What I Did During the Blizzard of '11

N - O - T - H - I - N - G!!!

Okay, so that isn't 100% true, but I really didn't do much. I set up my printer that I purchased in mid-December. I set up my new home phones that I purchased in like September (and in all honesty, this was done this morning and not during the blizzard...and well, to be totally honest I set the printer up yesterday while watching all the snow melt away....)

I did finish a quilt top and spreadsheeted (just made up that word) all of my quilt projects including the steps that are remaining for each (e.g., piece, quilt, bind) and whether there is something that I need to get for them (e.g., backing fabric, Steam-a-Seam).

I broke down and called a couple of people just so I could hear a human voice that wasn't coming from the radio or television...although I still haven't had a face-to-face conversation with another human being (I did go to Walmart today, but did self-checkout just to avoid speaking with somebody)....Oh, wait!!! I did talk to a person at Walmart.... the lady getting into/out of the car parked next to me. She was wandering around her car opening a door and doing something and doing something at another door while I was loading my groceries into my car. After I put my basket into the basket corral she went and got it out. I apologized (don't really know why) saying that I would have handed it to her but I thought she was getting in....I guess she had a wee one in the backseat that she was going to load into the cart and take in with her. She didn't speak English, so I'm not certain she understood me and I think I scared the be-jeezus out of her...but oh well.

Hmmm, what else did I do.....I went through two boxes of magazines from my mom and flagged interesting articles and quilt projects that I'm now going to scan with my fancy-dancy new printer/scanner and store them away and never do anything with. I stared at (and screamed at) my work computer. I accepted my old job back. I did laundry. I talked to my mom a couple of times.

Sheesh, this Blizzard/Hermit time was REALLY boring..... We are in for another front and possibly more bad weather this week. I bought some kitty litter to spread on my front stoop if it ices over again. Hopefully, I'll be able to convince myself to get off the couch a little more it the weather does turn nasty again....or even if it doesn't turn nasty, I really need to figure out how to disconnect the ass-magnet that is keeping me stuck on the couch...

Brrrr...Baby It Is Cold Outside

I'm sure none of you are aware of this, but those of us located in North Texas have been hit by a bit of a winter. I'm sure if you are from the Great White North (any place north of the Red River) you can't understand how a little snow and ice can pretty much shut a state down, but it can.

It has been quite the learning experience for me. First, I get a call from my Dad (and Mom) last night wanting to remind me that I needed to open up my bathroom cabinets and let air get to the pipes as well as set them to drip to keep the pipes from freezing and bursting (luckily, I already knew to cover up my faucets outside and unhook my water hose...unlike my next door neighbor). I then learned about power outages.... This morning, I'm working away and suddenly every light goes off and I realize that I have no power. First thing I do is get my flashlight, which I have a number of, throw on some clothes because I really didn't want to have to address this grown up situation in my flannel jammies. Next, I call my Dad.... Yes, step one in handling things as a grown up is to call my Daddy..... Since he is an hour and a half away with no traffic there really isn't much he can do for me aside from instructing me to call the power company. I call them and find out that I'm not alone.... I then check Facebook and learn from The Queen that there are rolling power outages (she later instructed me that I should ALWAYS check Facebook first). So, I hang up with the power company and decide to hunker down with my flashlight/headlamp and a good book but then the power comes back on and dang it all....I have to go back to work.

I did take a break this afternoon, to try and clean off my front stoop as it is a total sheet of ice (as is my driveway, yard, back porch, and all points in between). Turns out that I really can't do a whole lot of ice removal from a porch when all I have is my car's ice-scraper.... As you can see from the below picture, I did manage to dig out my door mat so there is a single spot where I can see the concrete and stand without sliding away....

I admit, I love being home....I may have mentioned in the past that I'm a bit of a hermit....but I also don't like being quite this stranded. I hope all the rest of you are staying safe and warm.

Happy Birthday Marti!!

First, today is my "big" sister's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is because she doesn't look it or act it in any way, shape or form. She is a fabulous Mom, Teacher, Daughter, and best of all Sister/Friend. She has always been there for me as my friend and protector. When she was in school and they had parties where cupcakes or cookies were brought in, she would bring one home for me (does that mean I can blame her for my obsession with food...). Marti - I love you!!

