Monday, May 30, 2011

Irwin will be Missed

My Polaris 360, Irwin passed on to his greater reward yesterday.  He will be missed.  After 9 years of patching him up and hoping he would last another year, yesterday was the final straw.  His bag carriage was cracked and broken but, still I could find parts for him.  Well, yesterday he had sheared off a bearing and when I went to replace it, I realized that this particular part no longer exists.  sigh!  The new bearings are bigger than his axle.  sigh!  So, he has now become parts for the new one.  He went in pieces to the deck box that holds the spare polaris parts along with pool floats, etc.  I have always tried to keep pieces of Irwin around just in case something happened.  He had new wheels from the last time I had to tear him down and take him apart. 

I had to ordred in a new one and it was so hard to part with that kind of cash right now.  Polaris 360's aren't cheap.  They are rated as one of the best pool cleaners out there but, the quality does have a hefty price tag.  I found a place that had him on sale.  Anything that costs that much and eats as much trash and crap out of the pool deserves a name.  So, when we finally do get the new one in, he will be carrying the moniker of Ernie.  I figure Irwin and Ernie are cousins and possibly at a later date might even be sharing bits and pieces. 

My poor pool cleaner.  He struggled valiently to clean my pool and he lost his life yesterday evening.  He will be greatly missed. 

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Fresh Tomatoes

Yesterday was my first day of trying fresh tomatoes out of this year's garden.  They were so fabulous.  First of all, the plant isn't a black tomato, it is a cherry tomato and it is very tasty.  That first bite where the fruit, bursts upon the palate...aahh!  Simply wonderful.  I had forgotten how much a fresh tomato tastes over a store bought one.  There is a difference. 

I am still working on my sock pattern.  I am going to have to add some stitches to the mix since it needs them.  sigh!  I had a clothes pin holding my pattern together and Ody stole it and ran off with it.  He chews on things.  Who knew my Corgi was actually part goat?  I didn't. 

Today I have to add more water to the pool, add more acid to it since our water is heavily alkaline.  It really makes for fun since we haven't had rain in ages and we are under a fire watch from the wind.  This sucks. 

I am constantly watering to keep all of my plants alive.  Our water bill hasn't been too bad but, it is probably going to shoot up to the sky after filling the pool, etc.  We have to keep the plants alive around here. 

My okra is blooming which means...yummy goodness is about to be heaped upon me.  Yay!  Melinda has promised to come help me pick it when I have okra out the wazoo around here.  She wants some of it for her own self.  I love it fried, stewed and Gary has plans for chicken and sausage gumbo. 

Gary battled a yellow jacket's nest yesterday.  I had seen the creatures flying around but, I never thought they would pick the rosemary bush for their home...they did and he found them by accident.  I have never seen him move so fast.  I was going to get the water hose and squirt them out but, he said he wanted them gone permanently. 

They are pretty much beneficial in keeping out the unwanted critters out of my garden.  I hope more lady bugs show up now. 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Finding Me...Again

I have taken up knitting again.  I know...constant knitters everywhere and well, I wasn't interested in knitting for a while there until I decided to knit socks.  Socks seem to be my forte since they do work in getting me back on track. 

I wrote a pattern and I have to knit another pair of socks in a solid color before I will release said pattern into the shop.  I dyed three skeins of yarn between yesterday and today to find the perfect color for the next pair of socks. 

I swear, things go wrong for me just because.  I didn't realize it until I turned on the sprinkler that there was yarn drying on the chain above said sprinkler.  It will have to wait another day to dry.  sigh!  I washed a full bottle of Tide laundry detergeant and I didn't realize what that thunking noise was until I opened the washer lid and there it was in all of it's beat up glory.  I swear...it has been that kind of day. 

I am still fighting the nasty stomach virus that is going around.  I want to kick the person who gave it to me.  Misery.  At least it isn't the flu, just a virus that lingers and lingers. 

I scrubbed the stove tonight...it has been needing it.  I loaded the sink up for Gary once again.  He is always after me to clean the island...well, tonight his wish came true.  I cleaned the island and the stove.  It should be flooding any day now just from those two actions...I wish. 

I was outside watering my garden since everything is wilting from the heat here.  I went to see how my tomatoes are doing.  They have been needing serious water.  I looked and yep, I have little tomatoes on some and one huge one on the Cherokee purple plant.  I am so excited.  Gary is excited since he said he will finally have fresh tomatoes to eat. Yep.  I went ahead and gave the tomates some food for their fruiting efforts, pulled green beans again.  I should have enough to eat in a couple of days.  I only have two plants and that one is really producing.  Fine by me...I love fresh green beans.  yummy!  My corn needs to be fertilized and I am hoping to deal with that tomorrow. 

I have to fill the pool up and check the ph and alkalinity tomorrow.  Both are sky high right now on that pool.  Gary wants me to vacuum tomorrow and then we can break down the filter and put the other filters in.  I also need to fix Irwin once again and get him back into the pool to clean so, I don't have to do any more vacuuming.  I hate to vacuum. 

