Every home owner learns that there are a plethora of repairs that have to be done if you wish to own a home. Things wear out and things break. If you are not an innate do-it-yourselfer, then you are wise to begin collecting the phone numbers of those repairmen you can trust to do a businesslike job, and not scalp you in the process.
Monthly Archives: February 2004
BOIL IT!
No, this is not a cooking entry. Unfortunately, the city in which I live has announced that we are to boil our water for drinking, brushing teeth, cooking, making ice and any other use where we are likely to imbibe the water.
Friday night, in the middle of quilting bee, all the phones in the house rang. DH answered one of the lines, and it was a recorded message telling us to boil the water for the next two days. Since then, the boil order has been extened to “sometime” this week.
Do you know how something like that can disrupt the running of a household? You have to bring the water to a boil and continue to boil it for five minutes for it to be safe to drink. Then, the water has to cool before you can transfer it to plastic jugs. I purchased six gallons of drinking water on Saturday morning, and we’ve used part of that water, and keep refiling the empty jugs.
I had to call to see whether the dishwasher was an acceptable way to wash our dishes. I couldn’t figure out how to rinse the dishes in boiling water with out hurting my hands. They said the dishwasher was safe, but that I should let my water run first to raise the temp of the water going into the dishwasher. Actually….that sounded rather stupid to me, but I was desperate.
Movie Music
I think that music is the determining factor in whether I like a movie or not. In fact, my favorite movies are those with great music.
I have a DVD/VHS player at the table where I piece my quilts. I realized the other day that I choose the same movies over and over as I piece. I thought at first that it was because I was listening to them, and could follow without having to watch the screen. But it occured to me, as I walked through the house singing phrases from the movies, that it’s the music that draws me in.
Totally Ticked Off!
Yep…..that’s me. I am totally ticked off!
Like my friend, Jamie, I have been visiting the doctor to try to determine just what’s going on, healthwise. Seventeen months ago I was handed off to a new doctor in the practice that oversees my medical needs. My doctor of more than ten years was leaving private practice to research ways to more effectively deliver health care. How could I complain about her going, when it was for such a good reason?
So, here I am with a new doctor, having to break her in on the changes that have taken place in the last year. I complained about something that was really bothering me, and she said “That is probably arthritis.” So, I let it pass for a year, and then brought it up once more last October at my next physical.
The joys of going to bed early
This evening DH decided to call it quits early. Tomorrow he will have to take the trash down the drive, so it means that he will need to be up earlier than his usual 4:30 a.m. He organized some of the recyclables and walked the dog. On his way in, he commented that they had startled deer in the back yard.
Once you’ve startled the deer, there’s no point in looking for them. They sprint and bound and take off hither and yon. They are a joy to see, when you can catch a glimpse of them.
So, I walked down the hallway to the bedroom, intending to turn back the covers, and the door to the guest room was open. It looks out over the south lawn, and there was one of the deer, standing as still as a statue. I moved so the light from the kitchen was not behind me. I stood and watched that deer for some time, and it never moved. I slipped out of the guestroom and into my bedroom, finished turning back the covers, and looked once more. The deer was still there, checking to make sure that it was safe for the herd to follow.
Groundhog Day
I know, I know…..it’s already Groundhog Day and I haven’t posted in February yet. All the hoo-haw over the Super Bowl bummed me out. First, I really don’t care for football. Second, I don’t like the entire idea of the Super Bowl being the highlight of winter. I was ticked that Beyonce was invited to do the National Anthem, but she was delightful compared to the goings on at the Halftime.
When did we get so far away from simple, wholesome entertainment? I’ve probably missed the past ten Super Bowls because the commercials received more attention than the competition. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl was on, here, at least for the first half. I noticed that the game was interrupted about every ten minutes for more commercials. I bet the football players just love that their momentum is interrupted every ten minutes. Wait…..what am I saying?? I bet they get a cut of the cost to air those commercials, so who gives a rip about the game?
DH left the room to get some work done, and I was washing dishes. I went to turn the TV off and saw that Janet Jackson was performing at the halftime. Had I stayed just a moment longer, I would have been treated to the sight of her breast. I guess I was lucky. I shut the TV off and went on with my dishwashing, blissfully unaware of the furor.
Personally, I think the entire halftime performance was inappropriate, not just Janet’s baring. The style of dance, the style of clothing, the words to the songs…..it’s all simply inappropriate. Apologies from CBS are a waste. As the network responsible for the show, they should have known what was planned. I can’t believe they thought that MTV would produce a show appropriate for prime time TV on a Sunday night. And furthermore….most of the commercials were just as inappropriate.
Looking over my entry, I suppose this should have been categorized as “On the Soapbox.” It’s one thing to push the envelope. It’s another to totally disregard guidelines that have been put in place for good reasons. Who knows? Perhaps Janet felt she needed to draw some attention away from her brother. Or, maybe she felt her career needed a boost. Maybe she is feeling the competition from the kiddies moving up the ladder behind her, or maybe she’s learned from Madonna how to keep a sagging career going.
I don’t know the whys and wherefores behind the decision to flash what should have been kept covered, but I’m really glad my TV was turned off at the right time last night.
Grow up, Janet. And while you are at it, find some good taste and talent.