Happy Birthday to Me!

Wow, another birthday! Can it be possible that I am 53?

My best friend Jeannie called yesterday and we were remarking about how we have been best friends now for more than 40 years. We met in junior high school, while walking home from school in the same direction. Our friendship has endured so long not just because of shared interests such as books but for many other reasons. The craziness of SF in the sixties, of the loss of a parent, of becoming adults. I love her like crazy.

This morning I'm also thinking about how few people are still around who remember when I was born! Sister Wendy, cousin Chuck, Aunt Jean, Aunt Dolly, and a few others.

We never have figured out why I have two birthdays, either. My whole life up to age 26 I had an April 4 birthday. I loved it, too....4/4/54. But then I sent away for an official copy of my birth certificate and it said April 3. I asked Dad and he couldn't understand why. So the next time I was at Garnie's I asked her. She went and got her birthday book and the strange thing was that she had written my birthday on April 3 and then erased it and wrote it in on April 4. She didn't remember why. So, the mystery continues, and about half the people I know remember my birthday as the 4th and some as the 3rd. Strange, isn't it?

So what am I going to do today? Go to Home Depot, paint, spackle, caulk, work in the garden and later go to dinner at Brix 25.

It's cold this morning but sunny, and I am happy.

We all have routines, right?

Last night Paul and I had a laugh at my little "habits."

I have a lot of routines, such as swishing the sink out with the sprayer every time I wash anything or always cleaning out the espresso handle after each use. I think most of us have habits like that. Most of them have to do with order and cleanliness I think.

But my night time habits are kind of funny.

Back when I was a little kid my mother repeated this phrase to us when she sent us upstairs to get ready for bed..."wash your face, brush your teeth, go to the toilet, and get in bed."

So here I am, fifty years later unable to skip even one item on that list. I promise you I have to get up and use the toilet even if I don't have to go in order to settle in and go to sleep. And even if I had taken a shower an hour before, I still have to wash my face. It's amazing to me how ingrained those habits are.

Then, last night I realized I can't go to sleep unless the covers are just right! What is just right? Well, the sheet needs to be pulled up and folded over the comforter. Doesn't everyone do that?

So, now you know. I think I had better go wash my hands. Again. And again. (just kidding)

The Great Wall of Compact Discs

I have FINALLY finished ripping all of our cds to my computer. What a job! The picture shows 348 of them. Here's a resolution....we are never going to buy cds again...If we want music, we will just download it.

My new Zen has 4,788 tracks and 430 albums on it. Oh, and also a bunch of pictures, podcasts, videos, and audio books. Crazy!

The next few days are going to be refreshingly calm without running back into the office every ten minutes or so to change the cd...but it's hard to stay calm when you do the math on 348 cds at approximately $10 each - ouch!

The Future Is Now

And the future is ALL our music on the Creative Zen 60 GB mp3 player! I have spent every waking moment ripping the music from all of our cds.

Our move to Mexico is one of the things that precipitated this project...as we don't want to haul around boxes of cds. Our plan is to take our little stereo that is currently in the kitchen, which has a line to hook up the Zen. We are so very modern, aren't we?

When Jessica was here I had fun playing with her iPod, but both Paul and I have trouble with the whole iPod frenzy here and this is actually a really great value and gets terrific reviews. Plus it has an FM radio tuner, a voice recorder, and it will do bookmarks - which are essential for marking your place in long books, etc.

I will load on all my Spanish lessons, and have already joined a download club so that I can download movies, tv, and more music.

When I'm all done I think I'm going to donate all the old cds to the Pierce County Library.

Free Inventions

I'm always thinking!

One day we were watching a design show about some people and their dog who lived in a tiny apartment in New York City. Of course we had to get up in the middle of the show to let the dogs out & then back in...wiping their feet on re-entry. What a chore!

So I came up with an invention. You can use it if you want! For free!

The invention is a bathroom for dogs. Maybe cats, too. Why not?

So you put a little room off your mud room. There's a toilet drain in the floor covered by a grid kind of lid that is controlled by a handle high up. There's a hand held shower that has enough length to wash off the whole room.

You teach your dogs where to go outside, why not teach them this? You'd still need to go in there and open the drain cover and wash it down but that's not nearly as awful as picking it up bit by bit from your yard or on your walks.

