This is what it looked like over the weekend. It looks very different now.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
6-8" of snow this morning
Pretty, isn't it? This is Silver Lake Mtn from the road, a view I get to see every morning on my way to work. It's a great mountain, not very high, but full of humps and bumps, so that it looks different from every angle. It's everyone's favorite mountain. In Hawkeye, anyway. But then, the only other mountain in Hawkeye is named after the family of the neighborhood bully...
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
From cold to warm
I didn't do much over the weekend--mostly stoked the stove and tried to keep the house warm. At which I was pretty successful. The high on Sunday was 8, and it was windy so it was even colder outside. Not bad inside. I went to the dump on Saturday; seems to be tradition that I go on one of the coldest, most miserable days of the season. Sunday I went to the Holts' to do laundry, and since the heat had been turned on in anticipation of their (cancelled) visit, it was warm enough to stay there while the wash was running. I read the book group book (Chocolat, by Joanne Harris), which is OK. I saw the movie a long time ago (let's hear it for Johnny Depp!) so it's a familiar story but I think the book is different from the movie because there are parts that I don't remember. Or else I was so gobsmacked by Johnny Depp's beauty that I paid no attention to the plot...
Things are going well for the most part. No dog crises, no cat situation. The dogs are all getting along well, and I'm training Tess and Treasure to come home when they hear the car horn honk. Two days in a row it's worked like a charm. They come running in from the woods (which is better than seeing them coming up the driveway, from the road), out of breath but excited. Nothing like a self-exercising pet.
I'm weeding the adult non-fiction books (forever, it seems) and finished up with the pet section. My favorite title was "Your first pocket pet," which is about small rodents like mice, rats, hamsters, etc. It reminded me of our childhood, when we perpetually had white rats for pets. What, they were cheaper and easier than dogs? No, my father for some reason got into the habit of bringing home the lab rats from the college Psychology Dept. at the end of the semesters. Sometimes the rats would be trained to do certain things (nothing useful, like reading a book or cooking dinner). I learned a lot about animal behavior by having them--like, if you have too many in a cage they'll eat their babies, and that rats have the most revolting long scaly tails, but are pretty much nice animals and make OK pets. They only got loose once that I remember, and my mother found the elusive rodent in the washing machine. Before she did the wash. My sister had the most famous rat of the bunch, one named Gretchen, who lived for years. Rats generally live for 1-2 years, but Gretchen was in our lives for a long time. My sister was really good at training animals--when we had parakeets she had hers (named Happy)(mine was white and was named Kitty--why Kitty? oh, who knows) trained to do things. Mine, she was trained not to bite me and that's about it. When she died we buried her in a shoe box, then, as children do, we dug her up later to see what she looked like. A dead bird. We raised canaries for a while, successfully breeding and having 3 babies hatched. My sister & I played with the 2 pretty to death, and the piebald, not-so-attractive one lasted for 11 years. He was a really nice pet, sang so beautifully. My sister had him for a while but (as I remember it) brought him into my bedroom one day, announcing that she didn't want him anymore so he was mine. I did enjoy having him, and would love to have birds now but my house is too drafty and cold, plus what would I do with the birds when I traveled?
I usually watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, it's often the highlight of my otherwise pretty much uneventful winter. This year I tried to watch it but dozed a lot and missed most of it. I saw the hounds, one of my favorites, and the sporting group, my real favorite, but pretty much missed the rest. Which was fine, since the winner was a gross little rodent-like thing. See below. The Lab came in 4th in Group, which is better than they usually do. It was a beautiful black Lab, from Roscoe, Ill., near Rockford. It sounds made up, but when the Lab appeared on the screen, Treasure perked up, got off the couch for a closer look at the TV, then walked around behind the set to (presumably) look for the dog. She's a clever one, that Treasure. She does watch TV, which my dogs have never really done. She barks at other dogs or strange noises. She's a cutie, and is working out well. Tess is very tolerant of the attention I pay to Treasure, which is important. I try not to favor one over the other but having 3 dogs sucks a lot of the time. Treasure likes to CHEW socks, which is a real drag. Tess has always taken great pride in her ability to carry socks around, it's been her trademark. Now she has to cut back on that because her sister will take the sock from her mouth & chew on it. Treasure is a bit more orally obsessed than Tess (which, for those who know Tess, seems impossible). She likes to chew cans, like a goat. I once heard that goats only chew cans because they like the glue that holds the labels on. Don't know what appeals to Treasure about cans, but she chews soda bottles and cans endlessly. Cheap toys, huh.
Today I'll work at the Plattsburgh
Things are going well for the most part. No dog crises, no cat situation. The dogs are all getting along well, and I'm training Tess and Treasure to come home when they hear the car horn honk. Two days in a row it's worked like a charm. They come running in from the woods (which is better than seeing them coming up the driveway, from the road), out of breath but excited. Nothing like a self-exercising pet.
