As I said earlier, I've been running the air in my car every time I'm in it. This isn't normal behavior for me since I'm usually asking A to turn the air down when we're in his car. I'm not used to using so many of our natural resources. :( On the other hand, I'm not ready to suffer any more in the heat either.
I've been tempted to take two showers a day. I haven't given into temptation yet though.
Then there's the laundry. I definitely can't get a second wearing out of my clothes. Forget the glow, I'm dripping in sweat! Yuck, I know, but hey, at least I'm honest.
Even the garden needs extra water, sigh.
We (the general we) could probably save some rsources if we didn't keep the commercial buildings at freezing temperatures. I need to keep a sweater in the office because it is so cold in there.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Word Perfect
It's amazing what you can find on your bookshelves. How many of you remember Word Perfect? Gosh, I'm dating myself. I finally threw out my Word Perfect 5.1 and Lotus 1-2-3 reference guides, and Novell study guides (yep, I knew something about networking at one time).
I wonder what else I can get rid of...
I wonder what else I can get rid of...
Thursday, July 27, 2006
$3.15 for gas
And I was happy to pay that. Gas was hovering at $3.17 for a couple of weeks and I was hoping the price would go down. Though on the news they said that gas was probably going to stay over $3/gallon until Labor Day.
I remember when it cost around $10 to fill my tank. Obviously, this was many years ago. Thank goodness I still get over 30 miles to the gallon. Which is surprising since I've been running the air conditioner to and from work. No reason for me to jump on the new car bandwagon when my little car is still in such great shape.
I still carpool about half the time. My carpooler has a Prius and gets around 45 miles to the gallon. Better than what I'm getting, but still not enough of an incentive for me to turn in my car. I don't believe in replacing perfectly good things like cars until they're worn out. Hence my 10+ year old car. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so practical.
I remember when it cost around $10 to fill my tank. Obviously, this was many years ago. Thank goodness I still get over 30 miles to the gallon. Which is surprising since I've been running the air conditioner to and from work. No reason for me to jump on the new car bandwagon when my little car is still in such great shape.
I still carpool about half the time. My carpooler has a Prius and gets around 45 miles to the gallon. Better than what I'm getting, but still not enough of an incentive for me to turn in my car. I don't believe in replacing perfectly good things like cars until they're worn out. Hence my 10+ year old car. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so practical.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Those aren't tomato cages...
they're bird perches, lol! It seems the local sparrow and hummingbird population enjoyed perching on the tomato cages in the garden. They are so cute. I've been feeding the sparrows our leftover bread. Probably not the most nutritious food for them, but fun for me.
As long as we're talking about the garden, I may as well give a tomato update. I ended up taking out one plant (Goose Creek), and will take out another (unknown name) as soon as the few tomatoes on it ripen.
The unknown cherry tomato plant is doing well. It is unknown because the label got lost and I don't remember what it was called. I want to know so I don't buy it again, lol. When the tomatoes are ripe, they are tasty, but pick them one day before that and they are barely okay. The other cherry tomatoes I grew (Sweet 100s) weren't so finicky.
San Francisco Fog is the healthiest plant in the garden. Unfortunately, the tomatoes are just so so. I don't know if it my gardening technique or the tomatoes themselves. The first few I picked were tasteless, so much so that I was tempted to pull out the plant. The tomatoes I picked today were much better, but they still have super tough skins. I don't mind for cooking, but not for salads.
I'm still holding out hope for the Early Girls I planted a couple of weeks ago. And the San Maranzos are huge! Hope they taste as good as they look.
As long as we're talking about the garden, I may as well give a tomato update. I ended up taking out one plant (Goose Creek), and will take out another (unknown name) as soon as the few tomatoes on it ripen.
The unknown cherry tomato plant is doing well. It is unknown because the label got lost and I don't remember what it was called. I want to know so I don't buy it again, lol. When the tomatoes are ripe, they are tasty, but pick them one day before that and they are barely okay. The other cherry tomatoes I grew (Sweet 100s) weren't so finicky.
San Francisco Fog is the healthiest plant in the garden. Unfortunately, the tomatoes are just so so. I don't know if it my gardening technique or the tomatoes themselves. The first few I picked were tasteless, so much so that I was tempted to pull out the plant. The tomatoes I picked today were much better, but they still have super tough skins. I don't mind for cooking, but not for salads.
