 Nostalgia, DVDs, old movies, television, OTR, fandom, good news and bad, picks, pans, cute budgie stories, cute terrier stories, and anything else I can think of. Contact me at theyoungfamily (at) earthlink (dot) net . . . . . . . . . .
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» Sunday, October 26, 2014
So Many Errands, So Little Time
 This would have been a good day to sleep in. But we didn't...too much to do.Tucker had a nice walk, but we wanted to get to Kroger before the crowd got there, so the poor guy got popped back into his crate, along with his breakfast. I ran out without eating and regretted it; there's nothing worse than grocery shopping when you're hungry—surrounded by food you can't eat. I was irritated to discover Kroger had only five containers left of my favorite yogurt and the stock guy said he didn't see any more, or any more on order. Grr. Just what I wanted, another trip to Publix. We did get chicken breast on a twofer, so once we got the groceries home we tossed them in the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup, a little miso broth, and parsley and chives. [Later: frankly, it was disappointing. Over six hours cooking and it still tasted like dry old chicken breast.] We both had a little breakfast and brought some grapes to snack on in the car. Despite talking to Emma about it last night, I completely forgot about the Jonquil Festival, and we were filling up the truck at Kroger when I remembered it. The heat has come back, it was already in the high 70s, and it was quite uncomfortable already, and unfortunately we still had errands to run. One of the magazines I had bought last night I already had purchased. Thankfully, they let me return it for store credit, and I got the "Ideals" Christmas issue instead. James had a 20 percent off coupon, so he got a book. We also went to Bed, Bath & Beyond so James could get a new carbon dioxide cylinder for the Soda Stream. By the time we got to the Jonquil Festival, it was hot (it went up to 84°F today) and there wasn't enough shade. We had lunch under the waning shadow of a tree, sitting at a table with two different couples; the older one was from Kentucky and here visiting their son, who just moved here. They were surprised by the heat; they've had frost where they live. We walked around the booths and sampled the dips, and I oohed over a beautiful blue gemstone necklace and some beautiful butcher board cutting boards. Went by the library book sale, but this being later in the second day of the Festival, not many good books were left. Looked like someone had given away their entire collection of Science Fiction Book Club volumes: I saw names I recognized: Theodore Sturgeon, Clifford Simak, Poul Anderson... I did buy, for a single dollar, a nice oversized hardback in good shape called An Old-Fashioned Christmas. Sadly, most of it is recipes, but they are recipes from the profiled places: Colonial Williamsburg, Sleepy Hollow, the Mark Twain House, Greenfield Village, and other historic locations. It even has some sheet music for old Christmas carols. Also bought "Bite Your Finger" dog biscuits for Tucker. The heat just leached the energy out of us and we came home exhausted. I finally gave up and turned the air conditioner back on. I hope it gets cool on Thursday like it's supposed to! We had supper and watched the Hallowe'en episode of Tiny House Nation, which was kind of neat: they re-did three tiny houses in a tiny house community as haunted houses. Then a new episode of Alaska: the Last Frontier. Labels: books, errands, excursions, magazines, television  » Saturday, October 25, 2014
Hermanos, Hitches, and Heaving Bricks at Bobby McGee
::moan:: Make the alarm clock go away...Ah, but it was Hair Day. So I was up to walk the dog, and James was up to pack up the food we were bringing: Mexican corn (it had Rotel in it, and actually turned out to be succotash because James had put beans in it as well) and the Mexican brownies James baked last night (they had cinnamon in them as well as cinnamon chips). It was another nice cool morning; I wore my jacket on the walk, but just my pash for the ride, since I knew I wouldn't need it once we finished up. A smallish crowd today, but busy going in and out. Oreta and Phyllis talking about school, everyone complaining about the political ads, and the Butlers joined the "I have been contacted by some idiot who says he's from Microsoft and needs to fix my computer" club. Microsoft doesn't care a running fig about your computer. Once you buy Windows they are done with you unless you call them for help. They do not call you. The ironic part is they have figured out the people making these calls are Microsoft employees on their own time, trying to earn extra bucks by convincing you your computer has a virus. Anyway, as you can guess, the theme was Mexican: Ben and Terica brought taco meat (pork and chicken), and there was cheese and other fixings to go into hard taco shells or soft tortillas, refried beans, the corn, plus the usual fruit-and-cheese platter and some doughnuts. Excellent all round. We didn't leave until almost two, and then went up to the Mobility place to arrange for the chair platform. We were utterly surprised to find out that we have to have the chair before we can get the platform; I figured we needed the lift on the truck to pick up the chair! The representative said that no, the chair is shipped there and they fit the lift to the chair. Makes sense, but...who knew? First time I've done something like this! And before we get anything like that done, we have to have a 500 pound weight capable trailer hitch put on the truck. Oy, veh. Then we did something more fun and went to Barnes & Noble, and first thing I saw on the magazine stand was a big, beautiful Christmas issue of "Victorian Homes." Yes! Also got the "Bliss Victoria" Christmas issue, and the November/December issue of "Landscape." "Landlove" won't be out for a couple more weeks, and they didn't have "Christmas