Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Thursday Thirteen 153: Random Thoughts

Random thoughts...

1. I'm tired of being cold. Mother Nature really needs to get over her hissy fit already. This 80 degrees one day, 50 the next just isn't working for me. Especially when I am without heat.

2. The reason I have no heat is that the boiler in our building broke down the beginning of April. Since winter was "officially" over, the cheapskates in charge have apparently decided NOT to fix it until next fall. Never mind that temps are still dropping into the 40s and 30s at night and we've had several frost advisories during the past month. I have to turn my oven on just to burn off the chill every morning and when I come home at night.

3. The cool and unseasonable temps probably wouldn't be so bad if not for the relentless wind, which seems to blow non-stop. A beautiful, warm and sunny day will be ruined by a 20mph wind and gusts at 30 to 40. In fact, it's battering my windows again as I type this. *Shivers*

4. Any question why Stormy Weather was playing continuously in my head, even before hearing of music legend Lena Horne's passing at age 92 Monday morning?

5. Remember my meteorite post last month? Another meteor sighting was reported in Wisconsin around 4am Monday morning (10 May). No word yet as to whether parts of it have been found.

6. I have become seriously addicted to Premium M&M's in Triple Chocolate and Mint Chocolate. Neither bag ever seems to last very long.



7. Likewise Wonka Exceptions Domed Dark Chocolate. Soooo worth the price!

8. And now I have Pure Imagination from the movie playing in my head.

9. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) is one of my childhood favorites. I can watch that movie again and again. I refuse to watch the Tim Burton creep show, though, as it would completely ruin it for me.

10. Things that annoy me at work: coworkers who snap fingers or drum in time to music. It's extremely distracting and Gets. On. My. Nerves.

11. You know what else is annoying? Pulling out the lower drawer of the dishwasher and having something in the silverware caddy catch on the drawer above, tipping the entire caddy backwards into the gunky bottom of the machine, thus forcing you to rewash every utensil. Yeah, my Wednesday got off to a great start.

12. Speaking of containers, I recently found a packet of carrot seeds that came in a gift box received some time ago. Not having a yard but possessing an eastern facing front window, I thought I might give growing container carrots a try. The question is whether the window box I found is deep enough, and if they'll grow the way that darn dragon tree has.

13. My plans for the weekend include attending a 50th anniversary celebration for a friend's parents. I've never attended a 50th celebration before, though I have pictures commemorating the 50th of both my maternal great-grandparents and paternal grandparents. Not many couples seem to stay together that long anymore.



LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:
(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)

Elise Logan * Janice Seagraves * Adelle Laudan * Alice Audrey
Ms Menozzi * Beati * Shelley Munro * CountryDew
Colleen * Kristen * Inez Kelley * Harriet * Paige Tyler
Darla M Sands * Peach * Jennifer McKenzie * Tatiana Caldwell
Jana * Megan Rose * Sasha Devlin * A Catherine Noon


More Thursday Thirteen participants



33 comments:

Alice Audrey said...

Isn't there some sort of organization in Madison that addresses tenant problems? Seems like maybe it's time to call someone in.

i beati said...

#6 I know a lot of people in this m a nd m boat sandy

Shelley Munro said...

It's funny because our summer seems to be lasting for ages down this end of the world.

CountryDew said...

Wow congrats to your parents. I hope you and your landlord get your issues sorted out.

Ms Menozzi said...

Wow. I've had the dishwasher thing happen to me before - No. Fun.

And if you give it a try, please let us know how the carrots work out! I'm considering trying something similar here in my apartment. :)

Ciao! Happy TT!

colleen said...

Grow the carrots and maybe you want eat so much chocolate. Not likely! Have fun at the anniversary party. The place will probably be heated.

Kristen said...

I hate it when people turn on and off the heat by the calendar and not by the weather. Hope you warm up soon!

Inez Kelley said...

I think Mother Nature needs an enema or something. She is just too pissy.

I am Harriet said...

I'm with you on the weather thing. At least it isn't snowing.

Have a great Thursday!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/05/my-mother-taught-me-the-circle-of-life-and-so-much-more/

Paige Tyler said...

Triple chocolate M&M's sound yummy! Have to look for those!

*hugs*
Paige

My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Darla M Sands said...

Nice list! You made me smile. Stay warm! We splurged for an automated thermostat. It's a nice way to be pamper.ed

Jana said...

What about people who yawn loudly? Does that annoy you as much as it does me?? Ugh. It's yawning. Why does it have to make any noise at all?

lol

Eat some extra candy for me, will ya? And good luck with the carrots.

Peach said...

Those M&Ms are incredible. And I am with you - I love the original Willy Wonka with Gene Wilder. I have not been able to bring myself to watch the remake.

Elise Logan said...

wow. a 50th anniversary is awesome.

Whether snapping/drumming to music irritates me depends on if i can hear the music or not. if not, then it's very annoying. if i can, then it depends on how good a sense of rhythm they have. :)

Heather said...

Alice: Sadly, they can legally turn off the heat this time of year, but as Kristen said - it'd be nice if they would go by the weather, not the calendar.