I'm weeding the adult non-fiction books (forever, it seems) and finished up with the pet section. My favorite title was "Your first pocket pet," which is about small rodents like mice, rats, hamsters, etc. It reminded me of our childhood, when we perpetually had white rats for pets. What, they were cheaper and easier than dogs? No, my father for some reason got into the habit of bringing home the lab rats from the college Psychology Dept. at the end of the semesters. Sometimes the rats would be trained to do certain things (nothing useful, like reading a book or cooking dinner). I learned a lot about animal behavior by having them--like, if you have too many in a cage they'll eat their babies, and that rats have the most revolting long scaly tails, but are pretty much nice animals and make OK pets. They only got loose once that I remember, and my mother found the elusive rodent in the washing machine. Before she did the wash. My sister had the most famous rat of the bunch, one named Gretchen, who lived for years. Rats generally live for 1-2 years, but Gretchen was in our lives for a long time. My sister was really good at training animals--when we had parakeets she had hers (named Happy)(mine was white and was named Kitty--why Kitty? oh, who knows) trained to do things. Mine, she was trained not to bite me and that's about it. When she died we buried her in a shoe box, then, as children do, we dug her up later to see what she looked like. A dead bird. We raised canaries for a while, successfully breeding and having 3 babies hatched. My sister & I played with the 2 pretty to death, and the piebald, not-so-attractive one lasted for 11 years. He was a really nice pet, sang so beautifully. My sister had him for a while but (as I remember it) brought him into my bedroom one day, announcing that she didn't want him anymore so he was mine. I did enjoy having him, and would love to have birds now but my house is too drafty and cold, plus what would I do with the birds when I traveled?
I usually watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, it's often the highlight of my otherwise pretty much uneventful winter. This year I tried to watch it but dozed a lot and missed most of it. I saw the hounds, one of my favorites, and the sporting group, my real favorite, but pretty much missed the rest. Which was fine, since the winner was a gross little rodent-like thing. See below. The Lab came in 4th in Group, which is better than they usually do. It was a beautiful black Lab, from Roscoe, Ill., near Rockford. It sounds made up, but when the Lab appeared on the screen, Treasure perked up, got off the couch for a closer look at the TV, then walked around behind the set to (presumably) look for the dog. She's a clever one, that Treasure. She does watch TV, which my dogs have never really done. She barks at other dogs or strange noises. She's a cutie, and is working out well. Tess is very tolerant of the attention I pay to Treasure, which is important. I try not to favor one over the other but having 3 dogs sucks a lot of the time. Treasure likes to CHEW socks, which is a real drag. Tess has always taken great pride in her ability to carry socks around, it's been her trademark. Now she has to cut back on that because her sister will take the sock from her mouth & chew on it. Treasure is a bit more orally obsessed than Tess (which, for those who know Tess, seems impossible). She likes to chew cans, like a goat. I once heard that goats only chew cans because they like the glue that holds the labels on. Don't know what appeals to Treasure about cans, but she chews soda bottles and cans endlessly. Cheap toys, huh.
Today I'll work at the Plattsburgh
Best in Show 2012
YUCK!! There weren't any dogs that really got my attention this year, and I slept through most of the show. Guess I had the right idea--
Monday, February 06, 2012
New month
And now it's February. I hate wishing my life away, but I like having the end of winter closer. And today is Monday, which I don't feel like having. I like my job a lot, but I'm tired of driving to Plattsburgh so much, and tired of working. I look forward to weekends and vacations a lot. This must be what it's like to get near retirment.
I've been doing pretty well, nothing much going on. Went to the dump on Saturday, taking Tess and Treasure for the car ride. Tess is an old pro at riding in the car, but Treasure is a rookie. She has to be lifed into the car, sees no real advantage to getting in one. I've taken her places twice, and at least she didn't chew anything (the way Tess used to)(at least I hope USED TO is the right term there). She sat in the back seat, facing the back of the seat, for most of the trip. Tess stands on the arm rest between the front seats & watches the road. She can see things like squirrels, cats, dogs, etc. People don't interest her much but animals, even birds, perk her right up. At one point Treasure did nudge me, a good sign that she's aware that a car is not a cage and she can move around. or something.
Watched the Super Bowl, mostly. It was a pretty good game but I did want the Patriots to win. That last chance pass was painful to watch. I thought Madonna sucked and the half-time show was lame.
It's in the 20's today and feels reminiscent of spring. I was going to walk on the tradmill here at work but hope to go outside instead and take a long walk. Walking in the city is boring, I think, but it would be good to get some fresh air. I spent very little time outside during the weekend, had thought of walking the dogs but got sidetracked. So Tess walked herself with strangers.
I've been doing pretty well, nothing much going on. Went to the dump on Saturday, taking Tess and Treasure for the car ride. Tess is an old pro at riding in the car, but Treasure is a rookie. She has to be lifed into the car, sees no real advantage to getting in one. I've taken her places twice, and at least she didn't chew anything (the way Tess used to)(at least I hope USED TO is the right term there). She sat in the back seat, facing the back of the seat, for most of the trip. Tess stands on the arm rest between the front seats & watches the road. She can see things like squirrels, cats, dogs, etc. People don't interest her much but animals, even birds, perk her right up. At one point Treasure did nudge me, a good sign that she's aware that a car is not a cage and she can move around. or something.
Watched the Super Bowl, mostly. It was a pretty good game but I did want the Patriots to win. That last chance pass was painful to watch. I thought Madonna sucked and the half-time show was lame.
It's in the 20's today and feels reminiscent of spring. I was going to walk on the tradmill here at work but hope to go outside instead and take a long walk. Walking in the city is boring, I think, but it would be good to get some fresh air. I spent very little time outside during the weekend, had thought of walking the dogs but got sidetracked. So Tess walked herself with strangers.
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Amaryllis. Showing the patch job in the ceiling. Fixing the hole I made when water started dripping from the ceiling. Stupid me, without thinking I made a big hole there. Where there is no plumbing. Water was running downhill. It was from the shower and my friend Chris fixed it for me. That was a while ago. The patch job is relatively new.
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Treasure watches television sometimes, and this is what she looks like when she does. If sh'e interested in what's happening on TV she'll walk around behind the TV to see the people/dogs/cats, etc. that she saw. Clever girl.
