Monday, December 31, 2012

WELL, ANOTHER YEAR............

has gone by.  Not much has changed.  I have much to be greatful for.  Have  made a few resolutions, hope and pray I can stick to them 'cause I believe I could be a better person if I can. 

Calling for snow tomorrow, I cleaned house this morning, even washed the cat tracks and dog slobbers off of the bay window.  It'll snow for sure now.  Need to get another load of wood in, nothing worse than pushing that wheelbarrow across the yard in snow or rain. 

Going to Fred's house tonight, good food, good friends, lottsa laughs.  Need to get that wood in and get over to Dad's.  Want to wish everyone that follows this humble, eratic blog a Happy and Safe New Year.

Later......

Monday, December 24, 2012

SNOW..............

has come to the Meadow House.  Started this afternoon about 3.  Don't think it'll amount to much but it sure is pretty and Christmasy.  The trouble with snow is I will lose some satellite reception, but, I've seen 99% of the Christmas movies anyhow.  I did watch 'The Bishop's Wife' and the last 1/2 hour of 'An Affair to Remember'.  I am a Cary Grant fan.  So-much-so that I named Archie after him.  For those of you that don't know, his real name was Archibald Leech.  I can understand the need to change it.

So, I'm sitting here with a nice fire, listening to classical music and trying to deal with the Christmas blues that I get every year.  I know Jesus is the reason for the season.  But I really cannot wait for this holiday to be over.  It seems to get worse every year. 

On a brighter note, went to 5 different stores today to get my cranberry-orange relish.  Can't be found.  Poop, shoulda went to Market on Friday.  Oh well, guess I'll just show up empty-handed at my friends house.  They won't care but I do.

Went to dad's this after, visited for a while, then he mentioned about throwing the rest of the firewood he had rikked-up at the Bilco door.  I offered to help, he declined saying I had enuf to do at home, I replied that I already had my wood in.  So, he went down and unlocked the doors at the devil steps (the ones I fell down, remember?).  It didn't take but a few minutes and it was done.  I do not even offer to rik up his wood, oh no, nobody, not even GOD, could do THAT to please him.  But, at least I can throw it down those devil steps.

So, hope everyone has a safe and Merry CHRISTmas, and that the fat guy brings you all that you wish for.  ME?  I just want peace on earth, that's all.

Later...............

Monday, December 10, 2012

COMPLETE. SIGNAL. LOST.

WHAT??????????  I watched TV on Saturday.  Wadda mean 'Complete Signal Lost'?  HMMMMM  OK, called DISH Sunday night.  Gotta guy who couldn't really help after I told him, "Yes, all of the cables are secure." " Yes, the Satelite Dish is still in the side yard."  "No, there are no fallen trees near it."  So, he passes me on to another Dish person, named Michelle.  Ah, a woman-to-woman thing, now we're gonna get somewhere.  First question outta her mouth?  "Yes, Michelle, all of the cables are secure.  I just watched the TV yesterday, and, it's way to heavy to carry around the house, so, I don't move it, much."  "Yes, the Satelite Dish is still in the side yard, and, before you ask, No, there are no fallen trees near it."  "No, I haven't weed-wacked for a couple of months, it's December."  So, we run a couple of test.  She tells me if the second test states on the screen that it's 1 of 38, we're in trouble.  We're chit-chatting, she is a VERY pleasant young lady, when....whoops, we're at test 2 of....yep, you guessed it....38.  She tells me to cancel it.  Then she starts talking about sending out a technician at $95 a visit...........BUT.............I could buy a plan for $7 a month and then the visit would cost $0.  Wait, No, uh, NO, I'll just talk to Harry on Monday.  He installed it and knows the system, the house, the layout.  Plus he's local and mama always said, "Spend your money local."  So, I always try to do that.  We hang up.  Harry is coming by tomorrow.

Later............

Saturday, December 8, 2012

I DID A BAD THING, REALLY, REALLY BAD,BAD,BAD.........

and no one is to blame but....ME. 
I was over at dad's on Wednesday.  He's still fartin' around with the old porch railings and posts from the bungalow in town.  Stuff is probably 60 years old, too short to ever use on another porch, lead paint, etc.  He agonized over cutting it up????  The two post from the farm house are over 100 years old with cut nails.  It was even harder for him to think about cutting them up.  "What should I do?"  'I don't know, dad, it's up to you.'  He wouldn't listen to me anyhow.  So,  he tells me he needs to unlock the cellar doors.  He never, hardly ever, asks me to do anything, just drops big hints.  'I'll go do it.'  Mainly cause it is less walking for him.  So........I go into the house, down the basement steps, pass the woodstove, unlock the man-door, up the concrete steps to the underside of the Bilco door, unlock it, turn, take one step, take another and.......what!!! there shouldn't be a step there!  I should be at the bottom!!!  The bottom was two steps down, I missed those two steps, but I found the bottom.  Boy, is concrete hard.  The left knee took the brunt of it and not only did I land on it, but then it ended up bent under my left leg.  Hit my head on the block wall, and, then, just laid there, moaning and thinking....How am I going to get up?  I couldn't crawl back up the steps, 'cause I couldn't push the Bilco doors open from underneath.  I finally managed to get up and hobbled out of the house, over to dad, who promptly asks me, "Why is your jacket so dirty?"  'Cause I fell down your outside steps!'  "Aw, honey.  I did that about 10 years ago."  So, Archie and I went home, I put ice on it all evening.  Next morning, still swollen, call doctor, see him in afternoon, sends me for xrays over at 'Health Campus' where you have to park and walk 3 blocks, up hill to even get in the door, then walk another block down the hall to get to 'Diagnostic Imaging'.  Four xrays, on the way home, doctors office calls, nothing fractured, nothing broke, keep it up and ice it down.  Phone call from Lois,  "Whatcha doin'?"  I tell her.  "Crap, feel like supper at the restaurant?"  'Sure'  Artie stops in and we three eat and chit-chat.  Leave, stop at Dad's,  "Where have you been, I've been calling all afternoon."  'Why didn't you call my cell?'  "I never thought about it."  Now, I had called him at lunch time to tell him I was going up to the doctors, so he knew where I was.  So, each day, it gets a little better, swelling is down, big time.  Both knees are a little weak, but the pain has improved 80%.  Doc gave me a script for Percocet, but I didn't fill it.  Oh, Dad finally did cut up most of that sorry-ass lumber, but not the 3/4 round pieces, and not the century-old porch post from the farm, they're in the barn.  Whatever.

Later.................

Monday, December 3, 2012

ABSOLUTELY.... A.BEAUTIFUL.DAY...

in the neighborhood.  Got a wild hair and cleaned out and cleaned up the barn.  Trouble is, I'm trying to fit 25 lbs of crap in a 10 lb bag.  Did manage to rearrange it a little bit better.  Had to move the one set of shelves, so then I was able to drag the newer work bench over to that wall and butt it up against the other bench.  Both benches are piled high with stuff yet to be placed, thrown out or given away.  Maybe tomorrow, as it is to be even warmer than today.

Been working on the family tree, my own for a change, and found out that two of my great-great grandfathers fought in the Civil War.  John T from PA and John B from WV.  Did some research and figured out they were not in the same battles, so at least they weren't shooting at each other.

Not much else is happening.  Charlie finally got that mouse....just now.  He's taken it to the bathroom to torment it in the tub.  Guess I'll try and get it and take it out.  I'd rather do that than find its headless corpse in the morning.  I tell these creatures, as I'm carrying them by the tail, "Go back to the clan and tell everyone of horrendous and giganic monsters that live in the meadow house and to avoid that house at all cost."  Wish they'd listen.

Later..................