Wow! Was I wrong!

I am going to LOVE the new printer!  I've used it twice this morning and it works like a dream.  Of course, so far I have just printed a simple page - and have yet to do anything like fax or scan.  I think with help from Donald I can do it all.

I'm waiting on the dishwasher delivery and install.  This is ruining my day because I lost a chance to go to Ace Hardware, for which I think I have a mile-long list!  Jeannie is going to pick up air filters for me, since I learned my filter is really filthy!  I am getting a 4-pack and will change the filter faithfully from now on.  But I still need to visit the store and do some shopping myself.  I could try to walk it one of these days, but it is probably a mile and a half from home.  That would be a good walk, but then I would have to walk back, and carry my purchases as well.

I just wrote something on my wall calendar and note that today begins the "Year of the Rat".  It is so tempting to make a political comment here! 

What a dreary looking day it is - the sun pops out once in a while for a few minutes, then goes back into the clouds.  It's not super chilly - the weather is just drab and grey. 

Tomorrow I will know if I have a new grandson or granddaughter.  Joe and his partner chose to not find out the sex of the baby until he or she is born.  I like that idea - I didn't know what any of mine were going to be; back in the old days you got what you got, and you loved. it.  He or she will be born by C-Section.

 I'll probably be back tomorrow - enjoy the weekend.

Sunny Days are a joy!

Especially when you've had so many chilly days.  I doubt if spring is actually here yet, but it feels like it's close.

I have a question for any of you gardeners who have grown peas.  It seems like it's been ages since I planted the seeds, and I have some really nice plants with lots of blossoms and curly tendrils.  They are so pretty, but I don't yet see anything that looks like a pod!  Will the pod eventually appear where the blossoms are?  I have never done this before.  I'm anxious to start planting my tomato seeds to set out in about 2 months.  I think I'll plant the squash seeds directly into the ground as they seemed to do well that way last year.

Donald came over and helped me set up a new printer.  My heart is sinking because I know I'm going to have problems.  My old printer is a Brother - straight printer, no bells & whistles - which is really all I need.  The new one, HP, has so many settings and features I will never be able to remember them all and use them correctly.  I don't know why easy,  simple, and straightforward are such no-no's when it comes to technology. It will be nice to have the capability to scan, print in color, etc., but I could do without all those extras.  I think my generation is totally forgotten when products are designed.  I hope I can manage to use the new printer enough to become comfortable with it.

I'm ready to enjoy the weekend, although one day is like any other in my current life!  Thank goodnes I have Rocky because he brightens up my day - usually!  Hope you have a good weekend too.


 

Delivery Problems

I have been having delivery problems the whole month of January,  but especially in the last week.  Things I'm expecting in the mail aren't arriving, and in fact, days go by with nothing at all in my mailbox.  I put an outgoing piece of mail in the box earlier this week and even saw the mail truck pass by without taking the mail - the flag was up so he had to see it.  The same applies to Fed Ex deliveries - I'm informed that I should be receiving a package on a certain date, and days go by without it arriving.  Maybe something in the stars is botching things up this month.  I've been waiting for several days for a printer I ordered, and I've been assured it will come today.  Yesterday the company had the nerve to ask me to rate the product, ordering process, delivery, etc.  You can bet I gave them an earful!

I had a quick visit with the dentist this morning who agreed that all is well after the extraction of the molar.  I'm set up to have some small cavities removed, which I dread and which will take longer than the simple extraction.  I'm still waiting on my ID card for the new dental insurance coverage.

I'll end with something on a "lighter" note today.  This morning I must have poured water into the coffee maker before I went to the dentist.  When I returned I was eager to have my coffee; I poured the usual amount of water into the coffee maker, and then ground the usual amount of coffee beans.  As it was dripping I could see what I had done and that the coffee was going to be half strength which is pretty weak.  After the drip process was complete, I poured a cup of coffee through the grounds again, which seemed to make no difference.  It was fairly weak but tolerable.  I normally make myself 3 standard size mugs of coffee but today I ended up with 6.   I'm looking forward to my regular brew tomorrow morning!

 Have a good day out there.  The sun is shining so far this morning, and I would love to see 2 or 3 straight days of sunny weather.  May your days be sunny and bright!  (Oh wait, isn't that part of a Christmas song?)

Don't you hate waiting!

I have been waiting all day long for the new  dishwasher to arrive.  It's after 6 pm and I'm still waiting, which really burns me up.  I doubt that I would have gone anywhere but I would have walked Rocky for a few minutes.  I'm sure dishwasher installers don't take the Martin Luther King holiday!   Jeannie called and found out the installer will be out next Saturday, ruining my weekend.