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Dogs like lying in the sun (at least mine do). Add a wood stove to that and you've got perfect conditions for sleeping.
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We call this peaceful co-existence. Treasure has almost stopped chasing the cat. Sometimes she just can't help herself, though, and has a good run with Kittie. At Kittie's expense.
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Why do I always have animals who hate having their picture taken? This is Dot the Cat. Snotty Dotty.
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There is peace in Hawkeye. Tess is exhausted from climbing the bluffs with strangers, and Treasure is just happy to be with her sister.
Monday, January 30, 2012
January ends
and YIPPEE! It's almost February. I don't like wishing my life away, and can't really complain about this winter's harshness, but it will be nice to be that much closer to spring, then summer. We had several nights of -10 or so, but also plenty of days in the 20's, so all in all we haven't suffered too much. Got more snow yesterday but had lost a lot of snow during rainy days last week. There's plenty of snow now.
My friends Duncan and David are in Hawkeye right now--arrived Thurs., and will leave tomorrow. They come for Extreme Workfest every January. Like it if conditions are tough, so were a bit disappointed this year when temps were mild and there wasn't an extreme amount of snow. They skied Whiteface, then later climbed Whiteface. They reported that there was about 6' of snow on the trail up the mountain. I wasn't surprised, really--when it's raining everywhere else it's snowing on Whiteface.
I had dinner with them twice, and good visits both times. Duncan likes to call me and have long phone conversations, which we did, too. It's always nice to see the two of them--their friendship is life-long, and they remind me of my brother and his friends from Illinois. Those boys used to gather often and have really nice visits.
Not much else going on. We've started the ice-out pool (though D & D reported open water by the brook, so thought the "out" part was bogus). I have no idea when the ice will go out--the lake froze right around Christmas, which is pretty normal. I know everyone is commenting on how mild this winter is, but we still have 2 months to get through. Last year in March we had 5 feet of snow in 2 snowfalls, so anything's possible. So far I've only had my driveway plowed twice, and sanded once. I hope he plows today.
Still fussing with e-readers at work. Big meeting today, got lots of input from member library directors about the whole project. I had a headache by the end of the discussion.
Dogs are fine, cat is too. Chances is about the same but scratches a lot with her hind legs--don't know if this is just because she CAN, or if she's really itching. It's great to see her use her legs for more than just walking, a real improvement. Tess is doing all right, but she & Treasure seem to take long walks together without telling me where they go. I tracked them the other night, they go down the hill toward the lake, at least--not out toward the hardtop. They were gone for a couple of hours yesterday, which makes me uneasy, but if I'm going to let them run loose I have to suffer the consequences. Then, later in the day when they were out again only Treasure came back--no Tess. She appeared in a little while, but it's worrisome. With my luck I'll end up with just Chances Are.
My friends Duncan and David are in Hawkeye right now--arrived Thurs., and will leave tomorrow. They come for Extreme Workfest every January. Like it if conditions are tough, so were a bit disappointed this year when temps were mild and there wasn't an extreme amount of snow. They skied Whiteface, then later climbed Whiteface. They reported that there was about 6' of snow on the trail up the mountain. I wasn't surprised, really--when it's raining everywhere else it's snowing on Whiteface.
I had dinner with them twice, and good visits both times. Duncan likes to call me and have long phone conversations, which we did, too. It's always nice to see the two of them--their friendship is life-long, and they remind me of my brother and his friends from Illinois. Those boys used to gather often and have really nice visits.
Not much else going on. We've started the ice-out pool (though D & D reported open water by the brook, so thought the "out" part was bogus). I have no idea when the ice will go out--the lake froze right around Christmas, which is pretty normal. I know everyone is commenting on how mild this winter is, but we still have 2 months to get through. Last year in March we had 5 feet of snow in 2 snowfalls, so anything's possible. So far I've only had my driveway plowed twice, and sanded once. I hope he plows today.
Still fussing with e-readers at work. Big meeting today, got lots of input from member library directors about the whole project. I had a headache by the end of the discussion.
Dogs are fine, cat is too. Chances is about the same but scratches a lot with her hind legs--don't know if this is just because she CAN, or if she's really itching. It's great to see her use her legs for more than just walking, a real improvement. Tess is doing all right, but she & Treasure seem to take long walks together without telling me where they go. I tracked them the other night, they go down the hill toward the lake, at least--not out toward the hardtop. They were gone for a couple of hours yesterday, which makes me uneasy, but if I'm going to let them run loose I have to suffer the consequences. Then, later in the day when they were out again only Treasure came back--no Tess. She appeared in a little while, but it's worrisome. With my luck I'll end up with just Chances Are.
Treasure. She likes to pose about as much as Tess does
Lousy picture of a pretty dog. Walking with her isn't as much fun as walking with Tess & Chances--Treasure sticks to my heels and won't go ahead, or explore, or anything. Maybe she will eventually. Maybe she thought I was taking her deep into the woods and would leave her there. She didn't seem to enjoy herself very much. But then, how would I know? She was behind me the whole time.
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This is what the bog looks like these days. Not too much snow for walking on, just enough for effect
Size 7.5 bun-bun
That's a BIG bunny. We have snowshoe hares (varying hares--so called because they change color with the seasons), and they love the bog. Plenty of bun-bun tracks. This one has big feet.
Red squirrel
And this is a little red squirrel's track. There used to be A LOT of red squirrels in my yard, at the birdfeeders, but now I rarely see one. Someone is eating them ...
