Les Moutons

I received this pair of sheep in Tuesday's mail, from friends in Norway. And yes, technically I suppose I should have titled this post "får" instead of "moutons," but my French is a hundred times better than my Norwegian. Plus, I didn't have to look up the French word for sheep.

Anyway, this duo helped brighten an otherwise dismal week.

And how could they not? Just look at those cute little faces.

Tell me they aren't the cutest little handmade ornaments ever.

I wasted no time in making room for them on my little tree, and will probably leave them out after Christmas . . .

Random Photo: Gourds in rain-drenched leaves

I certainly hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine? It was so-so. On the upside, it was sunny and not a drop of rain in the forecast, as was the case when the above photo was taken two weeks ago. On the downside, it was COLD. We've been below freezing every night since last Thursday and daytime temps below 50F. The frigid temps are to continue through the week. Yup, it's going to be a cold and blustery Halloween up here. BUT--at least we aren't along the east coast. I do not envy them their visit from Sandy, and hope anyone in her path stays safe.

A friend hosted a movie night Saturday, which would have been more enjoyable had I not felt a cold coming on. You know you're getting sick when chocolate trifle doesn't taste good. It basically tasted like sawdust to me *sniff* so I mostly gorged on fruit pizza. Which, granted, is a healthier option, but still. I also had two glasses of orange juice, one of which may or may not have included alcohol. *grin* We watched "The Avengers" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." We also had the 1980s classic "Ghost Busters," but well...owing to a late-starting and long Badger football game, ended up not getting to that one.

I woke up feeling rather foggy and with a bit of a scratchy throat Sunday, so spent most of the day vegging on the couch with a book, a couple "Harry Potter" movies, and a Packers football game sandwiched in between. I forced myself to wash a couple loads of laundry during the game, the motivating factor being that I would likely feel far worse mid-week and less likely to want to wash towels then, no matter how desperately I might need them. Took a nap after the second movie, before making a really late dinner and watching "The Mentalist." Thank you, CBS football for not running an hour late like last week. I would not have been happy with another 10pm start time last night. In fact, I only made it through about ten minutes of the 10pm newscast before conceding it was time for bed. I don't know how people on the east coast survive prime time.

This morning...it's looking to be a long day. I stopped at Walgreen's on the way to work for more cold meds, so hopefully will get through the day okay. I'm sensing a need for a nap when I get home, though. I'm already feeling a bit sleepy, even with non-drowsy meds. On the bright side, at least it's not the flu. Gotta love this time of year...

Thursday Thirteen 260: Random

1. Fall officially arrived on Saturday, bringing a cold front in with it that dropped the overnight temp here down to 32. Yes, we had our first freeze warning of the year.

2. Needless to say, I have already put away the shorts and hauled out the turtlenecks.

3. I was glad I had dug out my warm scarf and gloves when I ran errands Saturday morning. Not only was it cold, but windy. Just wish I'd grabbed the warmer coat as well.

4. I was happy to get home again, where I could curl up with a new book and a warm afghan for a few hours.

5. Temperatures in the 30s and 40s have made for a cold apartment over the past week and a half. I arrived home Wednesday evening to a welcoming sensation: they had turned the heat on during the day. It's nice to be toasty warm without wearing three layers.

6. The cooling temps mean summer flowers are dying off and autumn flora blooming. I'm seeing fewer prairie thistles, black-eyed and brown-eyed susans, and wild chicory on my walks and more asters, mums, and vervain.

7. The leaves are already changing color, though they are not expected to be as vibrant this year due to the drought.

8. 2012 is officially the hottest year on record, with 75 to 80 percent of the US suffering drought conditions—some areas worse than others.

9. The corn and soybean crops were hit hard this year. Some farmers harvested cornstalks in July, operating under the attitude that even if there were no ears of corn on them, it was still fodder for cattle. Some fruit orchards were also hard hit, first by the hot March, then frost in April, followed by months of drought.

10. One nearby apple orchard said they were expecting a 75 percent loss this year after the above normal temps of March, but the bit of rain we had at end of July was just enough to reduce their loss to 40-50 percent. Of course, that's still about a $100,000 loss. 

11. Pumpkins also fared better than expected, and I've seen a few in yards and on front porches this week. Can't wait to see more fall and Halloween decorations in the coming month!

12. Fall, of course, means football season. If the NFL doesn't settle the contract dispute with the refs soon, it will be a long and even uglier season than it already has been. I think Paige did an admirable job "tackling" this topic last week.

13. If you haven't heard about the debacle in Seattle Monday night, you likely live under a rock. Though the NFL concedes an error was made, they refuse to overturn the score. Now the Worst. Call. Ever. has it's own t-shirt, selling for $12.07

—the rightful score of Monday's game. I also like their Instant Replay shirt.  

