It's one of those nights. It's been one of those days. Wake up rested, but I'm still tired. Rest on the couch, but I'm still tired. I rally, get dressed & go out for lunch. Short trip to Big Lots, and then an unfortunate trip to the grocery store. It's been one of those weeks. Every day I have been tired, and every day I have gone to the grocery store.
Today when I was checking out, a helpful lady stopped to tell me a remedy for the blisters on my legs. My medicine causes red splotches that will come and go. Most days, like today, it was on my legs. My legs were showing because I was wearing a new short sundress that my husband bought for me. I was adorable, and I was flashing my splotchy legs. Showing off splotches or the tubing on my chest is a daily fashion decision. Do I feel confident enough to not care and show off anything? Today the answer was "barely". But I really wanted to wear that dress.
Came home from that tired. Rested, ate, rested. Gardened. I'm digging out an extension to my flowerbed, just a couple of feet. I had to rest after every shovel full of dirt. I called the project done for the evening after I moved the bricks to their new boundaries. Turns out that an ant colony had made it's home under those bricks. Poor guys.
Came inside to rest. Now I really need to start cooking dinner. Karl will be home in less than an hour, and everything is waiting for me in the refrigerator. But right now I am tired. And I don't know how I am going to get the energy to get up off the couch. I've been trying to pay attention to my energy level the last couple of days to see if it is time to increase my Flolan dose. Obviously, the answer is yes. But even if I increase right now, I won't feel it till morning. And that is not going to help with dinner. I would forget about it, but Karl has been at work since 9 this morning, and I really want to do this one thing for him. And for me.
I tried calling family for moral support, but quickly realized that what I need is to rally. Again. And to increase my Flolan. When I increase the dose, I'm going to have a few days of random back pain that will steal my energy during the day and wake me up at night. I will also get the shooting jaw pain for the first bite every time I eat something. Right now it all seems so exhausting. Okay, I can do this. On the count of three. One. Two. . . . .Three.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
G-Rated
I don't know what to do. There is something going on between Karl and I, and I'm not sure that we can fix this.
We've been married over 13 years. I know things change in marriages... but not this. I thought we would never lose our enthusiasm for this. I guess we can still enjoy other things together. It's just so frustrating! This should be an easy thing for us, but now we have to make ourselves want it. Maybe we're just out of sync. He has been working more. I guess I've been a little bit wrapped up in worrying over family. We seem to have different desires, and we're not connecting. Whenever I want it, he doesn't, and when he wants it I don't. I want to believe that this will sort itself out over time, but what if it just gets worse? Oh well, I've gone this far. I might as well tell you.
Karl and I, we're um, we're not dessert people. I know! How can we not be?! I love to eat and Karl's not a lightweight, either. But the proof is in the refrigerator.
3 days ago I made the yummiest chocolate coconut pie. My mom calls it my "Reformed Sinner Pie" because I exchanged out so many of the "bad" ingredients and it's still an award winning pie. The first time I made this pie, it was a "10". This second one was an "8". There is no reason to ignore a pie that is an "8". Not even a quarter of the pie has been eaten. I don't know what to do. I know Karl loves this pie. It just never seems to be the right time to have a slice. I fear I will have to give it away.
This pie has not been the first sign of something wrong, although it has been a blaring bullhorn with a flashing strobe light. My worrying started when I threw out a container of bonbons from my freezer that were over 2 years old. Mocha bonbons. Ugh. Then there's the Almond Joy in my pantry from Halloween. I picked it out for myself because it's possibly my favorite gas station candy treat. And then there's the cookies. I'm too ashamed to say how many boxes of Girl Scout cookies are in my freezer. I refuse to get rid of them. I hold out hope for a cookie binge.
I finally decided to stop buying sweets from outside of the home. At least until we have finished off what we already have. It surprises me that I may also have to put a ban on my own cooking now.
Oh no. Does this mean I'll have to change the name of my blog? That's it!! Enough is enough!! Today I will have dessert!!! Just not right now.
