some good, some bad.....

Well, I just love a good hot cup of coffee and that's a good thing. Yesterday I went to heat up something in my microwave and it stopped working after only running 10 seconds. And that's a bad thing. I've had it for about 12 years and its worked perfectly so that's a good thing but if I have to replace it, that's a bad thing.

This morning I went to my trusty coffee-maker to brew up a pot and it wasn't working. Its the kind that keeps the water hot in a reservoir and then drips through the grounds. The water was not hot. Hmmmm...this is most definitely a bad thing. I figured that this was too much of a coincidence that two things quit working at once so I checked the outlet and ..... no power to the coffee maker one. Well, this could be a good thing....maybe nothing more than a tripped circuit breaker. So I go downstairs to check.

Now, last year I had my fuse box converted to circuit breakers but have not had to deal with the box until now. None of the breakers are marked! This is a bad thing. I don't know what I'm doing. One looked like it might be off, but it wouldn't stay on when I flipped it. So now I'm going to have to get someone over here to find out what's wrong. Do I feel stupid? Why yes.....yes I do!

I come back upstairs and plug the coffee maker into a working outlet. At least a nightlight works when I plug it in. The coffee-maker does nothing but sit there and refuse to work for me. I end up boiling water on the stove and pour it through the grounds in the carafe to make a pot of not so good coffee. I don't bother moving the microwave and fooling with that outlet. I'll handle that at another time. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get someone else to do it. HA! Exhibiting perfect timing, UPS comes and delivers the new pot I had ordered last week.....and that's a great big good thing!

Getting tired of wasting 3/4 of a pot of coffee every day simply because I no longer drink a whole pot before it starts to taste yucky....I bought one of those one-cup coffee makers after doing a tremendous amount of research to convince myself that I would like it. All the reviews were so good I figured a million people can't be wrong....so I will try it. I made my first cup this afternoon and I will have to say that the coffee named "Donut Shop" is great......a freshly brewed mug can be had in about a minute and a half......and that's a good thing.

This n' that.....

Nothing post-worthy has happened and sometimes that's a good thing. Its been cold, blustery and rainy. The leaves are falling heavily now and if they weren't so wet, you would be hearing the rustle and crackle of them when you walk out to get the mail. Soon the trees will be bare, their naked branches reaching for the sky.

I think I've gotten the upper hand with my bronchitis with the help of antibiotics. Still have a little cough left, but its not bad at all. Because of that, I put off getting my flu shot and now I'm not sure I can get one because of low supply. Tomorrow I will be checking that out to see if I can get one. I don't think I will get the H1N1.....I'm a little fearful of it because it was formulated so quickly and also, according to the news reports, because of my age I may have a bit of built in immunity.

I've been doing a lot of reading and also getting back into the groove of watching TV on some evenings. It gets dark so early and light so late in the day now. I will be actually glad to see the time change take place. I'm driving to work in darkness and coming home in twilight.

Speaking of Twilight. I saw the movie finally. I was curious about all the hype over it but didn't buy the books and I didn't pay the outrageous prices they want for a movie ticket. I waited for the DVD and then got it used. People.....I'm sorry, but I just can't see it. I know a lot of people went nuts over it and maybe I've become a cranky old woman....but I just didn't get pulled in by all of it. First of all, the star....Pattinson. He's not THAT handsome....plenty of other stars that have it all over him. Secondly, the girl....Bella. I didn't appreciate her mouth always being open. It was driving me nuts! My grandmother used to get after me when I was small about that....she'd say..."are you trying to catch flies?....close that mouth". It makes her look very unintelligent. Then her backpack....she'd have it, then she wouldn't only to see her have it again at home. Her trip into the woods started out with backpack, then it mysteriously disappears. It drove me nuts because she has this book in there that if "he" found it, he would know that she was on to him. The movie's special effects were not good.....a children's "Goosebumps" movie has better. The only thing I can say is that the country is gorgeous. The scenery is absolutely breath-taking. So, I didn't think much of it. My young granddaughter, however, loves it. I can say it was refreshing to look at a movie that wasn't forcing the F-word down your throat every other minute. In fact, I don't think there was any swearing in it at all, no nudity and very little gore. Even though those are all attributes, I'm guessing that maybe I'm just too old to appreciate the plot and I've been spoiled by excellent special effects in other movies, which would have enhanced this one immensely.