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Thursday Thirteen 255: Thirteen Place Magnets

Thirteen magnets from places I've been:

1. Pittsburgh, PA -- Friend and I attended the wedding of another friend, spent a week exploring the area.

2. Colorado -- Family lived there for a few years when younger, but I picked up at a conference attended in Denver in 2002. Too bad there wasn't time for a day-trip to the mountains.

3. Lewis Gintner Botanical Gardens; Richmond, VA -- Friends and I visited this lovely garden comprised of 30 acres in 1998.

4. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse; Door County, WI -- A friend and I camped a week at Peninsula State Park in Door County one summer. Eagle Bluff is a beautiful historical lighthouse open to visitors, located inside the park. One of these days I'll manage to dig out photos from the trip to share.

5. Wall Drug; Wall, SD -- Friends and I stopped here on a return trip from the Black Hills of South Dakota. A little hokey, but you almost have to stop just to say you've been. The western entrance of the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway off Interstate 90 is here--a highly recommended detour that runs roughly parallel to I-90.

6. Bear Country, USA; Rapid City, SD -- One of our many stops on the Black Hills camping trip, just south of Rapid City. This is a must see if you are ever in the area. It's a drive-thru animal park featuring North American wildlife. The big attraction, of course, are the black bears. There are tons of them! And if you're lucky, as we were, they come right up to your car.

7. Natchitoches, LA -- Pronounced "Nack-a-tish," this town is located 72 miles south of Shreveport.  Friends and I visited my sister there in December 1999. Natchitoches is known as the film site of Steel Magnolias (self-guided tour available), but there are other sites in the area worth seeing, including Oakland, Melrose (which we visited) and Magnolia Plantations, the Kate Chopin House and Alligator Park. There are a lot of galleries and crafts shops in the historic downtown area, and one of their biggest draws is the Christmas Festival of Light (featured in a scene of Steel Magnolias). The entire town is lit up, with neighbors competing against each other to see who can put up the most lights or lighted displays. I remember passing one cul-de-sac that was so lit up it looked like a runway.

8. Louvre Museum; Paris, France -- Visited during a spring break trip senior year in high school, though the ugly glass pyramid was not yet complete when we were there (a friend brought this back for me when she returned a few years ago). One of the best weeks ever!

9. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO -- Otherwise known as the Gateway Arch. Friends and I stopped here a few hours en route to Natchitoches. We also stopped a night in Memphis, TN, but I apparently did not get a magnet there.

10. Pennsylvania -- I have actually been to PA four times. The first time a friend and I passed through en route to Washington, DC. The second time I traveled with a friend's family and we spent a day at Gettysburg. The third time friends and I were again in the DC area and made a day trip up to Gettysburg (it is impossible to truly see and appreciate everything in one day). The fourth time was for a friend's wedding in Pittsburgh. One of these days I may get as far east as Philadelphia.

11. Reptile Gardens; Rapid City, SD -- This place is actually just north of Bear Country, USA and is another must-see attraction that kids and adults alike will enjoy. The bird and gator shows were especially impressive.

12. Chicago, IL -- I have been to Chicago a few times, seeing as it is only about three hours southeast of me. Lots to see and do, including: Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Navy Pier, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

13. Minnesota -- Another state I have been to a few times, as a friend has lived in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area since college. Yes, we have been to Mall of America (twice), but also the Minneapolis Museum of Art and Renaissance Festival.

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Thursday Thirteen 254: Moving Edition

In case you have not heard, I will be moving this weekend―Sunday afternoon, to be exact. I expect my arms, back and neck to be cursing me for several days after. Here are a few pros and cons of moving.


1. PRO — Only a few blocks from where I am now. Plus, fresh paint and new flooring throughout.

2. PRO — Same polling place, bus routes, and neighborhood I am used to walking—not to mention knowing where all the (good) restaurants are. Not that I get to eat out much.

3. CON — I am, however, a little further from the Grady Tract of the Arboretum.

4. PRO — But…my new street backs up to a bike path and there is a new SE entrance to Grady Tract off that. They are supposed to be building a highway overpass next summer to extend the path, and hopefully that will also mean another entrance to the main body of the Arboretum.

5. PRO — Only four apartments in the building as opposed to twenty-four, which should translate to less noise. I hope. It was pretty quiet the night I looked at it.

6. CON — While the new apartment overall isn’t much smaller than the old apartment and has plenty of closet space, the kitchen may be my least favorite room. For starters, it has an electric stove as opposed to gas, and it is much smaller. Also, no dishwasher. Not that I am prone to leaving heaps of dishes piled in the sink, but that could still take some getting used to.

7. PRO — Though I will have an upstairs neighbor to contend with, I will share no walls. A hallway separates me from my next door neighbor.

