KnitKnacks
Curios from the cluttered mind...
"Well, Have I got a few things to tell you!"
"Yeah? Well, go ahead, I'm listening!"
Greg has finally decided what it is he does for a living...he's an Itinerant Pharm Worker....snort. Well *I* thought it was funny this morning...nearly drove off the road. ( Ahem...as if I have to explain...he's been consulting for pharmaceutical companies lately...say it outloud)
Hit the motherload while out shopping with my cohort Ida down in VA...found shoes I'd been looking for and a motherlode of Flamingo stuff. All that, Ida's company AND good coffee....doesn't get much better than that.
Today I'm off with someone else who shall remain nameless now since she has called in to work..ill. Poor baby. I'm sure she will be feeling better soon...;-D
Hhhmmmm my curiosity got the best of me and I called "home"....nope Eldon has not been seen yet. sigh
Have a fine day all...........
Lots of summertime vacation travelers at the airport yesterday...sort of made me wonder if there was a fair in town or a big sale at Wal-mart if you get my drift. I kid you not...after taking off over Williston, the people behind me commented on the Wal-Mart below and regreted having not visited..next time, they agreed. ooooooooookkkkkkkkkk
Flight was on time and uneventful despite musical seats....exit row for us.
Nissan Altima something...rather large and gold I think it is...has that funny fake shift stick if I want to pretend to "go through the gears"
Second floor corner room facing the courtyard...yup...I like end units..it has an extra window.
I didn't hit the pothole on the way to work this morning...hhhmmm...dead young deer in the road on the way back...either that or a dog with long legs. Wonder how long it will stay there. eeewww.......
Wonder if Eldon showed up this morning to work on the porch....
Nooooo, the kiddies in their "vehicles" didn't have anything to do with today's text...I just like showing them....
I'm still loving the new mattress...ahem...sleeping in just a little later than usual the last few days, too. However, I think they are getting seriously close to annoying now that we have received a Thank You note for buying the mattress set...it wasn't THAT over the top expensive...it was only a mattress set for heaven's sake!
We leave for Maryland again tomorrow...I'm beginning to anticipate the rental car alreadybut I'm really been enjoying driving my own car.
"Eldon" is coming back on Monday. When he redid our Kitchen a few years ago, I thought we were go to have to adopt him...at the very least be able to claim him as a dependent on our income taxes. It's time for crisis management again...the front steps have become a major liability especially after a good rain. Not only could one slip and slide and fall due to the moldy slime on the steps...once down one would then be fair game for the giganto carpenter ants who dwell just out of sight. Ok, not out of slight...those boys are huge and aren't afraid of anything! I'm glad I won't be here to see what's behind the rotting cedar boards of the house. I will be pleased to finally get the front door useable again though...there will be a roof to divert the rain away from the corner over a step up to the door area and the rest a sit on porch. I like a porch on a house. Now I need to find a couple of old rockers, and I'll be all set. (No, Morgan, I don't mean Mick Jagger and Steve Tyler.) Think chairs.
Today's agenda is lawn mowing and laundry...I also should get my glasses realigned.
pppsssttt...I think telemarketers ought to have weekends off or least not call before noon.
If you buy a mattress set one day and two days later they send you flowers as a Thank You...does that mean you spent too much $$???
Sooooooooo we bought a bed Tuesday. We've slept on a waterbed for over 30 years; have seriously talked about replacing our bed with a regular one for at least 10 years. Looked into buying one of the Westin Heavenly Beds but that takes too long so we looked to our local Simmons dealer for something similar since Simmons makes the Heavenly Bed. I told the guy we wanted a Heavenly Bed and he directed us right to the top of the line area and yup...we found it. naturally we had to try all the other beds just to be sure but nothing compared. Availability? " Friday" "Nothing sooner?" "Well if you will accept a window of anywhere from 3-6pm, we can deliver it tomorrow ( Wednesday)" of course you will for the top of the line mattress in the place! It was quite a whirlwind but I assured the guy this was no snap decision...Greg however, Thanked the guy for his assistance and hoped we hadn't taken up too much of his time...he didn't "get it" ( the whole process from leaving the house to done deal was 40 minutes.)