We've been married over 13 years. I know things change in marriages... but not this. I thought we would never lose our enthusiasm for this. I guess we can still enjoy other things together. It's just so frustrating! This should be an easy thing for us, but now we have to make ourselves want it. Maybe we're just out of sync. He has been working more. I guess I've been a little bit wrapped up in worrying over family. We seem to have different desires, and we're not connecting. Whenever I want it, he doesn't, and when he wants it I don't. I want to believe that this will sort itself out over time, but what if it just gets worse? Oh well, I've gone this far. I might as well tell you.
Karl and I, we're um, we're not dessert people. I know! How can we not be?! I love to eat and Karl's not a lightweight, either. But the proof is in the refrigerator.
3 days ago I made the yummiest chocolate coconut pie. My mom calls it my "Reformed Sinner Pie" because I exchanged out so many of the "bad" ingredients and it's still an award winning pie. The first time I made this pie, it was a "10". This second one was an "8". There is no reason to ignore a pie that is an "8". Not even a quarter of the pie has been eaten. I don't know what to do. I know Karl loves this pie. It just never seems to be the right time to have a slice. I fear I will have to give it away.
This pie has not been the first sign of something wrong, although it has been a blaring bullhorn with a flashing strobe light. My worrying started when I threw out a container of bonbons from my freezer that were over 2 years old. Mocha bonbons. Ugh. Then there's the Almond Joy in my pantry from Halloween. I picked it out for myself because it's possibly my favorite gas station candy treat. And then there's the cookies. I'm too ashamed to say how many boxes of Girl Scout cookies are in my freezer. I refuse to get rid of them. I hold out hope for a cookie binge.
I finally decided to stop buying sweets from outside of the home. At least until we have finished off what we already have. It surprises me that I may also have to put a ban on my own cooking now.
Oh no. Does this mean I'll have to change the name of my blog? That's it!! Enough is enough!! Today I will have dessert!!! Just not right now.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
First you think it, Then you say it, Then you do it
I am exhausted. I think in a good way. Health is great, I'm just lacking a bit of inspiration. This is a bit embarrassing because inspiration is all around me. New life is everywhere, my trees are beautiful, the flowers are blooming, the weather is gorgeous. But still. All I want to do is nap on the deck instead of put my house in order. Hmm, maybe I'm just being hard on myself again. Who wouldn't rather nap outside with that breeze over having to do all of the dishes.
Yesterday was the same way, but I did go out and take care of some errands with my mom. Actually, we were out longer than expected and as it turned out, Mom's day wasn't over yet. Really the only thing I could do to make her evening easier was to drop her off at her house. Right before I left her place, I decided to get a cold drink from my new groceries in the hatch of my car. This one innocent action was the beginning of the end for all of my day's good endeavors.
My mother's next door neighbor is lovely. She's just stunning to look at and her yard is a small sanctuary. She was out front filling up some pots, we waved and greeted each other, and then she started giving me one compliment after another. I have been behind on my laundry, so the cleanest thing I found to wear was a sundress. Just a simple sleeveless cotton dress that is a nice purple. I'm not sure I had brushed my hair. Apparently the combination worked very well and the neighbor wanted to take my photo in front of her coral honeysuckle out back. I very much have been wanting an invitation to visit, so even though photos were involved, I had to go.
It was totally worth it. The coral vine was thick and growing over a lovely archway. This is where I got to stand and have a couple of quick pix taken of me. Lovely! Of course, I looked slightly uncomfortable as I always do in front of a camera. But that doesn't matter. The honeysuckle was the real star. And of course I got the grand tour. I loved every second of it. I drooled a bit over the ginger flowers. Thankfully, the neighbor took this as a sign of a kindred spirit instead of a sign that maybe inviting me over is something that should never happen again. I was experiencing a complete garden high.
And I was not quite in my right mind when I finally did head for home. For the second part of my story, I have to back up a little. When I was driving with Mom back to her house, we past by my new favorite barbecue place. It's located on a little piece of land in the country and the food is served from a trailer. All I did at that particular moment was to think "Yummmy.... Barbecue".