8. CON — Being tired of living under inconsiderate people for twenty years, I was hoping to find an upstairs apartment, but—alas!—it was not to be. Better luck next time, right?

9. CON — Having to pack and unpack everything, not to mention moving on a day when the temp will be pushing 90F. Yes, I know—at least it won’t be over 100. :-\

10. PRO — Rent is a bit less than where I am now.

11. CON — No swimming pool or fitness center, but I haven’t used the pool in years (too many screaming kids) and have never used the fitness center (it was two blocks away from me, which did not make it appealing in the cold of winter).

12. PRO — I am across the street from where a friend lives. A friend with a teenage boy strong enough to do any heavy lifting that may be required.

13. CON — making all the address changes. Okay, some of these have been relatively quick and painless to do, while others…why do some companies’ websites make you jump through hoops to do the simplest of tasks? AT&T’s site definitely wins the award for most user UN-friendly, and I have to do it online in order to take advantage of a special offer.


Not sure when I will be back online at home next week, but will try to schedule a few posts in advance, or post from work.


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Why There is No T13 This Week

Sorry there is no Thursday Thirteen this week. I meant to post something last night when I got home from Concert on the Square, but...well—Mother Nature had other plans for us yesterday. After about a month without a single drop of rain, we woke early Wednesday morning to not only the sound of rain, but thunder. It was awesome! I dozed in bed listening to it until the alarm went off. We had about an inch of rain over two hours. Because it has been so dry there were also flash flood warnings, the ground being too arid to soak it up.

As has been the norm this summer, it did not take us long to heat up to 90F Wednesday (a bit above normal). After work, I headed uptown to stake out a spot for the evening's concert. I had a good one, too, where we were not only shaded but could see the orchestra. HAD. Mid-afternoon, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for all of Southern Wisconsin until 8pm. Much as we need the rain, I was hoping it would miss us, or at the very least hold off until after the concert—or at least the first half of the concert—but did not have a good feeling about the night, especially as clouds started piling up against the Capitol. It was hot and humid, and there was something in how heavy the air felt that made one uneasy. 

Just before 6pm they announced that the watch was now a warning, and it looked like a storm was headed our way. They were keeping an eye on things and would make a final decision by 6:30. In the meantime, we were to enjoy the sound check as it might be all we got to hear. The special guests for the night were a duo with a Simon & Garfunkel tribute. Judging by the size of the crowd on such a muggy evening, I wasn't the only one looking forward to it. From what I heard during the soundtrack, they are really good.

At 6:10pm, I left my backpack and beach towel to save our place, and went to meet a friend who was bringing our chairs with her when she got off work. (And no, I wasn't worried about leaving belongings unattended amongst a bunch of strangers. This is how it works. Starting at 3pm, you can set out your blankets, towels and chairs, and no one will steal them. However, I am not foolish enough to leave anything of value in said bag. Camera and wallet were on me.)

At 6:20pm, the announcement came that there was a severe storm headed right towards us and that we might want to run for cover now. I deliberated for a minute over waiting until friend arrived and going back to retrieve my stuff—took one look at the sky and figured, if she did not see me, she would wait at our pre-designated spot at least a few minutes before abandoning me to the elements. I made the round-trip jaunt in no time, and friend was just exiting onto the Square when I returned to our meeting point. It then took more than half hour to exit the ramp.

Thankfully, most people understood how serious the situation was, and that it would take a while to evacuate 150,000 people from the Capitol Square. The one glaring exception was the idiot directly behind us in line to get out. Yeah, you buddy. The jerk who kept laying on his horn as we waited for a break in traffic. By that time the rain was a torrential down pour, making for low visibility and some fog as the cold water met steamy air. There was also some flooding in streets. We were exiting onto a two-lane, one-way street—and no one wanted to stop to let a car or two out of the ramp. After more than five minutes, someone finally took pity on us and allowed us to merge into traffic. I hope it took the idiot with the horn twice as long.

It was an interesting trip home. We took W. Washington to Park Street, and from that intersection down to Fish Hatchery there were sections where you had to go slow to avoid hydroplaning. Even then there was one point where the spray of water was as high as the car. Thankfully, it wasn't deep enough to prevent us from moving forward, and people were smart enough to slow down and not tailgate. There were a few streets where flooding was so bad, blocks were temporarily shut down until water had dissipated. And did I mention the flashes of lightning all around? Being low on gas and not wanting to get caught on the side of the highway in such weather, we stopped for gas at a station near Fish Hatch and the Beltline. Just as we were pulling out again, we saw a wicked cloud to ground lightning strike. Eek! Thankfully, I don't think it hit anything.