I'm still holding out hope for the Early Girls I planted a couple of weeks ago. And the San Maranzos are huge! Hope they taste as good as they look.
It is so d*mn humid!
We had lightning and a short thunderstorm today. Now we just have the humid after effects. I did like seeing all the unusual light and cloud formations last night at dusk. I wanted to take pictures, but A said they have the same effect so I didn't. Although I should have since digital doesn't cost anything except a bit of time.
Yesterday, we went to Target to escape the heat for a bit. I suppose it is cheaper than air conditioning (we don't have it). By that I mean of course I bought stuff I didn't need, like some lotion and SB supplies. I could have put the lotion back, but the SB adhesive? It was regularly $6.99, marked down to $1.74. I don't use that particular kind that often, but I did run out. I was bummed because when Xyron was at the local Scrapbook Expo (a consumer show), I missed out on the refills at $4 and was bummed. Now I was thrilled to get the same stuff for less than half that price. I was good and only bought five packs and left the rest for some other lucky shopper.
Yesterday, we went to Target to escape the heat for a bit. I suppose it is cheaper than air conditioning (we don't have it). By that I mean of course I bought stuff I didn't need, like some lotion and SB supplies. I could have put the lotion back, but the SB adhesive? It was regularly $6.99, marked down to $1.74. I don't use that particular kind that often, but I did run out. I was bummed because when Xyron was at the local Scrapbook Expo (a consumer show), I missed out on the refills at $4 and was bummed. Now I was thrilled to get the same stuff for less than half that price. I was good and only bought five packs and left the rest for some other lucky shopper.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
World Trade Center movie
I recently saw the ads for this movie on the TV. I don't be seeing it. I started to cry just from what little I saw. There is no way I could sit through that movie without turning into a wreak. I don't need to relive my sorrow again.
I'm usually rushing in the morning to get ready for work. For some unknown reason, I was early that fateful day and was watching the news. I watched the news in shock and horror. Andy was at work and I called him. I don't think either of us could really comprehend what was happening. The worst was watching the plane hit the second tower. It was so unreal, unbelievable, shocking that this was happening.
No, I don't think that making the movie is a bad thing, same with "Flight 93." I don't think it making a movie about an event is capitalizing on the tragedy, at least not always. I think I'm in the minority though. I think that people don't want to think about 9/11 or to glorify it, but in any case, if the movies help us remember that day, it is a good thing.
We were supposed to fly to Mexico for vacation two weeks later. Of course, we cancelled that trip. There was no way I was willing to fly to another country after that. We ended up going to Hawaii instead. Getting to the airport was surreal. We had to take a shuttle to the airport because no private cars were allowed. There were patrol cars at the main road to the airport; no cars waiting at the curb (that was really disconcerting); military with machine guns patrolling inside; tons of security that I could see and probably lots that I couldn't. Most of the passengers looked tense and worried.
I actually cried on the plane. I was scared and relieved at the same time that we took off safely. And I know I wasn't the only one who cried when we landed safely. All through the trip, everyone thanked us for coming to the island. It was very touching. Like our vacation was actually helping them. I guess it was. Hawaii is so dependent on tourism, businesses were really feeling the loss of tourists.
I used to like to travel; I used to enjoy flying. Not anymore. Now traveling is a chore with security checks, early check-ins, luggage concerns. Not the fun it used to be.
I'm usually rushing in the morning to get ready for work. For some unknown reason, I was early that fateful day and was watching the news. I watched the news in shock and horror. Andy was at work and I called him. I don't think either of us could really comprehend what was happening. The worst was watching the plane hit the second tower. It was so unreal, unbelievable, shocking that this was happening.
No, I don't think that making the movie is a bad thing, same with "Flight 93." I don't think it making a movie about an event is capitalizing on the tragedy, at least not always. I think I'm in the minority though. I think that people don't want to think about 9/11 or to glorify it, but in any case, if the movies help us remember that day, it is a good thing.