My life is getting complicated once again.  I don't like it when it is complicated, I like simple. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

My Left Eye is Twitching

My left eye is twitching which means my stress level is up.  House cleaning sucks...let's get that out in the open right away.  I was woken up at the ungodly hour of 6 am, the alarm on my weather station went off  So, I headed downstairs and had breakfast.  I worked on some more rows on the new sock and I am completely worn out.  I was up late...I wasn't feeling all the thing last night. 

Yesterday, I went out to lunch with my sister, we hit a local diner that makes the best fried mushrooms...I even had a mushroom burger and it was so good.  yummy! 

I need to dye yarn today.  I have to find the space and my dye pot.  I need a good solid color that will work with my new pattern.  I am going to dig around in the dye stash to see what color would look beautiful with my pattern.  :) 

I also have to search out cheap knitting needles, I have a project going but, I am not ready to share it. 

Monday, May 23, 2011

Something in the Air

I woke up this morning, hacking up the lungs...great something new and awful in the air.  It is so dry here and the wind constantly blows but, it isn't a forgiving wind, it is a nasty drying wind.  It needs to leave and we need rain, badly. 

I have been going up and down the stairs since I am doing laundry today.  I have the whites in the washer right now and I had to re-run them since they reek of bleach.  I hate that smell. 

I am writing a new sock pattern and I went to check to see what new patterns socks squared group has and well, this month's vote is a hard one.  I chose to vote for the Ankle Arches Socks by Susan Meredith Pacheco.  It looks really cool.  I have the yarn as well.  I just refuse to knit with US 0-2 needles.  Socks are meant to be knit with US 3s in my book.  Stubborn and to the point is how I am. 

I also printed out En Pointe Socks by Barclay A. Dunn.  They are quite unique looking even thought they are toe to cuff socks.  I hardly knit this kind of sock anymore.  I have no idea which one will win. 

I have to cook dinner tonight...it is taco night.  I have to get off of my butt and take care of it.  I thought of doing chili pie but, nah, it just doesn't sound good at all. 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Let's Head to Lowe's

We have to go to Lowe's today for fertilizer for the yard.  I am ready for a nice trip out of this house today.  Yesterday, we did the meeting, then headed over to the movies to see Pirates, it was okay.  I wish it would have been better. 

I fertilized my garden and strawberries yesterday.  My okra is doing so amazing.  The two persimmon trees are doing fabulous as well.  I think if they put on some added height this year, they will do well to be planted in the ground this next year.  I asked Melinda if she wanted okra plants and she said she would come over to help me pick it.  Well..okay, this means I will be sharing okra with her.  If you pick, you get.  That is the family motto.  You get help from people and to reward them, they get some of the bounty.  It is only right. 

Gary grilled steak and corn last night and I made fresh green beans.  The ones out of the garden were fantastic, so sweet.  My tomatoes are out of control in the garden and growing like weeds.  I don't mind since it means more fruit when they do start production.  The corn is looking pretty good as well.  I don't know if it is going to get taller for me or not. 

I have to vacuum the pool today and get it ready for my body to be in it.  I have plans to start swimming and getting my old beat up body back into shape.  I need muscle tone like you wouldn't believe.  Maybe you would. 

I just am ready to swim like a fish in that pool.  Yay! 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I Need a Bigger Car

I loaded most of the stuff up for tonight's award dinner and I realized...I need a bigger car.  My Sky is full to the rim.  I have to load the table cloths in and my huge rolling tote bag for the meeting and then the gorgeous arrangement.  I went and picked up the arrangement at the Kroger on FM 529 and Barker-Cypress.  The florist there...Penny, she does such beautiful work.  I highly recommend her if you are in the area and you need a stunning arrangement.  She doesn't disappoint. 

I am wearing a new outfit tonight for this dinner.  I will be styling.  I just hope I can find my red shoes.  I swear, I lose everything.  If I can't find my red shoes, I will be wearing those black killers.  I hate those shoes, they are so uncomfy.  They say cloudwalkers on the inside...boy, that is a huge lie, they hurt my feet. 

I managed to get the stain out of the one table cloth.  It took me two washings to get it all out.  I used Oxy clean bags the first round with the blue gel.  The second round was more of the Oxy clean bags and Spray and wash with Resolve on the second round and that cocktail removed the blood from the table cloth.  Pretty good, I thought. 

I can't wait for this night to be over so, I can finally relax.  I am ready to relax.  I haven't even had time to knit I have been running like a wild woman. 

Tomorrow I get to pick up my family room.  It is a freaking mess.  I have yarn everywhere and fiber.  I need to get the plastic bins and just start putting it all in the bins and then packing it upstairs to my office.  I can't buy any more yarn because I will never use it all. 

Monday, May 16, 2011

Excuse Me, Yes, You!

Today I was going to be good and get the laundry done and then I received the phone call...my sister, Melinda called to ask if I would go shopping with her.  I don't turn down shopping trips...no way.  So, she tells me to bring along the DAR stuff we have to deal with.  Okay, no problem.  Then it hits me...tomorrow night is the award's night at one of the schools that our chapter sponsors.  I have to make the awards and then I will be presenting said awards at the school.  Holy Smoke! 