There are still a few bugs to be worked out such as making sure they have a walk-off mat in case their feet get wet, but I think it has potential. It could also be used as a dog washing area.

My next invention I knew would be a hit, and Paul came up with a name for it..."Cat Scratch Fever." Can you hear the music for the commercial? It is an adaptation of what we did for the goats - two scrub brushes zip tied to the corner of the fence. They would scratch themselves on it all the time - no muss, no fuss critter brush.

My invention would make two scrub brushes with velcro on the back. Velcro them to the wall, and your cats would be grateful.

There are a few other inventions I am still working on, but these two are yours, for free!

Pretty Cute!

We took a new photo of ourselves yesterday...I think we look pretty cool.

It's Really Me Again

I've colored my hair off and on for the last 12 years or so. It is a royal pain in the neck, as the gray roots show after just a couple of weeks but it is too expensive to visit the salon that often. If you do it yourself, then you risk putting color on top of color and it starts to look really weird.

So almost a year ago I decided to stop coloring my hair. My hairdresser did all kinds of tricks to help me get through the worst of the grow-out, such as putting foils on my hair in a lighter color so you wouldn't see such a clear line between the old and the new. It wasn't very successful, though, because the colors used for the foil were in the blonde family - they don't seem to make grey hair color for people like me! Every time I went to the salon a whole flock of hairdressers would gather around, scrutinizing my hair and offering suggestions.

Anyway, I have maybe less than an inch of the colored hair remaining on my head, so another couple of months and I will be me again! But I feel like it already...what do you think?

What's In Your TIVO?

Paul and I have been TIVO subscribers for about six years now, and we can't imagine watching television the old way ever again. We love having an hour show take only 40 minutes...but one of the problems with missing all the commercials is that you often don't know about upcoming shows!

The TIVO people lost money on us since we bought a lifetime subscription at the beginning - no monthly fees for us!

Adam and Phil love to make jokes when they call in the evening about "interrupting our HGTV." They make it seem like all we do is watch television...we do watch pretty much every night from 8 to about 9:30, but I wouldn't say that's all we do.... (I can hear them snort with laughter!)

The list below is our Season Pass list...I always get the most excited when there's a Dog Whisperer available, and Paul loves Miami Ink the best!

Miami Ink (TLC)
Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
Knitty Gritty (DIY)
House Hunters (HGTV)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Designed to Sell (HGTV)
Jeopardy! (ABC)
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (BRVO)
Gordon Ramsay's F Word (BBCA) (The F is Food)
Weekend Warriors (HGTV)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) (Nancy only)
Dog Whisperer (NGC)
Sell this House ( A & E)
Despierta America (UNIV) (We're trying to learn Spanish!)
Buy Me (HGTV)
My Name is Earl (NBC)
Dream House (HGTV)
What not to Wear (TLC)

The Forecast Is Hot and Sunny

It's been more than a week since I posted...and a very busy week it was. Last weekend was wonderful, with Phil, Jen and Owen for the day, and then Sunday over to Bainbridge to show Adam and Martha's house. Tuesday and Thursday evenings after work were spent over in Tacoma on our mystery expedition, and yesterday, my day off - I spent most of the day at Bainbridge again but this time I believe I rented the house! I am so happy about that - and not just because it was a bit of a hassle, but also because the people seem perfect. I told Adam and Martha that if we were patient and didn't get too antsy we'd get the right people, and it seems that Mom was right again!

So, were you wondering what the Mystery Expedition was? Just look at the picture! Paul has a new car - and after driving pickup trucks for the last seven or eight years, he is one happy VW Jetta GLI owner. This is a very sporty car, with a four cylinder turbo - 200 HP, six-speed fancy tiptronic transmission with paddle shifters...lots of other fun stuff, including integrated XM Radio that is free for three months. (He has already listened to the Bob Dylan hosted radio show) He started his car research project with very specific requirements - it needed to be under $25,000 and needed to get over 30 MPG. He also really wanted a sporty car with a lot of spunk. He drove a lot of cars, with most of them having an econo-box feel, with the exception of this one and maybe the Mazda 3. Congrats, Paul...and let me drive it once in a while, ok?

I Might Be A Bit Cranky

I do most of the grocery shopping in our household, and I have to admit I am getting pretty cranky with the shopping options available in Gig Harbor.