At the neighbor's house we discussed both flower and food gardens. I had said that because of my medication and barbecue addiction that I try to make everything else that I eat organic. Even my cayenne pepper.
And there it was, the action. I was driving to the barbecue trailer. I joyfully ordered my sandwich and skipped back to my car with it. This tasty tasty sandwich sat alluring on the passenger's side seat. Traffic was working against me. So against me. I took a bite. And then another bite. The cars moved 2 feet and I put the sandwich down. Once I was at a full stop, I closed up the sandwich and put it on the floorboard. Someone should really do something about the length of the lights on Swisher.
I stretched for the sandwich, stole another bite and returned the contraband to the floorboard. Ugh. We all inched forward. Slow inches. I grabbed for the sandwich again, and then this time when I was done put it in the backseat. If I'm not using my cellphone in the car (I also don't know where my cellphone is), then I'm pretty sure that drooling over my chopped beef sandwich with spicy sauce, pickles and jalapenos is also out. I was 12 minutes from home and already halfway through the sandwich.
About a quarter of it made it into the house. Oh forbidden barbecue, how I love you. What I really need is a carrot farm to drive past. Then my day would end with spicy carrot soup. Oh well, it was worth it. My only worry now is if my husband or mom will want to eat there tomorrow. I'll have to work out a secret wink with the barbecue people to not out me.
If you happen to be out my way, go to Tredway Barbecue. If you are supposed to be having dinner at my house, pick me up a sandwich, too.
Yesterday was the same way, but I did go out and take care of some errands with my mom. Actually, we were out longer than expected and as it turned out, Mom's day wasn't over yet. Really the only thing I could do to make her evening easier was to drop her off at her house. Right before I left her place, I decided to get a cold drink from my new groceries in the hatch of my car. This one innocent action was the beginning of the end for all of my day's good endeavors.
My mother's next door neighbor is lovely. She's just stunning to look at and her yard is a small sanctuary. She was out front filling up some pots, we waved and greeted each other, and then she started giving me one compliment after another. I have been behind on my laundry, so the cleanest thing I found to wear was a sundress. Just a simple sleeveless cotton dress that is a nice purple. I'm not sure I had brushed my hair. Apparently the combination worked very well and the neighbor wanted to take my photo in front of her coral honeysuckle out back. I very much have been wanting an invitation to visit, so even though photos were involved, I had to go.
It was totally worth it. The coral vine was thick and growing over a lovely archway. This is where I got to stand and have a couple of quick pix taken of me. Lovely! Of course, I looked slightly uncomfortable as I always do in front of a camera. But that doesn't matter. The honeysuckle was the real star. And of course I got the grand tour. I loved every second of it. I drooled a bit over the ginger flowers. Thankfully, the neighbor took this as a sign of a kindred spirit instead of a sign that maybe inviting me over is something that should never happen again. I was experiencing a complete garden high.
And I was not quite in my right mind when I finally did head for home. For the second part of my story, I have to back up a little. When I was driving with Mom back to her house, we past by my new favorite barbecue place. It's located on a little piece of land in the country and the food is served from a trailer. All I did at that particular moment was to think "Yummmy.... Barbecue".
At the neighbor's house we discussed both flower and food gardens. I had said that because of my medication and barbecue addiction that I try to make everything else that I eat organic. Even my cayenne pepper.
And there it was, the action. I was driving to the barbecue trailer. I joyfully ordered my sandwich and skipped back to my car with it. This tasty tasty sandwich sat alluring on the passenger's side seat. Traffic was working against me. So against me. I took a bite. And then another bite. The cars moved 2 feet and I put the sandwich down. Once I was at a full stop, I closed up the sandwich and put it on the floorboard. Someone should really do something about the length of the lights on Swisher.
