Idjit Klutz

Daughter is out of the apartment she lived in for three years and is living in temporary "quarters".  Holy heavens, she had a lot of stuff.  (Yes, partly my fault.  I figured she'd go to grad school and continue living there for a while.)  What a job!  The place was white glove clean when we left, though.

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Remember, I'm not complaining...

It is 1:50 PM, Thursday June 16.  The outside temp is up to (drum roll, please) 49 degrees, and wonders of wonders, it is raining.  Updated:  it is now 6:05 PM.  Husband (aka J) said it is up to 51 degrees.  Heat wave.  (Always makes me think of the M*A*S*H episode when they sing Having a Heatwave.  A tropical heat wave.  Ya right.)

Update on the Joke (last post).  We haven't had snow right at our house, but it did spit on us in Moscow a couple weeks ago.  It has been rainy and cold, and no two completely nice days in a row since ???

 

According to Wednesday's paper, officially we were an 1-1/2 inches below record rainfall for the two months of May and June combined (not counting any rain we've had since Tuesday afternoon).  Unofficially, we had already passed the record set in 1974 - the year of the floods.  (Flood story another time.)

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Oh, I get so aggravated with Blogger's editing abilities!  Won't let me paste without highlighting everything.  When I hit enter, nothing happens, or it takes several seconds for the computer to respond, and the cursor keeps disappearing.  The header picture suddenly shrunk to a little tiny postage stamp size.  I had to remove it and reload it - twice.  Tried putting a clipart picture in at the top of this post.  Locked up the whole computer. Had to reboot twice just to get Blogger to work again. GRrrrrrr. Vee has had troubles, too. Anyone else?

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(click to enlarge)

One of my thrift shop finds.  5 cents.  Complete.

(Two pieces are cut from main sheet with pinking sheers but never used.)

Is there a 23 inch doll in my "collection"?

  I think my old bride doll might be about that size, but don't want to go upstairs right now to look.*

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The lilacs and flowering quince are now in bloom.  So pretty.  For a few days, one apple tree was gorgeous.  (Blast it, didn't get a picture.)  The spirea and peonies are just starting to open up, and the grape hyacinth and tulips are just now beginning to fade.  No evidence of iris or rhododendron  buds.  The flowerbeds are full of tall grass, so everything looks so messy.

An aside, but when we were kids we used to do yard work to earn money.  I always had to earn my own money for 4-H camp.  Where are the young people now? 

The "garden" now consists of two Early Girl, two cherry-type, and one grape-type tomato plants, two kinds of chives, one cilantro, one green bell pepper, one red sweet pepper, some catnip, and for fun a few snapdragons, pansies, a gorgeous hanging basket of petunias and ? (my mother's day & birthday present).  I stuck some garlic cloves around the tomato plants; we'll see if they grow or just rot.  (We container garden.  Everything is by the front porch because it is the warmest spot this time of year and closest to the water spigot.)

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* Whine, whine, whine - don't read if you don't like whining and blood.  Actually, this is kind of funny if you stop to think about it.
Idjit Idiot Stupid Klutz here bunged up her knee. (No doctor, cuz no insurance.)
*  First (sort of three firsts), just getting into daughter's car, I twisted wrong - I knew when I got in that I shouldn't do it the way I was, but I did it anyway.  Then slept on the floor for two nights.  Way too old out of shape for that.  (The air mattress had a leak.)  I was doing pretty well as long as we were packing and moving stuff.  Then I drove home...


*  Second (sort of two seconds), while still hurting and stiff from the first time(s), I went outside to catch an escapee (cat) and twisted my knee again.  Very sore, but manageable.  Then later in the day I just stepped up a step and SNAP.  I thought I was going to faint on that one.  I screamed. (Guess no one heard, because the cops didn't show up.)

* Then yesterday, talk about being just plain dumb, stupid, idiotic.   I had absolutely no business being out on the uneven ground, but I went "chasing" another cat.  (They aren't supposed to be outside, but pull every trick to slip out.)   I hung my cane over the fence to pick up Miss Spooky figuring I could slowly make it back to the house.  I was doing fine until someone went by and turned up their music full blast right as they got in front of the house.  Miss Spooky is aptly named and went scaredy-cat -crazy  to prove it.  Yes, I had her by the nape of the neck, but she twisted and clawed with all four feet, and I twisted trying to get away from her.

So, there I was standing in the middle of the yard half laughing half crying, feeling kind of sick, with blood running down my arm, and I couldn't move.  My cane was twenty-five feet behind me, and the closest door into the house at least forty feet away.  Stood for a few minutes trying to get my senses back, thinking surely someone I knew would drive by and wave.  Nope.  (We live on a busy street.  How come no one was out and about?)


