It's a short work week in some ways for Johnnie - upcoming Columbus Day four-day weekend. But he's doing a home inspection tomorrow so that will preoccupy him for the majority of the weekend. He's really been in a rush of school bus driving/training and home inspections for the last 10 days or so. And he's completely exhausted. He had had one inspection scheduled for this coming Saturday as well but it fell through and we're both just as glad. He also hasn't completely shaken the cold he had more than a week ago and I'm sure the lack of solid rest isn't helping him recover.
Whiile it's a short work week for him, it isn't for me although I've not been all that busy which is really driving me cray cray. I billed a total of $167 for September. Although the B3 phase 3 payment will come through too which isn't figured in there. Now I'm starting to work on the Frozen (Elsa? I looked them up to be sure) Halloween costume for Lucy/Emily and I volunteered to make a sign for Erin's craft sales and print business cards up for her.
I cut out the pattern pieces last evening and got them ironed so I'm ready to lay them out and start cutting. I am so glad I'm working on the Elsa costume and not the Anna one. The Elsa pattern has 11 pieces and the Anna costume has upwards of 20. But it's the type of sewing work that Erin likes so hopefully it will be fun for her.
For one thing, we haven't put anything away outside yet and now it's getting to be time to pack up and switch seasons before it gets really chilly outside. Or rainy. Or both.
Otherwise, today is just another day - sunny outside, mid-50s temperature wise and a bit breezy. But the sky is robin's egg blue and really just delightful outside.
I've gone to Henrietta on 490/590/390 twice this week in the morning and both times there were a gaggle (?) of wild turkeys along the side of the highway pecking away at the verge finding food. They are not at all concerned about the cars racing by 20 feet away at 60+ miles an hour. Makes me smile every time. Must be their home turf and have decent eats for them.
Bridgie is in Alabama/Georgia visiting Aggie before she goes to Korea. So glad she was able to go. Hope they're having a super great time. I don't know what I'd do if I had such distance restrictions on seeing both girls like that. It's tough enough only seeing Mike and Holly once a year.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Clouds
It's already been a strange weather day. I was out driving this morning and went from sunshine with white puppy clouds to steel gray sky, no sunshine and then pouring rain. The clouds along the way were beautiful - I didn't have an opportunity to take pictures of them unfortunately. The procession of stark white clouds against the darkening blue-gray sky was striking. Now it's sunny again with a sky crowded with white cotton ball clouds scudding along against a bright blue background. Quite lovely and very changeable.
Weather is getting cooler and we won't get above about 60 degrees today. No matter - the sun is shining and the trees are bending in the wind, giving up their loosest leaves in torrents of color.
Weather is getting cooler and we won't get above about 60 degrees today. No matter - the sun is shining and the trees are bending in the wind, giving up their loosest leaves in torrents of color.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Big!
My overriding thought in the past week or so has been that I want to do something BIG. I don't know what, that's pretty vague, but I sure hope I can come up with something BIG that equals the compulsion I'm feeling pretty soon. Is it volunteering? Is it some sort of selfless project? Rescuing a cute puppy from an evil puppy mill? Playing piano with my feet at FAO Schwarz? Nah - I just don't know. But I do know that it will become more evident in the next while. So I'll try not to obsess while the vagueness and mists disappear.
Ordered patterns online for Frozen costumes (Elsa and the other chick - dunno her name or just can't remember it). Erin and I are going to each make a costume for Em and Lucy. I get to do the pretty blue one! I had thought Erin would want to do that and I'd be relegated to the Dutch girl costume. So excited. Bought fabrics at Jo-Ann this noontime and now I want to get cutting. But I won't because we decided she should measure the girls beforehand so we know how close to the proper size the pattern is. The pattern size only goes up to an 8 and the girls are both just about out of 8s and into 10s.
Anyway, I'm excited and now I have a Project to work on. That's not BIG but it's something to take my attention for the next couple weeks. Can't wait to see the girls' faces when they see the costumes! Squeeeeeeee!
Ordered patterns online for Frozen costumes (Elsa and the other chick - dunno her name or just can't remember it). Erin and I are going to each make a costume for Em and Lucy. I get to do the pretty blue one! I had thought Erin would want to do that and I'd be relegated to the Dutch girl costume. So excited. Bought fabrics at Jo-Ann this noontime and now I want to get cutting. But I won't because we decided she should measure the girls beforehand so we know how close to the proper size the pattern is. The pattern size only goes up to an 8 and the girls are both just about out of 8s and into 10s.