Sooooo the hard part was done, right? Wrong. One thing always leads to another...first we had disassemble the waterbed. I'd forgotten just how many pieces that thing had after 20 years in the same spot. Those dust bunnies behind it were not cute...some I think were rabid. There was some godawfuluglierthansin PINK carpet under the waterbed; we'd forgotten just how ugly that carpet was in it's orignal state. Thank heavens sun and cleaning agents took their toll after 20 years. But the least we could do was clean it all again right? Right. Do we have time to paint those walls? Well of course! why not!?
We ran out of paint so it's not really "done" but the majority of it is and we actually had time to sit and wait for the delivery guys. This is also after a trip out to buy a bedskirt and mattress pad.....and iron said bedskirt. Yes, Kids, I actually found the iron and used it. I do so know how! Anyway, the next part of the whole thing was the delivery guys took all the foam padding and waterbed mattress and styrofoam blocks away with them and I found a home for the plywood and cherry sides...
I slept very well last night...truly. ( well, after another trip out to buy sheets that would fit...that mattress is about 15 inches thick!)
Home again....I'm going to have to rely on others for pictures...I was too busy playing and working to take any photographs.
We absconded with Lori's house keys.....bummer. Too bad we didn't find them on the floor of the car when we first looked to make sure we didn't have them when we were only 20 minutes away. nooooooooo, we found them when we were leaving my brother's. Oh well...they should be enjoying their time spent with the FED EX people.
So we thoroughly enjoyed our time with everyone at the new house. So much more comfortable even if it was a bit "unsettled". A lot was accomplished however and it feels like a home already. Maura loves her backyard; it's amazing to just see her running around and laughing. Sometimes I get her words mixed up but for the most part she gets her point across. We realized Mowma Jean and I might have gotten a little carried away when we came back from getting the sand toys at Toys R Us when Maura exclaimed; "My Ha Day!" Ok...so maybe a sieve and a chair and a dumptruck and a payloader and a BBQ Grille and a wagon full of garden tools was a bit much....we didn't wrap them! Pop Pop Gary arrives today and we agreed to leave a few things at the store for him to buy. Of course we already picked them out. Doesn't everyone get a birthday every week or so?
Kieran, at 4 months is hard to descibe, but if/when you see him you too will notice there is something amazing about him. He's immediately charming and endearing...he is a really happy little critter and perfectly comfortable watching everything going on around him. I think that is it...he is definitely engaged in his surroundings...a little sponge absorbing everything. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he just took everything in and then one day just got up from his nap walking, talking and studying for his MCATS. ;-D
Grandchildren are soooooo much more entertaining...I missed having a little girl crawl in bed with us this morning. Bye..see you soon.
Wins........
*They win. We have more junk but they have stuff.
* I'm remembering what it's like to have sand up my shorts...from the sandbox.
* I can still do a somersault and a cartwheel.
*I have a name...Mamow Fan...or sometimes just !FAAAAANN! Play me! hehehehe
Well, yes...I helped move stuff and mowed the lawn and used up one roll of shelf paper. Can you see me smiling?
PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTT I also found my Christmas Decorations...they have 2 holly bushes...one of them is HUGE!!
Today I have to make a trip to Toys R us...we need sandbox toys..ok ok...so maybe it's more stuff but it's important stuff.
It's different traveling when there is family on the other end.......
With all the new space they have I was thinking along the idea of giving them the "stuff" left over in the closet in "Demian's room". Neither Maura nor Kieran will fit into the letter jacket just yet...there is time...I see halloween costumes up the ying yang in there. At anyrate...I can see the transfer happening a little at a time...they won't even notice. A box of books here...a lacrosse stick there. Introduce the kids to some of Daddy's old toys when they visit and resist only a little when they beg to take the toys home with them. Ohhhhh okkk if you really want it. ooooooooooooooo remember whacky racer?
I bet we aren't the only parents whose luggage is inspected on the way in. I wasn't so quick...MY parent's actually brought an old kitchen sink with them once and it's still here! They were clever......they managed to pawn off stuff that wasn't even mine to begin with!
ppppssssttt...don't tell Morgan and Nora about the stuff transfer plan...I don't think Nora has even qiven any thought to stuff leaving here and ending up there as yet. Allllltttttthhhough, I have to admit I can be pretty sneaky....hey Morgan, did you see I found your old parafoil down in the basement?? Yeah that cute little Kite in a bag? Yup...gone to NY it is. I know it isn't much and it didn't take up much space but it's GONE!