Snow on a Sunday--we got about 6"
It was dry, fluffy powder, and ended up being very pretty. It sort of snuck up on us, we didn't realize how much snow we were getting at first.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Cold winter weather
Yes, it's been cold. And my house was miserably cold but I did manage to warm it up to the low 60's, which is warm by my standards. I hate to go into specifics, lest people think I'm really crazy for living the way I do, but it was cold inside when it was below zero outside. I do need a new wood stove, and I need a better heating system. I think maybe a thermal heater, kerosene seems preferable, with an outside tank. That's for when I get too old to burn wood. So should I sink money into a new wood stove, or should I go straight for the Monitor? Decisions, decisions.
I had a nice weekend, all THREE DAYS. Sunday I hosted our neighborhood gathering for snacks. A small group, but we had fun. Bill brought a quiche, I furnished wine & other goodies. I got the house relatively warm and all had a good time. Fred bonded with Treasure and invited her to summer camp at his place this year. Said he could teach her some manners and tricks. Which he no doubt would be better at that I am being.
Sunday afternoon friends stopped by while they were running the roads, stayed at my house for a while then decided we should go out for dinner. They picked me up around 6:30 and we headed to Wilmington (Wilderness--which some people like, some people DON'T like, and some people are indifferent about). We ate in the bar, where they like to hang out, and it was a nice but quiet visit. They live in Union Falls, splitting time between their house and their camp, which has a fantastic view of Whiteface Mtn. and the water.
I got to travel for work yesterday, which was nice in spite of the weather. It rained mostly, getting icy only at the end of the day. I started out in Keene Valley, working with their huge map collection, then drove to Lake Placid to work with their archives. Lk Placid has tons of great stuff, including the papers from the Lake Placid Club. Way fun to work with. Wish I could spend time processing or cataloging collections like that, but my director wouldn't find that appropriate use of my time I fear.
Today I have a training phone call on collection development of our soon-to-appear e-book collection. I've been playing with the readers but haven't made a lot of progress toward becoming an expert or even someone who's adept at their use. Must step up the pace on this.
What's up for the rest of the week? Not much. I have a cold, which is irritating but not (so far) debilitating. Sunday I may go out for dinner with Bill & Fred, for perch (get it while you can). Must go to the dump. Must go to Holt's to do more laundry (no, my washer is still not working). Must spend more time outdoors.
I had a nice weekend, all THREE DAYS. Sunday I hosted our neighborhood gathering for snacks. A small group, but we had fun. Bill brought a quiche, I furnished wine & other goodies. I got the house relatively warm and all had a good time. Fred bonded with Treasure and invited her to summer camp at his place this year. Said he could teach her some manners and tricks. Which he no doubt would be better at that I am being.
Sunday afternoon friends stopped by while they were running the roads, stayed at my house for a while then decided we should go out for dinner. They picked me up around 6:30 and we headed to Wilmington (Wilderness--which some people like, some people DON'T like, and some people are indifferent about). We ate in the bar, where they like to hang out, and it was a nice but quiet visit. They live in Union Falls, splitting time between their house and their camp, which has a fantastic view of Whiteface Mtn. and the water.
I got to travel for work yesterday, which was nice in spite of the weather. It rained mostly, getting icy only at the end of the day. I started out in Keene Valley, working with their huge map collection, then drove to Lake Placid to work with their archives. Lk Placid has tons of great stuff, including the papers from the Lake Placid Club. Way fun to work with. Wish I could spend time processing or cataloging collections like that, but my director wouldn't find that appropriate use of my time I fear.
Today I have a training phone call on collection development of our soon-to-appear e-book collection. I've been playing with the readers but haven't made a lot of progress toward becoming an expert or even someone who's adept at their use. Must step up the pace on this.
What's up for the rest of the week? Not much. I have a cold, which is irritating but not (so far) debilitating. Sunday I may go out for dinner with Bill & Fred, for perch (get it while you can). Must go to the dump. Must go to Holt's to do more laundry (no, my washer is still not working). Must spend more time outdoors.
Bird feeders at -11
A pretty Sunday morning, but looks can be deceiving. It was cold. Nice winter sun but still cold.
Poor Teddy
Sisters tugging on poor Teddy. Teddy lost most of his stuffing after this, and the tiny plastic balls that filled his body were sprinkled all over the living room floor. Treasure does NOT like to have toys filled with anything. They should be flat, I guess. She's a chewer, all right, and won't be sitting solo in my car any time soon. I learned my lesson (though it took 2 cars) about having a dog that chews being left alone in the car.
58 OHR at -11 with a warm fire and bright sunshine
This is what it's like at my house on winter weekends. I stoke the fire and the dogs lie next to it. Kitty is usually on the other side, or sometimes she fits herself into the pile o'hounds.
Sisters warming by the stove
Do they know they're sisters? I don't know, but they sure do things the same way and look alike.
Christmas tree 2011
Pretty scrawny, but not bad looking all in all. I keep postponing taking it down, not sure why, but I like having the lights on.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Post for the new year
Someone told me I needed to post something because I hadn't done anything since last year. Well, heck, last year wasn't so long ago. Although I guess 2 weeks is sort of long.
I haven't been doing much, the usual winter-type stuff. I'm trying to keep my fire going all the time, especially since I got my latest electric bill. It's expensive to have no heat in the back of the house because the heaters in the front of the house work harder. I need to find someone to fix the heater, but I hate to bother people. There are a couple of people I could ask (to pay) and I may get desperate enough to do that. I think my washing machine will be fixed soon. That's not a crisis, though, since I can use the Holt's equipment easily. I spent 2 lovely mornings at their house over New Year's while I washed clothes & bedding. Geez, I guess I haven't done any laundry since then. No wonder I have no clean socks.