Anyway, I'm excited and now I have a Project to work on. That's not BIG but it's something to take my attention for the next couple weeks. Can't wait to see the girls' faces when they see the costumes! Squeeeeeeee!
Monday, October 6, 2014
The start of something
Well, really a restart I guess. I have a strong urge to write stuff, mostly for my own edification but putting it on paper just isn't going to do it. So here I am resurrecting the ole blog to create a journal of my writing. I don't care if anyone else ever reads what I write here; it's mostly a record for me.
I really and truly dislike wintertime once we get past the first "oh it's so pretty" snowfall and Christmas has come and gone. The bitter winds, getting snow down my neck, tromping through slush in parking lots, keeping track of gloves and hats and scarves, wearing coats -- they are all a pain in the butt and I don't like it. Here in Western New York, we put up with a LOT of winter, starting in October and continuing until well into April some years.
Anyway, I am on a campaign to improve my attitude and find ways to cope with winter and all its fun this year. In past years, I have vowed not to say the words "winter" and "snow" for the entire season. Successfully. These are private vows - a challenge between myself and me so I don't share them with anyone. It's just a one woman tussle with the inevitable season change.
If someone stumbles onto this blog and finds it amusing, gross, vacuous or whatever, it's their thing, not mind. I need to work on my attitude in a tangible way and this is what I'm going to do.
So with any luck, this will be the last post that contains negative or grouchy talk about the upcoming season of yuck. From now on, my outlook will contain only happy, positive, constructive perspectives and comments about the days and months of winter. Here it goes!
I really and truly dislike wintertime once we get past the first "oh it's so pretty" snowfall and Christmas has come and gone. The bitter winds, getting snow down my neck, tromping through slush in parking lots, keeping track of gloves and hats and scarves, wearing coats -- they are all a pain in the butt and I don't like it. Here in Western New York, we put up with a LOT of winter, starting in October and continuing until well into April some years.
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| See? |
If someone stumbles onto this blog and finds it amusing, gross, vacuous or whatever, it's their thing, not mind. I need to work on my attitude in a tangible way and this is what I'm going to do.
So with any luck, this will be the last post that contains negative or grouchy talk about the upcoming season of yuck. From now on, my outlook will contain only happy, positive, constructive perspectives and comments about the days and months of winter. Here it goes!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A nice mistake
Our daughter Erin sent a mail note the other day about a casting call for grandparents between 60 and 75 with grandchildren between 5 and 9 years old. We qualify (both John and I) both ways -- Emily is 6. She would correct me and say 6 and a half. So cool.
Anyway, we've never done anything like that before so we picked Emily up from school today and zipped downtown to the studio for the pictures (we didn't know if it was stills or TV at the time). We all filled out our sheets and headed inside. The youngish girls (probably 20s to mid 30s) took Emily first for her pictures (it's for stills). One said to John and me "we'll be glad to take your pictures but we're looking for grandparents between 60 and 75..."
I beamed at her and said "Why thank you! I'm 61 and he's 60." She said "Really? Well OK."
On thinking about it afterwards, we (John and I) probably won't be selected because we look too young. How often does THAT happen at our ages?!
Anyway, it was fun and Emily enjoyed it. While it wasn't really a bucket item on a written list, thought it was kind of a kick to give it a try.
Nice to know somebody doesn't think we look our ages!
Anyway, we've never done anything like that before so we picked Emily up from school today and zipped downtown to the studio for the pictures (we didn't know if it was stills or TV at the time). We all filled out our sheets and headed inside. The youngish girls (probably 20s to mid 30s) took Emily first for her pictures (it's for stills). One said to John and me "we'll be glad to take your pictures but we're looking for grandparents between 60 and 75..."
I beamed at her and said "Why thank you! I'm 61 and he's 60." She said "Really? Well OK."
On thinking about it afterwards, we (John and I) probably won't be selected because we look too young. How often does THAT happen at our ages?!
Anyway, it was fun and Emily enjoyed it. While it wasn't really a bucket item on a written list, thought it was kind of a kick to give it a try.
Nice to know somebody doesn't think we look our ages!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Catching up
Well, this is a surprise, huh? I haven't posted in forever but have a bunch of things I wanted to record here -- for posterity if for no other reason or readership.
1. The very thought of Newt Gingrich as a possible candidate for president makes my jaw clench and my sphincter tighten uncontrollably. Seriously, people? Never in a million, no a hundred million years. Ugh.