Second, these photos and this story really doesn't have anything to do with my sister's birthday, however, she is in all the pictures with me. In 1975 my my family took a trip to Yellowstone National Park and parts in between. We took lots of pictures in front of monuments and nature scenes, much like this one of some waterfall behind us. (Yes, I have pigtails and a Raggedy-Andy t-shirt on and Marti is rockin' the overalls.)

We were on the road for 10 days staying in lots of KOA campgrounds. Our "home" was the bed of my parent's Dodge Ram Truck. Dad put a slab of plywood across the bed and slid a mattress between the wheels. Marti and I slept cross ways on top and Mom and Dad slept on the mattress underneath us. We cooked on a Coleman stove and lived by the light of a campfire and Coleman lantern. Certainly not the Tas-ma-Tent that I've now become accustomed to, however, I wouldn't have given this up for anything.

In this picture, I am sliding into the pool where my sister was supposed to catch me. Notice I said "supposed". As I hit the water, she put her arms up to cover her face from the splash and I went straight to the bottom of the pool. Did I mention that I didn't (and still don't) know how to swim and do not like to have water on my face.... Ah well, again, a memory that I would never want to lose.

This picture is of Marti and me in front of the Wild Bill Hickcock memorial. Nothing really spectacular about this picture other than we are obviously really cold; I'm a big goob; and yes, that is a Budweiser fishing cap on my head....Oh yeah!! Classy!!

Ahh.....The Difference a Screw Makes....

First, get your mind out of the gutter!!

Second, here is the Taming of the Screw....(yes a poor play on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and actually nothing like that tale but whatever....)

A few months ago, okay many months ago, I noticed that my wonderful little, 8 year old Honda CRV had the back door ajar light on. I got out confirmed that both the door and window were tightly closed. I opened and slammed shut multiple times....yep closed. However, the light was still on. I think to myself "hmm, that is odd but it is probably just a glitch in the wiring. I'll get it looked at eventually."

A couple of days later I notice that my external key lock button has stopped working as well and intermittently the locking button on the inside has stopped working. So I think again "hmm, there is REALLY something wrong with the wiring." About this time The Queen noticed the flashing door ajar during our carpools and that each time the light on the dash would flash, the door light that would normally just come on when the door is open would also illuminate and then go out. So, just to be on the safe side that the battery wouldn't go dead, I turned the big light off and said to myself "yep, need to get that addressed."

Christmas came and went and I got a new job and made the decision that I was going to purchase a new car in the next couple of months. Well, actually, I'd made the decision that I wanted to get a new car before Thanksgiving and had mentioned that I'd be getting rid of my baby when I did, but not until some time after the first of the year. My sister or BIL mentioned to his sister and husband (also big fans of Hondas) that I was thinking about divesting myself from my vehicle. They offered to buy it from me for their daughter in college, when ever it is that I make the decision to get rid of the baby. I thought it was/is a great idea and swore to myself that before I turned the keys over to them I would have this whole electrical issue looked at.

Well, this afternoon I was running some errands and chunking stuff in the back of the car. I went to shut the door and heard this odd "thunk" and the door wouldn't catch. I think "oh great, now what.... I can't drive this baby with the back door flapping in the breeze..." so I try to shut it again a couple of times (because I think if it didn't work the first time or the second time or the third time eventually slamming the door it will actually catch... I'm a firm believer that I'm crazy because I really do continue to do the same things over and over again expecting a different outcome...but that is for another time).

After I determine that slamming the door just isn't going to work I start poking around at the locking mechanism to see if maybe it has gotten stuck in some way...nope. So then I look to the jam of the door and realize that the hook catch part is falling off...in fact one screw is completely off and the other was barely attached. So, I got them both screwed back in (thanks to my key to the castle).... lo and behold.... the door shut AND the door ajar light no longer was on. I got home and tightened up the screws and bing bang snap crackle pop.... the door now shuts and I think my "electrical" issues has been addressed!!

(And don't worry, I'm still going to have the car totally checked out from stem to stern before I sell it to my BIL's sister.....)