Ah, cell phone was in my pocket and husband was in town. No answer.  Waited several minutes.  Still no one went by the house.  Tried my husband again.  No answer.  By this time, I was getting tired, really shaky, chilly, my feet  were getting cold and wet, and I'm really mad.  (Me get mad at husband? Never. LOL)  I finally called a friend to come and rescue me.  Thank God she was home watching grandchildren, because she doesn't have a cell phone
 
So the rest of the story is that I can go up the stairs, but not down. (Of course, there are two steps to navigate or negotiate with just to put the dogs out.)  I can't squat or get down on the floor.  So what do I do?  I drop almost everything I pick up.  (Getting good at touching  the floor without bending my knees.)  Getting off the, uh, throne, is tricky.  (Now I know why toilets are generally taller in the handicap stalls.)  Luckily, there is now a bed and a half bath downstairs, but I need/want a real shower and it is upstairs as part of a deep bathtub.

Last week in the middle of all this and way past bedtime, LA Dog starts shaking her head and frantically digging at her ears.  I'm trying to put medicine in her ears, but can't hold her because it hurts too much.  She jumps away and heads for the hills, er, cellar.  SPLASH.  She comes tearing back up the stairs spraying "water" everywhere.  She's soaking wet. (Um, really, really bad words.)  When I turned on the light to look there were even more bad words, because there was "water" clear over the bottom step.  So for two days we were without hot water because the water heater was sitting in sewage.  Luckily, the furnace was turned off because there were several inches of water in the bottom of it, too.


So, with everything J has missed roughly the equivalent of three days of work to help me, work on plumbing, and clean up the mess.

That, my friends, is the way our life usually is.  It is always something.

No Joke

First, thank you everyone for your kind comments on the last post.

Please note that while I'm posting this, my heart and prayers go out to those who have lost family, friends, pets, and/or property to flooding and winds.

Now for the punchline of the non-joke:  

(I'll post this and the whole thing will fizzle out.) 

The weather forecast for where I (The Songster, Adrienne, and probably Barb, too) live: 

"THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ABOVE 4500 FEET IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM
2 AM TO 11 PM PDT THURSDAY (May 26, 2011).

* IMPACTS/TIMING: A STRONG AND UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER SYSTEM
  WILL PRODUCE SNOW IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN LATER TONIGHT AND
  LINGER THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THIS SNOW WILL CAUSE
  HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL 3 TO 6 INCHES BY THURSDAY EVENING.
  LOWER ELEVATIONS COULD SEE 1 TO 2 INCHES BY LATE MORNING."

Our house sits just about 3500 feet above sea level.  Guess I'd better get the hanging basket of flowers inside.  Truly, I'll take the snow over the tornadoes.

Last Halloween

My daughter and "Jack"

Happy Halloween

Since we live in a rural area, the children (most of them) still trick or treat. It is so nice to live where it is relatively safe.   Since most everyone knows each other, it is really stupid for someone to try to hurt a child.  (It is anyway, but here the person gets caught.)   It occasionally happens so the children and parents still have to be careful.   Over the years I've noticed more and more parents out with their children.  Even though some of the older kids might not think it so great to have their parents along (I would have hated it!), I think it's wonderful to see the the parents out doing something with and for their children.

I'm still at my mom's.  I hope no one comes tonight, because the dogs go nuts when anyone comes to the house.

I don't really have any appropriate treats here.  Wonder what the children would think about a bottle of Ensure, a bag of Cranberry Apple Herb Tea , or a can of soup?  lol   Getting the truck started and driving into town and then maneuvering said truck in the congestion just seems like a lot of work just to buy a bag a candy.  (Even really small towns get very congested, too.)

Actually, I do have some bottles of "kid's" (the weird mixed stuff that tastes like punch) juice. The juice would be an expensive treat, but there shouldn't be more than ten kids, if any at all. Also, it is 100 percent juice, has no added sugars, and 100 percent vitamin C. Am I brilliant or what? Probably the what.  Oh, well.

The wind is blowing, but it is 57 degrees outside!  Balmy.  Barometer keeps changing from rainy to nice day to rainy.  The sky is bright blue right now.  A half hour ago, it looked like it was going to pour rain.   Guess we'll take whatever we get.   The power keeps going off, so I'll wish everyone a fun day and evening.

Pictures. Maybe the story to go with them tomorrow.

I "borrowed" some of these pictures from the Idaho Department of Transportation. (M, some of these pictures are for you.)

Looking north toward mountains (January?)




Prairie looking northwest toward timber and mountains (today).



Prairie meets timber. Taken at the base of the mountain that is in picture above. (Nov. 2008) Note the storm clouds moving in.





Notice the steep hill sides and all the rock. This top one isn't the best picture, but couldn't quickly find any others. Yes, that is snow on the road. (Today) Top picture looking southeast-ish. Bottom picture generally looking north-northeast.

