WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[snapshotmiki]

Have fun, Jeepers!  And I'm glad you are feeling a bit better, Mt. Rider!

 

Went for about 2/3 of my walk this morning. Hip still feels ok!

 

Peeled and cut the last 15 mangoes. 48 done altogether! Also made rice for the pups.
Got 20 quarts of dog food yesterday canned yesterday. About the normal amount.

 

Just stayed home today. Might do something tomorrow but we are having lots of rain, so no big plans. About to go watch tv with DH. Have a Happy Fourth of July!

[Mt_Rider]

Yesssss, Jeepers.  You absolutely must not miss that little guy any longer!!!  Happy Bday to him!    

 

MtRider     for safe journey and good time for Jeepers and family.  And maybe find out what the heck is wrong at her bank!!!   

[snapshotmiki]

Ended up making a Birthday cake yesterday which turned out very good.

 

Made Candied jalapenos today. 9 pounds of jalapenos only made 4 pints of Candied jals. Saved some for mango jalapeno jam tomorrow and some for grilled poppers Tuesday. I had 13 pounds altogether. I also canned some of the jal. syrup for basting whatever I want.

 

Did video this morning and then went to Church service. Picked some tomatoes and put some that were on window sill in freezer bags. Set up DH's meds for 2 weeks and still have to set up my vitamins for the month.

 

Hope everyone had a good Holiday!

 

[Annarchy]

Hope you are having a blessed time with you know who, Jeepers. 
 

Expected company yesterday, but, they said, today, for a barbecue, hot dogs & potato salad.  Defrosted enough dogs, started boiling a dozen eggs, then, got a text, they had to work.  So, turned 1/2 the eggs into “angeled” eggs, and the rest into salad.  
 

Preparing to light the Q, to hickory smoke those dogs, while waiting for our ‘adopted’ ‘heir’ to come & pick up his new license plates.  He’s DH’s surrogate son, 3 grands, 2 girls & a boy, the newest, middle named after him.    

 

Good grief!  MIL asked for Lysol spray, she can not find any in TX. It was $8.00 per can!  Highway robbery!  Yeah, I got her 2 cans, and, they weren’t the large size.  
 

So... it was 110°F today, when I went to get hotdog buns, around 12:30. (Oh, if anyone is interested, on an iPad/iPhone, hold the zero key & the degree (°)symbol will show up.  )

 

Sent one brother a box of stuff, filling another box for his twin.  Trying to downsize and de-clutter everything.  Heirlooms & trinkets.  At least I have 4 brothers to unload on.  

 

Time to get the Q set up.  Speaking of that, we had several wild fires started this weekend. What’s wrong with people?  We live in a hot dry tinderbox, don’t they know by now?  Apparently not... 

 

Here’ the map of fires......

[Annarchy]

So, we have a plethora of hickory smoked hot dogs. No one showed up. Kid had too much going on to come down, maybe tomorrow. 

[Mt_Rider]

That WILDFIRE map......    Sheeeesh, I about had a heart attack looking a that!  Do you have a link so I can click on CO ones.....cuz I don't know where they are at.  Lucky me...I'm not smelling smoke, riiiight?  But the size of the orange label covers so much territory, it looks like the entire WEST is on fire. 

 

I am EVER SO THANKFUL for the rain we've had all weekend.  We didn't get as much today but we've been blessed for a few days now.   

 

I got to walk with dog tonite.  I felt like MY NORMAL!    Had to wait til green/yellow/red Doppler blob moved out the area.  Don't like to be half mile up the road and hear a CRASH-BOOM of lightning that sneaked up on me from the other side of ridge.  My high-tail back home would be .....slow.     One of the reasons I'm a weather-watching Doppler addict!  Told DH....wait another 10 minutes and I'll take the dog.     We had the last rays of sunshine before it disappeared.  .....TIMING!  Up in these mountains, it's all about TIMING! 

 

MtRider  ....anyone know where the Jet Stream went...and if it's coming baaaack?   