I stretched for the sandwich, stole another bite and returned the contraband to the floorboard. Ugh. We all inched forward. Slow inches. I grabbed for the sandwich again, and then this time when I was done put it in the backseat. If I'm not using my cellphone in the car (I also don't know where my cellphone is), then I'm pretty sure that drooling over my chopped beef sandwich with spicy sauce, pickles and jalapenos is also out. I was 12 minutes from home and already halfway through the sandwich.
About a quarter of it made it into the house. Oh forbidden barbecue, how I love you. What I really need is a carrot farm to drive past. Then my day would end with spicy carrot soup. Oh well, it was worth it. My only worry now is if my husband or mom will want to eat there tomorrow. I'll have to work out a secret wink with the barbecue people to not out me.
If you happen to be out my way, go to Tredway Barbecue. If you are supposed to be having dinner at my house, pick me up a sandwich, too.
Friday, April 9, 2010
E-mail to an Etsy Artist
hi!
you do have my correct address and you are also right about this being my first purchase on etsy. i found your art while doing a search on etsy for a recipe box. i became disabled a couple of years ago, but i am finally having a good year for health (i love 2010!). since i'm all bright eyed and bushy tailed i've been cooking again. and i have been really good at it. i often forget how i made something, or even that i made it. i tried to keep recipes on my computer (didn't work), tried a notebook (didn't work), really really wanted a recipe box.
once i decided that i was going to buy a box, i knew that i wanted to buy one from etsy. i have been looking at your recipe box for a very long time now. i have also looked at hundreds of others trying to find anything that i like as well. your box is so lovely, and nothing else compared. so i didn't buy anything.
tonight i finally decided that i was going to buy one. another great night of food, and another batch of recipes that may be forgotten. i had picked out 2 others that were the best i could find in my price range. asked my husband to help me decide which seemed to be the best for me. we've been together 14 years and i really value his input on things that i am not enjoying making a decision about. one was totally out (he was right, i picked it because it reminded me of something my aunt would love) and that left the other one. neither one of us were really excited. but i was resigned to buying it.
he asked me if there were any others that i liked. i told him about yours, but that it really was art and not quite in my budget. then my husband asked me what i would buy if money didn't matter. i showed him yours. he immediately agreed that it was perfect for me. he also pointed out that this would be the one that i would always have and always love. i think he was right about that, too.
to complete my tale of chilvalry, his birthday is on sunday. he has asked for nothing but for me to be happy. on his birthday he wants us to go to an art fair in a city close by. balance needs to be restored. maybe he'll spend the night snoring really loud.
thank you so much for your offer to engrave the box. if it is possible, if this is not too long, i would love to have engraved:
Every day in Every way I Am getting Better and Better
if that is too much, then this would be my second choice:
Happy Birthday Sweet Man!
would the engraving go on the inside of the box? i would really hate to chance hurting the outside of it.
thank you for creating this box. it is beautiful and i have loved looking at it. i would actually hold my breathe just a little until i had seen that it was still there. i am very happy that it will soon be in my kitchen.
if you have any stories of making the box, i would love to hear them.
i just re-read this message and realized that i am going to have to post it in my blog. i haven't written anything in way too long and i obviously needed to. this message is definitely long enough to call a blog. if you would like to see it posted, the link is
www.thislifecomeswithcake.blogspot.com
thanks again,
honey
hi!
you do have my correct address and you are also right about this being my first purchase on etsy. i found your art while doing a search on etsy for a recipe box. i became disabled a couple of years ago, but i am finally having a good year for health (i love 2010!). since i'm all bright eyed and bushy tailed i've been cooking again. and i have been really good at it. i often forget how i made something, or even that i made it. i tried to keep recipes on my computer (didn't work), tried a notebook (didn't work), really really wanted a recipe box.
once i decided that i was going to buy a box, i knew that i wanted to buy one from etsy. i have been looking at your recipe box for a very long time now. i have also looked at hundreds of others trying to find anything that i like as well. your box is so lovely, and nothing else compared. so i didn't buy anything.