By the time friend dropped me off, it was after 7:30pm. The rain was already easing up a bit, but thunder and lightning continued until late into the night, and some communities saw more light showers before morning. Some areas reported golf ball size hail, others damaging winds of 60-70 mph. About 4000 people across the area were without power during the night, as the winds brought down trees and power lines. All told we had about 1.75 inches of rain yesterday—still a good five inches below normal.

Sadly, the rain came too late for some area farmers, mostly those growing corn. Many across the southern portion of the state were out chopping down their pitiful crop this week, so as to salvage what they could for cattle feed. Because we did not get the necessary moisture needed for pollination, corn stalks are not only half the height they should be, but have no ears of corn. If we continue to get rain the rest of the summer, other crops such as soy beans and alfalfa may survive, though they won't be as bountiful as previous years.

Today has been heavily overcast, which seems so strange after weeks of relentless sun and record temperatures. Today's high is only supposed to be mid-70s, the coolest day of the week as we head back up into the 90s for the weekend. Ugh! I am so tired of the heat already—and we still have the rest of July and all of August to get through. Whimper. . .

random Photo: Pink Shrub Roses

All the flowers in bloom is about the only thing I am liking about June so far. First the computer gets zapped during a power outage. A friend says he can look at it, but they are out of town until next Tuesday, so I won't have my computer back until a week from today, at the earliest. I still need to find a new apartment before end of July, and I almost got hit by an inattentive driver Tuesday night.

I was only three blocks into my 2-1/5 mile walk, at a T-intersection where east-west traffic (ME!) has the right of way, traffic coming from the south has to stop. Stupis driver looked west (her left), then started to turn east (her right) while still looking left. She never even looked in my direction--then had the nerve to glare at me as she sped off. Good thing at least one of us was watching, and that I have fast reflexes. I managed to jump back just in time, but wish I could have gotten the camera out fast enough to snap her license plate. There are kids that walk down past there all the time who might not have been so lucky.

About the only "advantage" to not having a computer, and not having cable during the months of reruns and stupid reality crap on TV is that I have done a lot of reading the past two weeks. More than double what I usually do. With temps expected near 90 again this weekend, it's a safe bet I'll finish at least one book over the weekend, if not two.

Have a good one!

Why I'm not "here"

Read last Wednesday's post all about it: FRIED

FRIED

My computer, that is--or so it would appear.

So, they've been doing a lot of utility work around my complex--replacing old gas lines and trimming trees away from power lines. I was working from home yesterday afternoon, and the noise from the guys doing the gas lines was so loud, I didn't even know some idiot with a chainsaw was also there--until everything went dark. While I was on the computer. Yeah. Wasn't. Happy. Even less happy today.

I don't know if Chainsaw Wielding Idiot sliced through the line, or if a branch that wasn't properly secured fell and took it out, only that it knocked out electricity on one entire side of the street. And why is it that every time the power is knocked out on our block, it is only on my side of the street? It was out for two and a half hours, and was thankfully restored in time to prepare dinner--good thing I hadn't planned to make something in the slow cooker! Since it was only the lights and not the gas that was out, I could have cooked by flashlight had it been necessary, but am really glad it wasn't. I waited until after dinner and the news (okay, and a couple of reruns of MASH), then went in to check the computer. Crossed my fingers, powered it on...

And was greeted with the Blue Screen of Death.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

So seriously very not happy right now. The blue screen kept telling me I should run CHKDSK/F. I was more than happy to comply, but could not gain access to the function needed to do so. I finally located the disk that came with the computer, but since it was getting late, and my frustration level was already through the roof, I decided to leave it for another day. Hopefully it will allow me to get back up and running again, because I really CANNOT afford to fix or replace a computer right now, even if it is five years old. It was working perfectly fine until the power went out. And yes, you KNOW I would like nothing better than to send the Chainsaw Wielding Idiot the repair bill.

So, I may be pretty scarce for a while, unless the op disk helps restore the system. That means no Teaser Tuesday and Thursday Thirteen for a while. I don't know about Wordless Wednesday. Might be able to upload the occasional odd photo during the week, just to keep the blog alive, but am not sure how much I will be able to do from work.

On the bright side (not that there seems much of one), if I am unable to recover anything, at least it won't be as bad as the HD crash of 2003, when I lost everything. For one, I started ordering disks whenever I had pictures developed, so nothing prior to January 2011 will be lost, and a great many of those after 2011 have been uploaded here. I also made disks for friends with copies of photos, and have a memory stick that contains a backup of some files, including the family photos I have been in process of scanning. And...while searching for the op disk, I found a few disks that also contain backups of files (mostly photo, but also some documents). So. If the hard drive is indeed toast, and nothing can be recovered, I'm in a lot better shape than I was nine years ago.

Oh, and on my list of computer maintenance I was running yesterday? Defrag, Scan...and backup.

Sigh...I should have known that dead cardinal I passed on my walk yesterday afternoon was a bad omen. Usually seeing a cardinal is considered a good thing. But a dead one? Doesn't seem so lucky to me.