2. Why is it that all the toilet paper rolls in the house get to the end of the roll and need to be changed on the same day? We have three bathrooms and it has happened frequently that each bathroom's TP needs replacement on the same day. How does that happen?
3. John and I are on a weight loss plan that is paying off nicely in pounds. John has lost 26 pounds in four weeks and I've lost 14. Whoo hooo! My long held hopes of finally getting my weight down (and then the breast reduction) are going to come true this year. Yippee!
4. We're also in the process of buying and renting mobile homes with the intent to get some cash flow coming in. We've also started with a modest stock trade so we're rocking along. It's amazing the difference between learning in a classroom setting and the education you get when you take that learning to the street and start working deals. It's exciting and we're on our way.
So that's why there have been no posts up here in these here parts in the past month or two. I'll try to do better. Honest.
1. The very thought of Newt Gingrich as a possible candidate for president makes my jaw clench and my sphincter tighten uncontrollably. Seriously, people? Never in a million, no a hundred million years. Ugh.
2. Why is it that all the toilet paper rolls in the house get to the end of the roll and need to be changed on the same day? We have three bathrooms and it has happened frequently that each bathroom's TP needs replacement on the same day. How does that happen?
3. John and I are on a weight loss plan that is paying off nicely in pounds. John has lost 26 pounds in four weeks and I've lost 14. Whoo hooo! My long held hopes of finally getting my weight down (and then the breast reduction) are going to come true this year. Yippee!
4. We're also in the process of buying and renting mobile homes with the intent to get some cash flow coming in. We've also started with a modest stock trade so we're rocking along. It's amazing the difference between learning in a classroom setting and the education you get when you take that learning to the street and start working deals. It's exciting and we're on our way.
So that's why there have been no posts up here in these here parts in the past month or two. I'll try to do better. Honest.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Occupy
OK, so the Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Rochester and Occupy whatever-other-cities has been going on for several weeks. How does it ever end? Do you wonder if the protesters are sitting there in their little tents week after week saying "Oh crap, how do we get out of this one gracefully? I'm ready to go home to my nice warm bed."
The last time there were widespread protests (that I remember having this much impact) were about civil rights and the Vietnam war. Once those injustices were more or less rectified (I'm not here to debate the efficacy of the rectification, seriously), the protesters packed up and went home.
How does this end? Do the "rich" (those faceless dastardly Richie Richies) trot down to Wall Street, Main Street and other places to display their tax receipts, W-2s and 1040 forms to prove they're paying more tax now? While these protests are not victimless there's no way to resolve the protesters' issues and make them go away.
Someone also posted on Facebook today asking how are these protesters surviving? And where do they get the money to pay for 48 colors of Sharpie markers to make their fancy signs if they're so destitute? Do they work? If they don't work, wouldn't that be a good start (getting a job, I mean) to at least be part of the solution and not a big part of the problem? Hopefully they're reading excellent books such as Think and Grow Rich (by Napoleon Hill) or the myriad other books about how to amass wealth so they too can be the haves rather than the have nots. Somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, I'm interested to see how this eventually resolves itself. I suspect the biting cold weather and upcoming *inter (rhymes with splinter) *now (rhymes with blow) will have a great deal to do with packing them up and sending them home.
Then both sides will claim victory. Huh.
The last time there were widespread protests (that I remember having this much impact) were about civil rights and the Vietnam war. Once those injustices were more or less rectified (I'm not here to debate the efficacy of the rectification, seriously), the protesters packed up and went home.
How does this end? Do the "rich" (those faceless dastardly Richie Richies) trot down to Wall Street, Main Street and other places to display their tax receipts, W-2s and 1040 forms to prove they're paying more tax now? While these protests are not victimless there's no way to resolve the protesters' issues and make them go away.
Someone also posted on Facebook today asking how are these protesters surviving? And where do they get the money to pay for 48 colors of Sharpie markers to make their fancy signs if they're so destitute? Do they work? If they don't work, wouldn't that be a good start (getting a job, I mean) to at least be part of the solution and not a big part of the problem? Hopefully they're reading excellent books such as Think and Grow Rich (by Napoleon Hill) or the myriad other books about how to amass wealth so they too can be the haves rather than the have nots. Somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, I'm interested to see how this eventually resolves itself. I suspect the biting cold weather and upcoming *inter (rhymes with splinter) *now (rhymes with blow) will have a great deal to do with packing them up and sending them home.
Then both sides will claim victory. Huh.
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