If allowed to go, the trick or treat set will be going from place to place in darkness, which is dangerous but more thrilling for them. We really don't have door to door trick or treating in my neighborhood any longer. The schools and churches have little parties for the kids so everything is done safely and supervised. Its a shame that so many sick people have ruined a holiday that every kid looked forward to; when I was a kid doing this, it never crossed our minds that anyone would try and harm children. So, this coming weekend will be an active one.....for the older kids with pranks and mischief on their minds. Before Friday, I must get all my outdoor furniture and such brought into the garage where it will stay for the winter....otherwise it might end up in the middle of the road, arranged for a social gathering.

My grandson has abandoned his ideas of going into the service in the hopes of attaining a specialized field. His very selfish, immature girlfriend has nixed that. And what is more frustrating is that he's listening to her demands. He has wasted months of his life only to be of service to her. He spends his days waiting on her, eager to jump to her every command. Its sickening and makes us all feel so helpless. We can't talk any sense into him. As for her, she definitely has gotten off on the wrong foot with me. Her rudeness, lack of any sort of etiquette whatsoever and her "me first" attitude cinched that. I would like nothing more than to see him break it off with her and to do it quickly. Since she's been cheating on him, maybe I'll get my wish soon. So far she's been able to lie her way out of everything and he believes her excuses. She's going to make a kind-hearted, trusting young man very bitter and suspicious of all women after this.

Well, that's about it. I have laundry to do and tomorrow is dreaded Monday, which is always busy at work. Maybe tomorrow I won't drop and spill my entire cup of coffee in the parking lot in the pouring rain like I did Friday. Have a nice evening dear friends!

An award and a MEME.....

Thank you, Gypsy, for including me in your group to receive this award. I'm supposed to pass this along to 6 people but I am going to extend this award to anyone who has commented on my blog in the last two posts. So if you have, consider yourself a recipient and accept this award from me because if I have you on my blogroll and I read and comment on your blog, I consider it to be genuinely "over the top" in every way possible.

Now......for the Meme part. Apparently the answers to these questions can only be one word. Hmmmmmm....kinda hard for most women to do, but let's see what happens.

Here goes:

One Word Meme............

Where is your cell phone? Purse

Your hair? Colored

Your mother? Passed

Your father? Passed

Your favorite food? Steak

Your dream last night? Driving

Your favorite drink? Coffee

Your dream/goal? Happiness

What room are you in? Den

Your hobby? Reading

Your Fear? Pain

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Secure

Where were you last night? Home

Something that you aren’t? Dishonest

Muffins? Yes!

Wish list item? Maid

Where did you grow up? Michigan

Last thing you did? Typed

What are you wearing? Nightshirt

Your TV? Sharp

Your pets? Dog

Friends? Valued

Your life? Introspective

Your mood? Variable

Missing someone? Yes

Vehicle? Pontiac

Something you’re not wearing? Pantyhose

Your favorite store? Kohl's

Your favorite color? Blues

When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday

Last time you cried? Unsure

Your best friend? Relocated

One place that I go to over and over? Memories

One person who emails me regularly? Wanda

Favorite place to eat? Home

Don't forget to retrieve and then pass on your award to keep it going. Happy Saturday!! (and YES...I'm feeling better already!)

Pardon me while I just s-i-g-h.....

I really did try hard. I did everything but enclose myself in a waterproof suit and wear a face mask but the germs still got to me anyway. Yep....bronchitis and a sinus infection. I have learned not to wait with this kind of stuff cause it only gets worse. I didn't see any sense in going into the doctor's office because I get this just about every Fall.....I figured he could call a prescription in for me and I wouldn't infect his waiting room. Well, I called and of course I had to go through the whole business of recorded announcements, computerized voices and voice mail. I ended up leaving a message which they said would be listened to and handled shortly. Well....good thing I wasn't dying! 24 hours later, after no response from them, I called back and I was more than a little bit ticked off. This time they called in the prescription for me within an hour.