 

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Homesteader]

We've been busy moving my mom into our place. She's been living with us for 4 weeks already. July 4th was her 93rd birthday and we had about 25 family members over for food, fun, and lots of laughter. She hadn't seen many of them in months. She didn't care about the virus. She's ready to go Home. Since all of us work from home on respective farms, our exposure is extremely low. So far, we've had only one death in our county and that was back in March. 

 

This week is set aside to finish packing and prepping mom's things to have a moving company deliver to two different addresses. They have access to the retirement home (convenient, isn't it) and have to drive 65 miles to deliver to us. I didn't think $1400 was too much. Who can complain? Lack of access to these facilities allows moving companies to set their prices. Family can't move her and expose the entire facility. Not sure how the moving company works it out, but they do an excellent job and always have an A+ rating among older clients.  

 

Maybe next week, I can get back to gardening.  What a crazy year so far.  

[Annarchy]

So nice to hear things are progressing well for you, Homesteader.

 

Mt_Rider, it’s a weather app from MyRadar.com. It’s free.  Microsoft store, Google play & Apple store have it available.  It allows you to choose different layers, radar/Doppler, fire, wind, temperatures, earthquakes, etc.  and other options you can subscribe for.  I have it on high def., radar, fire & wind.  Here’s a pic completely scaled out.  

 

[Annarchy]

 

Heard my first cicada!!!  Old wives tale, here in AZ, says 30 before monsoon rains.    Maybe I’ll wash my vehicle and see if it will rain sooner.  

[snapshotmiki]

I'll have to download that myradar.com app!  The scaled out oceans look like fingerprints!  We've been having plenty of rain from the Gulf.  My tomatoes are splitting because of too much water.

 

Walked this morning and stopped at drugstore for prescription renewal.

 

Laundry is done and it has been mango day!
Got 5 pints and 3 half pints of Mango Jalapeno Jam
7 pints and 1 half pint of Mango Jam
8 pints of canned mangoes
That's what 48 mangoes got me!

 

I'm done!

[Mt_Rider]

Glad your mom has good Bday party and is home, Homesteader.  Our county has had good low numbers too.  Still watching as people take trips from urban areas out to "the mountains"......  which is usually good for our economy but not if they bring "cooties" to DH's restaurant. 

 

Envisions Miki out holding an extra large umbrella over her poor soaked 'mater plants.....     Mine are greenhouse this year.  And.....we've had no hail yet...      but we did have frost/snow in June.  Last nite it got down to  50* [don't have the cool thing Annarchy found for the temperature symbol] 

 

Here is a cool site if anyone likes weather topics.......     ......or lava lamps .....      You can spin the globe to see the northern or southern jet streams.  Fascinating!  [but ODD right now]

 

https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/orthographic=-100.58,48.99,325/loc=-122.140,52.071

 

MtRider  .....waiting til green/yellow/red DOPPLER blobs stop their marching to the SE...and maybe I'll walk dog tonite???

Edited July 6, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Mother]

23 hours ago, Annarchy said:

(Oh, if anyone is interested, on an iPad/iPhone, hold the zero key & the degree (°)symbol will show up.  )

 

°°°°° 😄  I've had mine for YEARS and didn't know that.   Then found SOOOOOOO many more on the keyboard just by holding a vowel or a symbol ! WOW. Thanks Annarchy.  I believe I just took a step forward from the dark ages ...

 

[Jeepers]

Made it there and back safely. We had a wonderful time. I have a lot to tell but will probably remember it in dribs and drabs. You-Know-Who was starting to get overwhelmed and someone asked him something and he said, "We're not having that conversation right now."     Wonder where he's heard that from. I went outside later in the evening after everyone had left and he was in his little wading pool...stark nekkid. That's my boy!

 

If I don't get the crud it will be a miracle. Lots of hugging going on. I was very concerned but in the end I told D-I-L that at some point you just have to live your life. Sigh. I was loaded up on vitamins etc. With that resolution I sat back and went with the flow. We'll see I guess. After tomorrow I plan to self quarantine for two weeks. Tomorrow I have to go out and get my taxes done. Plus get in some fresh fruit and veg. Maybe a hair cut. I hit a big bump while over there and my back driver side window fell off the track. Great. So all the way home it sounded like jumbo jets were passing me by...just semi trucks. I'll have to get that fixed in a couple of weeks. I just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.