Cottage." Plus a "Cross Stitcher" with a beautiful oak leaf-acorn-maple leaf-deer motif, except it's a clock pattern. I'll have to think of something to do with the center, since there are enough damn clocks in the house. Next week I will have to change about fifteen of them back to real time. Oh, and a "Blue Ridge Country" with fall photographs. I also used my coupon to buy Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, a collection of Sherlock Holmes alternative universe stories. James used his to get a paperback copy of Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing, which we heard the author speak about last year on "The Splendid Table." On the way home we stopped at Staples to get some self-laminating plastic so when I got home I could laminate James' permanent handicapped parking pass, which he picked up on Tuesday after his doctor's appointment. James had to call to get a new credit card, since I found the original half-chewed in Tucker's crate. The dog's a little buzz-saw. Later on I popped Snowy in the carry box and walked him around a bit. We looked out the door at the deck and the slowly increasing number of yellow leaves, watched James scrambling up a bit of supper, and then sat on the sofa to watch television together. He was much more relaxed today and even started singing to the mirror in the carry box. I had it cradled in my left arm and at one point Tucker jumped up on my right leg; I looked like I was at the zoo. We had so much good food for lunch we just noshed at supper. Watched a couple of Antique Roadshows, today's This Old House and yesterday's Hawaii Five-0 before settling in for Doctor Who, with a very strange story about protective forests, camping schoolchildren, and a little girl who hears voices. Next week's preview was jarring; apparently Clara is going to turn against the Doctor? We are absolutely going to have to do something about our satellite dish. Ever since they changed to the Christmas music last year, we have been having trouble getting most of the music channels. We get a partial signal loss or a complete signal loss on about half of them even on cloudless days, including, naturally, the ones I like (Sirius' Forties on 4, Watercolors, the Pops Channel—the last which is now gone). Tonight it gave us the same signal loss message on BBC America, so the DVR only recorded part of Doctor Who; thank God we get the BBC feed directly from Jack! I think the lenses, or whatever they're called, that collect the signal from the antenna are going bad. Not to mention our DVR will now only program two days in advance. James and I were also discussing today his dropping his SiriusXM service for the car. Sirius' playlists have gotten so small that I swear if we go out for the day and we have Classic Rewind on, that we hear "Me and Bobby McGee" every three hours. It makes me want to stamp into bits that cassette they're supposed to be playing. Anyway, the dash mount for his radio broke in two a couple of weeks ago—it is nine years old, after all, going on ten; we got it the year my mother died—and the radio itself is just lying on the floor; he can't play it down there. The traffic reports are horrible now; they only update once a half hour, which is utterly useless in anyone's rush hour traffic, let alone Atlanta's. You can get better advice from Waze and Google Maps. It's always something... Labels: books, computers, errands, friends, magazines, television » Friday, October 24, 2014
Taking It All Into Account
Important things first: sleeping in, walking the dog, and breakfast. Then I had to go to the bank to complete getting the loan so James can get his power chair and the lift on the truck (which will cost more than our share of the chair). Now the money had to go into James' bank, so I called him, hoping he might be able to take lunch and go deposit the check. But they were slammed.I finished the book The Pierced Heart, which, despite the wonderful atmospheric description of 19th century Europe, turned out to be a bore, and then spent early afternoon finishing watching a British comedy called In the Doghouse that was on "Oldie Goldie" when I came in. It starred Leslie Phillips as a veterinarian who takes over another man's practice while one of his old classmates opens a vet clinic around the corner with all sorts of hokey rubbish, like dog psychiatry and hypnotism (not to mention making out with every gorgeous woman he hires). Phillips' character meets a pretty chorus girl and her pet chimpanzee, and the rapacious vet almost gets him in trouble, but in the end he's able to save a bunch of horses about to be shipped for France for horsemeat, and there's a sweet scene with an elderly lady whose dog he has to put to sleep. I'd finally started working in my craft room when James showed up. So we went to his bank: the tellers are behind the wall! Really, you see them through a computer screen. No face-to-face at all. Very weird. Next we stopped at Walmart to see if we could find the strap-on bicycle rack we saw on another car coming home from Ellijay last week. All they had were types that had to be permanently mounted. We did get some Thanksgiving cards. By the time we got up to Town Center, it was suppertime, so we went to the Panera/Chipotle combo near Rooms to Go. I had my usual (chicken soup and a bagel) and he had some steak concoction. I got done ordering my food first and went out to the tables behind Panera; I was the only one out there except for a small flock of sparrows. The moment I sat down two bold ones hopped to within a couple of feet of me, looking up in bright interest. I started tossing them bits of baguette. Then someone came outside to throw the trash and they sped away. James joined me and we ate companionably, enjoying the cool air and the nice breeze. I tossed out more bits of baguette, but the sparrows didn't come back for a good fifteen minutes, and then they were in the nearby trees, cheeping. I started giving little whistles, and eventually