Common Kibitzing

Blessing:
Today was all about spiritual blessings- I have a list a mile long in my head
Sunday is mostly a day of rest.
I have cuddly kitties.

Challenges:
Leaky cat! Puddin has started using the floor instead if the litter box... Mostly because Simon won't let him get to the litter box. So far he's been good about avoiding the carpets, fingers crossed. He's an old man and he was as close to a cuddle kitty as I had for years!
I discovered that I need to replace the dryer vent hose tonight- it should be a fairly simple and inexpensive fix and it only steamed up the windows.

Blessings:
A quiet day at work!
Money in the bank so I could make Teavana and paper wishes orders.
Finished taking care of the FEMA paperwork by delivering the elevation certificate to the insurance and dropping a check in the mail to the surveyor.
Enjoyable companionship at work.
Chiro appointment to help my back.
Sweet potatoes harvested from the garden!
Netflix for entertainment.
Hot tub!
Bills mostly paid for the month (only the ones that haven't posted yet are left)

Challenges:
A little bored at work but it's a nice break and it will be busy again soon enough.
Getting out of Corvallis tonight was a challenge because of the game. Thankfully, I don't live in a college town to have to deal with that for more than the few moments it takes to leave.
SAIF sent me another copy of the paperwork I sent in on the 24th with a form letter that doesn't tell me if the haven't received it or if there is a problem. I've called and left a message- I suspect talking to someone in person will clear it up and I have a copy I can fax if they haven't received it.

Blessings
Grandpa appears to be getting better- maybe a blessing for those of us not ready to let go, but maybe not for him.
Had a really good meeting with one of the university data and assessment folks (and all of ours)- confirmed I was headed in the right direction with our new system. It also reiterated some things I'd already told the dean but with some authority behind it.
It was a very quiet and uneventful day- most of the office was in training.
I found the missing break room table and moved some furniture around in what is hopefully a more constructive use of space.
Our furniture person volunteered to a free renovation in some of the spaces.

Challenges
Our squeaky wheel is still not happy with her furniture and wants more consultations when the install is scheduled for next week. I am working on positive communication skills in responding to her demands. I may eventually learn how to communicate with her.
I'm disappointed in my inability to pull together enough historical garb to constitute a Halloween costume that feels historically accurate- however, that isn't the point of Halloween, so this year I'll go as an anachronism. I know what I need to work on to get where I want to be now, so I have a good starting point for creating garb I can be proud of.

The beets are canned- 22 pints worth. Grandma's pressure canner worked just fine given adequate time. We were just too impatient Tuesday night.

And now.... Goodnight!

I took garden photos yesterday but can't post them from my phone so that will be another post.

The busyness of the weekend started on Thursday night.

I called my parents midday to find out when my brother was arriving to help with the deck (not mine although it could use some help). I was told "Oh! He's here and they already have the deck ripped off. What time will you be here for dinner?" Ok, I don't mind a dinner invite but I
This was the first I'd heard. I mentally flipped through my to do list and told them I'd be there by 6. I also received a text from Jay telling me he would be leaving San Diego in the morning and should be at my place by the weekend.

When I arrived, the boys had made a run to the hardware store. Well, dinner was going to be late for sure! At 6:45 I called dad to find out how long they'd be and remind him that, since he'd been having low blood sugar problems all day, he really shouldn't be late for a meal. In the process of the conversation I realized that they were on their third hardware store. It was going to be a while yet! While we waited, Mom and I deadheaded the flowers and weeded. Since I'd word white to work, I deadheaded and Mom weeded.

After dinner we sat down to visit and to discuss our upcoming trip to Yellowstone. I received a phone call mid discussion asking me to dinner Friday night, which I accepted after consulting the family about their expectations. At 10:00, I suggested that I should be getting home but there was still stuff to consider. I tried again at 11:00. Finally, at 11:30, I stood up and said, "I'm doing home! 5:00 is going to come way too early." And it definitely did!