tonight i finally decided that i was going to buy one. another great night of food, and another batch of recipes that may be forgotten. i had picked out 2 others that were the best i could find in my price range. asked my husband to help me decide which seemed to be the best for me. we've been together 14 years and i really value his input on things that i am not enjoying making a decision about. one was totally out (he was right, i picked it because it reminded me of something my aunt would love) and that left the other one. neither one of us were really excited. but i was resigned to buying it.
he asked me if there were any others that i liked. i told him about yours, but that it really was art and not quite in my budget. then my husband asked me what i would buy if money didn't matter. i showed him yours. he immediately agreed that it was perfect for me. he also pointed out that this would be the one that i would always have and always love. i think he was right about that, too.
to complete my tale of chilvalry, his birthday is on sunday. he has asked for nothing but for me to be happy. on his birthday he wants us to go to an art fair in a city close by. balance needs to be restored. maybe he'll spend the night snoring really loud.
thank you so much for your offer to engrave the box. if it is possible, if this is not too long, i would love to have engraved:
Every day in Every way I Am getting Better and Better
if that is too much, then this would be my second choice:
Happy Birthday Sweet Man!
would the engraving go on the inside of the box? i would really hate to chance hurting the outside of it.
thank you for creating this box. it is beautiful and i have loved looking at it. i would actually hold my breathe just a little until i had seen that it was still there. i am very happy that it will soon be in my kitchen.
if you have any stories of making the box, i would love to hear them.
i just re-read this message and realized that i am going to have to post it in my blog. i haven't written anything in way too long and i obviously needed to. this message is definitely long enough to call a blog. if you would like to see it posted, the link is
www.thislifecomeswithcake.blogspot.com
thanks again,
honey
hi!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Anniversary Blues
I hate anniversaries. I have too many bad ones and not enough good ones. Actually, I probably have lots of good ones. I hate that the bad ones are somehow easier to remember than the good ones.
Karl has come home from work many an anniversary (the good kind), roses and chocolates in hand, a big smile on his face and "I love you" on his lips. I'll have dirty dishes and a cleaning sponge in my hands, a look of complete confusion on my face and then an immediate "D'0h!" followed by lots of apologies. Thankfully, my husband finds this funny. He also seems to find humor in me forgetting my birthdays.
Bad anniversaries have a different way of announcing themselves. An unexplained dark mood sets in. I very much dislike feeling grumpy for no apparent reason. I think I dislike the ambivalence that comes with it even more.
What makes this bad anniversary especially frustrating is that there is much to celebrate now. Sometime within the next 2 weeks marks the date that I went into the hospital last year. Having that 50 lbs of water on me (most of which was in my abdomen) was painful, breathing hurt and there was little food that did not start an exodus. I think if I had kept a log during that time, little would have been written about fear, lots would have been written about my determination to get the water off of me.
The first thing I did this morning while I was still in bed (after determining that the bird in my tree was the first robin I had seen this year) was stare at my stomach. I love how my stomach is flatter when I'm laying down. I breathed deeply and appreciated being able to effortlessly fill my lungs. I thought about what I would have for breakfast and was grateful that I knew I would be able to keep what I ate down.
I don't know if I have mentioned this yet, but giving thanks has been a point of contention for me. When I used to hear "Give thanks for the little things", or "Don't take the little things for granted", I always thought of being thankful for flowers or clean water. I never thought about being grateful that I could load and unload the dishwasher or complete a load of laundry. Or be grateful that I could walk to the end of the yard to get the mail. Jeez, or even have the strength to pet Jane.
Right now I want to feel the happiness of coming so far from last year. I want to feel proud of my accomplishments. Instead I'm fighting the sorrow of what last year was and how it affected myself and my family. I'm sorry for the people that I lost and the good-byes I was not able to say.
But I'll do what I can for now and celebrate my life by living it and have faith that the sadness will lift and peace will settle in. So now I'll turn off my computer, get my mom for a lunch out, go walk a half mile down by the lake and then garden with Jane for an hour or so. I think I'll take some birdseed out for the robins. Jane will like that.