they came back, one by one, led by one very bold fellow who perched on the iron fencing that separated the patio area from the sidewalk and observed us, just a little more than arm's length away from me. Cheeky little guy. Soon he was eating the bits of bread with the others, and, as we left the table, they were under it eating some corn, rice, and beans James had spilled. Birdy feast! We did a bit of a round, first to JoAnn to spend coupons (Command hooks), then to Michaels for the same thing (bits for craft pieces). James had his 2nd and Charles gift card with him, but he had forgotten the Rollator and he was hurting, so we just came home through the park. It was early enough to watch Jeopardy and then parts four and five of "Colony in Space" on Doctor Who. After that I finished reading Jacqueline Winspear's The Care and Maintenance of Lies, a novel about a newlywed British couple who are separated by the First World War. Labels: birds, crafts, Doctor Who, money, shopping, television » Sunday, October 19, 2014
A Great Day for a Festival
I don't get up at seven on a Sunday willingly, but today was different. It was wash, dress, walk the dog (under a beautiful dawn sky, the brightening blue striped liberally with pink clouds from one horizon to the other, with a silver scythe of a moon hanging over the roof of the house), and finally shove the Rollator into the back of my car so we could head up to Ellijay for the Apple Festival. We stopped by Publix for cash and Burger King for breakfast (thank God you can get plain oatmeal now; the first batch I ever got had those fake blueberries in it and was dreadful), and then headed north.It was just a plain wonderful day: Sunny, but only about 50°F when we arrived. I discarded my jacket anyway and just went with my pashmina; it was a bit chilly until we started walking, but I didn't much care as long as I wasn't warm. There was a wonderful breeze, too, that made the pash flap. We had a grand stroll around the Lion's Club fairgrounds, sampled dip and cocoa and jams, checked out the pretty crafts, and enjoyed the nice cool air. James did really well; we didn't stop all that much; our longest break was for lunch in which we had meat "sundaes": I had turkey and James had beef, served over mashed potatoes, with gravy, shredded cheese and a cherry tomato on top. (We both decided it was good, but too much potatoes, and neither of us finished the potatoes. They were real mashed potatoes, though, with chunks of potato in with the mash.) We bought the second and last batch of Ginny's Fudge (they won't be at the Jonquil Festival), some of the lovely soft caramels we got last year at the Jonquil Festival, a half-dozen cider doughnuts because James likes them, peppermint cocoa, and a container of ginger pickles (yah, I though of Beatrix Potter, too). James bought himself a new leather wallet, a grey Stetson sun hat, and an anniversary gift for me, a sweatshirt with a chickadee amongst fall leaves and snowflakes on it. It was just starting to get too warm (high 60s) when we headed back to the car. On the way home we stopped at the edge of Ellijay at Panorama Orchards and bought a peck of Granny Smith apples, a bag of onions, and an apple pie, and each had an apple on the way home, listening to, as we did on the way up, "The Splendid Table." Ran into one mystery jam, but made it home okay, if still feeling a bit sunburnt. For the rest of the afternoon, Tucker played cat and wanted on and off the deck. Snowy sang. I finished some book reviews. James paid some bills. Had pizza for supper, and watched the 25th edition of "Treehouse of Horror" on The Simpsons (the first one with Bart going to Hell was the best, since we all figured he was going to end up there anyway), and then Alaska: the Last Frontier. Labels: clothing, events, food, shopping, television » Saturday, October 18, 2014
"The Chores Are a Circle Without a Beginning..."
No sleeping late for us this morning, sadly. James had to be into work by ten, and we had to be at the bank by nine. We are taking out a home equity loan to pay for our share of James' power chair and the lift on the truck. Our loan officer understood James had to leave by 9:15 and let us in five minutes early and had us out of there by 9:15. Of course we had the same loan with the last house, which we'd used for the siding and the roof, so we pretty much knew the routine.James went off to work, and I went off to Michael's with a coupon, except I knew they weren't open yet. Instead I went to Costco, intending to buy milk and Skinny Pop, except they've stopped carrying the latter again. Much gnashing of teeth, as they still have that awful Boom-Chicka-Pop crap, which is tough and dry. I got the milk anyway, put it into the insulated bag, and went into Michael's to pick up two tiny things for some gifts I am making. I needed Chex Snack Mix anyway, to put in my lunch for work, and I got that and the Skinny Pop at Sam's Club. I also bought gas there, because it was $2.999 a gallon. My final stop was Publix, to drop off the plastic bags for recycling, so I'd pretty much made a big circle since 8:45. Am spending the afternoon cleaning up, running the dishwasher, vacuuming, dubbing off The Roosevelts, keeping Tucker and Snowy company, and maybe finishing re-reading The Years With Ross. Labels: books, food, money, shopping, television » Thursday, October 16, 2014
The Walden Moment
We got cheated out of our work picnic last year because of the furlough, but I didn't want to go anyway; it was supposed to be at Stone Mountain Park, which is not only a long drive, but a charge of $10 to get in. This year we were back to Jones Bridge Park, which I love. The picnic pavilion is on one bank of the Chattahoochee River, and right behind it, stairs lead down to a walkway to the river, and then to a little stand of woods. After a few hours of chatting and loud music, I always wander down to the water to watch the wildlife and then have a walk in the woods before leaving for home.