 

I went to Wal-Mart once while I was there. I needed a mattress pad and some pillows. They were pretty well stocked up except for frozen veggies, bathroom spray cleaner and clorex/lysol wipes. None of the latter two. Just like here. But they did have hand sanitizer (limit one) and they had three different kinds so I got one of each. Plenty of masks for 24 @ $18.00 no limit. We don't have either one of those over here. I went to Target and they had hand sanitizer limit 3. I took 3 up to the register and she checked them out and then said she let it slide because I wasn't "hoarding" them. Huh? She said there was a limit of one. Whatever. The sign said three. Anyway I got a total of six bottles now. Still can't find the Purell or GermX brand anywhere though. Not even online. Oh, and I got 12 of the little bitty cans of baked beans. Yahoo. Hardly anyone over there wore a mask. Wal-Mart didn't require it. I did anyway! Son said Menards require them but Home Depot doesn't. They are right across the parking lot from each other.

 

D-I-L did something neat. She made hotdogs and hamburgers last week. Then wrapped them (bun and all) in foil and froze them. Then the night before the party she wadded up foil and put it in the bottom of her (Can't think of the name. Long crock pot type thing) and steamed them. The foil was to act as a rack to keep them up out of the water. Anyway, they tasted just like she had taken them off the grill. It was in the 90's and standing over a hot grill with a house full of company was the last thing she wanted to do that day. I didn't even know she had done that until she told me later that night. Made the bun nice and soft too.

 

Speaking of mattress, my new one was a dream. So much better than trying to sleep on the one that kept bucking me off on the floor in the middle of the night before going flat. I never had good luck with those air mattresses. I kind of goofed though. I should have gotten a platform  bed for a 'bed in the box' mattress. It sits very low to the floor and sort of sinks at the head because of the slat placement. I can get some plywood to fix that but it will still be pretty low. I'll probably end up getting an inexpensive-ish box spring. But the mattress itself was very nice. One thing though, because it sits low on that bed, it makes it so easy to get in and out of. Just swing my legs over and my feet were flat on the floor. Will have to remember about that in my more infirmed stage of life.

 

And finally, I had downloaded a free book a month or so ago and it isn't compatible with Kindle. Don't know why because it was a Kindle book from the Amazon site. Anyway, I forgot to delete it. I ran across it the other night and it opened right up on the Kindle Fire. I'm glad I didn't delete it now. It's really good. It's a prep medical type book and it tell all sorts of stuff about treating with antibiotics and vitamins and minerals and a lot of other stuff too. If I ever see it free again I'll post it. It is called Bring Your Own Bandages. When I"m finished with it I"ll post some of the highlights and helpful hints.

 

Well that's it for now.

 

 

Forgot to add that there were signs all along the toll road asking people to use their Easy Pass or a credit card instead of cash because of the 'pandemic'.

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Jeepers
Added Info

[Mt_Rider]

Jeepers, so glad you had a great time and safe travels!     Will pray that no one was passing The Virus.    And that you'll get window fixed!  Sheesh!

 

I did get to walk dog tonite....sort of.  I'd checked Doppler yet when I got us down the driveway and ready to walk, there was a big, dark, pesky cloud over us.     Where did YOU come from.....and WHICH way are you going?   So I didn't take us a half mile down the road.  Didn't want pesky cloud to follow and have to come back THRU any LIGHTNING to get to truck.  So we went a ways down, then cut up into the hillside across the road.  I was getting too warm and in my Crocs....kept getting stickers.  Sat and chilled for a few minutes.  Kept eye on that pesky cloud and yes....those white streaks were rain.    Oh well.  No lightning.  Circled thru the brush and rough to return to the road and back to truck.  Never got very far from our driveway.  Got slightly wet but had our voyage.  Dog was delighted to go a different way.....or any way! 

