]]>
The snow has gifted me with many things this year: an interesting, drama-laden, knuckle-breaking drive home; the wonder of precipitating an indoor snow storm in my kitchen; the ability to create a snow angle when I opened my front door; the healthy glow of shoveling 13" deep snow; not to mention the calorie burn of shoveling so much snow not just at my house but at my 101 year old neighbor's house, too; the changing of a flat tire in snow; and the warm snuggles of cats and dogs.
Now, I get to enjoy a shoveled porch, walk, drive, and section of street; a heated sofa to ease the sore muscles of shoveling all that snow with a garden shovel - who needs a snow shovel in Oklahoma? - and a hot pot of lentil stew, fresh baked bread, and spice cupcakes with chocolate chai frosting. I don't have to go anywhere today or tomorrow or the day after, although the day after that, I'll have to get the flat tire fixed and put back on my car in place of the spare there now and go back to work.
I hear we're supposed to get an ice storm for New Year's.
Yanno, I think I prefer the snow we just had to ice.
In fact, I do prefer snow to ice.
It's snowing inside my kitchen!
I finally made it home from work (a 15 minute drive that took 2 1/2 hours of drama-laden, knuckle-breaking suspense and will result in nightmares and PTSD flashbacks) and put the kettle on for hot tea. And where the steam of the kettle meets the cold air, I have snow flurries - inside my kitchen. There's a snow drift building up between the dishwashing liquid and my Eggy Whip beside the kitchen sink.
It's not enough to have 11 inches (did you hear that - ELEVEN INCHES) of snow in the middle of my front yard, now I have blizzard conditions building up inside my kitchen.
I really need to speed up saving my money to get the wiring fixed in this house. It needs to have working heat if this cold weather trend keeps up around here.
That or I need to sell the house and move to a warmer climate.
I dislike cold weather. I despise snow. I loathe snow on top of ice. Those feelings are mild when compared to finding a snow storm inside my kitchen.
Of course, now that I'm home, I can set about warming things up some.
I turned the sofa on (what, you don't have a heated sofa? How sad for you.), set the stove to bake the bread that's been slow-rising inside it all day, heated water for tea (and was appalled at the resulting indoor blizzard), and set the space heater on. In an hour, it should be a toasty 50*F in here. Except the sofa, which will be much warmer.
I have movies, a remote control, books, notebooks, pens, my laptop, hot tea, and snacks all in reach, so I can camp on the sofa until it warms enough to go to bed.
Did I mention I dislike cold?
]]>Don't trust quotes you may get from Al's Auto Salvage in Oklahoma City.
]]>First, Xoco went into heat the day she was scheduled to be spayed, so no spaying yet.
Second, I had to drive to Texas on a busy holiday week to get my sister's banking information so I can start sending her money until her husband either finds a job or gets old enough to collect SS. Since he's 3 years away from collecting SS, that means I'll probably be sending her money for at least 3 years. I gave her a lump sum for the car, but haven't been able to afford the title transfer yet - that'll have to wait until I get my tax return. The lump sum will catch them up on bills.
You'd think my sister would be glad I bought the car from her, but the whole time I was there (overnight), she kept going on about how I didn't "love" the car as much as she did, and wouldn't I rather just fix my Hyundai instead? And then she'd mention how she thought of that car as hers for the last 10 years (it was Mother's car) and how hard it was to "let go" of it to some stranger (what am I - I thought we were sisters!) who wouldn't love it as much as she did.
And then, after making me drive to her place to get the banking information, she almost wouldn't give it to me because she "didn't trust the online banking transfers". Well, sorry, but I'm not mailing check via the Post Office when I can safely transfer funds from my bank to hers and know she got it and have a nice traceable trail for that money. I've sent her checks before that she says she never got, and when I point out they were cashed, it's always, "Oh, yeah, I guess I did get it." Direct transfer will stop those games.
Gah! Sometimes I wish I was as rich as my family seems to think I am.
]]>Black Friday is known for its deals and steals. What items are you hoping to find in the stores this Friday?
Sponsored by Best Buy. Find holiday gifts for everyone on your list.I don't shop for anything other than groceries between November 15th and January 5th. My biggest holiday during that time is Cookie Day. The past couple of years have been plagued with disasters preventing many of the long distance cookies from reaching their destinations and I'm hoping that streak ends this year. I have some old favorites and a couple of awesome new ones to make.
