Slacker no more!

For a person who has been journaling for 40 years, the transition to blogging should have been easier.  I blame it on the heat.  We're back in the midst of brain melting heat. 

It's warping all my brain waves!  On Sunday night, after a trip to Wally World with Andy to buy him a new fan, I was sitting here, relaxing with a glass of Crystal Light lemonade, IMing with my one of my heroes, TrikerDave when Mark comes storming down the stairs, a 'deer in the headlight' look in his eyes. 

"I can't stand it!" he cries as he storms past me, yanking open the door to the garage.

I calmed him down to find that the heat in the bedroom has reached the melting stage.  He is on his way to the garage to find the window air to install in the bedroom.

Note:  Our house, built 163 years ago, does not have central air.  Last summer, our first in this humble abode, we had three bad days.  Most of the summer, the cool breezes coming up the hill, kept us comfortable.  Last winter, while researching a high efficiency furnace, we decided that the cost of adding whole house air, thousands of dollars and much reconstruction, was not cost efficient. 

He looked so frazzled, I let him break my rule...Until that moment, the chances of gaining permission from me, the queen, to install a window air in any window on the front side of the house (appearances, appearances) was nil.  Sunday night, I caved in.

I HATE air conditioning. It does strange things to my sinus cavities as well as my claustrophobia.  I love windows open, air circulating.  Closed bedroom doors are not for me.  Sunday night was a test.

We closed the door and cranked up the air.  Although the boys are 16 and 18, soon to be 17 and 19, I worried.  What if they needed me and I couldn't hear them?

Unconfortable, I drift off to sleep...suddenly I am awakened by a loud and unfamiliar noise.  Not taking time to try to identify it in my sleep befuddled state, I head for the door.  Mark calls to me.

"I heard a noise!" I scream.

"Everything's okay," says he.  "Come back to bed, it was just me, farting."

After reassuring me that it was not a bomb in the garage, or the 40 foot locust in the front yard falling, I came back to bed.  As I drifted back to sleep, I heard him chuckle.  It was a good one.  A fart to remember.  One that will be remembered fondly for years to come.  Men!

On the sock front, the toe-up sock is coming along nicely.  The only thing I hadn't considered was gauge.  This wonderful yarn, Dancing by Knit Picks, is knitting up at 12 stitches and 14 rows per inch.  These socks are going to take forever!  I can't imagine knitting socks for the guys in this yearn, even though I'm sure they would love them.  By the way...the yarn is on sale.  I paid $3.99 per skein...it's now on their web site for $2.99!  I'm still in awe of LynnH's toe up pattern.  Check it out!!

We had some thunderstorms yesterday. Right after the sun went down, the temperature dropped a bit, just enough to feel like moving. I did a quick clean up of the house, dusting and sweeping, so things are pretty much 'company ready' for the day.  My statement that the coffee's always on and the door's always open makes it a necessity.  This morning I have nothing to do but amuse myself.  Andy works, Tony has a 7:AM t-time (still too hot for me to golf)  If it gets hot, I'll close myself up in the bedroom to read.

 

 

Let it snow!

While the coffee is brewing, just thought I'd share a few of my favorite snow photos from last winter.  Maybe they'll make me feel cooler. 

Enjoy!

 

cooked liver

Yes, I'm up and at it early this fine Sunday morning.  The reason?  I'm certain that I heard the timer go off.  My liver is cooked - it's that hot today!

What kind of Mom?

 

What kind of mother...knows that her son is coming home with his new(to him) dream (his) car and doesn't check the batteries in the camera?

I heard the jeep coming up the driveway last night.  I grabbed the camera and ran out the door, aiming it towards the driveway.  Mark told me that if I was looking for my son, I had better turn around.  Sure enough, he had turned off the driveway and drove through the yard, coming around the back of the house.  It was too dark to get a decent photo and Andy was already out of the jeep when I  got to him.  I snapped one photo (as you can see) when the batteries in the camera went dead.

Bringing home your first Jeep is like getting married or bringing home a baby...a certain Kodak moment.  Once it's over, it's OVER!

A good mother woud have had fresh batteries.

Darn you, LynnH

Okay, just when my brain was full, I cop a peek at the pattern for toes up socks I got from LynnH at Color Joy.  I was intrigued, I was mermerized, I was captivated, I was starting another pair of socks, this time toe up...this time at 1AM.

Oh I know, my buns are dragging today, but I really wanted to get something started with the new yarn, Dancing, that I got from Knit Picks.  So far, I'm liking it, it's 41% cotton and reminds me a lot of the fortissima cotton yarn I bought last spring, but this isn't about the yarn, the GREAT serivce you get from Knit Picks, or my lack of sleep...it's about the Pattern!

I can't say enough.  I thought, I believed, that I would never make a toe up sock.  I'm toe-uppingly challenged.  I wanted, I desired, I craved, the knowlege, but even with Queen Kahuna's book, I couldn't get it.

Seven seconds with Lynn's instructions and I have a lightbulb go off in my head and I'm off and running...and I now have a toe...and soon I'll have the 'up' to go with it. 