So I have missed a week of work and that's like throwing money out the window. I haven't felt good at all and when I'm not happy.....ain't NOBODY happy. (just kidding about that.....I actually curl up in a corner and just feel sorry for myself). I wasn't able to get my flu shot because I didn't think it was a good idea to get it when you're sick already. So I've started the 5 day dose of antibiotics and I hope this does the trick. Last time I had this stuff, it took two prescriptions to clear it up.

Sorry I haven't said much.....I just haven't felt up to par. I've been trying to make the rounds and visit everyone though. Hope you all are feeling well. I'll see you in a few days....hopefully bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Never a dull moment.....

Well, let's see....where do I start. The other day I was doing laundry and noticed that my water just didn't "feel" right. I figured that it was no longer soft water and probably the reason was because my water softener needed to be refilled with salt. So I trudged downstairs to check it out.

Now, I had my laundry facilities moved upstairs a while ago because the stairs are just too hard to navigate with my bad knee and bad hip, but I CAN go down there if I'm careful. It just hurts, plus takes me a while. I would say that I probably haven't been down in my basement for about 3 months.

So anyway, I go downstairs to check out the softener. Now I'm no Martha so I go barefooted inside my house. I've always done it and probably always will. As I'm walking toward the softener, I have to step on a large piece of kitchen carpeting that's been down there for ages. It's better than standing on a cold floor when you're doing laundry. I step on the carpeting and immediately jerk my foot back.....its wet.....very very wet. My first thought was that the wash water may have come back up through the drain in the floor but there is no smell. I look around some more to find a clue. The water must have come out quickly at one time as the water line on the paneling is about 2 inches up from the floor and there are calcium deposits that have settled in between the tiles on the floor. Bright white they are and there's no missing them. About the only place those could come from is my water heater and upon closer inspection....yes, its leaking.

I can't really complain; it has served me well. It was installed in 1985 and I've never had any trouble with it. So I call my furnace guy and make arrangements to get a new one installed the next day. I thought briefly about getting one of those new tankless water heaters but they are expensive and take much longer to install. My budget dictates that I stay with the tried and true.

First and foremost I have a clean-up job that must be tended to. That soaking wet big piece of carpeting is not going to be easy to contend with. I call my son and ask him if he would do this for me and he readily agrees to take care of it. He will do it the very next day and the day after that I get the new water heater installed. Perfect timing. The next day he comes over and cleans everything up down there, carts the wet carpet up and out of the basement and mops the floor. He did a very good job. The next day the new one is installed and it takes about 2 hours. Its nice to have hot water again. Oh and my softener was out of salt, so that was replenished and now I should have soft water again. Life is good.

This happened yesterday. Fast forward to about 3 in the morning when I wake out of a sound sleep and smell gas. Now I am terrified of natural gas. I have a lot of respect for it and for what it can do for us as well as to us. My emergency dispatch training pops into my head so I know not to turn on any lights as I roam around my home sniffing the air. Yes....definitely gas odor coming from the basement. Strong gas odor. I call the gas company and report a gas leak.

As I sit there in my nightgown with my hair sticking straight up on one side of my head, I'm listening to this guy on the phone giving me instructions which make no sense. They really should update this speech they go through. First of all, he tells me that they recommend that I evacuate my home immediately.....which escalates your fear factor about 100% right there. In the next breath he wants to make sure that someone will be here to let in their employee. Then he tells me not to turn on any appliances or any lights and not to use the phone. At this point, I actually take the receiver away from my ear and look at it. WTH does he think I'm calling him on? Oh well, it hasn't exploded yet.......I continue to listen. He states he will have someone here within 60 minutes. SIXTY minutes. I was figuring maybe 15 to 20 but not 60. There's not much I can do but wait. I then get dressed and open the front door to let some fresh air in. After about 10 minutes of fresh air, I turn on a table lamp, thinking it will be safer than a wall switch. Then I wait some more. All of a sudden my whole house is submerged in darkness. The power has gone out! I can't remember when I've ever been so scared. I figured that this was just a prelude to a house explosion and I tightly shut my eyes and brace myself. Nothing happens. I open my eyes and then the lights come back on. I'm thinking to myself....oh great...this can't be good, power going off and on through-out the entire house and here they warn you not to be turning stuff on. Then it goes out again and this time I look outside and discover that the entire neighborhood is pitch dark. The wind is very strong at this point and its spitting rain. I was surprised when the power came back on a minute or so later. This time it stayed on. (my daughter wasn't so lucky.....she's still out of power and the power company says it may not be restored until early Friday morning!)