This year the picnic was not mandatory attendance, so I played it by ear. Today dawned cloudy and delightfully cool, about 58°F when I took Tucker out for his walk. It was supposed to be partly cloudy most of the day, and wasn't supposed to get over 65, so I put on my fall sweatshirt and left the house in time to stop at Sprouts to get some muffins for the picnic as well as some inka corn for me. I picked up some homemade Italian wedding soup for supper, too. Had a good time at the festivities. Had a burger and a hot dog, some chips, and cucumber and tomato salad, plus one of the chocolate muffins, and sat talking with Tiffney and Gordon. The temperature had been slowly climbing when I left the house, but the clouds had come back in by the time I arrived at the park. The wind was quite nippy and people were wrapped in blankets or rubbing their arms. Our branch chief gave a sum-up of the fiscal year after everyone had a chance at the food, and then the line dancing commenced. I took a few photos, then the river called and I had to follow it.  I headed up the shore and took pictures of the heron from several angles, and then took my walk in the woods. The scent of the fallen leaves brought autumn home. Squirrels scrambled up in branches around me. An elderly woman walked two dogs just ahead of me, crunching through the leaves, the smaller dog running rings investigating all the scents. Tucker would have gone berserk out here, trying to track down squirrels. Once the sun broke through the trees and pooled around me. I reached the end of the woods just as my back started strenuously complaining, so I got into the car and headed home, stopping briefly at Barnes & Noble to use the bathroom. Not only did I find a parking space right out in front, but I found a copy of "Best of British." Score! Stopped at Publix to pick up some bread to go with the Italian wedding soup, and then arrived home, walked Tucker, and finally stretched out on the bed. My right shoulder was cramped and painful, for whatever reason; it's been a right pain in the butt ever since the thyroid cancer surgery. Today I needed Motrin and the lie-down was appreciated. The soup was delicious! Labels: birds, dogs, health, magazines, nature, shopping, work » Monday, October 13, 2014
Attack of the Bookazines!
I really, really did intend to do some housework today, but the siren song of crafts supplies egged me on. After breakfast and dog walking, I went up to Town Center. We had a Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon expiring today, so I got a few things we needed: Plinks, string, and a pastry brush (well, okay, I need the pastry brush for the wine biscuits), and I found some nice plastic plates. Back in the "olden days," good frozen dinners (like LeMenu) came on plastic plates, but over the years our accumulated collection from both our efforts and my mom's has broken, and we have one measly LeMenu left. They're good for lunches, serving, etc.Stopped at both JoAnn and Michael's for a few more craft items, and then got a wild hare to stop at 2nd and Charles, the used book store. I have found a couple of things here in the past, but nothing very exciting. Hit a bumper crop today: a decent copy of Theater Shoes, since the copy I got at the book sale last year looked like it was chewed by a dog; a novelization of Miss Potter which I loved despite the fact that the story was so fictionalized; The Sixty-Eight Rooms which I first saw at ::sob:: Borders; the lovely Little House Christmas Treasury (Christmas chapters from the Little House books with colored illustrations); and, finally, three of the five Marian Bray "Lassie" books. These came out in the 1990s, but I'd never seen or heard of them until I was compiling a list of books for my Lassie website. These are middle grade books with a Christian bent. In this incarnation, Lassie belongs to the Harmon family and specifically to 12-year-old Jimmy, whose father is a minister. If you're a Lassie fan, the basic plots to the books may sound a bit familiar: it's because Bray based the books on plots from the television series. The first one is based very loosely on "Lassie's Odyssey" and there are also touches of "The Dognappers." The elder Harmons are named Paul and Ruth, the next book features an "Uncle" Cully, and the third a "Mr. Krebs" and a mysterious "Mr. Nicholson." Bray even riffs on Lassie Come-Home twice in the first book. (One time she's incorrect: she describes Lassie as a tricolor, but the television Lassie is a sable. A tricolor is mostly black.) Finally I stopped at Barnes & Noble because I hate to let a 20 percent off coupon go to waste. I bought James a jets calendar. Oh, and three cross-stitch magazines because the Christmas designs were out. I had come home, eaten my lunch (leftover pasta and pork!), and had taken Tucker for his walk, and was just checking the mailbox when the garage doors came up. Work was slow today because of Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving, so they sent James home early. So we had some time together and I had Snowy in the carry box for a while, had a nice dinner (grilled chicken thighs and Yukon Gold potatoes) and watched television. » Sunday, October 12, 2014
Rain...No, Sun...No, Wait for It...
