WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Mt_Rider]

  Jeepers....glad to hear it [whatever "it" was] was short-lived.  You all did get a massive shift in weather. Sometimes that does affect us humans.  And letting your body rest/sleep is always a good thing. 

 

CO is making the news with their 5X average for folks hospitalized for flu by mid-Dec.  DH and I have our immune-booster stuff at-the-ready!     So far, so good.  Use hand wipes at stores.  Walmart provides them now.  Teach kids/adults to use inside elbow to cover mouth for cough/sneeze.  Makes a lot more sense.

 

Annarchy....I asked Dh and he said "Uh....have to look that up" but he's off to work.  He might have answer later...  He just finished Continuing Ed.  Glad your MIL is better cuz these illnesses can hit older folks worse.  

 

We are about to BLOW OFF THIS MOUNTAIN today.      Sheeesh.  I hope it stops before I have to feed tonite.   I have to wash hair.  I have to prep everything for traveling 2 hrs to appt for biopsy tomorrow afternoon.    that appointment's in the afternoon! 

 

MtRider  ....my brain is still fried ...noise and motion of wind is not helping. 

 

[The WE2's]

On 12/26/2017 at 1:03 PM, snapshotmiki said:

I hope you feel better soon, Jeepers!

 

Went to Walmart today to get my glasses and found that they made the bifocals the same as the distance part.  On purpose?  I can't read at all with them, barely make out letters.  I was so disappointed as they were already a week and a half late and I was getting excited to get them.  That'll teach me!  Doc won't re-open until Thurs. so then I can start the waiting process again.

 

Aside from that, laundry day is progressing.

 

I bought 6 pineapples for 99 cents each at Kroeger so there will be canned pineapple chunks in my near future!

 

WM did that to Mr's last pair...the funny thing is that he doesn't need correction except for reading and they corrected what they "thought" should be vision!  Hr put them on and immediately went stumble-bum,  jerked them off and almost yelled "what in the world!" and the "opticion"(?_ came running out and immediately took him to her office to figure out what happened.  So they re-did it and they came back more like they were supposed to be.  BUT...the "anti-glare"? on both of our glasses makes them almost impossible to clean and keep clean.  Bottom line...it's been over a year and we don't plan to return.  Will pay the price for a real eye professional.

[The WE2's]

Mr made a trip to the "roost" house to meet a former neighbor to get some VERY important papers signed before a notory...private, but wonderful business!  Then came home and worked on the bathroom at the homestead.  Cleaning out the area of the bathroom's foundation where he'll be putting down plastic and then gravel.  Needs to get all that stuff done before he starts putting in the new plumbing, electrical, joists, flooring etc.  BIG job it''s turned out to be, but should that be our final destination we want it right. I hung around the house with Abby-girl, getting laundry done etc...you know, that "wifey" stuff? LOL  Did find myself a big, deep, heavy cardboard box and put some Aldis paper bags in the bottom, then a layer of potatoes, more bags and more potatoes, then a final layer of bags.  It's very cool in the enclosed porch and they're on top of the deep freeze so hopefully they'll keep "root celler" sytele...Perhaps? The temps have been frigid!  Today's high? 5.   Before Mr left this morning, he changed the furnace air filter...and turned the furnace off and forgot to turn it back on!  After a few hours I noticed I was getting pretty cold, so check things out and found out what had happened! LOL

[snapshotmiki]

2 hours ago, The WE2's said:

 

WM did that to Mr's last pair...the funny thing is that he doesn't need correction except for reading and they corrected what they "thought" should be vision!  Hr put them on and immediately went stumble-bum,  jerked them off and almost yelled "what in the world!" and the "opticion"(?_ came running out and immediately took him to her office to figure out what happened.  So they re-did it and they came back more like they were supposed to be.  BUT...the "anti-glare"? on both of our glasses makes them almost impossible to clean and keep clean.  Bottom line...it's been over a year and we don't plan to return.  Will pay the price for a real eye professional.

 

When I go in tomorrow, I will make sure I don't get the anti glare coating.  Thank you, We2!

[Jeepers]

YES! On that anti glare or whatever they call the stuff they put on the glasses. It is horrible. My glasses never look clean. And the stuff looks like an old pair of very light tinted sunglasses where the color starts to crackle on the lenses. I can't really see it when I'm wearing them but I'll bet other people can. Dirty looking stuff.