The gas company showed up within 40 minutes and he yellow tagged the water heater (dangerous) after shutting off the gas to it. He said there was a definite leak in the connection....a substantial leak. He said to have my installer come back and fix it, then fill out the card and mail it back. He said that if they (the gas company) have to come back out again after the installer has been here, I will be charged for it! Off he went. (personality rating out of 5 stars: 2) I felt better but it took me nearly an hour to calm down enough to where I could go back to sleep. At 9 a.m. I called my guy and he came over and fixed it all up. Apparently there was a problem with a fitting, which he replaced. I should have hot water by 6 tonight so I can do dishes and my white laundry.

Right now I'm sleepy and so I'm headed for a nap. This old girl can't take all this excitement in stride any longer. Time to recharge the batteries. Hope your day was more calming than this. Peace!

Here ya go, another easy recipe.....

Its been cold and rainy all weekend and its just the right time for a recipe like this. Its easy and kids love it. It is my own recipe as I've added and taken away from the original that I think came from Miracle Whip ages ago. I hope you make it and let me know how you like it. Enjoy.

VAL'S ONE PAN GOULASH

Dinner's on the table in less than 30 minutes!

You will need:

1 lb. ground chuck
1 jar spaghetti sauce (1 lb. 10 oz size) I use Ragu or Prego
1 medium onion, finely chopped
quarter of a green pepper, finely chopped....more or less according to your taste
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (or Penne works well too)
1 to 2 tsp. minced garlic or garlic powder
pinch of white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tablespoon Miracle Whip salad dressing
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Brown hamburger, onion and green pepper in a large pan that has a cover. Drain this mixture in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix and set aside.

Pour 1 cup water and the entire jar of spaghetti sauce in pan, mix well and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni, stir well to combine.

then add:
1 to 2 tsp. garlic powder
a pinch of white sugar (a must)

Add the hamburger and onion mixture, combine well. Bring to a boil once more, then turn down to medium, cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring often so the macaroni won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Note: stir carefully, you don't want to make the macaroni into mush!

After the macaroni is cooked to your liking, remove from heat and add a heaping tablespoon of Miracle Whip and mix well. This is optional but it does give it a little kick and adds a nice flavor.

Top with Parmesan cheese if you wish. Serve with hot buttered rolls. Serves four.

Not ready for this.....

Early Monday morning....oh about 2 or so....I was awakened by thunder and lightning. I snuggled back under the covers and fell back asleep and when I awoke at 6 to get ready for work, it was raining hard. It did let up for a while so I could let the dog out. And I actually was able to drive to work during the respite. But the entire day was very dark, dreary and rainy. Plus that, we had wind advisories up as it was gusting to 50 MPH. What a miserable day and it got worse as the day wore on. By the time I got out at 5, the wind was cold and I was very happy to walk into my house that night.

I put on a pot of coffee right away as it sounded really good. The wind was really whipping things around out there and we had periods of pouring rain. Later, in my jammies, as I snuggled down in my couch with a good book, my coffee and the dog cuddled next to me, I couldn't help but wonder about all the people who are homeless. I always think about them more in inclement weather. I am so fortunate to have a warm, comfortable home and I give thanks for that fact on a daily basis. My little dog lives in more comfort than the homeless.

The rain kept up all night long and I woke up to more of the same today. It got down to the 40's last night and today the high did manage to get to 55 but tonight its going into the lower 40's again. We've had periods of heavy rain on and off through-out the day and I'm grateful that today was a day off for me and I didn't have to get out in it. It just seems too soon to be this cold.

