Day of rest

I did no real work today and just took it easy. Made a trip to the Post Office to mail a package, and of course there was a long line. The postal employees are fine but some people turn a little crazy this time of year - you know, the season of love, peace and goodwill and all that ****. From there I went to Costco and found unleaded gas at $3.41 which I haven't seen for a while. I got my roll of film developed and had them put the images on a CD as well, but as usual, I can't get it to work on the Mac. I'll have to ask Donald to email me the pictures I want to keep online. I need to get my All in One Printer/Scanner hooked up so I can just scan them myself, but I also need to put new ink cartridges into the printer. The biggest problem is that I can't read instructions for a few weeks at least.

I came back home and turned on my computer to find my gmail program out of control. They have a "new look", which is another way of saying they have substituted meaningless icons for anything that was plain old English words. Archive, delete, move to, etc., now have icons that bear no relation to their meaning. I know that if you hold the mouse over the icon you can usually see a pop up, but why should I have to do that. I've tried to find an alternative program but have had no success. i don't want yahoo, don't think hotmail is compatible with the Mac, and Verizon webmail seems so confusing that I won't even attempt it. My aim is to become Google-free over the next few months, if I can find a suitable email program, blog program, and primary search engine. I know I've talked about this before and have tried to find alternative programs, but this "new look" to an email program I dislike anyway is the last straw.

Deja Vu

Watching the Weather Channel last night brought to mind my maiden voyage in Dec. 2008 from NY to CA. I drove from NY to Asheville and spent some time getting my stored items in order, and then headed west on I-40. By the time I got to Little Rock it was obvious I couldn't continue on I-40, so I dropped down to I-20, requiring me to drive around a metropolitan area I was terrified to drive in, much less pulling a 34' 5th wheel. I was held captive in an RV park in Arlington, TX for two days and then finally ventured out to continue my journey. I drove through parts of TX and NM that I hadn't driven through previously, but the weather and forced detour left a negative impression on my mind so that I never want to go back. That was the second time I've had to deal with Dallas in icy weather. By the time I got to NM the ice was gone but the cold remained. I want to emphasize that the Dallas Ft. Worth area is a great place. I spent two weeks there on business in the mid 1980's, and the traffic was pretty bad then but I liked the area. We stayed at a hotel in Arlington, worked in Ft. Worth, and visited Dallas on a weekend. But that was in better weather and because I always liked to travel in the non travel/vacation season, I usually drove cross country in the winter time.

I hope the weather warms up for all those who converge on the southwest in the winter hoping to find respite from the cold and snow of the more northerly states. Blustery, icy, cold weather certainly isn't what you signed up for!

I realized as soon as I started painting the hallway yellow that one coat was going to suit me just fine. No way will I spend a minute longer doing that crazy patchwork of panels and wood strips. I painted for about an hour and a half and then stopped for a while to go buy more paint. When I got back the electric range was sitting in a box on my front porch on a pallet. I couldn't even tip it because it's so heavy (or maybe I've just become a lightweight). I'm going to leave it there for now, and maybe wrap a tarp around it. Even if I could get it into the house I'm not sure where I could put it. I think it will require taking both glass doors down in order for the stove to fit. Steve had said he would wire it up when he gets into town at Christmas, although I doubt if I can just leave it there all that time.

I wanted to post a picture of the finished hallway, but for some reason the picture is sideways and I can't get it to upload to Blogger in the proper rotation. When I look on iPhoto the picture is fine, but the uploaded photo is sideways.

Eye doctor visit

The eye surgeon is very pleased with my progress and will follow up in a month. He asked me to be patient as it has only been 3 weeks, and I realize I've come a long way and can wait a little longer for improved vision. I'll be glad when I can read regular print again. Many people have suggested books on tape, but they put me to sleep in no time at all. I'll just wait and be thankful for what I am able to do right now.

The only other thing I did today was to paint the hall ceiling. I began early enough that I could apply a second coat today. Tomorrow I'll start on the walls. That is what takes the time.

Here is a "before" and "after".

Before:



After:


This is taken at the end of the hallway and shows how cut up and oddly shaped this space is. The ceiling wasn't a problem, but the walls are cut up with molding strips and other oddities.