We finally have 2 Big Trash Days a year!
Unfortunately, the city shortened the amount of time we could have the trash hauled out to the curb from 1 week to 3 days. That means I couldn't put anything out yesterday (not unless I wanted to pay a $250.00 fine!), so today, I've been madly hauling chopped Zombie Maple to the curb, along with rose bush and mulberry tree prunings and all the little saplings I hacked out.
Most of my trash is yard debris. If we were allowed a compost (I'm working on it, with the economic downturn, the city is more amenable to "victory gardening" - it's only a matter of time before we can have a compost bin again), I wouldn't have so much. Last spring, I bought a woodchipper, which provides lots of mulch for my gardens - and would do wonders for a compost bin.
I'm also taking this opportunity to sort through years' worth of packratting to unload the utterly un-salveagable and/or completely un-recyclable. I have a surprising lot of that. Some of the salvageable and recyclable things will go into boxes for Craig's List to earn back some cash and pay toowards Itzl's knee surgery, and some will go on Freecycle. The rest I have uses for.
It will be nice to start getting the clutter in this house under control. Somehow, in the past 3 years, it's just gotten utterly out of hand - so bad it's difficult to keep things clean. I don't mind clutter if I can keep things clean under it.
Having a puppy that isn't housebroken is just one more distasteful thing. I can't convince my daughter to actually make an effort to housebreak her puppy and this annoys me no end. She's going on a business trip for three days next week. During those three days, I am crating her dog so it doesn't pee and poop on my already shabby and worn carpet. I know it needs replacing, but thats no reason to trash it out before I can afford to replace it!
So, I better get off my lazy tush and start hauling chopped tree again.
I just got back from the vet with Itzl.
No bones are broken from the dog attack, but he did tear the tendon and needs surgical repair. His insurance excludes patellar injuries because he's a Chihuahua and those are very common in Chihuahuas and often genetic. Xoco has genetic patellar problems and I've been saving up to repair those, but she has to wait her turn. Itzl's patellar problem is injury-related, but still excluded from his insurance, so I have to scrounge up $1500 to get his knee repaired. In the meantime, he's on "bedrest" and pain meds for the next 2 weeks and on glucosamine for dogs for the indefinite future. Fortunately, the vet said it wasn't urgent so I have some time to do this. Bedrest and meds should handle him for now.
Poor pup, first the car accident, now his knee. His life is pretty rough.
]]>We're back.
The wedding went well. There were other dogs there and no one objected to my dogs. I took lots of pictures.
The trip was long. Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas were all just fine, but Californians are either very nice or the meanest people ever with nothing in between.
How's this for California cruelty: At one rest stop in California, a man with 2 unleashed golden retrievers saw my dogs (on leashes as required by the rest area regulations) and told his dogs, "Sadie, Max, look! Bait dogs! Sic 'em!" I'd just picked up Xoco, but Itzl was still pottying. One of the dogs bowled him over, dislocating his hip and knee. I got him up before the dogs could get him again and called 911 on the man.
And how's this for California kindness: when I pulled over onto the shoulder to let the dogs potty and check the maps (because I couldn't find a rest stop), 4 people and a police officer stopped to ask if I was OK and to offer the dogs water and treats.
I took Itzl to a vet at the next town and got his hip and knee fixed, and he goes to his vet tomorrow to make sure it's healing well.
I set the back seat up to be a huge dog playground and the dogs loved it, even if they prefered spending time in the dog seat. They weren't so happy with the hotels we stayed in - crying babies both times! - but they survived.
Beaners and his bride are supposed to be here early November for an early Thanksgiving. And that's the brief overview.
I haven't traveled so far across any portion of the world by myself
since the 60's, when all I needed was a passport (I was overseas), a bag of clothes, and $100 for a years' travel expenses.
Even though I am not leaving this
country, I find I will have to deal with border guards again. I think
it's kind of wrong to be subjected to a search by border guards in my
own country just for traveling through it, but it's not like I haven't done this before when I went to Ft. Bliss and had to pass the border station on the Texas/New Mexico border in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains.