I guess what I'm trying to convey here is that no matter what....no matter how disgusted you get or how angry you may get at certain situations, you have to stop and think about your blessings. Yes, I've worked the majority of my life to obtain my things but so have a lot of people....and because of current economic conditions, they've lost what they once had. My prayers are focused on those people; to help them and to help our leaders find a solution to this horrible problem. We all know someone who is in a bad situation right now. I've never, in my life, seen things as bad as they are and never have I seen so many empty homes. I hope someone comes up with a plan.....one that will work and one that won't take more away from those of us who are barely keeping our heads above water.....and I think that's most of us right now. I certainly wish I had the solution but it isn't going to hurt to pray and to pray often about it. Remember......'there but for the grace of God, go I'. Take care and God bless, my friends.

Sleepy.......

so sleepy I can't stand it. I've been working a lot to fill in for vacations and that may be it or else its the weather change....but all I know is that I'm so sleepy lately I feel like I could fall asleep in the middle of a crowd. I've been going to bed earlier and earlier at night. I've even missed a few of my favorite TV programs that have started up this Fall because of my sleepiness. One good thing, I can watch them online through www.hulu.com if I miss them first time around. Last night I watched Medium and The New Adventures of Old Christine online since I missed the original showings. As usual, they were excellent.

On the home front, things have been quiet for the most part and that's a good thing. I'm trying to prepare for the upcoming winter in case its as bad as it was last year. The Farmer's Almanac states that its supposed to be BITTERLY cold in my area but not much snow. That does make me feel better....you don't have to shovel COLD. I'm buying frozen dinner type stuff a little at a time to put in the freezer downstairs. Frozen homemade bread dough (its really quite good) and also powdered milk....just in case the weather makes going to the store difficult.

I have to get my flu shot yet and also get my car winterized. I still don't know if I'm going to have a job next year or not. At first I heard that it wasn't going into the budget....then I heard it was. So I just have to wait and see what happens. It would be nice if I could work just one more year to get some bills paid off....but the thought of not having to get out in bitterly cold blizzards to go to work is also a nice dream. One good thing is that my work is only 6 miles one way from my house and the roads are usually well-maintained between here and there.

I've been reading The Help and its very good. Once again, fiction based on fact. My huge stack of books to be read is 29 books high as it is and then my daughter insisted I read a book she just finished by Philippa Gregory (who wrote The Other Boleyn Girl ) called The Wise Woman. Oh my Gawd.....it was a sit on the edge of your seat type book that was hard to put down. I read it in two nights. Not for the faint of heart.... there's lots of sexy passages, descriptions and acts, not to mention some witchcraft thrown in for good measure. Takes place in the 1500's, England.

So, I hope everyone is having a great start to Fall in your area. Here, the leaves are beginning to turn and that certain little nip is in the air. I do love this time of year.....just not what follows it!

Something is getting more frequent.....

....hatred. Oh, its always been around but it was kept hidden for the most part. Here lately it seems to be everywhere. I'm no goodie-two-shoes but I know I've never done anything like what I'm seeing and reading. Yep, I may have whispered to my girlfriend that so and so looks just awful in that skirt and.....what was she thinking!!!! ....but I certainly would have never publicly embarrassed her by saying it out loud. And, at the age I am now, I've learned to keep my mouth shut about things that could hurt someone. I may be thinking it but I keep it to myself. Of course, thinking it is nearly as bad I guess.....but at least it doesn't hurt the one you're thinking about.

I play on a free online game site. I've played the games there for years. I usually go there once a day and give my brain a little workout. I don't stay very long at any one time but its something I used to look forward to. There is a chat section for each game and I rarely contribute, but I do read it. I have noticed a trend lately. People are getting more and more hateful; they say hurting things or else they take someone's comment and turn it around, blow it out of proportion and the insults start flying. It seems like a lot of people have huge chips on their shoulders now. I have to admit I've gone into certain game rooms and have been so engrossed in reading the chat section because of a 'fight' that is going on that I completely neglect the game. At first it was intriguing....almost like eavesdropping, but now its disgusting to me. I am unable to understand why people cannot get along well enough that they can't come together in an innocent, open to all ages, game room without getting ruffled feathers and flinging insults.