I think the idea is to make the "stuff" desirable again. Yup, that's the ticket. I don't think I was paying good enough attention when I actually agreed to that kitchen sink transfer, though...how'd they do that? Something to ponder on the trip to CT later.
The Powerlink guy was here for at least two hours this morning......all on Adelphia's nickel. Works for me. Apparently we were lacking sufficient signal strength coming into the house to run even a normal household much less OUR house. We are back up and running faster...jumping higher and I like it.
I'm also half way though reading "Kate Remembered" by A. Scott Berg. I am really enjoying it. Of course Katharine Hepburn is one of my old time favorite personalities so the subject is facinating.
Happy Monday.......
As Predicted, our flights home were interesting. First, we saw a 20 minute delay posted when we checked in. Twenty minutes 4 hours in advance is subtantial. Then around "boarding time" we saw it had changed to an hour and 15 minute delay ( no surprise there). Of course we had an hour and 15 minute turn time in PIT soooooooooo that did not bode well for our making our connection. We checked back with the agents and they said our connecting flight was also showing a delay from 10:15 to 11:25....we'd be fine. ( We also all launched into a tirade against Mesa Air which operates as USAir express out of PIT and PHL...the agents we talked to said they were horrible and secretive.) We got to PIT( 10:15)checked the monitors which still said our flight was leaving at 11:25 but we walked on down to the gate anyway...thank goodness. We were in sight of the gate and commented on how the whole concourse looked like a ghost town when what should I hear but the "final boarding " announcement for the flight to Burlington. Excuse me...the monitors were still saying it was an hour off. I made a few comments when we approached the gate and they were letting us on and she ever so sweetly reminded me that delays are "subject to change all time" and "to calm down, you made the flight". ( Why are people always telling em to calm down? That makes me crazy when they say that!) Greg ushered me along knowing I was about to blow up....gggrrr. The guy who "thought we weren't coming" and had made himself quite comfy in our exit row seats, was not thrilled to see us either. *I* told him to think again and continued to sputter for a while. ( Hmmmm shades of my mother that I ought to try to control) We've decided if this ever comes up again, we will be taking our trips through LaGuardia instead of PIT or PHL if possible...it's a different regional jet service than Mesa. How bad is that for a commentary on air service...we CHOOSE to go to LGA! Yeah, well, I often enjoy running barbed wire up my nose too. We were shocked our bags made the flight but they did....not enough for redemption but it was a plus.
It was fairly picked up when we left and the kitties didn't make much of a mess while we were gone. Sometimes they have parties......well it looks that way. ~elmo barfs sometimes...what else could it be except excess partying. hhhmmm....Hairball?
The lawn needs mowing but I haven't got to that yet....maybe today.
Our Powerlink is messed up ... we had to resort to
I have new Flamingo Flip Flops my Grandchildren sent to me....clever kiddies. I looked online at the Gap to show you but I didn't see them there.
We watched 2 movies last night...."How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "The Phonebooth"......I liked them both.
Our new tenant moved in...I think Knoel met Otis last night. Not pretty. Knoel doesn't like dogs.....Otis isn't staying long though; he's going to FL.
Happy Sunday all....Hey where did the sun go? Why is it not warm out there?
......it's packing up and going home day!
Let's just hope last night was not some foreboding of things to come. Our building had the fire alarm go off...I suspect somepne was burning garlic bread. but the noise was just peircing in each unit. The firetrucks showed up at least a half hour after the night manager got the alarms to stop shrieking. I remember I used to set off the alarms at the apt in Pittsfield whenever I made garlic bread. Well geesh it can turn brown quickly you know!!
We each also got a call from USAir informing us tonight's flight was cancelled. I rebooked us through PIT and we get to use an e-upgrade to first class. (Whooppee! 1 used, 140 to go) The question remains...what causses a cancellation that far in advance.
Severve T-storms may ground us anyway. Last night was a huge line of storms and funnel clouds running amuck with the flight schedules. Ok ok...and people's homes and property AND the TV schedules. The 3 major networks were busy running nothing but storm tracking. We only got a mild T-storm during the night.
Should be intersting trip home. We have the next 2 weeks off BUT mark your calendars ladies....we come back the week of the 27thof July.
Off to pack and change some reservations...have a good day all
* I didn't win the $261 million Powerball.........not even close.........I didn't buy a ticket. Rats.