Cranky/Happy/Cranky/Happy/...

This morning, looking south from the sidewalk in front of my house. There is a hill (mountain) hidden in that cloud.





Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's a cranky/happy wintery day. First it was quiet and rather nice outside (even though there is snow on the ground). Then it "blizzarded". Then the sun shone for a few minutes. Then it "blizzarded" again. Now the snow is lazily drifting down. No, the sun is shining!

Corned beef, potato, and cabbage dinner is being served at friend's house this evening. Musical notes here: I don't have to cook dinner. nanner, nanner, nanner. Friend said I cannot contribute toward the dinner, so what to take her??? I know! Hot cocoa mix or mocha mix. If I were rich, I'd buy her a dishwasher, but I'd want to buy myself one, too. :)

Got up to a mess this morning. The dogs? the cat? had spilled the watering can. My own fault! I filled it and set it right where it would get knocked over. To clean up the water, I had to unload a bookcase that was loaded with junk, kitchen appliances, food stuff. The bookcase has real oak laminated to particle board. Right now, about an inch of the veneer looks bad. I have the bookcase on its side so that the bottom will dry. We'll have to wait and see what damage was done.

Sometime today, I need to try to start the pickup, because there are errands to be run. Wish me luck! Makes me so mad, though. I'll go out and try and try to get it started. I'll tell DH that it won't start. You guessed it! He gets in and it fires right up. GRRRR (I do exactly what he tells me to do, and it still won't start for me.) It is "my" pickup. Why does it hate me so much???? lol

Tale of Two Stinky Bath Towels. They smell like a combination of sweat and pet urine even after they are washed. I've tried everything I can think of: Woolite, Clorox 2, hot water, Spray and Wash, Murphy's Oil Soap, lots of baking soda (except chlorine bleach). These two towels are of a different size, different weight, and different color and get washed in different loads. I cannot get the smell out of them. I'm now running one through a second soak cycle with a cup of white vinegar in a small tub of water. Not only do these always get hung up to dry after a shower, but a fan gets turned on them so that they dry fast. And, I think, they are always dried thoroughly (after washing, of course) before I put them away. I've probably spent more trying to get the smell out than it would cost to buy new towels. We have wooden towel racks. Would that cause the problem? If so, why only those two towels???

Something scary. Try this sometime. Put your towels in the washer without adding any laundry aids. Fill tub with rather warm water and agitate. Real SUDS not just air bubbles! I use less detergent than the directions say, and I always use the second rinse option!

I love recycling. I'm not an environmentalist, but I don't like waste. When our (privately run) recycling center closed, I was really upset. For quite a while we saved all the stuff and hauled it to Moscow's recycle center. Well, finally it just got to be too much, so I threw a bunch of it in the trash. Then about four days ago there was an article in our little local rag saying that we can still recycle metal if we take the cans to the transfer station (dump). At least it is something. (I always save aluminum cans to take to Moscow, because we get cash back on those.)

Murphy's Law at work. Last week DH and I broke down and bought a treadmill - a luxury purchase. Late that evening after we got home from Lewiston and moved the furniture so that the treadmill could be set up, I plugged in the vacuum cleaner, and it went "spofffsst". It wasn't even turned on, and sparks flew out of its butt. Now I have to buy a new vacuum cleaner. :(

AHA! I think the vinegar is working. I'm running the towel through one more vinegar wash just to make sure. It must have been mildew causing the odor, although I'm not sure why or how.

What the view south looks like now (11:10 AM). It is gorgeous out - warm, no wind, and bright blue sky.



Blessings!

What it looked like last Saturday

Lovely weather we've been having!

Driving conditions on the Palouse - that black is solid ice (black ice - icy roads that look dry). Saw several cars that had slid off the road. Thank God none of the accidents looked at all serious. Also, thank heavens for a Subaru, good tires, and a good driver (my husband).

Our house. That is frost on the trees and bushes. Yes, the house needs painting. And, yes, the big spruce needs to be cut down but that would be so sad!

Also our yard. The spruce on the right was only about 15 feet tall when we moved into our house. Now, it is almost as big as the one in the picture above.

Frosty tree on the Palouse. (This was taken on my cell phone from a moving car.)

The Palouse is a rolling prairie in western Idaho and eastern Washington. It used to be (and maybe still is) the second largest wheat producing area in the United States. Just don't let these pictures fool you into thinking that Idaho is flat.

Here is a picture of the highway that we have to travel to get to a shopping center:

The highway looks level, but this is actually a fairly steep grade through a canyon. This was taken from my cell phone earlier this month. I was trying to get a picture of the storm on the mountain straight ahead of us.

Since Saturday, we have had more snow, wind, and below zero weather. Today, it is trying to thaw and a tiny bit of blue sky is showing. YAY