I have moved a chair back to the living room. With the coffee table it sort of looks more crowded than I'd like. Also, the tray table will be replaced with a very nice end table that I have stored at Jeannie's house and hope to bring here this week. As I said, the coffee table has become a "catch-all" while I'm working. The window screen is propped against the wall until someone comes by that I can snag to help me put it up. I tried for about 15 minutes but it's to big and on the heavy side to do it alone. What I really want to do is to tear out that window and install a replacement. Wonder what that would do to my paint job.


Since I got up at 6:00 am this morning I needed a nap in the recliner between the coats of paint. Before I sat down I measured the ingredients into the bread machine and fired it up. This loaf is as delicious as the first. I'm almost ready to branch out into trying cinnamon rolls.

Where has the day gone

I've spent the day painting primer in the hallway. I thought it would be quick and easy but it was anything but. It wasn't like a straight length of wall or ceiling but was broken into many little sections divided by little molding strips. I'll be glad to get to the rest of the living room after two more coats of paint on this hallway.

I will have to get up before daylight tomorrow to get ready for my 8:40 a.m. appointment with the eye surgeon. I'm looking forward to seeing him and getting a measure of my progress, but I swear at won't ever make an appointment that early again.

The past week has been pledge week on the local PBS station, and I'm now watching a program with Victor Borge. I had forgotten how funny that man was and also how talented. I pledged last Sunday during a program of folk music from the late 50's and into the 60's. Many of the original singers came back, really showing their ages, of course. I had forgotten the names of most of the groups but knew just about every word of most of the songs.

I thought I was cold this morning on Lady's walk, and got even colder when I got back and found it was 28F. The temp did rise to about 51F later on in the day, and I hope most of the winter is this mild. Yeah, right!

The color of my living room

This is what I worked on yesterday. I find that the colors never show as they should be with this camera, but I have also taken some pictures with film, and if they turn out better I will post them another day. The green is actually much more green that it shows up in the photo. There are hooks at either side of the top of the green inset, and a wire hanger across the back of the needlepoint, and I think I will buy small gold chain links and hang the picture from both those hooks. I'm not sure how to do it but have it in my mind, so I hope it works. Right now the picture sits on the bottom ledge, but it will eventually be centered.

The couch will also be centered on that wall and under the picture and I think it will look better once I get the rest of the furniture back into the room. Everything I do is predicated on something else happening, so it seems to me that I'm just moving things around haphazardly, but I'm really not.

The second photo is for comparison. The coffee table is on the other side of the room temporarily, still being used as a catch-all. It will take me a day to clear it off and put everything away!





Now I'm washing the walls and ceiling in the hallway, which is dark and narrow, and which I think will look much better when I get a couple coats of yellow paint on it! That will leave the larger half of the living room and the kitchen. I can probably accomplish one or the other by Christmas but I dread tackling the kitchen.

The electric range will be delivered next week. I need to find out if they will haul the old one away and then find someone to disconnect the old one. I know they haul away old dishwashers but nothing in the advertising on the website mentions removal of ranges. I will bake salmon in the old oven this evening and then that's it. I hope I never have to use that yukky appliance again.

I think you guys who are wintering in Arizona are having much more fun than I am at the moment.

If I had a dollar . . .

. . . for every time I've said "Oh shit!" while painting, I would be able to pay a painter to do the kitchen for me. It's all coming along very nicely though, and I love the bright yellow on the living room walls. I didn't know if using the same bright color in the other part of the living room would be too much, but I am going to go for it.

With every house I've had I was always told to "paint white for resale" and although I used some muted colors in my Virginia condo, I didn't do anything bold (and of course had to paint white before selling). Even here I changed my mind at the last minute about the bedroom walls, and I regret it. So the living room will be my joy.