[babysteps]

I started working (for the first time in almost 20 years) last January as a receptionist in a tax office. Easy work, only during tax season (Jan-mid Apr) and a good way to ease back into the working world again. 

 

Guess I did a better job than I thought. (It's not like we're talking rocket surgery. Answer the phones, be polite and friendly, and help in the office where you can. How do you mess it up?)

 

I got a call from the district manager yesterday. (!!!!) One of the office managers accepted a job out of state and is leaving in 3 weeks. Right as tax season really kicks into gear. And would I consider accepting a position as an office manager? 

 

I would get three days of virtual training and then two weeks of on the job training and then... they throw the baby in the deep end and see if she can swim.

 

So the past 24 hours has been me doing lots of this 

 

As you can imagine.

 

[Homesteader]

We learned that the antiglare glasses can be cleaned with 50% water and 50% alcohol. We rinse the lenses under water first to make sure we don't scratch them with some of the homestead grit. Then we spray them and use a microfiber rags. They do need to be washed often. We've had anti-glare glasses for about 10 years and really like them. The scratching of them is the hardest to avoid. The coating they use is getting better all the time.   

[snapshotmiki]

I found out at the doc today that my eyes are just too used to the magnification of the 2 different strengths of readers I have worn for the past 30 years.  So she changed my prescription to reflect that.  So waiting another week.  I was told that I wasn't paying for the anti glare coating so that is fine although it is good to know how to clean it just in case.  

 

Canning pineapple tomorrow, however much 6 pineapples will make.  I'm guessing around 12 pints or so.  I will let you know. 

 

We made a hay bale igloo of sorts for the goats, which I suppose they will sleep on top of.  They are not rocket scientists!  It's going to be real cold (for the Deep South) for about 6 days and nights next week.  Highs in the 30s and 40s, lows in the 20s mostly.  Pretty sure last year we did not even have winter for more than about 3 or 4 days.  Very mild and making up for it this year!

[Mt_Rider]

Sooooo weird, Miki.  Those are also our temperatures right now.     Those temperatures are the mildest part of our winters....usually in our "January Thaw" ...late January.  Then we return for more winter for a couple months but not subzeros at nite in Feb/March/etc.  

 

We're missing this arctic thing y'all are experiencing.  I'm near to jumping up and down for joy about it - tho feel sorry for you.  Of all the things that have gone on the past 6 months....and are CONTINUING....  I'm so VERY THANKFUL that we've had such an extraordinaryly MILD winter so far.   

 

Your goats will love being on top of their kingdom but if it gets cold, they'll know where to get inside. 

 

MtRider 

[snapshotmiki]

Got 11 pints of pineapple today.  Broke the corer/ slicer on the first one about 2 slices in.  Next one will be stainless steel!  

 

I do hope my non- rocket scientist goats will figure out the sleeping arrangements when it gets colder!  And I'm glad you are missing it for once, Mt. Rider!

 

Tomorrow, I hope to take down the Christmas tree and the few outdoor decorations I did.  Maybe to cut the roses back that I have talked about for a few weeks!

[kappydell]

Good morning! Finally got our Wi-Fi in so now am able to go online as desired.  Expensive tho...Highes-Net is NOT cheap, but they were the only ones who come out here.  

Goy my 2nd chemo done, only minimally sick for 4 days, now feeling OK.  Blood tests to keep track of white blood cell count next week, then the LAST chemo!!  Hoooray!  Have to make some rice krispy  bars to give out - that seems to be the custom on the last chemo day.  

 

We are very sloooowly finding some of the stuff we thought was missing.  My desk computer was in a garbage can set lidless, outdoors.  Nice....don't know if it works any more or not. We had rain.  The on site storage manager said the so-called movers sent to move us from the realty company were carousing all night, revving engines, yelling, etc.  Professional lot, that.  We are still missing my husband's urn.  I am horrified for fear it may be in a landfill somewhere.  Mary thinks she found her computer inside the storage shed.  We have (still) a laundry list of missing and presumed gone forever items, but we are working on it day by day and lining up at attorney. Both our backs are giving us fits, and I caught a cold (sniff).  BUT we are finally getting at least a small handle on things.