Karl has come home from work many an anniversary (the good kind), roses and chocolates in hand, a big smile on his face and "I love you" on his lips. I'll have dirty dishes and a cleaning sponge in my hands, a look of complete confusion on my face and then an immediate "D'0h!" followed by lots of apologies. Thankfully, my husband finds this funny. He also seems to find humor in me forgetting my birthdays.
Bad anniversaries have a different way of announcing themselves. An unexplained dark mood sets in. I very much dislike feeling grumpy for no apparent reason. I think I dislike the ambivalence that comes with it even more.
What makes this bad anniversary especially frustrating is that there is much to celebrate now. Sometime within the next 2 weeks marks the date that I went into the hospital last year. Having that 50 lbs of water on me (most of which was in my abdomen) was painful, breathing hurt and there was little food that did not start an exodus. I think if I had kept a log during that time, little would have been written about fear, lots would have been written about my determination to get the water off of me.
The first thing I did this morning while I was still in bed (after determining that the bird in my tree was the first robin I had seen this year) was stare at my stomach. I love how my stomach is flatter when I'm laying down. I breathed deeply and appreciated being able to effortlessly fill my lungs. I thought about what I would have for breakfast and was grateful that I knew I would be able to keep what I ate down.
I don't know if I have mentioned this yet, but giving thanks has been a point of contention for me. When I used to hear "Give thanks for the little things", or "Don't take the little things for granted", I always thought of being thankful for flowers or clean water. I never thought about being grateful that I could load and unload the dishwasher or complete a load of laundry. Or be grateful that I could walk to the end of the yard to get the mail. Jeez, or even have the strength to pet Jane.
Right now I want to feel the happiness of coming so far from last year. I want to feel proud of my accomplishments. Instead I'm fighting the sorrow of what last year was and how it affected myself and my family. I'm sorry for the people that I lost and the good-byes I was not able to say.
But I'll do what I can for now and celebrate my life by living it and have faith that the sadness will lift and peace will settle in. So now I'll turn off my computer, get my mom for a lunch out, go walk a half mile down by the lake and then garden with Jane for an hour or so. I think I'll take some birdseed out for the robins. Jane will like that.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hangin' PH Style
Day 1
Moved into house
Day 2
Put together bedroom and started to decide on drapery style
Decided that none of the drapes I already have will work
Day 26
Purchased 2 curtain rods
Day 194
Purchased curtains
Day 198
Returned curtains
Day 278
Let husband pick out and purchase curtains
Started fight with husband because I could not return curtains
Day 396
Borrowed sample curtains from Grandmother's stock
Day 428
Returned Grandmother's curtains
Day 464
Purchased curtains
Day 499
Stored curtains in closet with rods
Day 574
Cleaned out closet and found curtains and rods
Day 625
Brought out curtains and rods
Removed rod parts from box
Got box cutter from living room, used it and left it there
Returned to bedroom
Struggled with hardware packaging, returned to living room for box cutter
Returned to bedroom with box cutter
Knocked hardware in between bed and frame
Retrieved hardware
Sat for a rest
Attached decorative ends to curtain rod
Searched house for step ladder
Found step ladder in garage behind boxes
Returned to bedroom with step ladder
Sat for a rest
Got power drill from garage
Returned to bedroom with power drill
Got drill bit from living room
Returned to bedroom with drill bit
Took down dusty Christmas swag from above window
Held curtains up above window to determine placement of hardware on wall
Took 5 minutes to badly drill and strip first screw into wall
Got screwdriver from living room
Returned to bedroom with screw driver
Sat for a rest
Finished screwing in first screw
Decided to leave second screw for husband
Moved step ladder
Took 4 minutes with power drill & screwdriver to find there was a brick wall behind sheet rock
Let dog outside
Got nails from garage
Returned to bedroom with nails
Went to laundry room for the hammer
Found hammer in dining room
Returned to bedroom with hammer
Hammered nail into same hole
Removed nail and a dime-sized circle of sheet rock
Inserted a stabilizer and a smaller screw into wall
