to abandon the budget I'd set up. Pretty much I am using my paycheck now only for minimum grocery purchases, fuel, and a few necessities. No more sinking fund for clothes, dog's veterinary care, car repairs, etc. What I don't spend goes into my "sock". I'm not comfortable doing this, but I've not been able to come up with a better plan.

Yesterday my friend from work came over. As usual, he showed up with breakfast. I am amazed that he would volunteer to do chores for me AND spend money to buy breakfast for the two of us. I pushed some money into his pocket yesterday. Nowhere near what he would have earned if he'd asked for money for what he's done, but at least I don't want to be an expense in his life. His mission yesterday was to help me get some baby Moringa trees planted. We got one in the ground which I hope will survive but I'm doubtful. It may well be a divine thing if it does. It's pretty obvious to me that he doesn't know much about "gardening". I'll try to "teach" a little bit more next round.

The ground is really hard packed. One would think from the looks of it that it was clay soil and it is. What one would not expect is how many rocks are buried under the surface! It made the digging really hard work. I was the water girl and we kept soaking down the hole as it progressed. Then we'd let it stand til the water soaked in and in the meantime, work on a second hole. I can't imagine he knew what he was getting himself into! However, at one point, he stepped on one tender tree and, literally, ripped the top 4 feet of the tree off. Oops! Then, instead of reaching into the container and lifting the tree out, he got the shovel down in there. I am concerned he may have cut the root, but we'll see. I guess the answer is I have more moringa seeds and I now have a patch of turned, enriched soil in which to plant a new baby tree if that's what's needed. He says he'll finish the second hole next week. Then there's still a grapevine to plant.

The "trees" look a bit more like vines than trees. I'll have to acquire something with which to stake them today......... Fortunately, the "trunks" are still very thin and they should do well once they're staked.

One mystery occurred which I can't figure out. A faucet which I KNOW was functional is not putting out ANY water. My plan was to attach a hose there but that blew up in my face when no water could be secured from the faucet........... I don't have any idea what to do about that.........

I spent some time going through part of the bedroom closet. I culled two bags of stuff out of there and I didn't even go through the whole top rack on one side! Still SO MUCH left to do in there, but it's about progress. And there IS progress with two bags to show for it..

I did caulk around that kitchen window where I'd thought the ants were coming in. Well, yes, I caught some ants coming in there and I re-caulked. I'm quite sure now that area is sealed up. But, what did I find this morning in the kitchen? Ants on the counter again. Ugh!

I made Dijon Chicken Saturday night for dinner. It's really pretty fast to make and it sure was tasty. I even broke a rule and ate some green beans with it. I've been off green beans for a solid 25 years. They were ruined for me by an ex-husband who fancied he could cook. He'd dump canned green beans in a pot, warm them for 2 minutes, and serve them. They were NOT warm and they were not seasoned and they were disgusting. And that is what he thought we should eat about once a week. Turned me off green beans, I'll tell you. However, I managed to eat some Saturday night. Perhaps if I continue to try to eat them, properly warmed and seasoned, I can get past my head and start eating them again........

I've decided on a new tactic on the garage door. I now have 12 and 1/2 panels done. The hard part doesn't start til you try to get the second half of a panel in. I think I'm going to go ahead and cut and install the first half in each of the 3 remaining panels. Of course, they won't be sealed off or anything, but maybe they'll block a little bit of heat while they sit there awaiting their partners. Then I can install the last 4 halves as I get to them, meanwhile fantasizing that those 1/2 panels are actually of some value.

I received two items from Amazon over the weekend. I gave up on the copper bottom 3 QT saucepan I thought I could buy. Well, actually, Amazon sold it before I pushed the button so I had no choice. Instead I ordered a stainless steel 3 QT saucepan from Farberware. I think it will be just fine. I also got myself 2 new stainless steel cookie sheets. At last I can rid myself of the two nasty cookie sheets I've had for 25 or so years. One WAS Teflon til Joe took a Chore Girl-type scratcher to it and the other is rusted and nasty. So, those are headed for the trash and I have two new shiny ones to last me the rest of my life. I'm really pleased about that. I am hoping my new glass pitcher WITH LID will be delivered today. It will be great to have cold water in the fridge that doesn't taste like fridge gases/doesn't require balancing a plastic container of organic greens be balanced on top of it to prevent permeation of those fridge gases. I'm looking forward to that!

Well, time to hit the shower. YOU be BLESSED today!

hot, hot, hot!

We are slated for a high of 110 today and at approximately 9:45 it's 95 degrees. That's pretty darned hot. Of course, I have every intention of hiding in the house as much as possible.

I went out this morning and wrestled that last half of # 12 insulation panel into place with prayer! Yay me! Yay God! I also got another half panel done on #13. Maybe I'll go out again. I don't know. I was out there 12 minutes to accomplish what I've done. I could probably get another half panel in if it's not a huge fight. Of course, to make it fit "right", it is, by definition, a huge fight. You want it in there tight to minimize any leakage of air, hot or cold.......... It left me a little breathless, but not yet dripping with sweat. It is the "dripping" thing that deters me. Many times, when I get REALLY hot, it takes me hours to get cooled down again.......