1. Safeway - The store drives me crazy with its illogical pairings...today I couldn't find the crackers and was told "they're on aisle 3 across from the cheese." Why? Because you eat them together? One is in a cold case, and one on a shelf. And why did the kid I asked insist on showing me where aisle 3 is? I imagine I can read a big three over the aisle! And why do they have to launch into a big spiel about how I can save six cents on gas when there aren't any Safeway gas stations anywhere that I know of? And also, why do they have to thank me and mispronounce my name every time?

2. Albertson's - the parking lot is so roomy that you always have to park waaaay over there....and they have an irritating center section that makes it impossible to go in a straight line up and down so you always miss something you intended to buy. The store is so big that if you miss something, you have to go back 29 aisles to get it. Then, they get off on telling you how much you "saved" by using their blooming card.

3. QFC - Well la di da. If I wanted to pay $3/lb for apples I would enjoy the place, I guess. But as the Seattle PI reported today, they are overpriced pretty much across the board. But if you want to join the local country club, this is where you had better head to for your brie and pinot noir.

4. Fred Meyer - This is where I mostly shop, for two reasons. 1) they have a large natural foods section and 2) they don't require one of those loyalty cards. But I am cranky at them, too, since the last two purchases of apples have been brown inside, and that is almost unforgivable, even if you are paying a more reasonable $1.79 per pound. That also explains why I was at Safeway today.

Now I guess I had better chase some dogs away from my roses and write a letter to the editor about kids and their darned disrespect of those of us trying to nap on the 4th of July.

It Must be Summer (Almost)...

How do I know that?

• I have an overwhelming urge to diet
• Dogs would (almost) rather be out than in
• Cool breezes coming in the windows
• Swallows are zooming around, around
• My workouts are usually connected to the weed whacker
• Sweet melons from California
• Hammock-time after work
• Poppies and peonies are in bloom
• Bird sounds in the morning
• Everything is growing and green
• No more dog foot-wiping chores
• Fresh peas

I'm Back!

So more than a week just went by without a post. I can't explain why...I was in kind of a funk...it was raining a lot so I couldn't get outside and get my attitude adjusted...and I was just doing other things - knitting, reading, cleaning the house, etc. I spent one whole morning ironing while watching a TIVO full of Grey's Anatomy. How's that for a good use of my time?

Adam had his 33rd birthday last Wednesday. He is such an amazing man. We talked in the afternoon - he and Martha were going to go to dinner but it sounded like it had been not the greatest birthday so far. I guess that means "welcome to being an adult" because that happens sometimes. I do wish I could have been there to share it with him.

They have big news, though. They bought a condo in Mexico City. In the same area, Condesa. It is 1,000 square feet and has a 500 square foot deck. Sounds perfect. See the link above for pictures. Business is going very well, and Adam is confident in his ability to make a success of the market. Happy Birthday Adam! You are in my thoughts every day.

I Feel Good!

I can make up a lot of excuses, but if the truth be told, I just have had other priorities than exercising for the last couple of weeks. And when I don't exercise I feel all sluggish and blah....so finally, today, I broke out of my slump.

There's always a lot to do in the morning, and going downstairs to the exercise room and trying to control a puppy seemed more work than pleasure. So this morning Paul and I carried the Nordic Track upstairs and now it is on the covered porch.

I just finished a twenty minute ski trip out in the cool morning air while the dogs romped in the yard. It was wonderful.

I'm on a Hank Williams Jag

I've been on a Hank Williams jag lately - this double album is so fantastic! It has most of the familiar songs - such as: I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You, I Saw the Light, I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry, and Hey, Good Lookin'. But I have also discovered a lot of wonderful unknowns, or at least unknown to me. Amazon has a bunch of samples if you want to click and listen. (Album click takes you there) Today is Wednesday, the day the Peninsula Gateway is published. We'll see if they have the guts to publish my "Jeer" in the Cheers and Jeers column. If they didn't, here's what I said:

Jeers to the Gateway. Last week some Gig Harbor young people were asked their opinion of the (thwarted) plot to attack the KPMS. One responded "I think they're all crackheads out there." This ugly comment should never have been published and only serves to illustrate the gap between Gig Harbor and the KP. We are proud of our community, our kids, and our schools. Shame on you.

One final note: NO RAIN FOR ALMOST A WEEK!

A Snapshot of Us

Here is a snapshot of our coffee table. Last night we were reading in the living room - with the fire going, the dogs beside us, and the birds perched nearby. It was such a comfortable scene I wanted to share a bit of it with you.