I spent Saturday night with the Holt's, having dinner then working on the jigsaw puzzle I got for them. It was a map of the world, with pieces shaped like the countries. And lots of oceans & seas. We concluded that we are woefully globally geographically ignorant. Why are there 2 Tropics of Capricorn? What IS the Tropic of Capricorn? and so on.
I've not really been up to much else. Working--time to get the year wrapped up, lots of statistics and conclusions we can reach from the statistics. Or make things up, maybe. I'm still weeding, an endless project. I'm in the gardening books now, which are heavy and not very interesting to look at. And we have tons and tons of them.
We got a grant to buy ereaders and ebooks, so I ordered 6 Nooks, 6 Kindles, 2 Sony readers and still have money left over to buy more. We're all supposed to familiarize ourselves with ereaders so that, when our ebooks subscription kicks in we can help people who have questions and will no doubt call us. Even without the bookmobile. So far I've learned a little about the Sony reader, which is not as nice as the others, but isn't very hard to use. Problem is we can't download books until our subscription is live, so we can't learn how to do that (except for the freebies). Meanwhile I scan the 172-page users manual that's loaded on the reader. yawn. I'll take it home this weekend. Along with the 2nd season of Mad Men. I recorded a bunch of episodes, then watched season 4 (out of order, because I didn't notice that someone had put the discs back in the container out of order). So now I have some awareness of story lines, but there are mystery people who've shown up, and a divorce happened somewhere along the way. I'll also watch Midnight in Paris, because I need to catalog it (OK, I'm not watching it because I have to catalog it, I'm just watching it because I want to) and return it.
Sunday I'm hosting the Sunday Snack Hour. Instead of having a big Sunday dinner the way we did for years and years we get together at Pat's for snacks and a visit. I don't go every Sunday, just once in a while. So I decided to host the event this weekend. Because I cleaned my house for book group last weekend, and I have Monday off so I won't feel cheated out of ME time for the weekend. I can't decide whether to take down my Christmas tree or not. I think probably I should, because it takes up too much room. There was enough room for book group, but there might be more people on Sunday.
We had a good book group meeting. Nice visits, exchanged presents, ate a lot, had a good evening. Next book is Chocolat by Joanne Harris. I liked the movie, especially the Johnny Depp part. I'm reading The poisonwood Bible right now, for the second time. It's very funny in places, and I know I really liked it the first time I read it (many years ago).
Dogs are ok. Chances is in her own special world, not aware of much and not very active. Tess and Treasure are quite a pair. Chances isn't any more mobile but she gets around. Everyone tells me I'll know when it's time to end her life, but so far I've not received such a message. But I'm not sure how much longer she wants to be around for. I had a long conversation with the vet about it and he said as long as the quality of her life is good ("are her eyes bright?" Well, no, she's got congenital cataracts and never could see very well) there's no problem. I don't know how great the quality of her life is. She does very little and falls down a fair amount. And likes to pee on the floor. Which REALLY irritates me. It's not that she's unaware of doing it, either, she does it deliberately on the bathroom rug. Honestly! What about the quality of MY life?
We're getting snow today. I went out at lunch, did grocery shopping so I won't have to stop on my way home. It's supposed to turn from wet snow to ice and/or rain later in the day, so we're closing an hour early. Yippee. Big deal, but nice. It would be nicer if today were Friday and we were getting paid.
I haven't been doing much, the usual winter-type stuff. I'm trying to keep my fire going all the time, especially since I got my latest electric bill. It's expensive to have no heat in the back of the house because the heaters in the front of the house work harder. I need to find someone to fix the heater, but I hate to bother people. There are a couple of people I could ask (to pay) and I may get desperate enough to do that. I think my washing machine will be fixed soon. That's not a crisis, though, since I can use the Holt's equipment easily. I spent 2 lovely mornings at their house over New Year's while I washed clothes & bedding. Geez, I guess I haven't done any laundry since then. No wonder I have no clean socks.
I spent Saturday night with the Holt's, having dinner then working on the jigsaw puzzle I got for them. It was a map of the world, with pieces shaped like the countries. And lots of oceans & seas. We concluded that we are woefully globally geographically ignorant. Why are there 2 Tropics of Capricorn? What IS the Tropic of Capricorn? and so on.
I've not really been up to much else. Working--time to get the year wrapped up, lots of statistics and conclusions we can reach from the statistics. Or make things up, maybe. I'm still weeding, an endless project. I'm in the gardening books now, which are heavy and not very interesting to look at. And we have tons and tons of them.
We got a grant to buy ereaders and ebooks, so I ordered 6 Nooks, 6 Kindles, 2 Sony readers and still have money left over to buy more. We're all supposed to familiarize ourselves with ereaders so that, when our ebooks subscription kicks in we can help people who have questions and will no doubt call us. Even without the bookmobile. So far I've learned a little about the Sony reader, which is not as nice as the others, but isn't very hard to use. Problem is we can't download books until our subscription is live, so we can't learn how to do that (except for the freebies). Meanwhile I scan the 172-page users manual that's loaded on the reader. yawn. I'll take it home this weekend. Along with the 2nd season of Mad Men. I recorded a bunch of episodes, then watched season 4 (out of order, because I didn't notice that someone had put the discs back in the container out of order). So now I have some awareness of story lines, but there are mystery people who've shown up, and a divorce happened somewhere along the way. I'll also watch Midnight in Paris, because I need to catalog it (OK, I'm not watching it because I have to catalog it, I'm just watching it because I want to) and return it.