My groceries were delivered on time and the order is correct. Yay! The first time I did this, the delivery was "free". This time there was a mandatory tip of $2.15 added to the bill. I worried needlessly about how much extra it would cost! Both times I slipped the driver a buck or two. Saving myself from going out in that heat was well worth it, believe me! You can travel a long ways before the a/c in the van actually overcomes the heat. A LONG ways. So, everything has been put away. I even indulged in an iced mocha latte yesterday afternoon because there was extra milk.

Speaking of an iced mocha latte, the doc told me to take 20 mg of Lisinopril in two 10 mg doses, one in the AM and one at 2PM. That was double my previous dose. I should also say that one dose is supposed to be a 12 hour dose. It seemed pretty important to jiggle those crazy late afternoon/early evening blood pressure readings down! 181/101 is even kinda scary--I get visions of tiny capillaries in my kidneys exploding, never to work again........... But, I've been taking just half a dose at 2PM. It seems to be enough, no big deal. I will take as little as possible for as long as possible, just seeking to get the job done. Believe me, if it were not doing the job, I wouldn't be having an iced mocha latte in the afternoon!

I got Roomie the Roomba going last night. Poor girl, she kept getting herself painted into corners. I'd listen for her, hear nothing, and go rescue her and set her free only to have it all happen all over again. But the carpet looks better. I'm gonna get her going again today. Honestly, probably the best time to let her do her thing is when I'm not here. She invariably gets herself tangled up in the plastic line that connects the oxygen concentrator to me. So, it would be good in that respect if I were not here and the cord was put away. However, she has such a penchant for going where angels fear to tread that I'm not sure that's as wise as it might otherwise be. She got tangled up in the living room. She got marooned under the dining room table. She got hung up on the client chairs here in the office. And, of course, remember that time she got wedged under the bed and I had to search for her before I could even rescue her? I'm not sure about turning her loose when I'm not here for reasons like this.

I went back over my caulking job this morning. The crack may well have been sealed. I DID work to get the stuff down inside the crack yesterday. However, I felt a lot better about it after I went back over it and laid down more on the surface. No more ants are going to come in from there! It took me forever to figure out how to make the caulking gun work. But, with enough experimentation, sometimes I can work things out...........

So, for today, my main goal is to attack the Master Bedroom closet. I want to see what lurks in there that can go to the donation center. I really don't go anywhere but work, the grocery store, and the drive-thru at the bank. I'm not sure where I'd wear all those "professional" clothes that are hiding in there. I've chipped away at them a little bit in the past, but I think it's time for a full-on attack. Besides having nowhere to wear those clothes, the truth is most of them will hang like Omar's tent on me these days. That's good, but if a dressier occasion ever occurs in my life, I'm gonna be hard pressed to find something to wear............

Well, I'm abandoning hope of going back into the garage this morning. Maybe I can go back out there for a few minutes this evening. But, right now, I've got the shakes which means I need to eat. By the time I cook something and eat, it's bound to be too hot out there! So, I'm going to go make myself something to eat and get on with life. Have a BLESSED day!

 

 

Eating my greens

As you know, I've been on a mission to eat more veggies. Some folks I know have greens with breakfast. At first, that sounded just plain strange. Certainly, it's something I've never heard of before. Well, here's the deal. This morning I did it and it was darned good. Think of what I did as an spinach omelet though it wasn't anything that "fancy". I threw a good handful of organic mixed greens into a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. As they cooked down, I stirred up some eggs. I was gonna do 3 eggs, but one of the first I pulled out of the egg container was a double yoker so I just used two. I poured the mixed up eggs over the wilted greens and then made sure the egg mounded up around the greens as they cooked. When everything was just about done, I flipped it. I pulled it from the skillet, sprinkled some shredded Mexican cheese on it and dotted it with salsa. It was fabulous. I'll be doing this again! I was surprised at how quickly I was able to do this!

I worked in the garage about 25 minutes and then gave up. The trick was I cut the styrofoam a little too long to actually get it into the space where I needed it. I got it part way in once, pulled it out, trimmed it, got it partway in again and then quit. I'll go back out this evening. But during that little bit of time, I had drippy hair and I knew it was time to get out of there. I'll have to pull it out and trim it again! The truth is there will actually be excess space when I trim it enough to fit. However, it's the maneuvering into place that's the problem AND the hard work!

It's gotten quite warm in the house. I already want to go hide in the bedroom but I have groceries being delivered sometime between 1 and 2. I can't go hang out in the bedroom til I've received those...........

Starting over...........

It's a pretty fabulous thing when you can start over 7 days a week. Yesterday I did not accomplish as much as I wanted but today I get to start over.

As soon as I finish this, I am headed to the garage. I doubt you remember, but it's been nagging me that I still have 5 panels on the garage door to insulate. UGH! But it's just plain silly to have come this far and not finish. So, before the garage turns into a veritable oven, I am going to do, at least, a couple of the remaining panels. I also want to caulk around that kitchen window before afternoon gets here. By afternoon, the sun will be blazing in through that window and I will want to be somewhere far removed, LOL. I bought the caulk and a caulking gun at the store last week. I'm sure there MUST be a caulking gun somewhere in the garage, but since I really haven't tackled much in the garage yet, "somewhere" is the operative word.