I have said that I used to be so good at painting, but have to admit I now cut a few corners and get sloppy once in a while. I'm the one living with it, and if I don't care then it's okay in my book. Specifically, I know I should have taken down the hardware at the double sliding door entry. There are vertical blinds there, and they work all right for me - the late afternoon sun makes a brief appearance through this doorway, and if it is extremely bright I can just tilt the verticals slightly and still see what's going on outside. I should say that Lady can see what's going on outside. That is her post, right in front of the doors and if only she could talk she could tell you exactly what is going on in the neighborhood. The hardware being so close to the ceiling makes it difficult to paint the very top of that wall, and I think I got some yellow paint on one or two of the blinds. It's not where anyone can see it though, so it will just be my secret!

In every room of this house there are blank outlet covers - not used for anything that I can see although they probably provide access to some electric wires. In all the other rooms I carefully painted around them, but now I'm painting over them. I like it much better as they blend in with the wall so well. I know better than to paint over outlet covers and switch plates because of the likelihood you will some day have to remove one of them. I discovered, however, that many professional house painters just spray over them. In my last apartment there were a couple of places where I couldn't get the plug into the wall through all that paint.

I awoke very early to the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread, so of course I got up and had two slices while it was still warm enough to melt the butter. I may have two more for lunch! Donald's mom gave me her breadmaker since she never uses it. Her late husband made the bread. I had my doubts because I gave away a machine that didn't make the kind of bread I wanted, and I also used Donald & Jeannie's machine to try out. I was really considering trying it by hand like in the old days, but this one made the perfect loaf on the first try! The funny thing is that I set the timer delay before I pressed the proper buttons for "French bread" and "Medium crust", and while I was very accurate with most measurements I just eyeballed a couple. If I have any of the loaf long enough for it to get stale I plan to make my own croutons. Just taking a look at the ingredients listed on the commercially made croutons made me decide I'd rather make my own and not put all that crap into them. So for now I've been eating my salads without croutons but not for long.

As I re-read what I've written I realize it sounds like I'm a bit defensive. That's probably because I am just a little defensive. It isn't easy transforming from someone who was a perfectionist (and dissatisfied with anyone who wasn't)*** into an easy-going laid-back woman! It also isn't easy to realize I'm not perfect and don't do anything perfect. Maybe the past was just a mirage!

One last observation: I don't think I ever had any spam comments on my blog until Blogger started "catching" spam. Now I get lots of it. Coincidence?

*** I should have phrased this differently. I thought if I wanted something done right I would have to do it myself. I wasn't necessarily dissatisfied with other people, but I wanted to do it my way. My late ex husband played this like a violin. That wily old fox became terrible at painting, glazing windows, caulking, and you name it. Of course I could do it better than he did, and he got the last laugh. He's probably laughing his butt off wherever he is now.

Enough painting - it's Miller Time!

I finally got two coats of ceiling paint applied, and will do the first coat on the walls tomorrow. I'm tired and glad to sit down with a Miller High-Life. No Lite beer for me, Sam, I like the hi-test stuff!

Is it really the 1st of December? I can't believe how fast life goes by the older you get. For an old lady I think I've accomplished all I can expect to in the two months I've been in this house. I don't know what made me think it would take about 2 weeks!

The wind has been as bad the past 2 days as I remember it was in Arizona last year. I think it should be dying down by tomorrow. The sun is bright though, and the temps mild. Can't ask for everything, and I have just about everything I could ever want.

I jut got the reminder call from my eye surgeon's office about my appointment this coming Monday. That will be 3 weeks, and I am doing much better this time than the last. I don't remember driving so soon for one thing. Not that I drive all that much - a couple blocks to the grocery, a mile to Home Depot, etc. My appointment on Monday is at 8:40 am. What was I thinking when I made that appointment. I get up early but get dressed and moving much later, plus I will have to drive in the traffic.

I watched a show on the History channel last night that suggested aliens may have visited the earth several thousand years ago to instruct the earth people. That always irritates me. A number of years back the accepted theory was that the Egyptians somehow visited South and Central America to teach them how to build pyramids and cities. I always thought maybe the Indians of the Americas went to Egypt to teach them how to build things. Why is it that whoever writes this stuff can't see that there were probably some very advanced civilizations in the past. Someday people may look on the ruins of our own civilization and wonder who taught us to do the things we do.

Now to think of something quick and easy to fix for supper. I think a couple of egg burritos is about as quick and easy as I can get.