Speaking of MLK, I once had to go to Atlanta for my work, and arrived on the weekend.  I visited several historical sites, and took a Grey Line bus tour around the city.  Mostly they drove past old mansions, but the highlight for me was that last part of the trip which went past the house where MLK was born, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where his father, and then he himself, was pastor, and the last stop was the MLK memorial.  The bus pulled up in front of the building and the driver announced there would be a 15 minute stop.  I was the only person who got off the bus, and the entire 14 minutes I was inside I considered the fact that they could leave early and "forget" me.  I went through the place pretty quickly, with the highlight being a beautiful grave site of Dr. King behind the building.  I did make it back to the bus in time, and everyone's eyes were downcast and no one looked at me when I re-boarded.  

On another trip across country I drove the southern route and went through Birmingham and on to Selma, Alabama.  It was very early in the morning so it was pretty quiet.  I was surprised at Selma, where it seemed like all the housing was empty and boarded up, and just nothing going on.  A sad place.

Rocky just went out so I got myself a handful of snacks.  I wasn't even back to the couch when he was on the deck and barking to come in.  He shared my snacks and then wanted to go out again. 

I went to Costco with Jeannie yesterday and was stunned at how many things I normally buy were not available, as well as the rise in the price of nearly everything.  The only product that seemed to stay the same as the previous week was Cheerios!  I think I spent less than I have in a long time.
 
Enough for now - I hope to be back tomorrow.

Getting out for a while

I'm waiting on Jeannie to go to Costco, and my list grows by the minute.  The cost of grocery items is going up so fast and I plan to stock up on what I can.  Another thing I'm planning to get is some shrimp.  I can't afford the great big kind, so the small, Pacific wild caught ones will do.  I have this craving for shrimp and grits, and already bought the grits from my local grocery store.  I couldn't afford the shrimp at their prices, so I'll see what Costco has to offer.

I took Rocky for a decent walk today and it must have tired him out a little bit, but he is sticking close to me like glue!  He knows I'm going to go out without him.  I usually bring something good back to him, although the last few times I've been to Costco they don't seem to have as much in the way of dog treats or toys.

I was out in the back yard with Rocky today cleaning up after him, and played a bit of soccer with him.  A while back I bought him a small kids' size basketball, which he "plays" soccer with.  I'll have to say he is good - I can't seem to get the ball past him!  All in all, I hope he is a bit tired out and won't be so heartbroken to be left alone.  I realize I don't exercise him enough, but that is probably because I've been feeling so blah lately.  I think it may have had  something to do with the tooth I had pulled, because I'm starting to feel a little bit better now.  Something has been dragging me down, and I hope I can now pull myself up to a reasonably capable old lady :-)  I want to cut the grass in the back yard (mostly weeds), but the lawn mower is in the shed and I doubt I have the strength to start it.  I hate to ask one of the guys to start it because they will feel obligated to cut the grass for me, and I'd like to do it myself even if I can't do it all at once.

Another week in January flew by, and it will be February before we know it.  I want to have my tomato seeds planted by the end of January in hopes they will germinate and grow indoors until I can set them outside in the garden.  I will buy a pkg of styrofoam cups at Costco to plant the seeds in.  I hope I have as good luck as I had last year with the tomatoes.  Getting the garden soil turned over and tilled will be my biggest problem, and I hope I can start that next week.

In spite of all the not-so-good news lately, I'm looking forward to a successful 2020.  Take care, and I'll be back soon.

All Better Now

Thanks to the magic of newer pain killing drugs for dental work, plus a dentist who is an absolute artist at administering the pain killers, I only had an uncomfortable day yesterday.  I'm being very careful when eating, as the extraction site is still tender.  I am going to have some fillings during the next month or two, and I dread that but can't escape it.

The cold weather really bothers me this year.  I think it's because I notice it more as I get older.  But I sure would rather have the cold than our summer heat in Sacramento.  Those of you in the northern states would probably love our 48 degree evenings.

I don't have much to write or comment on since I've been taking it fairly easy after my dental visit.  The dentist called me this morning to see how I was doing, which I remember him doing in the past.  I really appreciate that he asks how I am feeling, and he is an excellent dentist to make it even better. 

I hope to go to bed a little earlier this evening, although I get to watching youtube videos and forget all about the time.  Stay warm folks, and I'll be back soon.

Dental work - yuk!

I had an early appointment and was back home before noon.  I had the molar pulled that has been giving me problems and I just hope I start feeling better soon.  I'm starving but don't think I should eat anything just yet.  Now I need to have some more dental work done - fillings, and I guess I'll bite the bullet and get it taken care of.  I hope I live long enough to get my money's worth from it!

Today the rains started again, after a couple of sunny days.  I don't want to complain but I need to cut the grass in the back yard pretty soon.  I will soon be time to get the garden ready for early spring.  I'm going to start planting tomato seeds and hope I can get them to grow indoors.  I should probably get some grow lights, but when I look at them on the internet they look complicated.  I just want to set a tray under a good fluorescent light, but need to figure out how to do it.  I think it's a job for my son, Steve.

I'm going to stay quiet for the rest of the day, and hope I can figure out something to eat.  I didn't eat breakfast before the dental appointment and am starving!

Have a good day!