Friday night, because it was also payday, I made a quick run to the store for some things I had run out of before going to dinner.
It was a wonderful dinner and visit. I got to hear about a friend's time in Taiwan. While we visited, Jay called to tell me he'd be here in the morning and would call when he was close. Later, a glance out the window told me, much to my surprise, that it was after 9:00. I came home and did some quick clean up while I ran the water in the garden. I've been sewing whenever I can for the last three weeks and have neglected the house cleaning. Mostly I just picked up the scraps of fabric and tidied the piles of fabric and patterns that were sitting on the kitchen table.

At 5:57 on Saturday morning, Jay called to let me know he was about 30 minutes away. I got up and was awake enough to flag him down when he drove right past the house. He needed a nap and a shower so while he did that I worked in the yard and garden. When he woke up, we went to lunch and then got him on his way.

After he left I cleaned up the beets I'd thinned out of the garden bed and processed the broccoli and cauliflower, which were, unfortunately, decidedly not pest free. Then I ran out to do my shopping. Last Sunday, some one pointed out to me that the low temperature in the nation was in West Yellowstone at a chilly 23 degrees F. I'd been thinking it would be hot for our trip and bought mostly capris and shorts. I realized I might need a few pairs of jeans. I only had one pair. So finding jeans was my shopping goal. I was only marginally successful. I found one pair that fit well and were comfortable. I found another pair that fit well but were shorter than I'd prefer. The third pair fits ok but will probably never be very comfortable. I might have bought another pair of the good jeans but that was the only pair in the store and at $75 a pair I could hardly afford to order more. I had a coupon which made the one pair I did get a little more affordable. Why is clothing soooooo expensive? I might have answered that in my trip to Joanne Fabrics where I picked up 5 yards of linen for a modern dress- it was half off but normally $14.99/yard. Fabric is expensive, patterns are too.

I stopped at Mom and Dad's on my way home to get Mom's opinion on the fabric and to see the progress on the porch. Not much got done because the sunlight and reflective light made that particular space read 115 degrees F that afternoon. Too hot! I didn't even try to mow my lawn when I got home because of the heat. My brother never did make it to my house to look at the rotting garage wall. He thinks we will reschedule for Tuesday night before they start their evening construction time.

Today, as every Sunday, was dedicated to meeting and family time. However, I started the day in the hot tub because I was feeling creaky. I just got home and it is still too hot outside. I'm glad the heat pump is keeping the house a cool 69 degrees F.

I'm not looking forward to work but at least it is a short week and then AnTir/West war. I'm afraid it's going to be awfully hot there too.

It has been a good weekend in most ways.

Saturday I was up by 7:00 and I headed fairly shortly out to do some yard work. I discovered ripe strawberries on my plants so I picked those and also the spinach that is still trying to bolt. My goal was to get the lawns mowed and headed into town by about noon but I didn't want to start the mower before 9:30 or 10:00. To fill the time productively I worked on clearing the "grassland," which is what I'm calling the front flower bed where the previous owners planted an invasive decorative grass. Clearing this plot means digging gently down through the volcanic rock until I get to the black plastic layer. Once there I put my hands under the mat of roots and pull upwards, excavating the runners as I go. I discovered that the garden rake does a pretty good job of cutting through the dense grass and rock but it pokes hole through the plastic if I'm not careful. Unfortunately, the force required is somewhat akin to a hammer or pickax so there are and will be a few holes in the plastic. I managed to clear about 18 inches of the four foot wide flower bed before my body voiced its disapproval of the vigorous and unusual effort. It ha continued to complain the rest of the weekend but I'm hoping tonight's venture into the hot tub will help. Fortunately, by that time it was late enough to start the mower and I duly finished my outside chores.

Inside, the cat boxes and dishes both needed cleaning so I took care of that before heading out to invade the stores.

I needed my usual Walmart run for cat food and litter but my main objective was to find suitable clothing for camping and hiking at Yellowstone in July. Since I wear skirts or dresses nearly every day I don't have much in the way of pants or shorts except my yoga pants. While these are perfectly comfortable, they won't do for wading or weathering high temperatures. I have a few things that still work from our last family camping trip but not enough for two weeks without laundry.

Friday after work, I'd gone to the Dress Barn in Corvallis but the few things I'd tried in there were distinctly not flattering on my figure. This left me expecting the worst when I stopped at Catherine's, a plus size ladies clothing shop. I opted to start there instead of Lane Bryant for a couple of reasons: 1) they sent me a $50 off coupon for my birthday. 2) I have had no luck buying pants like objects at Lane Bryant. Apparently my curves aren't in the same shape as they expect. The coupon did require a $100 minimum sale but I figured that wasn't going to be an issue. Lucky for me they were also having their scratch off sale and I also received a 30% discount.