 

wazzzzzup!

It's another morning...and it's headed to becoming a hot one here.  So much to think about, my brain is smoking.  Yesterday's additions to things to ponder:

Mark took his father to the doctor.  The doctor was firm, but kind.  He didn't have to TELL Dad, merely remind him, that it's not gas, it's cancer.  He also said that he didn't like his 'liver numbers' in his last blood work, but didn't elaborate.  He gave him percocet for the pain.  Even though we been in denial, it appears that Dad is moving along as they predicted. 

Nice news:  Bob and Diane (Mark's sister and BIL) called from their yacht docked in Erie.  They were spending the week and had a guest:  Harry, Bob's father.  There has been some tension between them.  Harry, who used to be a constant, has been missing in their activities. Harry's a sweetie, I was thrilled to hear he's back.

Tony worked 10.5 hours yesteray, but has today off.  We're going golfing!

Andy, who will work 10.5 hours today, came home early last night.  Mark and he went to the driving range.  We're a golfing family!

Since he had to deal with his father, Mark took the day off yesterday.  Second personal day this week.  We're getting an idea of those 'golden years' that people talk about.  I'm used to amusing myself, and have mastered that self discipline of having all the time in the world to do things (therefore getting nothing done).  He's terrible at it.  Although he had chores, he was bored.  We ended up taking the dog to Memorial Park to walk in the stream (my car of course).  I never saw the dog play in the water.  He walks around for a while and then plops down, usually in water up to his chin, and rests a while.  Must feel good!

Last night Arnie (the dog) was trying to climb the tree near the patio.  He kept circling the tree, growling.  Finally we heard a scolding from the tree.  We have a raccoon, a very small one, that seems to be hanging out in one of the holes high up on the tree.  Maybe that's why the squirrels haven't come back this spring?

I did manage to weave in the ends of two pair of socks and hand them over to the boys.  Andy was tickled pink.  He had clean clothes, he said, but no clean socks.  It would enable him to put off doing laundry for one more day.  I had cast on another pair in Regia (I think) on Tuesday, and they are moving along, anything to keep me busy!

And I'm off to find more coffee.  We want to hit the links before it gets too hot!

 

 

I resemble that remark!

Okay, let's get this straight.  I'm old, I have a grand child and gray hair.  My arse is sinking to greet the back of my knees. I have an AARP card.  I also have a meager balance in my bank account.  Make that two bank accounts with one meager balance that I move back and forth for exercise...

Yesterday morning I stopped at the bank. 

(No personal, inside the bank service for me...I couldn't deal with the friendly faces, the smiles pasted on haphazzardly.  I wanted anonymity!)

As I pulled up to the drive through (scraping the seat of Andy's bike on the overhang (Did I tell you about this already?).  In response to the sickening screech, the teller at the window looks up and says into the microphone, "Be careful, you might injure your bike!"

After all the hustle bustle of checking on the bike (that retails for slightly more than my Jeep) mumbling the appropriate words of apology...yada, yada, yada, I retrieve the envelope containing Tony's cash from the tube.  As I replace the container, I hear the chipper voice of the teller who is too young for my eldest son to date, saying brightly and for all withing ear shot to hear, "Thank you, Janet!"

"Janet?"  Where does this young lady, and I use the term loosly, get off calling me by my first name?  Where is respect?  Where is etiquette?  Where are her parents?  Her superiors?

Then this morning Tony tells me that he was with his employer, a dignified and very sweet seventy year old man and heard the drive through teller call HIM by his first name.

What is this world coming to?

Off to my knitting.  I finished the socks for Jamie (my darling son-in-law) yesterday.  Today will be a toss up between Andy and Tony...depends on which one treats me better.  Since Tony took me golfing last night - even though he made me walk the course - he's ahead in brownie points!

It's my second Monday this week!

Good morning all!  The coffee is almost hot, there is no more cream for a second cup, my grandson is on the way to spend the day with me (against both of our wishes) and the boys should be up and getting ready for work.

I should clarify the subject of this entry.  It's not really the second Monday, it's the first Monday after the second Sunday...make more sense?

In  a fit of ???something, Mark decided to take yesterday off.  I'm thankful, since my Cherokee spent the day at Harry's garage (U-joints?) and there were errands to be run, kids to deliver here and there.  To his credit, he did ask me to go golfing, but I think he was relieved when I declined.  He went out to the boat and got the rudder (that he broke) and worked on it most of the day.

Note:  since you are just getting to know us, Both boys, Andy (who is 18) and Tony (who is 16) are working at the Bike Shop this summer.  Andy has worked for them since he was 14, loves biking, smoozing with customers and has natural mechanical ability.  Tony, who is a natural athlete for all things non biking, just started this summer.  Since he's only part time at the bike shop, he still referees at the hockey rink.  Both boys do lawn maintence for regular customers.  Everyone here has something important to do.

I cleaned out the file cabinet...

Whoopsie, my grandson is here...more later!