Decided husband could install second screw on this one, too
Moved step ladder
Hammered hole into wall
Let barking dog back inside
Removed nail and a nickel-sized circle of sheet rock
Decided husband could find nail on floor later
Inserted a stabilizer and a smaller screw into wall
Decided husband was already going to do two other screws, so a third one should be easy
Checked on barking dog in living room, found nothing amiss
Sat for a rest
Hung curtain rod
Realized curtain rod was slightly higher in the middle
Returned to living room with curtains
Got box cutter from bedroom
Returned to living room with box cutter
Removed curtains from packaging
Clipped on curtain rings
Realized I clipped half of the rings to the bottom of all 4 curtains
Returned to bedroom with curtains
Removed decorative ends from both ends of curtain rod
Placed curtains onto rod
Reattached decorative ends to curtain rod
Sat down for a rest
Saw that with curtain rings, drapes were too long and now drag on the floor
Decided that I did not like the style of the curtains or curtain rod
Took nap
Moved into house
Day 2
Put together bedroom and started to decide on drapery style
Decided that none of the drapes I already have will work
Day 26
Purchased 2 curtain rods
Day 194
Purchased curtains
Day 198
Returned curtains
Day 278
Let husband pick out and purchase curtains
Started fight with husband because I could not return curtains
Day 396
Borrowed sample curtains from Grandmother's stock
Day 428
Returned Grandmother's curtains
Day 464
Purchased curtains
Day 499
Stored curtains in closet with rods
Day 574
Cleaned out closet and found curtains and rods
Day 625
Brought out curtains and rods
Removed rod parts from box
Got box cutter from living room, used it and left it there
Returned to bedroom
Struggled with hardware packaging, returned to living room for box cutter
Returned to bedroom with box cutter
Knocked hardware in between bed and frame
Retrieved hardware
Sat for a rest
Attached decorative ends to curtain rod
Searched house for step ladder
Found step ladder in garage behind boxes
Returned to bedroom with step ladder
Sat for a rest
Got power drill from garage
Returned to bedroom with power drill
Got drill bit from living room
Returned to bedroom with drill bit
Took down dusty Christmas swag from above window
Held curtains up above window to determine placement of hardware on wall
Took 5 minutes to badly drill and strip first screw into wall
Got screwdriver from living room
Returned to bedroom with screw driver
Sat for a rest
Finished screwing in first screw
Decided to leave second screw for husband
Moved step ladder
Took 4 minutes with power drill & screwdriver to find there was a brick wall behind sheet rock
Let dog outside
Got nails from garage
Returned to bedroom with nails
Went to laundry room for the hammer
Found hammer in dining room
Returned to bedroom with hammer
Hammered nail into same hole
Removed nail and a dime-sized circle of sheet rock
Inserted a stabilizer and a smaller screw into wall
Decided husband could install second screw on this one, too
Moved step ladder
Hammered hole into wall
Let barking dog back inside
Removed nail and a nickel-sized circle of sheet rock
Decided husband could find nail on floor later
Inserted a stabilizer and a smaller screw into wall
Decided husband was already going to do two other screws, so a third one should be easy
Checked on barking dog in living room, found nothing amiss
Sat for a rest
Hung curtain rod
Realized curtain rod was slightly higher in the middle
Returned to living room with curtains
Got box cutter from bedroom
Returned to living room with box cutter
Removed curtains from packaging
Clipped on curtain rings
Realized I clipped half of the rings to the bottom of all 4 curtains
Returned to bedroom with curtains
Removed decorative ends from both ends of curtain rod
Placed curtains onto rod
Reattached decorative ends to curtain rod
Sat down for a rest
Saw that with curtain rings, drapes were too long and now drag on the floor
Decided that I did not like the style of the curtains or curtain rod
Took nap
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bacon Week
Oh the greatest of all weeks, Bacon Week. I love Bacon Week. It only exists because of Costco. They sell the center cut bacon that's lower in fat and low enough in sodium for me to have two precious slices. That's supposed to be two slices for the day, not per meal like I've been doing it. Of course there's enough bacon to make breakfast for my entire block twice in each of the two vacuum sealed packages. It would make more sense for me to me to open up each one, divide it up into smaller containers and then freeze them. Instead, half goes into the freezer, the other into the oven.