I've done what I can
to get through the process as gently as possible - made sure my
passport is current (they checked it at the Texas/New Mexico border station, so I might as well be prepared in case they demand it at the Arizona/California border station - better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, eh?), have current tags and inspection and insurance
cards on the car, have vet papers for shots and surgeries on the dogs,
have Itzl's service dog certifications, have my immunization records,
and I will be taking the wedding gifts unwrapped and wrapping them
after I'm in California in case Customs wants to be nit-picky.
I hope I don't have any problems bringing Xoco along. She's brain damaged from the hydrocephaly she had as a puppy. The vet says she has no short term memory. Once we get past the short term memory problem she's very smart. It just takes a lot of extra effort to teach her anything. Once it moves into her long term memory, she never forgets it. She'd actually make a decent hearing dog and if I was willing to give her up to someone else, I'd make the effort to train her for that.
I will eat all the fresh fruits and vegetables I am bringing before I reach the California border and will buy fresh after I cross the border. I understand there's not an issue taking fresh fruits and vegetables out of California, only in.
I won't be bringing plants with me, living or dead, nor will I buy any in California so I don't have to deal with any of that. I shouldn't have anything to declare in Customs at the border.
So, all of that is taken care of. Now I have the important things to do:
Packing. I have Itzl and Xoco's harnesses and leashes, sweaters, goggles, dawgie bags, beds, blankies, food dishes, food and treats, toys, potty pads, shampoo, deodorizers, brushes, and bling packed in their suitcase. I am doing laundry now so I can pack my driving clothes (sweats and T's - no sense dressing up and being uncomfortable for all those hours of driving). The dress I'll wear for the wedding is back from the dry cleaners and will be packed in its protective bag. I have the matching shoes and handbag and jewelry packed. I have some nicer "tourist clothes" for a few things I hope to get to while I'm on the west coast.
I have this "70 Things To Do Before 70" List, and "see the Pacific Ocean" and "see a living sequoia tree" are on it, so I intend to take a brief detour to the Sequoia National Forest to see a tree and take a picture. I don't have to drive all the way in to see any of the "General" trees, any large sequoia will do me just fine.
I also
plan to spend a few hours with friends just outside LA - they are going
to take me to see the ocean before I head back east. I packed beach shoes and doggie life jackets for Itzl and Xoco.
I have my toiletries bag packed, chargers for the cell phone my sister is making me carry and for my netbook that I'm bringing along.
I have an ice chest and will buy dry ice before I leave to keep the food cold. I'll bring sandwich makings, jugs of water, and popcorn with me.
I have my pillow and sleeping bag and personal tent for camping along the way (or sleeping in the car if I don't like the looks of the campgrounds). I really wish I was taking my Hyundai because it has plenty of room for sleeping in but given its age and recent crankiness due to the accident, I am hesitant to take it so far away from its favorite mechanic. My sister's Toyota is nice, but it's a sedan, not a wagon. Even though the back seats lay down, there's still not near as much room as in my car.
Since I didn't have a lot of warning on this trip, I didn't get a chance to save a lot of money to spend on frivolities like food, hotels,
or souvenirs or reserve extra vacation time to see the sights along the way. It's zip up, and zip back, and I was just informed that my dogs will not be welcome at the wedding. I am still taking them but now, I will only be present for the wedding ceremony itself and not for anything else. That means things will be a lot zippier than I expected. It's kind of a long ways to go for just 15 minutes, but he's my son. Even if all I get to do is witness the vows and snap a photo, the trip will be worth it.
I'm not planning on carrying a lot of cash. I checked and everywhere I plan to go will take my card. Since I'm travelling only with 2 very small dogs I'm not comfortable carrying a lot off cash. I do have a concealed carry license, but I don't own any firearms and I'm also not comfortable carrying across state lines even if my ex did offer me my choice from his impressive arsenal (he's a gunsmith now that he's retired).
My daughter is staying at the house with all the critters that also live there, so I'm not leaving an empty house.
I've made sure several people know the route I'm taking, which stations I'll stop at for gas, where I'll stay the nights, and about when I should be hitting those points. I'm hoping to have internet connection along the way, but given how cranky both my linux-based netbook and my full-sized linux-based laptop are with WiFi, I can't guarantee it. The cell phone I'm using doesn't have texting, so no remote posting or twittering.
Have I forgotten anything?