After about 90 minutes of perusing the racks and trying on clothes, I walked out with five pair of varying styles of capris and a much larger bill than I had hoped for. I figure if I mix them in with the shorts, capris, and jeans I already have, as we'll as my yoga pants, I should have enough options. The bill went on the credit card and I'll figure out the payments later.

I headed out to Lane Bryant then because I needed undergarments and they carry styles that work well for me. While I would like to be sexy and girly in my selections, I'm afraid practicality and comfort win out at this point. However, I try for pretty or fun if I can. I guess it really doesn't matter since I'm the only one who sees them anyway. Fortunately, LB carries a wide variety of colors and patterns in all their styles. I am satisfied with my purchases if not excited.

At that point it was time to meet my parents to go to a graduation celebration for a friends oldest boy. It was a pleasant interlude with many friends.

Today, because we didn't have our afternoon meeting, Mom asked if I would go shopping with her. She was looking for dress clothes for her and Dad. I happily helped her find four skirts, five shirts, and a dress. We also bought two pair of pants for dad and four dress shirts. Two of the shirts will have to be exchanged for ones with a larger collar but we knew that was a possibility when we purchased them. Mon says Dad has a bull neck to go with his bull head. ;>)

Mom had thought more along the lines of buying a single outfit but I was a bad influence! By the way, apparent blue is the season's in color.

Now it's time to go to bed before facing another daunting work week. I spent a while in the hot tub to soak out the sore muscles after I figured out that alkalinity increaser can be replaced with baking soda, if necessary, and may be preferable.

I Am A: Lawful Neutral Human Ranger (5th Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-11

Dexterity-12

Constitution-11

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-17

Charisma-12


Alignment:
Lawful Neutral A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs him. Order and organization are paramount to him. He may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or he may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. However, lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

I was excited to hear that Durin and Ceridwen will be the next Baron and Baroness of Adiantum!

Now to get the garden planted. I think I'm going with the square foot method. I wonder how much I can cram into two 8 x 4 beds?

Although there is room for a third bed, I am out of resources and Dad has indicated that he's not sure he wants to install another one, no matter how far in the future it might be. I can't say I blame him really. You'll note the rock in the first picture to the right of the beds next to the fence....for scale purposes the beds are 12 inches tall. It's a big rock! And we had to leave the cement block in the ground. Dad just chipped away the portion that was in the wrong place.

It was a lovely Saturday. 22 members of my family came for the BBQ. We had perfect weather and spent most of the day outside. As predicted, there was plenty of food and good conversation. Everyone left earlier than I had hoped but, with just my sister's family and our parents left, we BBQed a salmon with lemon and bell pepper and baked some potatoes for dinner. Yum!

Before everyone arrived, I managed to get all the weeding done except for the ornamental grass in the front corner that looks so messy. I hate it and it will come out, but it's going to be a battle for a while because of the runner roots. I think the house looked as good as it possibly could. I was happy to show people around.

I got to show my sister the album of her family that I've been working on for years and encouraged her to send some pictures. I've been asking for a couple of years but now she understands why. Maybe she'll get a "round-toit". We also took the eyes, ears, fingers, and toes pictures for the album- comparisons we made the first time I went to visit after we met. A few years have passed since then and we have a few more wrinkles but the idea is what counts.

My niece stayed the night with me, although she went directly to bed. My sister has managed to raise children who are afraid of nudity so the fact that I was going to sit in the hot tub sans suit was more than her modesty could take, which is why she went directly to bed. Oh we'll, not my children, not my parental issue. It was nice to be able to have her here all the same.

Unfortunately, I woke at 5:00 am on Sunday with a raging headache no OC medicines would tame. I suffered through the day but went to bed early with half a hydrocodone and half a flexeril in my system. It seemed to work because I slept well and didn't have a headache when I woke up.

Tonight I am going to do the same because the tension in my neck is building to headache level again and I want to nip it in the bud. That being said, good night, all!