We were supposed to fly to Mexico for vacation two weeks later. Of course, we cancelled that trip. There was no way I was willing to fly to another country after that. We ended up going to Hawaii instead. Getting to the airport was surreal. We had to take a shuttle to the airport because no private cars were allowed. There were patrol cars at the main road to the airport; no cars waiting at the curb (that was really disconcerting); military with machine guns patrolling inside; tons of security that I could see and probably lots that I couldn't. Most of the passengers looked tense and worried.
I actually cried on the plane. I was scared and relieved at the same time that we took off safely. And I know I wasn't the only one who cried when we landed safely. All through the trip, everyone thanked us for coming to the island. It was very touching. Like our vacation was actually helping them. I guess it was. Hawaii is so dependent on tourism, businesses were really feeling the loss of tourists.
I used to like to travel; I used to enjoy flying. Not anymore. Now traveling is a chore with security checks, early check-ins, luggage concerns. Not the fun it used to be.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
It is so d*mn hot!
I actually am enjoying the commute to/from work because at least I have air conditioning in the car. How's that for a sad life, lol!
You know it is hot if I've been wearing what I call my "skanky teen tanks" out in public. A doesn't think I'm letting it all hang out and I shouldn't be embarrassed about what I wear. But if you think I'm dressing inappropriately for my age, please let me know. I don't want to be that embarrassing friend you don't want to be seen with.
You know it is hot if I've been wearing what I call my "skanky teen tanks" out in public. A doesn't think I'm letting it all hang out and I shouldn't be embarrassed about what I wear. But if you think I'm dressing inappropriately for my age, please let me know. I don't want to be that embarrassing friend you don't want to be seen with.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
What's for dinner?
We had homemade chicken soup. Yum! It included Swiss chard and squash from the garden. I also made chicken chili for dinner tomorrow. Hmmm, do you think chicken was on sale this week, lol? The original plan was chicken soup and BBQ chicken. But the store ran out of what we originally wanted so we opted for whole chickens instead.
Healthy foods for dinner all week, that's a good thing.
Healthy foods for dinner all week, that's a good thing.
I don't have good scrapbook junk either
The post title is in reference to a previous post I made:
Junk . I did another garage sale yesterday, this time a SB garage sale at a local store, and it was another bust.
On the plus side, this sale was easier in some ways than the previous sale I did. The store didn't require you to staff your table, so I could come and go as I pleased. Since I had stuff priced from the previous SB sale (which I did not blog about), there was less for me to do. On the down side, the store did not have air conditioning and boy, was it hot yesterday.
There weren't as many people selling, so I didn't buy much, which is a good thing. I got an awesome set of new stamps for $5 (MSRP $40). I already have a stamp from the set, but I think I will RAK it away. L and I traded a bit, but I still owe her since she had better stuff than I had.
One person sold $75 of stuff! Wowsers! The rest of us were in the teens, if even that. And she said that at a previous sale, she sold over $600 worth of stuff! I can't imagine having that much to sell.
So now my dilemma is should I now donate most of the stuff to the Boys&Girls Club. The tax writeoff will be so much easier to deal with. Or should I just keep the stuff and continue to try to sell it? Obviously, the next time a store has a sale, my stuff will be even older and even less desirable.
If you're local, you're welcome to stop by and rummage through my stuff before it goes away. And of course, I'm not going to charge you. A will be thrilled that the stuff is gone!
Junk . I did another garage sale yesterday, this time a SB garage sale at a local store, and it was another bust.
On the plus side, this sale was easier in some ways than the previous sale I did. The store didn't require you to staff your table, so I could come and go as I pleased. Since I had stuff priced from the previous SB sale (which I did not blog about), there was less for me to do. On the down side, the store did not have air conditioning and boy, was it hot yesterday.
There weren't as many people selling, so I didn't buy much, which is a good thing. I got an awesome set of new stamps for $5 (MSRP $40). I already have a stamp from the set, but I think I will RAK it away. L and I traded a bit, but I still owe her since she had better stuff than I had.
One person sold $75 of stuff! Wowsers! The rest of us were in the teens, if even that. And she said that at a previous sale, she sold over $600 worth of stuff! I can't imagine having that much to sell.
So now my dilemma is should I now donate most of the stuff to the Boys&Girls Club. The tax writeoff will be so much easier to deal with. Or should I just keep the stuff and continue to try to sell it? Obviously, the next time a store has a sale, my stuff will be even older and even less desirable.