If I get that stuff done this AM, then the pressure will be off and I can proceed at a more leisurely pace. Still plenty more things on my To Do List to keep me busy.

It would have been nice if I could have installed weather stripping around that garage door before this crazy heat hit, but it didn't happen and now I just have to roll with what I have. I have decided, though, that I'll be buying weather stripping at the store in the next few weeks. Not just weather stripping for the garage door, but also for the windows. If something so simple can increase my comfort level without increasing the power bill, it seems like a good thing to do...........

I think I am also going to explore turning on just one or two sprinklers via the timer. I really am having a hard time convincing myself to run in and out in the heat to move the hose.........

It seems I am also going to have to look at having a couple of sprinklers on in the backyard really soon. My friend from work is planning to come over this weekend to help me plant trees. He works in Receiving and, thus, is used to the heat. He works unloading trucks and doing all sorts of heavy work outside in the heat. So, to him, digging a couple of holes for my Moringa trees is no big deal. This is going to sound really silly, but would you pray for my Moringa trees? I am positioning them opposite the two west-facing windows (really a window and a door). My hope is that they will provide some shade for these windows and thus make this room a viable place to be in the afternoons. Moringas have a tap root, not a system of roots that spread all over the yard which is a plus. Also they are drought tolerant so I should be able to water them just once a week. And they grow REALLY fast, up to 18 feet in a year. So, it's important to me that they live through the transplanting process............

I ordered my groceries online and I'm having them delivered between 1 and 2 PM. I didn't need much, but what I need, I REALLY need. And I just couldn't face going out in the heat. The forecast calls for a high today of 109! That's 2 degrees cooler than yesterday but I just don't know that 2 degrees will make that much difference to my body! I don't want to get wiped out by the heat again today! I got my first delivery free. The second one is going to cost me a mandatory tip of $2.15 for the driver. Considering the heat, that is a bargain. Note: I wouldn't be surprised if the prices are also a bit higher, but, for the sake of my health, it's probably worth it.

Tonight I am planning on Dijon Chicken for dinner with a veggie of some sort. I am going to make 6 servings with an eye to freezing 5 of them. I pulled 3 of my remaining Zaycon chicken breasts out of the freezer last night (while I was working on the ice cube bin). They've been defrosting in the fridge since then. The instructions I have call for making a horizontal crosswise cut and thus creating chicken fillets. Zaycon chicken breasts are large enough to stand up to that. It's only been a short while ago that I made Dijon Chicken the first time and I have really enjoyed it. So, I'm doing it again with extra for the freezer. Tomorrow I'm planning on making an eggplant dish called Eggplant Rollatini. It's something like enchiladas but with Italian seasonings and sauce. The eggplant forms the "tortilla". I'm expecting that to be super good, particularly in that eggplant is one of my favorite veggies. LOVE that this method of cooking an eggplant doesn't require frying! Sadly, it does require an oven so it will be hot in my kitchen tomorrow night...........

I already have one regret about this weekend. Here I have 4 days off in a row and it's so hot I can't even think about doing any canning. I even have 2 dozen + more empty canning jars sitting around in the garage. Of course, I could do it after dark...........Hmmmm.

That's it for now. It's getting hotter by the minute in that garage. YOU be BLESSED today.

It has cooled off............

Or is it just that I have cooled off? No, it's really cooled off. The Weather Channel says it's currently "only" 99. Now that's an improvement. And, the a/c has stopped running full time.

That trip across town in the heat just about did me in. Add that to the fact that I arrive home just in time to deal with this room being an oven--and I headed into the bedroom. At least I got a good nap out of the whole thing. I stayed in there til the sun was low enough in the sky that the a/c had a chance of keeping up. For a while there, I was almost wishing I was back at the store, wearing my sweater while the a/c blasted, but I came to my senses when I realized I'd have had to drive home in the heat...........

For the moment, I am taking great joy over the fact that I have gone to paying an "average" amount each month to the electric company. This is probably the first summer that I've lived in Vegas where I haven't had an upset stomach just thinking about the power bill. It's not that the power bill isn't nasty. But I remember that last monthly bill before I opted for the "average" thing, and it was nearly twice as nasty.

With getting ready for the appointment today and the nap this afternoon, I haven't done much today. But tomorrow I'll hit it hard. In the meantime, one thing I really needed to get to was cleaning out the ice cube bin in the kitchen freezer. Those ice cubes were old and tasted really bad. They easily ruined the taste of my freshly filtered water. So, all the old ice has been disposed of and I have been adding new ice to my filtered water which makes it easier to drink and actually appreciate. I don't need the water ice cold--just not room temperature, please.

So, I have a couple of jobs I want to get after early in the AM, while the sun is still on the east side of the house. I guess I should look over my "To Do List" and figure out what I might accomplish tomorrow when this part of the house becomes insufferable in the afternoon and I have to refugee to the east side.

I hope you had a blessed day. I count myself blessed in that I didn't succumb to the heat..........