So now that I've seen this happen enough I've also noticed that a lot of the same people are involved. Now I check to see if they are playing the same game I am and if so, I often leave the room and go to another one. There ARE sections that are friendly and polite. What's wrong with these people that they are so quick to start something? Is this a learned trait or is it just the frustrations of their lives coming out and the only way they can find relief in their own misery is to strike out at others? I'm seeing more and more of this behavior and, frankly, I'm embarrassed that people act in such a way. There is a lot of hate being distributed in demonstrations, on TV, radio and in articles, not to mention web-sites and music. When is this going to stop? I don't think a day goes by that we don't hear of something hateful and UNNECESSARY that's been done or said. The anonymity of the Internet makes it all the easier for hate to be nourished and distributed.

I just wish people would stop and take a good look at themselves and stop and think just for a half a minute before spewing out some words that can't be retracted. Remember what our old Sunday School teachers taught us? If you're going to say something and you're in doubt....answer three questions before you say it. Is it true.....Is it kind.....Is it necessary. If you can answer yes to all three, then go ahead and say it. That's sage advice we should all adhere to.

I have no answers to solve this problem and I desperately wish I did. What is so distressing is the fact that the "haters" pass this disturbing behavior on to future generations and therefore its kept alive......and growing.

Well, 'nuff said. Have a Blessed day everyone.

Well, this is just plain creepy.....

To add an update to the previous post.....the dead squirrel. The next morning, after my coffee, I went outside armed with a plastic garbage bag to dispose of said squirrel. It was a task that I was not looking forward to, but it had to be done.

I went to the base of the pole where the squirrel had been and it was........(gasp)....gone!

This is the second time this has happened now during the night. ( *a few weeks ago I found a dead squirrel by the AC unit outside. When I went to get it to dispose of it the next morning....it was gone! I think this is squirrel mating season, they are fighting with each other like crazy right now. He was most likely the loser. I doubt his family came and got the body to give him a decent burial, even though I'd rather think of it in those terms.)

Which reminds me of something. One day I was watching an ant carrying another ant, that was dead. He trudged across my driveway, carrying his load, which had to weigh as much as he did. I thought to myself....isn't that special. He's taking his fallen comrade back home. Wow. I watched as he took him to an anthill and down the hole. It was a couple days later, talking with someone else who apparently has a lot more intelligence than I, that I learned that ants are cannibals and he was taking him home all right....he was SUPPER!

Ok, back to the original storyline here...........

There is something creepy out there roaming around my yard looking for something dead for.......food.

Either that or the hawk has been helping himself as soon as its daylight. But this squirrel was in a heavily leafed area....mostly hidden from a sky view.

I've got to quit watching so many spooky movies....my imagination is getting the best of me in thinking of scenarios.

Shudder........this just makes me very uncomfortable although I do appreciate the disposal help. I've got my own National Geographic series going on in my own back yard. Nature's clean-up.

Speaking of that.....I really miss Meerkat Manor. Any of you ever look at that? It was the cutest show that I became quite addicted to. I suppose they ran out of story lines....there's only so much a Meerkat family can do. Hope your day is a good one.

And it continues.....

Sunday was a nice day. The neighbors to one side of me were having a family BBQ, the neighbors behind me were relaxing on their screened-in porch; the other neighbors in this immediate area were gone. I was enjoying a 3-day weekend by doing mostly nothing. I had been on the computer, then read for a while and finally decided that I would take a nice little afternoon nap.

I was jarred awake by the distinct sound that I've come to know so well. Yep, the transformer blew again and it was a sure bet who was responsible. After shutting down my computer safely (its on a battery back-up system), I trudged outside to see where the body or bodies were this time. My neighbors were kidding me about having squirrel BBQ for dinner. The neighbor behind me who had been sitting on her porch said it was the first time she had actually witnessed it....she said a huge ball of bluish white light came off of that pole and it was indeed frightening. I confirmed the body count of one laying at the foot of the pole. I sure wish they would land in another yard for a change but 98% of the time they land in mine, which makes me responsible for disposing of the body. Yuck! I'll admit there's been many times I've been tempted to toss them over the fence (where a MAN lives) and the only things stopping me is that I'm afraid someone will see me doing it and if I'm going to touch it to do that, I might as well go ahead and get rid of the body (logic takes over).