Speaking of birds...the baby robins at work are gone. They were there yesterday afternoon, but when we checked them this morning, the nest was knocked sideways and all three babies missing. Want to take a guess at who is responsible?

Dreary Day

Don't know how things are in your corner of the world, but it's another cool and dismal day here. Overcast skies and rain/thunderstorms pushing in again. We have had rain just about every day for since last Saturday, with severe storms Wednesday and Thursday. Which I'm sure is a contributing factor to the headaches and migraines I've had all freaking week. Both the storms and headaches have contributed to a shortage of sleep as well—the irony being that that is what is most needed to get over the headaches. If it wasn't one waking me in the night, though, it was the other.

The Barking Beasts next door have not helped. First, I could swear there is supposed to be a two-dog limit, yet they have three. All of which bark non-stop from dawn's early light until far into the evening. Yeah, way to have consideration for one's neighbors, right? Second, not only is it inconsiderate and irresponsible, it violate's city law. I finally had enough and complained to the office today. I was promised swift action, so guess we'll see. And—honestly—I do not like to file complaints against my neighbors, but sometimes enough is enough, and it is the only way to get something done. I figured a nasty letter from the office was better than a ticket out of nowhere from the police—you know, give them a chance to correct the bad behavior before taking further recourse. We shall see...

I had hoped to snuggle up on the couch with my latest book (thanks, Alice!) this afternoon, but my head couldn't handle the barking, so online for some catching up it was. Here's hoping for a quiter night, so I can watch a movie or do some reading in my living room. Yes, novel concept there, being able to spend time in one's own living room. I can only hope!

Temporary Leave

As those who use blogger know, they implemented changes this weekend in the way you upload photos and add other content. My opinion? I don't like it. In fact, I loathe it. HATE it, even. I just spent some time trying to upload new photos and had to give up because 1) it now takes 3x as long to add a photo and 2) I could not get said photos to look the way I wanted them to.

In the old format, this would have been a breeze, taking only a few minutes of my time. New format? Half an hour screwing around with it and I gave up. The thing about blogger is that it is "supposed" to be easy to use for those not very html savvy and who are not computer programmers. The same cannot be said of this new format. I do not know when -- or IF -- I will be back. I may have to check out other free blog services and see how they compare.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The niece, AKA THE BUG, models a green leprechaun top hat at Old Navy. Hope whatever you do to celebrate today puts a spring in your step and lightnes your heart.

Thursday Thirteen 241: Get organized

I am a fairly well-organized person. This comes in part from my abhorrence of clutter, a penchant for liking everything in its place, and four years of college dorm life where I learned to economize space. Here are some ideas for organizing your home, taken from my own.


1. Closets are notorious for wasted space. For example, my linen closet. There is about three feet of empty space between the top shelf and ceiling. The solution? A storage module placed on the top shelf instantly adds more room for storage. If adding units to top of a longer shelf--such as that of a bedroom closet--make sure the shelf has proper support (use anchors if adding extra brackets), or it will sag and either make it impossible to move hangers, or tip everything onto the floor--or both.



2. Since my bathroom does not have a medicine cabinet, baskets help corral health and beauty items on one shelf of the linen closet, keeping shelves neat, and items easy to find. Decorative baskets can also be placed on bathroom vanities or back of the toilet, to hold soaps, lotions, etc., and I have one under the sink for cleaning products.



3. Shelving and storage modules come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes these days. Some companies sell mix-and-match units, such as the drawer and two-unit combos below. The only caveat here: be careful not to place too much weight on the drawer unit. Yup, learned that lesson the hard way. After repairing the drawer, I had to move it from bottom of the five-unit stack to the middle.


4. Other free-standing units are perfect for creating extra storage space in the bedroom, playroom, craft room, walk-in closet, garage--you get the picture. You can stack them for a tall corner unit, or line three or four up in a row at the end of a bed, or to divide a larger room in two, without making it look cluttered.


5. This set (two 3-shelf units stacked atop each other) adds space to the closet, and is perfect for sweaters, sweatpants and other items you might not want to hang. You can also buy wicker or fabric baskets to fit each shelf, if you want a classier "drawer" effect.


6. Storage bins are perfect for seasonal items such as Christmas decorations, or winter/summer clothing that is out of season. I highly recommend plastic storage containers over cardboard boxes for use in basement or garage space where leaks could occur. Depending on weight, they can be stacked three or four high--or slide them onto a sturdy, wide shelving unit.


7. Corral wrapping paper and trimmings with a hanging organizer (pictured), a standing module, or under-the-bed model. Yes, I have two. One is entirely Christmas paper and gift tags, the other for all other occasions.