I love both giving gifts and getting gifts, but some years I am so impatient to give gifts that I can hardly stand it. This year the gift that made me the most impatient was the poncho that I knit for Erica. It wasn't hard to make, but as soon as I saw the pattern I knew it would be perfect for her - and as you can see, I was right! Another memorable gift was the Rio Carbon mp3 player Paul gave me that makes me feel like a kid again - impatient to play with it every minute I can! One of the main reasons I had wanted it was because our library has made downloadable audio books available. I sometimes have trouble making sure we always have audio books for our commutes, and the library system allows you to download anything at anytime. No waiting for holds or other hassles. Perfect! I also have a vision of myself knitting while listing to a book. Is that efficient, or what? Wend and Polk gave me a book on writing by Steven King. I have only just started it, but the book may be the push I need to actually get started writing something other than this blog.

Just Say No

I mean to the incredible over-playing of Norah Jones. I can't stand it any more! The first couple of chords I hear usually make me prick my ears with the thought "hey, what's this?" But then a few vocals into the song and I want to run for the volume control. She sounds like she has a mouth full of marbles and is working to make her music for effect, not by inspiration. And they are always dirge-like, with such a melancholy tempo it makes me crazy! Last week we drove to Seattle and listened to the radio on the way. Norah Jones came on the radio over and over, no matter if we changed channels. When we were eating lunch she came on the music system...and we got to laughing so hard the waitress asked us what was so funny. She laughed and went off to change the music to a different channel or mixed cd and less than a minute later there was Norah Jones again!

Just asking....

• Why do people think their dead friends and relatives read the "memoriam" obitiuaries on the anniversary of their death?
• Why do bread companies wrap the bread in cellophane and then put it inside a bread bag?
• Why is there such a problem understanding the concept "merge?"
• Why are the changes made "for our convenience" usually not?
• When people are thanked for something, why do they say "thank you" back?
• Why do people go to the mall on a beautiful day?
• Why do I always spill when wearing a clean white shirt, but never on something where it wouldn't be noticed?

What a crazy week it's been

A bunch of crazy things happened this week, the least of which is that I bought a new vacuum cleaner. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with the quantity of dog hair, cat hair, and parrot feathers and food that hits the floor...and I vacuum constantly trying to keep it under control. I use our central vacuum system - that I hate - for in between vacuums because it doesn't have beaters, and an old Hoover of Paul's for the main job. I've hated that Hoover for ages because for some reason it stinks - actually makes the house smell funny when it should smell clean. So I checked Consumer Reports and headed to Target for the Eureka Boss. WOW. I felt like Rosanne Rosannadanna saying "I can't believe this stuff came out of our carpet!" after the first time through the house. The dust cup filled up three times the first time through the main floor! Where did all that stuff come from, anyway? Shame on that Hoover, and shame on me for not thinking of it earlier. The house is clean and I am happy. And all for $84!

The next biggest thing is that our GIANT sized apple tree (the one with the swing we made for the kids) just FELL DOWN! We drove in the driveway last night and gaped at the crazy sight of the tree on its side. I'm grateful it didn't fall on the driveway, but the vast quantity of debris requires that I find a tree person to get rid of it, and quick.

Also, this week I realized that I have been in a positive mood lately that is affecting everything I do. I am even getting smiled at by cute guys driving by me......and to what do I attribute this change? To the situation at work - believe it or not - it's because I really feel valued and necessary. It's amazing to me how much being appreciated and aware of the appreciation means to me.

And, finally, Paul had his "procedure" - which was actually a way bigger deal than either of us had expected. He had an "electrophysiology study with catheter ablation." What that means is they went up through his groin to his heart and burned a whole bunch of places that were responsible for making his heart beat erratically. It took 5 hours. They put about 5 holes in him near his groin, and another in his neck, and over and over burned places untl the doctor couldn't easily make him go into atrial fibrillation. Doctor Salaam was elated when he reported his success to me - he really felt he had successfully done away with Paul's a-fib. Paul feels pretty good, just a bit tired and sore, and we are both hopeful that a-fib and all that went with it is now in the past. I'm sure it will only take a few more trips to the store for Ben & Jerry's for him to feel like his old self again.

I even won $3.00 on the lottery. Life is good.