We slept in until ten. That was so nice. It would have been nicer if I hadn't wakened in the middle of the night and started thinking about trailer hitches and power chairs...never a good thing. Oh, and it was raining outside.I walked out the door with the dog leash in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Our "rough, tough 'terror'" stepped out about five paces into the rain and looked back at me intreatingly. "Don't look at me. Go potty fast and we can go back in." Yea, verily, you can get a dog to relieve itself quickly: just take it out in the rain. We wanted to go to the camper show, so we grabbed BelVita bars and drove out to Gwinnett County. This time the bar didn't do its job and we had to stop at Krystal before we got there; I was so hungry my head was throbbing. We had gotten rained on going out there (while listening to "The Splendid Table"), but it was only cloudy as we arrived. We walked around the show for a couple of hours. They had mostly towables, some which were veritable palaces, but a few class As and Bs, including a retro Winnebago with some 21st century additions (a pullout tray in the passenger seat so you could use a laptop). (One Class A had a "doggie window" in the footwell of the passenger seat. Yeah, as if. Tucker would be in James' lap, trying to drive.) The smaller trailers were...well, small. We saw a couple of "half popups," which were basically a bed and a soft with a little air conditioner in the compartment. A couple of the popups had a toilet, and one a toilet/shower combo. I like that idea; not a problem showering in a campground shower, but having to trudge to the toilet there in the middle of the night isn't worth thinking of. The two that we could afford, and that the truck could haul, that I liked the best was one of the tiny trailers with just a bathroom, kitchen area, and table area, but with a popout for the bed rather than sleeping on the seat cushions, which to me makes it less claustrophobic and more liveable, and the A-frame trailer that had a popout on either side which wasn't claustrophobic either. Anyway, trailers are moot, as the truck will have to haul the power chair now. Bother. The sun was out again. We stopped at Kroger and did the shopping on the way home. For supper we had breakfast: the bacon from Pine Street Market and buckwheat pancakes. Double yum. Watched America's Funniest Home Videos, the first two episodes of the Charlestown house on This Old House, and are now on Alaska: the Last Frontier. Labels: dogs, excursions, food, shopping, television, weather The Saturday Stuff We went to the Farmer's Market this morning for the first time in a long time. We arrived to find big signs: "Event parking, $10." We don't want to go to the event, dammit. However, city parking is free on weekends, so we went around the back of Johnny McCracken's and parked there. The tents were lined up near the courthouse, so even if we had found a parking space in the usual place, James would have had to hike. We didn't buy much, just some chicken salad, boiled peanuts, bacon from the Pine Street Market. We'd planned to have breakfast at the Australian Bakery Cafe, but it was starting to rain, which was really bad news for the event, which is called "Chalkfest" and was for street chalk artists. We got there just as they had finished chalking out the various areas, and the artists were just starting to work as we left.We decided to go find the mobility center so that we could see how much the carry ramp will cost for the truck. It was kind of sobering, even though I'd looked up prices online. For one thing, we really liked a unit called a "Chariot," but the guy said they weren't selling them any longer because of numerous mechanical failures. He also told me my car can't tow anything. (Funny. It says 1000 pounds online, just enough to carry a chair.) But we can't get the chair till we get the ramp, and we can't get the ramp until the bank completes our loan. "For want of a nail the horse was lost..." and all that. James got me back home in time that he could go to lunch with the guys and attend his club meeting. I was feeling a bit puny and definitely headachy, but went back by the book sale to see if there were any good leftovers. I got six more books, reported here in "Cozy Nook." When I finished there I went off to Publix because they had Brawny paper towels on sale. I also got some chicken and wild rice soup for lunch, and got a deal on some box potatoes: there was a coupon for Betty Crocker potatoes on the coupon stand, buy three boxes, get a dollar off. But on the back of the store flyer, you got a dollar off on Betty Crocker potatoes if you bought meat. I always check to see if they have lamb because they have the cheapest lamb. I found some nice lamb. Oh, and the box potatoes were a dollar a box. So I got three boxes for a dollar, and there's lamb for supper one night. Excellent. James came home feeling tired out, so we just ordered in: wings for me and Chinese for him, and we watched That's Entertainment! before Doctor Who came on. Why look, the Doctor has jelly babies! Hm. Another story about a soldier. What's the "piont," as they used to say on Ask the Manager? By the time Who ended, I had a headache that would kill a horse. Didn't even bother going on chat, but crawled into bed at the first opportunity. Labels: books, Doctor Who, food, health, shopping, television » Friday, October 10, 2014
It's Booksale Time!