8. Hanging shoe bags aren't just for shoes. Hung on the back of doors, they can be used to store cleaning supplies, hats/earmuffs and mittens, or pet leashes. In a child's room they are perfect for Barbies, balls, cars or small stuffed animals.


9. Organization does not have to be expensive. Many items can be repurposed after their original use, such as glass jars, tin gift boxes or photo/shoe boxes. Jars come in assorted shapes and sizes and can be used to organize the pantry or kitchen cupboards. In the craft room, they are perfect for buttons and ribbon. Tins and photo boxes can be used for storing small toys such as Matchbox cars, doll clothes or Legos.





10. Crates also come in assorted sizes, and can be used for a variety of media storage. Not only do I use them for CDs, I also have some in my craft corner for clear stamp sets, stored in CD jewel cases (available at any office supply store).


11. Moving on to the office...a file cabinet is an excellent place to start. Hanging files easily designate paperwork pertaining to home, medical, appliances, bank, utilities--or any other category you deem necessary. I clean mine out every January, shredding what I no longer need to keep.


12. Another way to corral paper is with vertical or horizontal desk trays. Easily organize printer paper, photo paper, stationary, research materials or anything else that usually ends up in a haphazard pile on the desk or floor.



13. Letter trays are another item that come in a variety of styles. The blue one pictured below sits in a corner of my desk and holds pens/pencils, stationary, envelopes, stamps, and bills needing to be paid. The green one hangs on the wall to keep track of letters, extra notepads, etc., until I have replied to or properly filed the contents.





Granted, getting organized can take time and be expensive, but it doesn't have to all be done at once. Start with one room, and watch for items to go on sale. After Christmas and spring is when you can find the best deals for storage bins. Back-to-school sales are best for shelving/storage modules, baskets and office items.


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So Tired!

I did not get much sleep last night, and I am really starting to feel it, as I knew I would. I think I turned the lights out just after midnight, as I had to finish the book I was reading. When I climbed into bed around 10pm, I intended to finish the chapter I was on and that was it. Except-- I was so near the end, I couldn't put it down and next thing I knew it was midnight. No problem. I could still get six hours of sleep in before the alarm went off.

Yeah, right.

Not in my building, and especially not with snow coming down all night. Some cretin down the hall woke me up at 2:30 in the morning. At first I thought it was one of the inconsiderate idiots in the building rudely stomping outside my apartment again, but when I heard the noise again, it sounded like someone was beating on or kicking the back door in an attempt to gain entry. Seriously? In the middle of the night, people? Needless to say, I was NOT happy.

So, I manage to get back to sleep and the next thing I know the stupid maintenance guy that lives upstairs was waking me up, plowing. At 4:30am! Again--NOT HAPPY. And he couldn't just plow a straight line down the main driveway and be done with it. Oh, no. That would be too easy and not quite as noisy. Instead he was dragging the snow from the dead end down the drive, and then pushing it down the service road between two buildings. Which makes an ungodly metal-on-asphalt scraping noise. And he kept this up for nearly an hour.

The worst of it is, when I left this morning, it didn't even look like they had plowed! See for yourself--does that street look cleared to you? Ugh!




One thing is certain, though. The heavy, wet snow draping the trees sure looked pretty this morning. It made me want to take my camera out for a walk instead of going in to work. I had to settle for snapping a few pics once I got in, like the one below.


Perhaps if I get home before dark tonight I will take a short walk, only a couple blocks or so, and see if I can get a few good pics. Maybe. If I can muster the energy. Think anyone would notice if I took a short nap?

Random Photo: Window View

Sorry I've been MIA the last couple days. Came down with a cold Wednesday so haven't had much energy to spare. Planning to hole up with a book, afghan and box of Kleenex this weekend. Achooo!

Am I Dry

Over on her blog today, Anita is talking about humidity, or the lack thereof during cold, winter months, and what you can do to combat it.

My apartment is extremely dry in winter--so much so that my sinuses are often sore or tender. Skin also suffers due to the aridness. Skin creams and moisturizers can help combat the dryness, as can using baby oil year-round after bathing. I find the baby oil especially helps my legs and back of the hands.

Another sign of how dry my apartment is, is that I have to water the philodendrons every 1-2 days. The only ones who actually like the dry air in my apartment are the Dragon Tree and Monster Fern. Being subtropical plants, they thrive on it, and I only water them about once a week.

Though I would love a humidifier, it's just not in the budget at this time. To help add moisture to the air, I have been doing the pot-on-the-stove trick a few times a week. This involves filling a large roaster almost to the top with water, and just letting it boil down. The only caution here is to watch that your pot doesn't boil dry, and that you remember to turn it off before leaving or going to bed. I also leave a shallow pan of water sitting on the back of the stove and--having a gas stove--need to refill it almost every morning.

