Bulb

After another light bulb burned out in the computer room, we bought some new bulbs.

Somehow it's been over a week and the new bulbs were still in the utility room and not in the ceiling fan fixture.

I "walked" the step ladder from the utility room to the computer room, got one bulb out of the  container of four and got on the bottom step of the ladder. Luckily it has an arched, angled handle to hold on to.

Sometimes a woman just has to do what she has to do.


Sign at gift shop:

A husband will get around to the task his wife asked him to do. She doesn't have to remind him every six months.

More Cat Tales

We have advanced from just feeding the cats (which I am sure belong to someone in the neighborhood) to leaving the garage door open about a foot so they can come inside. An old store bought quilt was brought in off the back porch for a soft bed after he found a kitten curled up on a cold lawn mower.

He mentioned a heater he had bought. I don't even remember it but it's electric. As I type, it is plugged into the garage outlet to warm up a garage that has the door open a foot. Present temperature: thirty-one degrees and light snow.

And to think it's sixty-three in Jersey.

Brrrrr

We woke up this morning to 20 degrees. Lots of frost could be seen on the grass and lots of leaves are falling.

Next: Snow possible tomorrow.

I'm not ready for this.

Chicken Thighs

I like chicken. Lee only likes the breast because it's white meat. I saw a recipe for thighs with very few ingredients:

Packet of onion soup mix
Bottle of Russian Dressing
Jar of apricot marmalade

I had onion soup mix. So in one of my almost daily trips to the store, I picked up the chicken. I looked for Russian Dressing. I think they must have had every kind of salad dressing made except Russian. Greek, Bleu, Chunky Bleu, Poppy Seed, Raspberry, Ranch, French etc. Rows and rows of them. I knew I had Ranch at home. I wasn't sure where the jelly and jams and marmalades were. Besides, I had orange marmalade at home. Improvise and substitute. Right?

I made them with the ranch and orange substitutes. 400 degrees for an hour or until the chicken is done. Baste often. I thought they were delicious.

Lee had fish sticks.

Oil

Our task today was to buy oil. At first Lee said a five gallon jug plus one smaller size. That sounded like an awfully big jug to me. He meant five quart plus a one quart.

Off I go to the store with the big W on the front. I found the oil but it was not in the bronze colored four quart container but the label was correct: High mileage, 10 W 40. However, there was no one quart size with the same words in the yellow plastic "can." The quarts all had the word Platinum in the description.

There are very few clerks to be seen but I saw a young man with a Harley denim jacket on. He looked like he might be a mechanic. So I said excuse me and asked him if a person could mix those two - platinum and plain. He didn't know but he probably would. After a short discussion, I thanked him and turned around and saw a clerk!

I asked him and he said they were probably out. Yes, the space was empty. He actually checked on his hand-held computer. Then he went to the back room and came back. They are out but will have some in on the 30th. He was very helpful and I was surprised to get the personal service there.

I bought the "five gallon" jug and we'll get the quart later.  This may be our last warm day for a while so we'll just wait a week when it probably will warm up again.

Sleep and Eat

I went to bed early last night. This does not accomplish anything good. I wake up about one and I'm done.  So after a couple of hours, I finally got back to sleep.

Today was they day I was finally going to make chili. So before noon, someone suggested trying Arby's two for six dollar sandwiches. Beef, bacon and cheddar. O.K.

So this afternoon will finally be chili making time.

Relapse?

Yesterday was not as bad as the first day after the flu shot but I certainly didn't feel up to normal - whatever that is at eighty-eight. I still believe that everyone who can should get them. You not only protect you, but your family.

So I slept and barely fixed anything to eat. Lee likes soup from Progresso so that's what we had.

This morning seems to be going much better. I have the tatter tot casserole in the oven. I am so glad Lee likes casseroles.  My dad would eat them but he preferred to not have all that stuff in there together. He was a sweetie and so was my mom. She was also a very good cook which I did not inherit from her!

Vote!

Last week our county sent us two enormous envelopes with ballots for a small election. We appreciate this service! We filled them out today and I decided to mail them back instead of driving to the clerk's office. After one gets there, it's about a half block to the proper desk for the return presentation. So I put $1.50 worth of stamps on each one and put them out for the mail man.

With our gas guzzler, it would have probably taken more than $3.00 worth of gas to drive 24 blocks.

Sunday Stew

I bought some stew meat and today was the day to rustle up some beef stew.
I had forgotten how long it takes me to chop carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage, dice tomatoes and smash garlic. Yes, instead of buying frozen veggies, I went all "from scratch." It took me an hour to brown the meat and chop everything else.

I remember some chef on tv saying to only brown a small amount of meat at a time. If you overload the pan, the meat will steam and not brown.

I must have done ok because it was really pretty good! Lee even asked for a second bowl. That's the first time I can remember that happening. I added some Mesquite seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, of  course. And a squirt of catsup.

There are leftovers for tomorrow.   And I LOVE my yellow cast iron pot!!

Flu Shot

Both Lee and I thought we had had our flu shots this fall. Nope. It was last year in September. I guess time compresses (or something) the  older you get.

I got my shot Wednesday. Yesterday I did not feel well at all. Barely ate anything. Drank water and slept. I told my sister-in-law I had never had anything like that before. I managed to wake up for the first half of the KC Chiefs game and back to sleep. I feel ok today.

So I decided to look in my "journal/diary/notes" that I keep to help remember when things happen.
September 20, 2018. Flu shot. Saw Dr. S.  He is retiring!"

September 21, 2018. Sick all day. Chills. Arm pain. Weak. In bed all day.

UNBELIEVABLE.  I did not remember that at all. Very scary.

So if I ever tell you something and you find out it isn't true, I'm not lying. I probably just don't remember.

A Rest from the Scrubbies

The approximate amount of scrubbies made: sixty-eight. Since the scratchy yarn arrived, I have really concentrated on making the circles. I gave nineteen away last week at the operators reunion. I was using one color to see how many I can get out of one skein. Twelve Avocado so far and there is still yarn left in that shade. We will see how many Guava, Watermelon and Icypop produce.

For a break, I decided to use up some left over yarn and start another afghan. I did five rows of blue and one of white. Then I went searching for other colors. In a sack I found two strange things - the beginnings of two more afghans. One with five rows of blue and one row of white and one just like it with red and white.  My brain must have this pattern on repeat.

Cold Front

Our drop wasn't as dramatic as Denver but from 70 to 32 is quite a shock.
The polycart even had tiny icicles this morning.

Chicken and (?) Dumplings

You know it's boring around here when all I have to write about it "what's for dinner?"

I hope it's as good as it looks. I just looked at Paula Deen's recipe. She says it takes 30 minutes to prepare. Maybe, if I had all the helpers to chop the carrots, celery and chicken. It took me a lot longer than that.

Light Bulb Change

Gee, it's bad when you can't reach your light bulbs and the ladder is a no-no for people of a certain age. So, we splurged and bought a new tool It worked after figuring out that you have to twist the handle several times to get the right configuration for removing old bulb and then twist again to put in the new one.
I confess there are a couple of things that are not described in the "instructions." I get the one for recessed fixtures, different size bulbs and extending the pole. But those two small items, center left have me stumped.

Maybe if the bulb is broken and you can stab the remains?

89 drops to 61

Our weather has been hot for September and now the start of October. If you watch the weather people on tv, it has been that way over most of the south.

So last night we dropped to 61. Just the right time to be able to open the windows and "blow the stink out" as my mom used to say.

So I got up this morning and somebody has turned on the furnace.

How to stay married for sixty-seven years: keep your mouth shut.