If you're local, you're welcome to stop by and rummage through my stuff before it goes away. And of course, I'm not going to charge you. A will be thrilled that the stuff is gone!
Friday, July 14, 2006
What is a worm bin?
You know, vermicomposting. Turning "trash" into brown gold, AKA worm poop, lol. It is great stuff for the garden. Vermicomposting is a faster way to turn your table scraps into compost. Here are some links if you'd like to start your own:
Easy worm bin
Indoor worm bin (similar to previous link)
Photos of worm bin and sorting
Wood worm bin
Another plastic worm bin
Yet another worm bin link
Yep, I'm turning my veggie scraps into worm poop. Hope you're not grossed out.
Easy worm bin
Indoor worm bin (similar to previous link)
Photos of worm bin and sorting
Wood worm bin
Another plastic worm bin
Yet another worm bin link
Yep, I'm turning my veggie scraps into worm poop. Hope you're not grossed out.
Disappointment
I had a chance to win tickets to a Rascal Flatts concert, but didn't win. Oh well, no biggie. Then the tickets were offered to me after all, but by the time I got a hold of A, the tickets were gone. I'm so bummed!
I so rarely want things like this, then to have the opportunity again only to lose it, really hurts.
Plus I decided to be good and not buy another QK font, even though it is a killer deal. Plus, I'm still at work and still have several hours more to do. Yes, we're still short handed. Sometimes life sucks.
I so rarely want things like this, then to have the opportunity again only to lose it, really hurts.
Plus I decided to be good and not buy another QK font, even though it is a killer deal. Plus, I'm still at work and still have several hours more to do. Yes, we're still short handed. Sometimes life sucks.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Mid-July garden update
Prompted by a couple of conversations on organic produce and a segment on the Today show, I decided to add more seedlings to the vegetable garden. The Today show listed the "dirty dozen" that you should always buy organic:
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported (Chili)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
I eat most of the above on a regular basis and buy none of it organic. But I can grow my own bell peppers so I will. Actually, they were another veggie that I tried to start from seed with no luck. So off we went to Home Depot where I bought a six pack of bell peppers and a six pack of Early Girl. To heck with the heirlooms, I just want to make sure I actually get fresh, home-grown tomatoes this year.
It looks like I won't be getting a second batch of cucumbers. Something keeps eating the seedlings as soon as they come up. But I haven't given up hope and will keep planting seeds until I run out.
Anyone have any organic hints for getting rid of sowbugs (you know, those gray things that roll up when you touch them)? (Other than squishing them, which is gross and tedious and time consuming.)
Oh, I decided to start another worm bin. A helped me drill holes in a couple of 10 gallon containers; I finally found the ones I wanted at Lowes. I started the bin with coconut husks and newspaper shreds and I'll get the worms from my compost bin.
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported (Chili)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
I eat most of the above on a regular basis and buy none of it organic. But I can grow my own bell peppers so I will. Actually, they were another veggie that I tried to start from seed with no luck. So off we went to Home Depot where I bought a six pack of bell peppers and a six pack of Early Girl. To heck with the heirlooms, I just want to make sure I actually get fresh, home-grown tomatoes this year.
It looks like I won't be getting a second batch of cucumbers. Something keeps eating the seedlings as soon as they come up. But I haven't given up hope and will keep planting seeds until I run out.
Anyone have any organic hints for getting rid of sowbugs (you know, those gray things that roll up when you touch them)? (Other than squishing them, which is gross and tedious and time consuming.)
Oh, I decided to start another worm bin. A helped me drill holes in a couple of 10 gallon containers; I finally found the ones I wanted at Lowes. I started the bin with coconut husks and newspaper shreds and I'll get the worms from my compost bin.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Change is bad
Yahoo has a new UI and I'm still getting used to it. I'm sure they put research into the new design (if they were smart that is). Actually, the new tagline is "You spoke. We listened." so it does sound like thought went into the new design. I'm just not sure if I like it.
Yesterday, I tried to change the look of my blog, but I don't know enough HTML to edit the standard templates. Oh, I did make several changes...and then everything went all wonky. After that happening several times, it was back to this look. Like I said, change is bad.