Some would argue that part of the problem is that I keep my thermostat set too high, but I do not believe that to be true, for a number of reasons. See, though I have the thermostat set between 75 and 85, it is never actually that warm in my apartment. For one, I am over an unheated basement. I usually have to wear two pairs of socks (sometimes three!) during the winter to keep my feet warm. I am also on an exposed NW corner, am next to the back door, and there is little or no insulation in the walls. Which means that even when the thermostat says it's 80, it really isn't. You can actually feel the temp drop, walking from living room to back bedroom and bath. That's a drop of 10-15 degrees! And if the wind is blowing above 20mph? You can feel it blow right through the walls.

I also believe there is a mold issue in my apartment. I was flooded by the one above 4-1/2 yrs ago. Though they sopped up some of the water in my hallway, it wasn't enough. It was three or four weeks before the carpet and walls were completely dry, and to this day I have to keep an air freshener in the walk-in closet or it smells musty. Needless to say, I no longer store anything of value in there, unless it is in a plastic storage bin. And here is the irony of my apartment: during the summer it is so humid that the doors swell so much that I have to force the linen, bathroom and walk-in doors shut.

While they fixed the connections upstairs post-flood, they didn't do something right, because there was a steady leak in my wall from that day forward. Though I complained reported it regularly, it was more than two years before they finally repaired it. Naturally, in both instances, no one ever returned to my apartment to assess damages, even though I told them it was damaging my bathroom wall and ceiling. Last week, four years later, they were finally forced to repair it as the plaster was starting to peel and drop into my bathtub.

So between the walls, door frames, and hall carpet I do believe there is mold, especially under the carpet/carpet padding. I'd go so far as to bet that the sub-floor is separating, which is not good and actually happened in my kitchen before they repaired damage there (the previous tenants apparently broke a glass in the dishwasher. First time we used it, it flooded our kitchen, seeping under the tile).

Mold and dry air, of course, are only two of the many reasons why I need to find a new place to live. This place is killing me in more ways than one.

How about you> Do you have a problem with either mold or lack of humidity? How do you deal with it?

BADGERS SMELLING ROSES...AGAIN!

WHOOOO! That exuberant celebrating you heard this evening was ecstatic Badger fans. Wisconsin defeated Michigan State in a rematch of their October 22 game, which MSU won by a Hail Mary touchdown during the final seconds of the game. Wisconsin was determined to redeem themselves tonight, and did so in grand fashion. Not only did the Badgers win the inaugeral Big Ten Championship playoff game, they earned a trip to the Rose Bowl for a second consecutive year. The Wisconsin Badgers meet the Oregon Ducks on Monday, January 2 in Pasadena, CA. I may not be able to watch the game, not having cable, but you can bet I will be listening!

GO BADGERS!

Thursday Thirteen 227: On My Mind

Stuff on my mind this week…

1. First: THE PACKERS ARE 9 AND 0, BABY! They have actually won their last fifteen games, including that really big one last February… you know, THE SUPER BOWL.

2. Thanksgiving is still a week away and I am already tired of the Christmas commercials, especially the ones for TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods. Can you say “annoying”?

3. Speaking of stores, does anyone else think it ridiculous how some stores are opening late Thanksgiving night for Black Friday sales? I mean, isn’t opening at 4 or 5 am crazy enough??

4. One of our local stations switched to their all-Christmas music format on Monday. I really wish they would wait until the week of Thanksgiving rather than the week before.

5. Of course, that also means it is time for the annual Holiday Fantasy in Lights display. I thought they usually lit up the display the Monday before Thanksgiving, but checking their website just now, I see it has been open since last Friday. Sheesh…talk about getting an early start!

6. We had two water main breaks on my street this past weekend. I had water at 10 o’clock Friday night, then nothing at midnight. It was still off when I woke up around 3am, but back on at 7. The relief was short-lived. Just before 9am there was a second break, this time right outside my building’s main entrance. Two in under ten hours…that has to be a new record for this place. Last year there were breaks on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

7. Ironically, they have been replacing the water mains (and, apparently, fire hydrants) on my street since November 1st. They were originally only going to do the first block this year, but according to the letter left under my door today they are now going to do my block as well. I want to know whose bright idea it was to wait until November to undertake such a project? Our street already looks like a minefield and is only going to get worse as we transition into winter.

8. I really need a humidifier (maybe even two: one for living room, one for bedroom) for my apartment. It is so dry in here, it is killing my sinuses—and it’s only mid-November. I was over to a friend’s this past weekend (she had running water and no backhoe) who just got one, and I noticed a difference within hours. Amazing!

9. I appreciate people who offer contests, but I am really starting to resent those who require people to “friend” or “follow” them in order to enter the drawing. And this isn’t solely about book blogs. I received a newsletter from a local arts venue this week about a contest to win the new CD by a group I like—but only if you friended the venue on Facebook. Thanks, but no thanks.