Sunday I'm hosting the Sunday Snack Hour. Instead of having a big Sunday dinner the way we did for years and years we get together at Pat's for snacks and a visit. I don't go every Sunday, just once in a while. So I decided to host the event this weekend. Because I cleaned my house for book group last weekend, and I have Monday off so I won't feel cheated out of ME time for the weekend. I can't decide whether to take down my Christmas tree or not. I think probably I should, because it takes up too much room. There was enough room for book group, but there might be more people on Sunday.
We had a good book group meeting. Nice visits, exchanged presents, ate a lot, had a good evening. Next book is Chocolat by Joanne Harris. I liked the movie, especially the Johnny Depp part. I'm reading The poisonwood Bible right now, for the second time. It's very funny in places, and I know I really liked it the first time I read it (many years ago).
Dogs are ok. Chances is in her own special world, not aware of much and not very active. Tess and Treasure are quite a pair. Chances isn't any more mobile but she gets around. Everyone tells me I'll know when it's time to end her life, but so far I've not received such a message. But I'm not sure how much longer she wants to be around for. I had a long conversation with the vet about it and he said as long as the quality of her life is good ("are her eyes bright?" Well, no, she's got congenital cataracts and never could see very well) there's no problem. I don't know how great the quality of her life is. She does very little and falls down a fair amount. And likes to pee on the floor. Which REALLY irritates me. It's not that she's unaware of doing it, either, she does it deliberately on the bathroom rug. Honestly! What about the quality of MY life?
We're getting snow today. I went out at lunch, did grocery shopping so I won't have to stop on my way home. It's supposed to turn from wet snow to ice and/or rain later in the day, so we're closing an hour early. Yippee. Big deal, but nice. It would be nicer if today were Friday and we were getting paid.
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Sleeping beauties. They're getting along really well. Tess and Treasure play (too much, sometimes). They run around a lot outside and chew on each other when they're inside. Treasure, however, chews on other things as well. Like ... socks especially, but soda bottles and cans, anything plastic and all of Tess' soft toys. Toys shouldn't have stuffing in them, apparently, and they shouldn't be made of plastic.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Last post of the year
Hard to believe we'll be in 2012 soon. I like having winter be so much over but it sometimes scares me, how quickly time passes. So far the winter has been OK but (and I can't believe I'm saying this) we need snow. There are only a couple of inches on the ground right now, which won't be good when spring comes and there's no snow to melt. Although the ground hasn't frozen down very far--my sump pump is still pumping, so the water table is high. This is good news for someone with a shallow well.
I had Christmas in Rhode Island, and it was very nice. Drove there last Thursday, had good Christmas with Mark & Liza. We always have a good time, and Christmas is special for us. Quiet, and we know each other very well so always have good presents. Mark gave me 2 roof racks for my car, so now I'll have no excuse and will have to be kayak-mobile in the summer. That should be good. The other roof rack is a basket, so I can pack it up to take more stuff to the dump. He knows me well.
I visited my friend Linda, who lives in Jamestown, half an hour from my mother's. Linda & I have known each other for more than 35 years. Wow. She used to live in the other side of the duplex I rented for 9 years. And I thought THAT was a long time to live in one place. I've lived in my current house for 20 years, have been in the Adks for 27 years. Amazing. Never lived anywhere else that long. Anyway, Linda and I had a nice visit, lunch at her house.
Christmas Eve dinner was lobsters, which I now cook instead of having Liza wrestle with them. Wish I could say I mind dropping living things into boiling water, but it doesn't seem to bother me. No, they NEVER make any noise.
My trip home was fine, some blowing sleet in the Berkshires, which always happens. Not a big deal, didn't last long. House was relatively warm except for the bedroom and laundry room. Apparently it got pretty cold here because 2 pipes in the laundry room burst. I always turn the pump off but didn't realize the pipes were split and turned the pump on when I got home. Took a little while to figure out why there was not much water pressure. Duh. Big fountains spraying into the laundry room and bedroom. Yuck. Now I have no washing machine, which means I either impose on friends or go to the laundromat. It's across the street from work so that's really no big deal, and the machines are huge. Why is it always winter when I have to do this? The laundry soap freezes in the car during the day.
Back to work today. Busy day, lots of catching up, plus doing Kim's work so she could take the day off. Put up my new 2012 Chocolate Labs calendar, which my friend Doug sends me every year for my birthday. This year he couldn't decide between Choc. Lab Puppies and just Choc. Labs, so I got both.
What will I do for New Years Eve? Probably not much. I went to a neighborhood party the other night, mingled and visited with people and had a good time. I have great neighbors, both the seasonal ones and the year-rounders. I've been invited to another neighborhood party Sat. night but don't know if I'll go. I'll definitely stop to see my friends Pat & Jim around 5 to toast the new year.
I had Christmas in Rhode Island, and it was very nice. Drove there last Thursday, had good Christmas with Mark & Liza. We always have a good time, and Christmas is special for us. Quiet, and we know each other very well so always have good presents. Mark gave me 2 roof racks for my car, so now I'll have no excuse and will have to be kayak-mobile in the summer. That should be good. The other roof rack is a basket, so I can pack it up to take more stuff to the dump. He knows me well.
I visited my friend Linda, who lives in Jamestown, half an hour from my mother's. Linda & I have known each other for more than 35 years. Wow. She used to live in the other side of the duplex I rented for 9 years. And I thought THAT was a long time to live in one place. I've lived in my current house for 20 years, have been in the Adks for 27 years. Amazing. Never lived anywhere else that long. Anyway, Linda and I had a nice visit, lunch at her house.
Christmas Eve dinner was lobsters, which I now cook instead of having Liza wrestle with them. Wish I could say I mind dropping living things into boiling water, but it doesn't seem to bother me. No, they NEVER make any noise.