 

Puppy Jack is now 1 year old, and he is being trained vigorously in "People are alpha dogs in this house".  He catches on fast, so we will continue with " no jumping" and "be quiet".  We love the little rebel.  

[Mt_Rider]

Kappy, I sure hope you find it all.....esp. the irreplaceable urn!  Or get $ satisfaction for replacement!  Please remember to take it easy as you're doing all this moving in.  You're still not fully well with chemo blasting away at your cells and need rest!! 

 

MtRider   

[The WE2's]

On 12/28/2017 at 5:52 PM, Homesteader said:

We learned that the antiglare glasses can be cleaned with 50% water and 50% alcohol. We rinse the lenses under water first to make sure we don't scratch them with some of the homestead grit. Then we spray them and use a microfiber rags. They do need to be washed often. We've had anti-glare glasses for about 10 years and really like them. The scratching of them is the hardest to avoid. The coating they use is getting better all the time.   

 

From WM?

[The WE2's]

Stayed inside!  The weather here is very cold, but like most of our country, we'll be getting some of the "artic blast" starting tonight.  Temp?  1 with windchill of 9 below.  Mr. got the water in the kitchen at the homestead hooked up so he can now mix the concrete grout that he'll be pouring down the cells of the concrete block foundation of the bathroom extension there.  Had him open the cabinet doors under the sink there (since there's water there now) to let warm air circulate.  We keep the temp there at 55 so it's not as warm as a regular house would be.  He also went down into the basement (root cellar?) and blocked off the opening from there to the crawl space of the house to make sure no cold air could enter the basement/root cellar area.  The project is progressing! Yippee!  We'll be stahying in tomorrow and Monday ... away from the cold and the crazies that will be on the roads and driving the retail stores crazy with returns etc.! 

[Jeepers]

I'm not sure if my glasses film was for anti glare or for solar (can't think of the initials...uhf. No not that) rays. But they are from WM and are a mess. They have that look of when motor oil  gasoline hits water on the road.

 

It has been freezing here too. It's supposed to be 0 degrees with a wind chill of -6 tomorrow night. I haven't been out of the house, except to start the lawn mower once in the garage, since Christmas Eve. I suppose I should go check the mail before my bills become over due.

 

It never got out of the single digits today and we got blasted with snow this afternoon.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Jeepers
I think it's gas not oil. Could be both? I forget that too.

[snapshotmiki]

I got the tree and all Christmas decorations down and put away!  The roses are going to have to wait.  I made caramel corn today and it still isn't dry.  Maybe too humid to do that here.

 

Not sure if I'm getting sick or just not 100%.  Going to bed early tonight.

[Annarchy]

Wow, it’s really cold over there..... not here...  40’s at night, 70’s during the day. We had one night at 25*.  I enjoy this weather, so do the winter visitors.   Sure beats 110*+ for 3 months. 

 

The cold killed the leaves on the zucchini, but it seems to be growing back. I am keeping a close eye on the weather, to be able to cover the plants if it gets down to freezing again. 

 

The rye grass is beginning to grow in the front yard.   We had strong winds the day after planting and it seems most of the seeds blew to the end of the yard. We will re-plant when we find more seed. WM’s garden center was basically empty!  The frost killed all their inventory. 

 

Taking it easy today. 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. 

 

 

 

[out_of_the_ordinary]

  -3 here this morning.  That's without the windchill.   I'm glad we've not been hit with the snow Erie has!   Trying to keep the house warm while not so dry has been a challenge.   It's the pellet stove and furnace and sometimes a space heater  vs. a humidifer and vaporizer (with Vicks; we're all stuffed up).   Usually I have a big pot of bone broth simmering on the stove for DD, but with the Christmas leftovers, there's been no room in the fridge for it at night.   Hopefully I can get something going on the stove tomorrow.

 

There's the flu going around.   An article in our newspaper says people are going to bed fine, and then waking up in the morning feeling like they've been hit with a truck.    One of DH's (sick) co-workers came in to work to "get away from his wife and (sick with the flu) kids".     I've been upping our Vitamins C and D and garlic.  So far, we're healthy. 

 

We've been looking more for a new (to us) home.   We're praying we can move in 2018 to a home that is right for our family.

[Homesteader]

12 hours ago, The WE2's said:

 

From WM?

 

 

No, we learned the technique from Lens Crafters after we bought our last pair of plastic lenses. They're too expensive to scratch these days.  