Sandy: LOL...True enough. There are far worse addictions than chocolate. *g*

Shelley: Yes, summer refuses to let go in the southern hemisphere, and up here winter seems just as tenacious. Thankfully, we have only had wind and rain in the southern part of our state - they had several inches of snow last Friday!

CountryDew: Thanks, but it is actually a friend's parents celebrating; mine are both deceased.

Heather said...

Kimberly: So glad to know I'm not the only person the dishwasher thing happens to! Will definitely let people know how the carrots go. I really wish I had a balcony so I could grow broccoli or brussel sprouts in a large pot. Those definitely won't work with my apartment, lol.

Colleen: You're right in guessing the carrots would not alter chocolate consumption. The church where the anniversary party will be held tends on the cool side, but there will be so many people it should surely be warm. Especially compared to my apartment.

Kristen: Definitely the bane of the apartment dweller. While they are pretty good about most maintenance issues, turning heat on/off by the calendar is certainly a weak point.

Alice Audrey said...

I hope they have to pay the cost of running your oven at least.

Heather said...

Inez: LOL - agreed! Thankfully, it is supposed to warm to more seasonable temps next week.

Harriet: Yes! So glad it is not snowing, which it has done here before as late as mid-May. In fact, we had a HUGE blizzard the week before finals my junior year of college. So yeah - I'd rather the rain than snow.

Paige: Triple Chocolate M&Ms are so good. I'm wishing I had a bag right now, lol.

Darla: I only wish I could control my own heat, lol! And, even when I have heat, my thermostat doesn't always seem to work right. I have to keep it cranked up to 80 or 90 in mid-winter to even register 70, and you can actually feel the temp drop as you walk down the hall from living room to bedroom.

Heather said...

Jana: LOL - Yes, that too can be annoying.

Peach: So glad others feel the same way I do about Willy Wonka. I mean, I like Johnny Depp, but...I'd rather watch him in other movies. *G*

Elise: The rhythm factor is definitely a factor, but if I'm trying to tally invoices or input orders, I find it distracting whether in beat or not.

Alice: Unfortunately, I pay gas and electric - which is why I've been trying to plan meals by what I can make in the oven. I'm also pretty frugal with lights, etc, so thankfully it did not increase last month's bill.

A. Catherine Noon said...

I know what you mean about the distracting coworkers. We have one here who TALKS REALLY LOUD AND YOU CAN HEAR HER HALFWAY DOWN THE HALL.

Oi. VOLUME control, woman!!

Anonymous said...

Plant the carrots and a couple of other veggies. I enjoy gardening a lot. Lots of vegetables can be grown in a container, the trick is adequate watering because in the heat of the summer, they can try out faster. Enjoy. :)

annies home said...

I am wishing you warm thoughts

Sasha Devlin said...

You know, Im still freaked about the original Willy Wonka. I liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Jennifer Leeland said...

Darn!!! I hope you get some warmer weather soon.

Janice Seagraves said...

Now you got me craving chocolate. *drool*

I've grown carrots in a container,but I found you really need a lot of light for it to work well.

Yeah, that new Willy Wonka Movie was weird. Wonka's father was not a dentist in the book so way was he in the movie? In fact I don't remember his dad mentioned in the book at all, just Charlie's family.

Happy TT.
Janice~

Self Sagacity said...

I like to try that MM Triple thingy. I also don't like cold weather, and glad to get out of it. Have fun this weekend at the anniversary party. I've attended one a long time ago, and it was so touching. :-)

jillconyers said...

I totally get the dishwasher thing LOL I hate being cold and while we're sort of talking about weather I'm sick of the rain. Love the premium M&Ms!

Unknown said...

Oh gee thanks for the heads up on the new M&Ms, like I really need another chocolate venue. I feel bad for you not having the option of heat. Be sure to wrap yourself up while on the computer.
Happy T13!

Divaa Divine said...

i sure hope the landlord situation sorts itself out

Sexy is never Vulgar

Heather said...

Shopannies: Thank you, and thanks for visiting!

Sasha: You know, I've heard other people were a little freaked out by some scenes in this movie, especially the Oompa Loompas, but I never was. Guess I was too fixated on all that chocolate, LOL.

Jennifer: The good news is that it is warming up. The bad news is it's still too darn windy. 15mph again this aftenoon, gusting at 30. Sigh...

Heather said...

Janice: Turn about is fair play - I seem to recall someone else taunting people last week, hehe... I have never read the book, so cannot comment on how it differs from either of the movies.

Self: Thanks for the warm thoughts on the weather. I hope you get to try the new M&Ms!

Jill: I really am glad I'm not the only person who has ever dealt with the dishwasher mishap, LOL.

Adelle: Always happy to enable people where chocolate is concerned. *WEG*

Diva Divine: Hopefully I will have a new landlord by end of summer and will be toasty warm come fall.

Tatiana Caldwell said...

I love, LOVE those M&M's.

Feeling the same way as you about the weather - quit teasing us, Momma Nay (Mother Nature)!

Johnny Depp's performance as Willy Wonka was disturbingly entertaining - I liked it.

Heather said...

Well, we had a decent day weatherwise today. In fact, it was actually warmer outside than it was in my apartment. Good thing I wasn't home most of the day, LOL!