10. NEWSFLASH: Everyone in the world is NOT on Facebook or Twitter. Those who are not have their reasons for not joining, be it time, privacy or — you know, having a life. (Not to mention all those third-world nations out there that have little to no electricity.)

11. And speaking of blogs, what’s with truncated posts (which do NOT show up in Google Reader or other alert services), and people who participate in blog memes, but do not allow comments? For the latter, isn’t the point to comment on each other’s posts? For the former, I keep up with favorite blogs through Google Reader, and usually prefer to read new posts there as it loads faster without all the other stuff bogging down people’s blogs. If I can’t tell what a post is about, odds are I’m skipping it, not clicking over to read it. I’ve even been known to delete people out of my queue who switched to a permanent truncated format. Sad, but true.

12. I don’t like the direction NCIS:LA is taking Sam’s character. Sam is supposed to be one of the good guys, a Navy SEAL and government agent. He’s supposed to be honest and solid, not unscrupulous and duplicitous.

13. On the other hand, I love the whole family dynamic they have going on NCIS this season, and liked that new peek into Gibbs’ history we got the last two episodes.


So, those are a few of the things on my mind this week. What’s on yours?



More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Update

Hey gang!

Just checking in from work with a brief update on my communication woes. The problem seems to be even bigger than I imagined, and seems related to the "landscaping" they are doing behind our building. The work was only supposed to take one week, and it's now been more than a month.

I am NOT happy with office staff right now. When I stopped in Wednesday evening and mentioned having trouble with my phone, neither person to whom I spoke told me others were experiencing the same problems. Then yesterday I was talking with a couple of neighbors and found out that not only are people having trouble with the phone, but some are also experiencing cable problems as well. In fact, with all the rain we've had the last week, the cable box has been flooded.

The company doing the landscaping has apparently caused other property damage as well, including cracking the facade of the back side of the building, breaking at least one window ledge, damaging at least two air conditioners, and causing the power in our building to flicker at least three times during the past month (thankfully, it came back on right away, but it does make you wonder about this company).

Never mind the HUGE inconvenience for the past month to tenants.

What makes me mad is that management is not owning up to the problems. A conscientious manager would let tenants know that they are aware of issues and would take care of them, but no--that is not the case. They are not admitting anything. I do not like paying for services I cannot use, and tenants should not have to pay to fix what they did not break--right?

Anyway, while I cannot make or receive calls (it hangs up if I try to answer), I can at least hear it ring in now. I suppose that's something, anyway. If someone is supposed to be stopping by or is picking me up to go out, they can at least let the phone ring so I know they are there, or are five minutes out, depending upon what we prearrange.

Hopefully this entire frustrating saga will be resolved soon. As is, I have half a mind to deduct the cost of my next phone bill from the rent.

And your weekend...?

My weekend was...well, not completely bad, but not the best I've ever had, either. It did not go as planned. For the most part it was wet, cold and gloomy, so there were no lovely fall walks. I had planned to spend a portion of it getting caught up with stuff online and scheduling future posts. Yeah, right. Apparently AT&T had other ideas, as I had no phone/internet connection all weekend.

The trouble actually started last Thursday, with a lot of static on the line, and occasional high-pitched whine. Early Friday morning I had no dial tone. Picked the phone up again about 15 minutes later and I did. That night it seemed fine, with the occasional bursts of static, but I was able to talk with a friend for a couple hours. Not ten minutes after we hung up, I went to use the phone again and...nothing. No dial tone, not even any static. Just white noise. And it persisted all weekend.

Late Sunday night I checked it before going to bed and the static was back, but still no dial tone. Checked the phone when I got up this morning and...wait! Still a lot of static, but I had a dial tone again. Yay! Now let's hope it's still working when I get home. The last thing I want to do today is try to explain to stupid people that the problem is not my phone, but the line itself. If it was the phone, I would have been able to dial out on the other extension.

And did I mention it's poured rain the better part of three days now? Or that I'm really not feeling good today? My stomach is not being happy, and I'm feeling a bit chilled right now, even with a long-sleeve t-shirt and heavy sweater (please don't let it be the flu!). And yes, I've had to dig out cold weather wardrobe, as temps have dipped down to the 50s and 60s already. A persistent chill permeates my apartment (cheapskates don't turn the heat on until at least Oct 15). The only good thing about cold weather is cold weather food. Like homemade chicken noodle soup, a big pot of which I made Saturday.

Aside from soup, my weekend was divided between football games (listening to the Badgers, watching the Packers--they both kicked butt!), reading, journaling, and a (very) little bit of cleaning. Hopefully we will have better weather next weekend, at least for Saturday, for our annual trip to Eplegaarden.

And your weekend...?