 

Sat in my greenhouse and pondered how I was going to get my cherry tomato plants staked or supported.  Probably tie a rope up to the support of the greenhouse roof line and dangle it down for them.  .....wonder what is killing DH's beefsteaks.  I'm definitely winning this contest!  I think his pots are way too little.  Mine are....so I need to transfer them to 5 gal buckets....soon.  

 

I'm experimenting with drinking a cup of black tea daily.  30-60 mg of caffeine.   

 

MtRider   ...saw a joke and laughed til I coughed and choked [ still bronchial trouble].....about 2020 thus far.  See Humor... 

[kappydell]

We are resting up after our fireworks show on the 4th of July.  Chainsaw Mary held a fireworks license and worked part time shooting them off up in Wisconsin....she blew the budget buying fireworks down here in Georgia!  Bought $350 worth.  Went to our prep-partners' home (the ones that have a boat dock where we keep the boat) and shot them off the dock, which is tradition around these parts.  Mr. Prep-partner was skeptical, but CM and I have worked together before and when we got our rythym  going he enjoyed the show.  There were lots of cheers & clapping over the water as well.  People bring their boats up and down the lake to see amateur fireworks displays.  Anyway, we had an hours' worth (even moving along briskly) of bending, touching the fuses, then walking away quickly in the opposite direction, so we are still a little sore from all that exertion.  It was fun though, and CM is already planning next year's show....more tubes, more multiples, more "cakes" and fewer singles will make it a little less strenuous.  Ka-BOOM!  Next project is jug fishing, which is legal here.

[Jeepers]

I finally got my taxes done today. The office I usually go to is closed this year so I got a different guy. He didn't seem quite a thorough. Or maybe he was just faster and knew the drill better. I guess I'll find out next tax season how he did. I'm afraid my tax lady won't ever be back. She was already in her late 70's so with this Covid virus mess, she is probably ready to hang it up.

 

I didn't get anything else done. It looked like rain and with my Jeep's back window in the permanent down position I didn't want to risk getting the back seat soaked. About two blocks from the house it started to sprinkle. I noticed the hair cutting places are open again so I might chance it tomorrow. The fruit market is right on the way too. Guess it will depend on the weather.

[TheCG]

On 7/6/2020 at 9:36 PM, Jeepers said:

And finally, I had downloaded a free book a month or so ago and it isn't compatible with Kindle. Don't know why because it was a Kindle book from the Amazon site. Anyway, I forgot to delete it. I ran across it the other night and it opened right up on the Kindle Fire. 

 

I can answer that one!  Some books won't work on basic Kindles because of the formatting or even videos embedded.  I have several textbooks that I can read using the Kindle app on my computer or iPad, but NOT on my Kindle Paperwhite.

[TheCG]

Starting low carb again.  I think my brain is convinced that if it tells me I'm not hungry for long enough, I'll go cook some rice.  Punk.

 

Had an AC guy out on Monday.  He said that it might help if we add another air return before trying to upsize the unit, so he came out and added another air return right above the old one.  

 

My sinuses are acting up.  I was running a temp yesterday, so didn't go into the office for a meeting.  Fine most of today, but a definite headache tonight.  I might go to bed pretty soon (and it's only 6:20 pm).  I supposed I should at least wait until hubby gets home - he said around 6:30.

[The WE2's]

On 7/7/2020 at 3:57 PM, Jeepers said:

hair cutting

 

I won't be cutting mine again...I hate it since I cut it with layers.  I don't like having to curl it every time it's washed and since it's mostly silver it doesn't seem to hold the curl anymore, and I end up trying to make a pony tail "again" ... but the layers need clips to stay put.  Yuck...I'll be letting it grow out and all one length...again.  Live and learn?

[The WE2's]

Hubby had a wisdom tooth break off so went to the dentist today and had it pulled.  Our previous dentist retired so this is a new one and is of the "old school" and not afraid to do some dental work!  Seems all the newbies always want to charge you up the yah yah, then "refer" you to somebody else.  His prices were phenomenally LOW!  Hubby has a Nov. appt. to have his cleaned...that's the earliest, so I'll call and get myself scheduled also.  Hubby's a Dr. Pepper drinker and I'm a coffee drinker so we have to have ours cleaned  by a pro. 