Why, why, why...must I have to use the bathroom fifteen minutes before the alarm rings? And then I had to hit the ground running: dress, assemble, eat breakfast, walk Tucker. The sky was serrated with cirrus clouds that kept the sun away during the walk, but it came out as we re-entered the house. I did it all in time to arrive at Jim Miller Park at about ten minutes of nine and had to hunt up a parking space; I was going to park in the back, but the long line was blocking the driveway. I had to start a new row near the equestrian ring. The rodeo is this weekend, and along with the books, I had this cool experience!Leaving the book sale, I headed for the Battle Ridge Kroger because my gas light was on. Gas was 3.199. ::boggle:: Once finished, I decided to go into Buckhead to the Barnes & Noble, although I looked at the time and worried if I'd run into lunch-hour traffic. Thankfully, it was very light, and the worst annoyance was a diesel-fume spewing truck in front of me. And when I got to the bookstore there was a parking space right out front! But first, I was hungry and the coffee shop in Barnes & Noble doesn't have soup the way the one at West Cobb does. So I went into Publix next door, only to find out they had chili and cheddar broccoli. I bought a baguette and an apple instead. Sadly, no luck in the bookstore. I guess they don't carry "Best of British" anymore either, and I didn't see "Victorian Homes." Maybe Books-a-Million will have it, or someone on my Christmas list will see it and I can ask if they can send it to me. I can't see either of the supermarkets having it. I did pick up the new Sleepy Hollow novel with my 20 percent off coupon. On my way home I stopped at Michael's and got a couple of things for a craft project and a Command hook to hang up my cross-stitch project holder. I saw an alphabet pattern book with a fall pattern and a nice Christmas and also a redwork pattern, so I had to grab it, as well as a 23rd Psalm one. Unfortunately Michael's won't let you use coupons on books, not even pattern books. Came home to have lunch and then take Tucker in the back yard. I had laid my apple on the coffee table, intending to finish it after I'd finished his walk. Suddenly I heard a "thump!" and there was Tucker walking off with my apple! James got home early due to working late earlier in the week; we had supper (turkey! cucumber and tomato salad!) at the West Cobb Diner after narrowly escaping an accident. We were in the parking lot and had slowed down to approach a space right in front of the diner when this woman driving an SUV just zoomed past us; I looked right at her in the driver's seat and it was as if she didn't even notice us. Probably yapping on a cell phone. Idiot. Checked out the Barnes & Noble at West Cobb after eating, and James sat in the truck for five minutes while I checked out the new scents at Yankee Candle. They have something called Pumpkin Ginger Bark which is quite intriguing, and I think "North Pole" is peppermint scented, although the Peppermint Bark candle is stronger. I need a new tumbler of Cinnamon Stick; they have Cinnamon and Sugar out all year, but it's just too darned sweet smelling. I'd like to combine their chocolate layer cake scent and the coffee scent—it would smell just like a family gathering when I was a kid. Finally we bought ice cream for dessert, and then headed home. Tucker spent the rest of the evening bouncing off walls after having such a quiet day. I watched parts five and six of "Inferno" on Doctor Who and looked through my new books, and thought about those lovely horses trotting about the ring and the woman riding them so effortlessly. Made me feel like a kid again. Labels: animals, books, Christmas, dogs, food, pets, shopping, traffic » Tuesday, October 07, 2014
 FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 Outside my window... ...still pretty gloomy. Some clouds this morning, which is fine by me so I don't have to dodge the sun when taking Tucker for a walk. My phone says the temp outside is about 61°F, so shirtsleeves should be enough. I am thinking... ...here it is October and I don't have the rest of the fall decorations up yet. Just been busy with life, Tucker, Snowy, and work. Now that EOFY is over, we have training classes to take, and now we have to close out files, too. We didn't used to close out purchase orders; the money was just allowed to expire. It's an easy task, but fiddly as well, as we have to put specific dates on the closeout form, and we can't do those yet because Finance is closed to finish totting up FY2014. Miserable numbers... I am thankful... ...we've had a taste of fall weather, even if it's going back up to the 80s tomorrow. (sticks out tongue) I am about fed up with summer, not because it's been particularly hot, but because the mosquitoes have been terrible this year. I haven't been able to go out into the back yard without getting bitten, and that's never happened since we've had the house. (The other house, yes, but we were across the street from a creek. They bred there.) In the kitchen... ...chaos as always. I have to dig out something for supper. I am wearing... ...turquoise "scrubs" pants and a budgie T-shirt. And blue socks. I am creating... ...that would be telling. :-) I am going... ...I'd like to be going to McKay's, thank you. I have two full Xerox paper boxes of books downstairs. I am wondering... ...why I feel so achy this fall. I have been told it's my allergy, and I am allergic to near everything growing outside. I killed 20 minutes of today's lunch hour early, so I could trim the nandina bushes, which were obscuring St. Francis. That will come back to bite me later. I am reading... ...The Rocketeer: Jet-Pack Adventures, which is a heck of a lot of fun. This is Dave Stevens' original character, not the milder Disney version, so it's super-pulpy, it's Betty instead of Jenny and she spends a lot of time half-clad, and Peevy smokes. So far there have been shark-men, flying monkeys, Zane Grey, Shangri-La, a guy who sounds like Sam Beckett, mad scientists, Cliff's doppelganger, and lots and lots of Nazis. Also still working on Coolidge. I am hoping... ...to getting some things done this long weekend. I'd really like it to be cool so I could do a couple of other things in the yard, but alas, that isn't to be. I am looking forward to... ...the library booksale! maybe the Mistletoe Market! the Georgia Apple Festival! the Fall Jonquil Festival! There's a lot to like about October! I am learning... ...about other sources for