My trip home was fine, some blowing sleet in the Berkshires, which always happens. Not a big deal, didn't last long. House was relatively warm except for the bedroom and laundry room. Apparently it got pretty cold here because 2 pipes in the laundry room burst. I always turn the pump off but didn't realize the pipes were split and turned the pump on when I got home. Took a little while to figure out why there was not much water pressure. Duh. Big fountains spraying into the laundry room and bedroom. Yuck. Now I have no washing machine, which means I either impose on friends or go to the laundromat. It's across the street from work so that's really no big deal, and the machines are huge. Why is it always winter when I have to do this? The laundry soap freezes in the car during the day.
Back to work today. Busy day, lots of catching up, plus doing Kim's work so she could take the day off. Put up my new 2012 Chocolate Labs calendar, which my friend Doug sends me every year for my birthday. This year he couldn't decide between Choc. Lab Puppies and just Choc. Labs, so I got both.
What will I do for New Years Eve? Probably not much. I went to a neighborhood party the other night, mingled and visited with people and had a good time. I have great neighbors, both the seasonal ones and the year-rounders. I've been invited to another neighborhood party Sat. night but don't know if I'll go. I'll definitely stop to see my friends Pat & Jim around 5 to toast the new year.
Jamestown vista
Not a fascinating shot, but that's what a lot of the landscape in southern RI looks like. It's very pretty.
Newport Bridge from Jamestown
That's the bridge that goes from Jamestown (one island) to Newport (another island). Lots of jumpers off of that bridge over the years. I think if I climbed to the top of this, I'd have to jump just because I'd be too scared to climb down.
Mark and his electronic coin sorter--a big hit
Liza gave Mark an electric digital coin sorter, which offered hours of constructive entertainment. Once we figured out how to turn it on. He has to divvy up the tips at work so this is a really grand present for him.
Tess likes her new squeaky ball
A new toy from Jenica. We now have: Squeaky Ball, Woodland Creature and Big Dog. Tess played with them all.
No one on the beach
Pretty beach, nice day. The beach to ourselves. Except for some town workers in the parking lot, who made Tess think it was LUNCH time and they must have something to eat. They did not.
Tess behind the fence. Can you find her?
There's a dog on the other side of that fence, running along and trying to figure out how to get to this side of the fence. Reminds me of a chicken crossing the road--like, why did Tess go behind the fence in the first place?
Treasure--who is Tess's half-sister
My new dog. I picked her up yesterday at my breeder's. She's one & a half years old and is very, very nice. Why would ANYONE want 3 dogs? And why would ANYONE get a 1.5 year old to go with her 12 and 8 year olds? So far so good, but Tess is too submissive around Treasure. They did play run around the car yesterday, and do well together but Tess is jealous (no surprise--maybe once the novelty of Treasure wears off I'll be better). I try to pay attention to Tess every time I pet Treasure, but there are only so many hours in a day.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
BIG catching up
Wow it's been a long time since I wrote anything. December is going fast. First it was hard to believe it was December, now it's even harder to believe that I go to Rhode Island next week for my Christmas visit. I'll be there from Thursday to Weds. Have to come back Wednesday because on Thursday the 29th I PICK UP MY NEW DOG. Yes, I'm crazy. I still have Chances, who is doing pretty well. She stands up much more now, and can walk more steps. Still tips over easily, but she's trying. So why am I getting another dog? Oh such a good question. Because my breeder has a 1 1/2 year old female black Lab that's perfect. Dog is named Treasure, which is what Tess' name (Tesoro) means in Italian. So how could I not? I don't know how this will work out as far as Chances goes, and I know I've said vehemently many times that I'll never have 3 dogs again, but oops, here goes. This is a nice and special dog.
I turned 59 yesterday, which is startling to me. Even more startling is that I'll be 60 next year. How did this happen? I celebrated the day with lunch with my good friend Barb, lots of phone calls and emails and cards, then a visit with Jim & Pat on the way home. Sister's present is coming in the mail, Barb's presents were great and very tasty. Mother sent new slippers, which she always does for my birthday. P & J gave me cash, which was a nice surprise, even though I don't think they should give me anything.
It's been pretty cold, mostly at night. Days aren't too bad, climbing into the 40's at times. Nights have been in the teens so I've been keeping my fire going. Wow is it hard to get into that routine. I'm getting up earlier so I can get a hot fire going before leaving for the day. Which means I sit around waiting for the fire to get hot, watching stupid people on television. But it's the right thing to do. I got my electric bill for November and it was HUGE. I have electric back-up heat. Because we couldn't afford to buy a furnace when we built the house. Something I pretty much regret every winter. Even with the wood stove (and $$$ firewood) the house doesn't get very warm when it's really cold, and the heat is on all winter, chalking up huge bills. When my ex husband moved out I ended the winter with a $1000 electric bill, but it was in his name. When I called the electric company to change the account to my name the woman told me I wasn't liable for the $1000 in his name. Shockerooni. I felt bad (briefly) but ended up sticking him with the bill. "We'll get the money from him eventually," she said. Which was more than I could do. I don't know what happened but I suspect there was a lien against him, which he never knew about. Maybe still doesn't. who knows. More, though, who cares?
I'm looking forward to my trip to RI. Nice to be there for such a long time. I'll see my friend Linda--we always have lunch together (as opposed to separately) during Christmas week. I have most of my Christmas chores finished, except for making a few things and finishing up my Christmas cards. Not bad for the 13th. I have to find something for the director, as I'm her Secret Santa this year. Swell. I have to buy vodka, candy and dog biscuits for my plow man. I have to mail the Italy presents, but that will happen this afternoon. I have to wrap & mail presents to my niece and do the same for my cousin and his family. Plus ... I have to put up my tree. Traditionally I had it up by my birthday, but I'm 59 now so things are different.