Went to the garden and filled the tubs through their tubes, and picked our very first yellow crook neck squash.  That should also provoke the plant to produce even more, even though there's a lot more coming on.  My canteloupe plant is making like crazy!  I'll be dehydrating a lot of it!  Hubby won't eat it fresh (I love it!) but he will eat it dehydrated.  The tomato plants have lots of 'maters too.  The Beets look stunted but I'm not going to pull them.  The potato beds are beginning to die back so we'll be digging before too much longer?  The Raspberry bushes are prolific but not one flower.  This is their first year after hubby wacked them down so they may not make?  Blackberries are giving us a few a day...the birds are getting a lot of them.  There's only two runners so can't complain.  We'll be doing a new bed for them later with lines for them to stay in place.  Plans, plans, plans.

Bathroom project at the homestead is back in progress...happy dance!

 

[kappydell]

speaking of haircuts I got one at last!  a very short pixie.....i like the low maintenance.  My last cut was before back surger back in January!  Then covid hit and no haircuts. The bangs would no longer stay combed over to one side, instead getting into my eyes constantly (usually when I had my hands full, naturally) and that was getting really old.  Nor could I coax the sides to NOT stick out at strange angles making me look constantly disheveled.  So I am tickled.  First that I found a place that gives a good cut at a good senior citizens discount, and second that they are open again.  Yay!!  They had an opening sale going, so when I paid with my usual $20 bill the hairdresser got extra on her tip - a win-win all round!  Got it cut extra short because it looks like we will be going into lock-down again (my doc warned me when we took her some fresh tomatoes, peppers, squash and taters).  Then we stopped and picked up extra tomato plants on sale (two for the price of one) at the garden center.  We will put them in some of the newly emptied garden spots.  No such thing as too many tomatoes.  They had no more seed potatoes, so we put some of the 'littles' from our plants into the fridge to simulate winter and nudge them into sprouting for fall planting.  

Edited July 9, 2020 by kappydell

[snapshotmiki]

I never thought about the fridge simulating winter.  Thanks, I will do that!

 

Went to salvage grocery store yesterday with neighbor. Lots of good and needed deals!

 

Today doing long video and will be in gardens most of the day. Playing catch up after the rains if it is dry enough!

[Mt_Rider]

Last nite it got down to 42*.     Today.....for about 15 minutes.....it got up to 101*      I thot I'd been transported to Annarchy's house!  It did go back down into the 90's fairly soon.  Sun was hitting the coil in the back of thermometer directly.  But still!  

 

Stayed underneath the small A/C unit we have in the front Living Room/Kitchen area.  About half of the 625 sq ft we have.  I stayed cool enough while ALL the bubbles in the Galileo thermometer sunk to the bottom.  After the last bubble sinks, you can't tell what temp it's getting up to.  That was just over a bit and up on the mantle.....so it is hotter up there.  Sooooo thankful that we got that little A/C or I would have retreated uncomfortably to the basement/garage area.  Whoooooeee!   

 

But when the sun set behind the western ridge, Dog and I went for a nice walk.  First time I didn't wear a jacket.  Just shorts, Crocs, a tank and an orange safety vest.....for the extra pockets for ....things you might need when on foot a half mile from house in the woods. 

 

MtRider  .....I'd declare this day officially SUMMER at our house! 

[Ambergris]

Preparing for transfer to a new job position.  Unexpected, though logical enough that in retrospect it should have been expected.

I'm kind of excited.

Kinda scared.

With the brain injuries, I have not been very good at learning new things, especially learning them at speed or under pressure.

Depending on what I'm assigned, though, this might go very well.  Might play to my strengths.

I'm fairly certain I'll lose the de facto part time schedule I've worked out, using 8-10 hours of leave time most weeks.  Losing that will increase my error rate, by a lot, and may possibly increase the chance of seizures.  I don't know whether the new duties will start before the next neuro appointment at the end of July--but they probably will.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Ambergris

[snapshotmiki]

That sounds good, Ambergris!  I'm excited for you!