[Daylily]

Hi Everyone,

I check in every day or so but haven't posted much in a while. We've been busy cleaning out Mom's houses and out buildings. She signed the sales contract last Wednesday and the settlement date is January 15. That's her 81st birthday. I asked her if the settlement would be a good birthday present. She said she wasn't sure. None of us really want to sell the place but it's getting harder to keep it up and pay the taxes. She has a little over 72 acres. The good thing is that DH's 1st cousin and her husband are buying it and they love it. They won't be living there, just using it as a vacation home. They love the history of the place.

[TheCG]

I'm staying inside, mostly working, today.  Mid-afternoon, and we're up to 24F.  I ran most of my new pots and pans through the dishwasher, unboxed some crap from Christmas, and put up a few things.  We bought some little tabletop heaters from Tractor Supply for $30, and they put out a TON of heat.

Edited January 1, 2018 by TheCG

[Jeepers]

Oh my. I didn't check the temp until about 11:00am and it was -7 degrees. It was probably lower during the night. I'm warm as long as I stay seated and snuggle down into the blanket/throw. No problem! My feet are cold because I can't stand to wear shoes or socks in the house. I might have to get over that one for a few days. Guess who isn't getting out of her flannel gown today? A perk of living alone...no one gives a darn. And it's snowing again.

 

I've really given the Keurig a workout already. One of my better ideas for this winter. I've about coffee, tea and cocoa-ed myself crazy. Good thing some of it is decaf. 

[TheCG]

I'm in my jeans with a tank top and a fuzzy button-down shirt over top.  And my slippers.  'cause I'm not going anywhere.  Unless hubby suggests we go out for dinner. 

 

I think the current plan is pancakes for dinner.  Gingerbread pancakes, to be exact.

 

We keep our house pretty warm, 'cause otherwise I have problems with feet never being warm.  I have to have a stupid electric blanket, 'cause the smart ones heat up where they sense your body heat.  If I had any body heat in my feet, I wouldn't need a stinkin' electric blanket!

 

So far today, I've had coffee, 2 cups of herbal tea, a cup of black tea, and I'm currently drinking a cup of a magnesium supplement.  It seems I might like warm things.

[Homesteader]

59 minutes ago, TheCG said:

We keep our house pretty warm, 'cause otherwise I have problems with feet never being warm.  I have to have a stupid electric blanket, 'cause the smart ones heat up where they sense your body heat.  If I had any body heat in my feet, I wouldn't need a stinkin' electric blanket!

 

 

 

I'm with you CG on keeping the feet warm.    I wear wool socks except for the hottest weeks of the year. In Wisconsin, that's only July and August.  We've got our place up to 61 F during the daytime and supplement with electric heat at night. These -15 F nights with wind is for the birds!   We delayed Styrofoaming the outside of the exposed basement this past year. It won't be delayed again. The new woodburner and plastic over the windows can only do so much. I don't understand how the former owners lived this way for almost 45 years.      We have changed out three windows so far. We have a long ways to go, but lots of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee will get us through the winter. 

[Jeepers]

A number of years ago I bought one of those heated throws. I love it. I usually use it in the bed between the top sheet and the blankets. That way it isn't right on top of me. I turn it on and go get a shower and by the time I'm finished, both the top and the bottom of the bed is nice and warm. Then I slide in under the top sheet and it feels so good. If I'm not too cold I'll just use a heating pad on my feet. If they are warm I feel warm all over. But I hate to climb into a cold bed. Sleeping alone, the throw is a good size for one even in a queen size bed.

 

My house is leaking like a sieve. I have double doors for the front door and they leak air awfully bad. They are only a few years old too. I'd never get them if I ever had a choice. I've got a rug up over the bottom of it but it only does so much. Also, sliding glass doors in the family room. I have plastic over it though so it isn't as bad as the front door.

 

I keep the heat between 65-68. My gas bill will be sky high this winter. I'm not going to fret too much about it though because I didn't have to use my air conditioning one time this summer. And it's only for a few months. So I'm telling myself it's all balancing out.

 

It's down to 0 right now. Sigh. I think I'd better go take the Jeep around the block a couple of times to keep the battery juiced up. I'll back it into the garage in case it dies so the tow people can come jump it if need be.