my crafts. I've bought something off eBay that will provide some gifts. I've already done one but...as River Song says, "Spoilers!" Around the house... ...presently surrounded by work materials. I have Today on in the background for Snowy and he is singing...well, like a bird! Tucker has vanished. I don't hear him eating, so I suspect he's in his "cave" under the dining room table. I am pondering... ...certain friends, who I really miss talking to. :-( A favorite quote for today... "There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." . . . . Nathaniel Hawthorne One of my favorite things... ...ah, we're back to the Friends of the Library Booksale again. I know I really need to be more choosy, but when you find a nifty looking history book, it's hard to hold back. Hoping I can find some of the World Book Christmas books I'm missing. They're expensive full price. I was listening to a "Travel with Rick Steves" podcast where they were talking about Belgium and the difference in customs between the Flemish and the Walloons. I bet that is a big part of the World Book Christmas volume about Belgium. A few plans for the rest of the week: Booksale. Maybe an early-morning foray into the yard—which, sadly, involves an early morning, a sad occurrence for a night owl. A peek into my day... nana...nana...nana...nana... nana...nana...nana...nana... Batears! Batears!  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Sunday, October 05, 2014
Timesink
Annnnd he's off to work again...while I was occupied by a long, complicated dream that included bad guys, a threat, and three dogs that I'd never laid eyes on before, and there was no conclusion to the mystery. Phooey.When I emerged from the bedclothes, it was quite chilly; the thermostat was standing at 64°F, which is what we keep it at during the night in the winter. Got dressed, walked the dog, and the two of us had breakfast, then I was off on errands. I needed bread for sandwiches for lunch, so I went by Publix, got some French bread, the mushrooms James had forgotten at Kroger last night, and a newspaper. The sky was a bright, bright blue; pity it's going to get warmer again. The sky looks so anemic when it's warm. I'd gotten a half-off coupon from Michael's via e-mail, so I drove to the Smyrna store and decided to get one of the big carousels to keep crafts in. My craft table is always a mess and I have to clear different containers off it if I want more room to work. This would keep all supplies corralled in one place and easily shifted. It was already half price, so I used the coupon on one of two tiny craft items. Checked out Dollar Tree at the opposite end of the strip mall looking for cheap, small dog collars, the idea being to put them on the two extendable leash handles, this way while we clean up we can dangle the leash from one wrist rather than having to hold the handle with one hand and fumble with the bag in the other. Only one big dog collar left. So I thought I'd go on to Big Lots. I took a shortcut through King Springs Road to check out the dog park at Tolleson Park, but could only find the swimming pool and the tennis courts. I either missed the internal road, or there's more of the park somewhere else, because I could see the rest of the park over the trees bordering the pool. [Later: Checked a map; the entrance for the other side of the park is on another road, which is what I figured.] Never went in Big Lots as there is a Family Dollar next door. I picked up baking soda for the fridge, a can of chicken spread for a lunch sandwich for me, and some thick elastic headbands that will do the leash job as well as a cheap dog collar. Finally it was home for a chicken spread sandwich on the last of the demi-baguette from Trader Joe's. I had a lot of things I could have done this afternoon. I did get two essentials accomplished: giving Snowy another turn in his carry box and replacing the duct tape on my splash guard. I gave Snowy his "ride" first. I put a sprig of millet in the box as an incentive, but he didn't pay attention to it, as there was too much to see for the little guy. First I just talked to him while carrying the box down the stairs, pointing out the artwork on the stairway. I hope just speaking to him calmly will help him get used to it. Then we went out to the porch. I pointed out bushes and trees and grass and houses. I know he doesn't understand, but it keeps the communication open. Then, keeping at an even gait, I walked down the porch stairway and took him to sit in the passenger seat of the car. I had to be careful to keep him out of the sun, as white birds and yellow birds can sunburn. I turned on the radio hoping it would make him feeling better; he was pretty calm, but still panting a little. The only time he freaked out during the trip was when we went out under the banner and it flapped in the wind. Finally I took him inside and walked him around the hall and the library before returning him to his cage. Five minutes later he was fluffed up and singing to his mirror. I got the purple duct tape on the splash guard of the car as well. It is fastened on (it was pretty solid when I took the old silver duct tape off), but the mechanic said some tape would help its stability since the piece the splash guard is fastened to is broken. Not sure I feel like dealing with Ed Voyles' dealership to get a new part! I ended up spending the afternoon cleaning up my craft room. First I loaded all the supplies: paintbrushes, markers, colored pens, pliers, scissors, some beads, some other jewelry-making supplies, and other bits and bobs into the new craft carousel. I am angry at myself because I knew I should have changed before I started this. One of the pens was leaking and now I have green ink spotting one of my weekend shirts. Grr. I also put up some floss, put the discount Christmas cards I bought in January up on the top of one cabinet, put the rest of the beads and charms in the new containers I bought for them, emptied some craft store bags still sitting on the floor (discovering something I bought for James God knows when), vacuumed, and finally washed off the desk. It was dry not long after and I finished a craft project on a nice cleared surface. I'd loaded the dishwasher and was starting dinner when James arrived home early, so he took Tucker outside while I got the turkey thighs in the oven. They were cooked with parsley, thyme, a little salt, and some white wine, and were quite yummy. We had Bear Creek chicken pasta as a side. Tonight: season premiere of Alaska: the Last Frontier. This was proceeded by a clip show, and I wondered if some new material was put in, or if we'd missed an episode, because I don't ever remember seeing Atz's wife Bonnie in an episode except in the background. They also had a sequence with the "bad luck calf" (he was separated from his mother on the cattle drive to the summer pasture, then a few months later was attacked by a bear) that I don't remember. Otto and Charlotte had to lance an abscess in its throat. I have to hand it to healthcare professionals and people who live off the grid; that was really gross. Labels: birds, cleaning, crafts, dogs, dreams, food, pets, shopping, television, weather » Saturday, October 04, 2014