A call was placed to the power company by myself and I'm sure many other neighbors called too. The recording on the phone stated that our problem should be fixed by 10 tomorrow morning. Oh goodie! That's a good 15 hours away. It was just dark enough in my living room that attempting to read a book was difficult. I talked on the phone for a bit then noticed the power company truck. Wow...I was impressed....only two hours from when the call was made! The guy walked into my back yard and located the culprit's body at the base of the pole. It is now completely dark outside.

Well, we waited and we waited and still no power. I couldn't figure it out, since they located the problem right away and its happened so many times before, they certainly have it down pat as to what to do. I began to have scenarios run through my mind as to why it was taking so long.
1. Since its a holiday weekend, they had to call in more crews because they are short-handed.
2. Since its a holiday weekend, they only have an inexperienced crew working and have to call in the experienced guys if something big happens and all the experienced guys are three states away having a last summer vacation.
3.This call interrupted a BBQ and after locating the problem, they went back to finish their dinners first.
4. The truck appearing was nothing more than a facade to get people to quit calling. The "real" crew will show up early tomorrow morning when its light.
5. This was a particularly violent blow-out which fried 1,900 miles of wires and they all have to be replaced.

I got disgusted and went back to bed at 11. I left my bedroom light on so I would know if and when my power came back on. At approximately 1:30 in the morning, I had power.

Now, if you remember it wasn't that long ago that I had back-to-back outages during a weekend due to squirrels. I reported it to a "person of importance" at the power company that time and he said he would definitely look into putting up a squirrel guard which is what we've been asking for in the 37 years I've lived here.....and have yet to receive. Obviously, they still have not put one up even though I was visited by an inspector who stood at the base of the pole and stared skyward at it for more than a few minutes. In all their infinite wisdom, I figure that the power company has decided that it is more beneficial for them to not put up a squirrel guard which would take perhaps an hour or so. Instead they:
1. pay out overtime for their crews to respond on a holiday
2. pay out overtime for their crews to respond during the night or on a weekend
3. lose a substantial amount of money due to the fact that there are hundreds of meters not running during this outage.

So, weigh out the fact of losing much money on one hand.....to paying out a tiny amount for a squirrel guard on the other hand and I can fully understand why they would chose to not put up the guard. These people, after all, have to prove job security and what better way than this.....as if all the storms we get isn't enough. Besides that, if us old folks didn't have stuff like this to complain about, then we might just as well curl up our toes and check out. Half the fun of getting old is the part where you can moan and groan and complain and get away with it. We have earned that right, dad gummit. Hope your holiday weekend was a good one....its winding down now and, like everything else in my life, it went by amazingly fast.

Mixed emotions.....

about a lot of things. I was told Monday that my part time position was not going to be put into next year's budget. Part of me felt bad that I wasn't considered important enough to be kept....but I realize that these are strange times and so many jobs are being cut. Although I can't begin to imagine that the small amount my job takes out of a budget would make that much difference....I suppose every little bit helps. Since my daughter should be getting her disability starting this month, I am hoping that she will be taken care of that way and my financial help will no longer be needed. If I take care of a couple bills, I can make it on my income if I don't have to help her. I have four months and I think I can pay those bills down so that I can manage....at least that's the plan. I haven't really been able to enjoy my retirement. As soon as I retired my knee went out and I was in a lot of pain....then surgery and by the time that was over I had gone back to work part-time to help my daughter as she had lost her job. So I guess its time that I stopped and enjoyed the roses, so to speak.

My co-worker is going to fight to keep me.....she likes having me there. I've been in this building since 1974 in a different capacity. I am learning more and more about this job and she knows I can be trusted....so we'll see what happens. If I can stay, it will help me pay off some nagging debts....but if I have to leave, I can still make it unless they raise the interest rates even more or raise groceries even more....then its going to be super tight. The important thing I have to remember is that this job came through for me right at the time that my daughter desperately needed help. The timing was right and I know Who I have to thank for that and have thanked a million times. I have faith that things will continue to work out.

I think Fall is upon us. We have had some nights in the low 40's. Today, although nice and sunny, is only 72, yesterday was 70. The leaves are beginning to turn. I'm not ready for this, although I do love Fall....its WINTER that I cannot tolerate any longer. The Farmer's Almanac has predicted that our area is in for bitterly cold temps this winter but not that much snow. I guess I can take the cold....its the snow that just about did me in last year....it just kept coming and coming. So, I'm off to do some earth shattering important things.....like laundry and all the side-chores that go along with doing laundry.