*The pool was closed yesterday afternoon.....someone pooped in it. I hope at least it was a baby. Reminds me of the commercial; as the guy jumps into the pool a little kid can be heard in the background: "Hey Mom, I don't have to go to the bathroom anymore!" As usual, I have no clue what the product is.
*I rarely read non-fiction/biography type books BUT I think I am mildly interested in reading the new Katharine Hepburn book due out tomorrow.
*BTW..I finished Alice Hoffman's " Blue Diary " this week....somewhat provacative. Now I'm reading Stephen Horn's "Law of Gravity". I like it when I know the streets...hehehe.
*My baby Morgan is sooooooo talanted and creative...snort....we bought one of those little cozy coupes for Maura's new empty garage BUT in typical Johnston tradition we have to make it more personal. When applying the stock stickers, I thought she needed a vanity plate instead of the one they supply. I was futzing around with ideas but Morgan got it right He also came up with a bumper stick that says " I brake for Elmo" snort. We had more fun doing this than probably Maura will have playing with the car.
*Nora and I went wedding dress shopping too last weekend when they were up; of course we found THE dress but we can't seem to find it online anywhere. sigh. *I* had fun....AND...there was a soon to be bride at the shop for her final fitting and while she looked cute in her dress, Nora looked elegant in the one we found....everyone was commenting on how great she looked. ;-D
Hertz....Oldsmobile Alero...beige...absolutely no pickup. I think it IS my father's Olds, who are they kidding?
We have the same room we had 2 weeks ago....except 2 pillows are missing and they haven't replaced the wire roll out laundry bin under the sink as yet. ( notice I didn't say the pillows went missing)
I won the security lottery yesterday at the airport...I got the big red S on my bording pass which means I was subject to full search. Whoopee...of course Monday mornings are when we carry-on our suitcases instead of check them soooooooo that meant it had to be opened. You'd think he could put things back the way he found them...they did fit before he mucked with them. I showed him where my things went and he had to make a snotty comment about how tightly I had packed. Excuse me...it's not enough that I do whatever I can to avoid having those people search me but now I have to pack in such a way to make their jobs easier too? I think not.
We went out to dinner last night to a Cajun food place with another pair of consultants. Tim dumped a half a bottle of tobasco sauce into his gumbo complaining it just wasn't Hot enough...hhhmmm. One of the stip malls on the way back had a place called Simple Tribute Funeral and Cremation Services..in a strip mall? with neon? surrounded by a Subway and a Nail Salon? Sometimes it's better I do the driving so I don't see places like this.
I can't believe all the celebrities who are dying lately...Katharine Hepburn, Buddy Hackett, Barry White, Buddy Ebsen.........sigh...One of the guys last night couldn't place Buddy Ebsen...Beverly Hillbillies didnt' mean much to him and certainly Davy Crockett's sidekick was before his time....sigh.
Lots of Birthdays today....My Aunt Bertie celebrates her 79th...we'll be looking forward to that big party next year. I have a friend in Wyoming I met online many many years ago....Happy Birthday, Ann!! Then there is my foster brother Bruce, sigh.....Happy Birthday, Bruce, Where ever you may be these days.
...and last but not least........Happy Birthday, America!! Bring on the fireworks!
...right here in River City. A pair of fox have moved into the woods and terrorizing the local citizenry. Ok, so maybe terrorizing is a little strong but they have been seen chasing cats and I did hear one and Knoel having an encounter a week or so ago which is when I first became aware of them. As far as I know no pet has disappeared as yet...I'd like to keep it that way.
I was not sucessful getting Greg on the cell phone this morning.......Nowhere must be closed this morning.
I've been overwhelmed by STUFF in this room again...well in all the rooms actually. I've also been unable to start clearing it as well and I think I've finally hit on the plan. It's sort of a circular motion...pick something up and move it to an empty spot...pick something else up and move it to that spot...I may not free up any space but maybe it will be more organized.
Ahem...so far it has not been overly sucessfull...I took the chairs off the porch to spray them down and was attacked by 15 mosquitos the minute I walked out back. However, as I was escaping, I did manage to grab 2 rakes, a snow shovel and a spade and put them in the garage. I also managed to lock myself out of the house.
Ok...that's some progress...I think I need breakfast.