There and There...and There...and Back Again
A good thing it was a quiet day at work on Friday, because we've been bouncing about since then. I got home at 4:30, walked Tucker and he did all his good dogs, fed him while I changed clothes, and I waited for James to get in. Of course, he got caught on a late call (ironically they had told him to leave early, because he had to work late another night, and he ended up staying late again) and didn't make it home until almost six. ::sigh:: So I missed classic Doctor Who again; they're on Pertwee now, and he was my first Doctor and I still love him. But we had things to do.Supper was at SteviB's, because we get a cheap supper (they give senior rates). It had rained earlier and been cloudy most of the day, but it seemed to be clearing up. Suddenly the clouds were back, it poured for less than five minutes, and then the clouds scurried off, the ones left forming big buttery peaks in the late afternoon sunlight. Then we went into Barnes & Noble so I could get a refund. Last week when I bought the three books, I was also charged for three things I didn't buy—I was feeling so wiped by the time we left that I didn't check my receipt. Two items were toys (!!!) and the other was a Top Gear item; I hate Top Gear. They figure it was some sort of mistake in the register. So they gave me a refund, but I ended up buying two more Christmas magazines. It almost evened up. :-) I saw the new Sleepy Hollow novel, but will wait until I have another coupon. We also stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond because I noticed on Tuesday that the fan that I have next to my side of the bed had died completely. I had checked online, and it said the store at Town Center had one left, so I marched in with my coupon, only to find all the summer stuff wiped from the store and the space heaters out. (This is preposterous. We're in Georgia, where it's been 70 degrees on Christmas Day. Keep some fans in the store, willya?) The fans had been sent back to the distributor. So they ordered one for me, but I was at least able to use my coupon. I felt bad for the poor guy helping me; he'd been there since six this morning and it was after eight; he was rather punchy. It was cool outside after the rain earlier in the day (we had a cool front coming through), and we drove home with the windows down. It was almost too cold! James took Tucker out about nine and he said it was too cold for him with a T-shirt and shorts. It was nice being able to go out and refill the bird feeders without sweltering. We woke this morning to 50 degrees F. I took Tucker outside and it was lovely! Actually it was too lovely; I needed a jacket, but I managed to finish the walk without one. I grabbed my light jacket and also my pashmina. Then the flittering began: first to the bank to take care of some business. Then we were off to Merchant's Walk and Betsy's Hallmark for the October ornament premiere. James bought the Blackbird [jet] and the Delorean [the 2015 flying model], and the 1989 Batmobile, and also a Magic Cord which was on sale today. I bought a stuffed [cough] for [cough] and a [cough] star for [cough]. All we'd had for breakfast was a BelVita bar apiece, so we figured it was about time for lunch. We decided to go to the cafe at Whole Foods where they had a buffet. I had a cup of minestrone, a slice of brisket, and some roast potatoes, and James had some chicken soup, curry chicken, corn, and yellow rice, and we both had water, and shared a cucumber and tomato salad. James said the chicken soup tasted too much of onion and the brisket was a little tough, but the minestrone was fabulous, not overly seasoned as they usually are, James loved the curry chicken, and the salad was a complete surprise, because I love these, but they are always so vinegary. This had a very mild vinegar taste that did not even come up on me. It was such a full lunch we decided to call it dinner and just nosh tonight. For a chaser I bought two Granny Smith apples and we also bought some specialty granola that was not overly sweetened; in most of them the sweet comes from fruit in the mix; others have just a tiny bit of sorghum sweetener. Most granola tastes like a sugar bowl; this really tastes of oats and fruit. The apples were good, too, nice and sour! Back outside we were treated to air warm enough that I could ditch the jacket and just toss the pash over my shoulders. It came in handy while in shady areas. I had some Michaels coupons, so we went to Michaels for some craft supplies I needed for gifts I want to make. I got so sick of jewelry, especially when all three of us were working in jewelry shops [as in factory, not store], that I can hear my mom laughing at the irony of me working willingly with links and beads and necklace chains. :-) We also stopped briefly at Trader Joe's and CVS; only I went in. We had forgotten to pick up chicken sausage last week and I also got James a few more boxes of pumpkin bars to put away, since they'll go away by Christmas. We also had a CVS coupon, which was a good opportunity to buy more BreathRights. Our next-to-the-last stop was the cleaner. James got his shirts, but they apparently couldn't fix his kilt, and they'd forgotten to clean it! Our last stop was at Baskin Robbins, because since we'd already had dinner, we had dessert! Alas, it was only the last stop on this trip. I brought the things inside, refrigerated the sausage and James' lunch, and then we went to Kroger to do the weekly shopping. The store looked crowded, but we had no trouble checking out. I got some turkey to make for tomorrow night's dinner, and there was the usual milk and bananas. Then finally we got to light! Oh, and open the door and a few of the windows, too, and now it's time for Britcoms. |
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