Oh, and you won't believe this one. My great little workhorse computer died. This is the old one that I've had for so many years and recently replaced. My computer guy stopped by to make an adjustment on it so it could send things to the printer in my office and he couldn't get it to come on.....the hard drive wasn't even coming on. This is a VERY bad sign. I panicked at first then realized that I still have the backup of that machine on my external hard drive and so now have been transferring the important stuff onto my new system, like photos and all my word documents. Please....if you haven't made a backup of your machine, DO IT....before its too late. What a nightmare this would have been if I didn't have it. So computer guy took my trusty old machine to see if he could salvage anything. Its been a good worker for me for many years and I feel sad that it has died. Sorry, I'm in just a pitiful mood today....I get like this once in a while....but thankfully it never lasts long. I need to go look at a funny movie, I think. Have a great day.....tomorrow is humpday already!

Its so good when things work like they're supposed to.....

My computer is up and running and is so fast. The programs that I use on a regular basis have installed flawlessly. My bookmarks and passwords have imported into the browser just like they are supposed to and they actually all work! I just can't help bragging even if I may jinx the whole thing. I really NEEDED things to work right.

I still have a few things to incorporate and I need to set up my backup system yet.....but so far, so good. Even the online brain teaser games I play work.

I reinstalled the little weather program that I've used for quite a while and my virus program jerked itself up out of the system tray, stood on a box and literally screamed NO at me. It says there's a trojan in there and I'm disappointed because I like the program, but I'm not taking any chances. Recently the program had to be redone, according to the author, because of changes the weather channel made to its site. Maybe he did something odd...or maybe my virus scanner is having hot flashes....not sure but I'm listening to it. I don't need any more problems.

This afternoon the power went out at work. We have a huge generator which immediately kicked on so we barely knew the difference but having all the offices open and working is a drain on the system, which has to be up and running because of the police department that is in the same building. The traffic on the 5-lane highway out front was bumper to bumper because the traffic signals were no longer working. Then we found out that the outage was extremely wide-spread....at least an 8 mile stretch of the highway and areas surrounding it. Something to do with a transformer that had a domino affect and other transformers went out too. After an hour of being on the generator we found out that service would not be restored until after 11 pm this evening. We were all told to shut down our workstations and go home. It was only an hour and a half early....but great that it happened on a Friday night! To avoid the traffic mess, I took the back way home...which is all gravel roads through the farm route. I take this route frequently when I just need to unwind....no traffic lights and plenty of horses and rolling pastures as well as some areas of deep, thick woods. Very pretty. The rain even stopped for my commute home. Anyway, I was glad to pull into my driveway tonight.

Today is cold and rainy. Its only 60 right now and I swear it feels like Fall already. Its a good night to cuddle with a book.......or maybe play a computer game now that I can.

One step forward 2 steps back.....

I'm done. I concede. Its gotten the best of me. UNCLE. I just get one thing to work and then two more don't work So I'm getting my computer guy back out here.....he can't come until Thursday....and we will reformat the hard drive and I'll start clean. I will have to reinstall everything, but the end result will be that I'll have a system in which everything will WORK.

Lesson learned. If something sounds too good to be true.....be vewy vewy careful...to quote a certain little guy that had problems with a wascally wabbit. PC Mover, I think, is great for moving data files, photos and music....but NOT programs....at least not from one operating system to another. And with a flashdrive, you can move those files yourself without much trouble at all. So I'm saving all my bookmarks and passwords and hopefully my new system will be able to import them into the new installation of my browser. If not....I have them all written down and will just have to put them in manually. Arghhhhh. its never easy.

Hope your weekend was a good one. I'm gonna love this computer when I get it customized to my liking. Hope it gives me as good of service as my last one has....and is still doing....bless its little hard drive heart.

I can't believe that in the third week of August....our high yesterday was the middle 60's with periods of rain. Today is a repeat. Its 64 right now. All this coming week is going to be chilly. I still say that summer forgot about us in Michigan this year. She got stuck up in the Pacific Northwest. My SIL just hated all that heat, which they aren't used to.