Yesterday, I tried to change the look of my blog, but I don't know enough HTML to edit the standard templates. Oh, I did make several changes...and then everything went all wonky. After that happening several times, it was back to this look. Like I said, change is bad.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Should I apply for the job?
I was considering applying for a job at a local SB store. They want someone for the Friday night crops and Sundays. That is perfect for my schedule since I do have my day job. I wonder what they pay?
I don't have any retail experience, so that would work against me. And I'm not a cutting edge scrapbooker, again a negative. Too bad fun, enthusiastic, and dependable don't count when you're applying for a job.
I don't have any retail experience, so that would work against me. And I'm not a cutting edge scrapbooker, again a negative. Too bad fun, enthusiastic, and dependable don't count when you're applying for a job.
I have a new reader...
so I added her to my blogging friends list. Thanks for all the comments! Be sure to visit my blogging friends and leave 'em comments. Or if you can't because you don't belong to the various sites, just send them an e-mail or pm. We all love our readers.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
2 for the price of 1
I love it when a veggie does double duty. I've been picking the squash blossoms from the overabundant crooked neck squash plants. The first time, I gave them to a friend (who then decided she needed her own plant for the blossoms, lol). The second time, I sauteed them with some onion and ate them in quesadillas. The onions overpowered the blossoms so I need to adjust the ratio next time. Tonight, I floured the blossoms and pan fried them. They were yummy, but certainly not low cal. For the best effect, I should have used more oil, but was trying to be good, healthwise.
There is no danger of running out of squash, even though I've been picking the blossoms. I've got several little squash growing and besides, crooked neck squash isn't my favorite. Ironic that I usually have a lot of trouble growing squash. You know how everyone complains about being overrun with squash? I'm lucky to get a meal or two. But this year? We've already had several meals, and gave away three batches. Why can't I have this kind of luck with snow peas?
There is no danger of running out of squash, even though I've been picking the blossoms. I've got several little squash growing and besides, crooked neck squash isn't my favorite. Ironic that I usually have a lot of trouble growing squash. You know how everyone complains about being overrun with squash? I'm lucky to get a meal or two. But this year? We've already had several meals, and gave away three batches. Why can't I have this kind of luck with snow peas?
Saturday, July 08, 2006
I have no fashion sense
I had a one year subscription to a shopping/fashion magazine and it was a complete waste of $ and time. I'm just too cheap to spend what the articles showed. And the fashions they showed? Oh gag! I'm just not into buying clothes that last a season. I still don't understand how to mix stripes with florals or baby doll styles. Or how to mix tailored with soft looks with the right shoes and accessories. Maybe that's why I haven't bought anything new for a year or more.
Oh, I did buy some new shoes, but I was due for those. I stopped wearing skirts to work because my dress pumps all wore out and I hadn't replaced them. I got some awesome deals on a pair of boots and a pair of brown pumps, but then after I got home with them, the number of outfits that looked good with them was very limited. Sad thing is I couldn't tell until I actually put the whole outfit together. I couldn't see it in my head. I still think the boots and shoes were a good deal since it less than $20 for each pair.
Oh, I did buy some new shoes, but I was due for those. I stopped wearing skirts to work because my dress pumps all wore out and I hadn't replaced them. I got some awesome deals on a pair of boots and a pair of brown pumps, but then after I got home with them, the number of outfits that looked good with them was very limited. Sad thing is I couldn't tell until I actually put the whole outfit together. I couldn't see it in my head. I still think the boots and shoes were a good deal since it less than $20 for each pair.
Hey fellow bloggers...
time to update your blogs! I've been updating my favorites and deleted some blogs that were not updated since last year. There are several others that haven't been updated in months. If you're one of those people, you're in danger of falling off of list.
And, if you've been checking out my blog, how about some comments? (how pathetic, now I'm beggin for comments, sigh)
And, if you've been checking out my blog, how about some comments? (how pathetic, now I'm beggin for comments, sigh)
Monday, July 03, 2006
Now you see it, now you don't
Yes, it is another case of the disappearing blog entry. Hey, you gotta be quick around here, lol. It was another complaining post and although after reading it again, I decided it wasn't as much of a downer as I originally thought, I still decided to delete it. Besides, no one commented on it, so no one must have read it, right?
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