A lot of love goes into my bacon. First, I trim off as much of the fat from the edges as I can. I used to carefully trim the edges until they were more tapered, like a carrot, but now I just chop off an inch from the end. The fatty end, not the nice bacony one. Why is there always a more fatty end? Second, I soak the bacon in a cold water bath with potato slices. I do this in hopes of removing more sodium from it. I then take the water logged bacon and place it on a wire rack that is set inside of a casserole dish. Third Step, baking commences. Fourth step, carefully removing the hissing bacon from the oven, gently placing it on paper towels and then smothering it to death. The bacon is then transferred to another set of paper towels and left to rest and contemplate how it really should not be so full of fat. The bacon can now be layered with fresh paper towels and stored in tupperware.
This week I have made BLTs, corn chowder, breakfast, spinach salad... I can't remember what else. If I could just figure out how to make it work with a Girl Scout Cookie then I would be the happiest girl.
The BLT was my favorite. I ate 3 the first day. Throughout the day. The corn chowder was fabulous yummy, and I did feel a special victory with this one because I had never made it before. The breakfast wrap was a no-brainer. The bacon was the star but the Laughing Cow Cheese made it a legend. I thought I might have finally met my match with the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. Then I remembered who I was and it was so good that my salad hating husband ate every bite.
So what could possibly be wrong with such a fabulous week? Well for one, my house still smells like bacon. It has been several days since I baked it up, and the aroma is still here. Secondly, I have put on weight. It could be because I forgot to take my water pills... again, but maybe not. I had to take the heavy weight pill to make up for so many missed ones, so hopefully tomorrow morning's weigh in will say that Bacon Week may continue. Those are my only two complaints. Everything else about bacon week is awesome.
So please, please Water Gods, say it's the forgotten pills that have put on the four pounds. Please, don't let Bacon Week end yet. I have some brie and I know there's yumminess there just waiting to be made.
A lot of love goes into my bacon. First, I trim off as much of the fat from the edges as I can. I used to carefully trim the edges until they were more tapered, like a carrot, but now I just chop off an inch from the end. The fatty end, not the nice bacony one. Why is there always a more fatty end? Second, I soak the bacon in a cold water bath with potato slices. I do this in hopes of removing more sodium from it. I then take the water logged bacon and place it on a wire rack that is set inside of a casserole dish. Third Step, baking commences. Fourth step, carefully removing the hissing bacon from the oven, gently placing it on paper towels and then smothering it to death. The bacon is then transferred to another set of paper towels and left to rest and contemplate how it really should not be so full of fat. The bacon can now be layered with fresh paper towels and stored in tupperware.
This week I have made BLTs, corn chowder, breakfast, spinach salad... I can't remember what else. If I could just figure out how to make it work with a Girl Scout Cookie then I would be the happiest girl.
The BLT was my favorite. I ate 3 the first day. Throughout the day. The corn chowder was fabulous yummy, and I did feel a special victory with this one because I had never made it before. The breakfast wrap was a no-brainer. The bacon was the star but the Laughing Cow Cheese made it a legend. I thought I might have finally met my match with the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. Then I remembered who I was and it was so good that my salad hating husband ate every bite.
So what could possibly be wrong with such a fabulous week? Well for one, my house still smells like bacon. It has been several days since I baked it up, and the aroma is still here. Secondly, I have put on weight. It could be because I forgot to take my water pills... again, but maybe not. I had to take the heavy weight pill to make up for so many missed ones, so hopefully tomorrow morning's weigh in will say that Bacon Week may continue. Those are my only two complaints. Everything else about bacon week is awesome.
So please, please Water Gods, say it's the forgotten pills that have put on the four pounds. Please, don't let Bacon Week end yet. I have some brie and I know there's yumminess there just waiting to be made.
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