I cut a tree on Sunday, maybe 20' tall, then took the top off. Not a great looking tree so I tromped through the woods in search of another one. I cut 2 more small trees, and if I put all 3 together it would make a barely respectable tree. So I have to decide whether to have a tree that's too small for all of my ornaments, or buy a tree that will be big and harder to deal with. Better hurry up and decide, no?
Tomorrow I get snow tires. I'm proud of myself for planning this before my trip. I insist on buying the most expensive snow tires ($900 for 4). Why? Because that's how I am. These tires are good in snow and keep me from sliding around the road, which makes me feel more secure. Would I have been able to get out before Thanksgiving if I'd had my snow tires? Who knows. Mute point. I know, it's moot, but I like mute better.
I just finished reading Jeffrey Eugenides' The marriage plot, which was a nice read. He won a Pulitzer for his last book, so I knew the book would be well written and it was. Story of young college graduates. From Brown, so there was lots of Providence stuff in the beginning. Vaguely entertaining. Now I'm reading a Julian Barnes book that is very, very funny. Terribly British, but the humor is good. Like, "mantra sounds like the name of an automobile. The Oldsmobile Mantra." I thought that was cute. And true.
I turned 59 yesterday, which is startling to me. Even more startling is that I'll be 60 next year. How did this happen? I celebrated the day with lunch with my good friend Barb, lots of phone calls and emails and cards, then a visit with Jim & Pat on the way home. Sister's present is coming in the mail, Barb's presents were great and very tasty. Mother sent new slippers, which she always does for my birthday. P & J gave me cash, which was a nice surprise, even though I don't think they should give me anything.
It's been pretty cold, mostly at night. Days aren't too bad, climbing into the 40's at times. Nights have been in the teens so I've been keeping my fire going. Wow is it hard to get into that routine. I'm getting up earlier so I can get a hot fire going before leaving for the day. Which means I sit around waiting for the fire to get hot, watching stupid people on television. But it's the right thing to do. I got my electric bill for November and it was HUGE. I have electric back-up heat. Because we couldn't afford to buy a furnace when we built the house. Something I pretty much regret every winter. Even with the wood stove (and $$$ firewood) the house doesn't get very warm when it's really cold, and the heat is on all winter, chalking up huge bills. When my ex husband moved out I ended the winter with a $1000 electric bill, but it was in his name. When I called the electric company to change the account to my name the woman told me I wasn't liable for the $1000 in his name. Shockerooni. I felt bad (briefly) but ended up sticking him with the bill. "We'll get the money from him eventually," she said. Which was more than I could do. I don't know what happened but I suspect there was a lien against him, which he never knew about. Maybe still doesn't. who knows. More, though, who cares?
I'm looking forward to my trip to RI. Nice to be there for such a long time. I'll see my friend Linda--we always have lunch together (as opposed to separately) during Christmas week. I have most of my Christmas chores finished, except for making a few things and finishing up my Christmas cards. Not bad for the 13th. I have to find something for the director, as I'm her Secret Santa this year. Swell. I have to buy vodka, candy and dog biscuits for my plow man. I have to mail the Italy presents, but that will happen this afternoon. I have to wrap & mail presents to my niece and do the same for my cousin and his family. Plus ... I have to put up my tree. Traditionally I had it up by my birthday, but I'm 59 now so things are different.
I cut a tree on Sunday, maybe 20' tall, then took the top off. Not a great looking tree so I tromped through the woods in search of another one. I cut 2 more small trees, and if I put all 3 together it would make a barely respectable tree. So I have to decide whether to have a tree that's too small for all of my ornaments, or buy a tree that will be big and harder to deal with. Better hurry up and decide, no?
Tomorrow I get snow tires. I'm proud of myself for planning this before my trip. I insist on buying the most expensive snow tires ($900 for 4). Why? Because that's how I am. These tires are good in snow and keep me from sliding around the road, which makes me feel more secure. Would I have been able to get out before Thanksgiving if I'd had my snow tires? Who knows. Mute point. I know, it's moot, but I like mute better.
I just finished reading Jeffrey Eugenides' The marriage plot, which was a nice read. He won a Pulitzer for his last book, so I knew the book would be well written and it was. Story of young college graduates. From Brown, so there was lots of Providence stuff in the beginning. Vaguely entertaining. Now I'm reading a Julian Barnes book that is very, very funny. Terribly British, but the humor is good. Like, "mantra sounds like the name of an automobile. The Oldsmobile Mantra." I thought that was cute. And true.
The Westport library
I went traveling last week, down to Westport, which is on Lake Champlain south of Plattsburgh. Here's their library. They have to wind the clock in the tower every day, and they have a fire in the fireplace during cold weather. There's a new director there so I went for a consultant visit. I like those visits. I'm going to Elizabethtown next week. I went for a scenic drive on my way back to Pbg from Westport, enjoyed the day.
Geese on Lake Champlain in Westport
This is down the street from the Westport library. Nice view when it's clearer.
Mountain views
These are mountains you see from the back roads of Wadhams/Lewis. Very pretty. Not much snow.
The Wadhams library
This is the tiny Wadhams library, which is actually very nice inside. They finally got heat so she no longer has to stoke the wood stove. They almost doubled the size of the library a few years ago with the addition.
The Boquet River falls in Wadhams
This is the river next to the library in Wadhams. The director of the library runs a hydroelectric plant here. Our directors are talented people.
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