I am so glad that I had gone clothes shopping with her last week, I was able to update my wardrobe with one new outfit and then some blouses that I can wear with my nice black skirt. 

We hit the store and we were cracking up laughing on the aisles reading birthday cards for our oldest brother, he sent me a redneck card so, I had to find something just as appropriate for his birthday.  I found it.  I hope he enjoys it.  Then today I get a card in the mail from my niece and it made me cry with laughter so, I was okay that it was late.  She had warned me it would be late. 

I came home late and just didn't feel like cooking since it was so hot today.  I was supposed to grill a bone in rib eye but, it didn't happen.  I guess tomorrow before the awards ceremony, I will be grilling it. 

I was wiped out when I finally made it home.  I guess tomorrow, I will be working on those award certificates.  sigh!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

An Interesting Thought

I haven't been knitting much lately and I know what has taken the place of it right now.  My garden.  I spend every day outside looking to see what is new with it.  I have itty bitty tomatoes on my plants and my corn is doing really well.  I need to pick green beans today.  It just brings a smile to my face to go outside and check on it, work the ground and plant what needs planting.  I love my garden. 

I need to transplant my lemon balm into the garden and I have okra that needs to be transplanted.  If all of my okra fruit then we are going to have okra coming out of our ears.  :)  It might be a good thing.  I will be sharing okra if this happens. 

Maribeth asked me to knit her some socks in her color combo she chose.  I will have to paint the yarn and knit her socks out of it.  I just have to find the time.  sigh! 

I am procrastinating on a lot of things right now.  Oh well, such is my life. 

Friday, May 13, 2011

My Hubby Cracks Me Up!

Tonight after dinner, I had to stop by the bank and deposit a check.  So, I took the short cut through the KFC parking lot and I saw it....a girl in a dress, a nice dress and her date.  He took her to KFC for dinner.  I was about to mention how weird it looked to see a girl in a dress like that walking into KFC.  Gary pipes up..."it looks like it's date night!"  I just started laughing because the next comment was a bucket of  chicken and a F____!  Come on dude, don't be so damn cheap to take her out for chicken and a F!  Spend some cash and then expect the other. 

I had to come home today from my day out with my sister and niece to make corsages and boutonairres for the awards dinner.  I also spiffed up the two big pots for the centerpieces.    I decided it needed some flair. I added the stars in the center and in the middle of the bow.  I like it.  It added some shine to it. 

I tried to teach my niece how to knit today...talk about pulling teeth, she doesn't listen.  I had to just get up and go home.  I had a headache and I had misplaced my medicine.  I found my meds at home.  I am telling you, that velcro shirt needs to be made soon the way I keep losing stuff. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Making Center Pieces for my Awards Dinner



I have been painting pots and making my center pieces for the tables at our chapter awards dinner.  I finished them all and the next thing, I have to make the buttonaires for the boys who are winning awards.  I am still waiting to see if the girl will be coming or not since I will have to make her a corsage.  I am saving money by making all this stuff. 

I love the big red pot with the little blue, red, and white flowers.  I am thinking of painting more pots this color and finding some fake geramiums for it.  I recycled some of the flowers from last years centerpieces.  The two big pots were from last year as well.  I found the ribbon at the local craft store and I made the bows today.  I have to see if I can find all of my white table cloths, I use them for craft fairs, too and some of them are really stained up.  One of them has blood on it from my MIL cutting herself badly with a pair of scissors and I have to read up on how to get it out besides bleach.  I have no idea if the tablecloths will melt with bleach use or not.  sigh! 

I am tired and my right foot has started to itch...dang!  I hope it hasn't spread to that foot now, that would suck.  Maybe it is an ant bite and that is bad enough but, the other is worse.  :( 

We are looking at going on vacation this year.   We both said the beach in Texas.  I think we might be headed to North Padre Island.  Yay!  Peace and quiet with the dogs headed to the boarders.  They are going on vacation, too. 

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Feeling Better

For two years now, I have been feeling lousy and the culprit is on my left foot...I have a nasty infection.  It has been with me since my trip to the beach back in August of 2009.  The sad part of this is that this infection goes dormant and will be with me until the day I kick off.  I had been sleeping a lot lately and started feeling really awful and then the foot started to swell and itch..oh no, it was back.  Then the big toe on the right foot started acting up...it scared me, I really didn't want this crap infection to spread over there.  I headed down to the doctor to get the cocktail.  After many antibiotics that didn't work, we had come up with a cocktail of an anti-viral and a antibiotic.  The infection in question is airborne in Texas and since it was acting like a virus, why not treat it like one?  So, I went in and let him know the usual antibiotic wasn't working...we needed to try something new for the thing.  So, he went through my chart and decided to use Clindamycin.  We have never tried it and he said he didn't like to prescribe it since it was one of those antibiotics that gave people diarrhea. 

To combat the diarrhea, I have to eat chocolate.  Oh, it is such a hardship, let me tell you!  :)  Those Godiva gems are going down great, let me tell you, they are keeping me from having to run and with a knee brace on as well since the Ody incident. 

Ody is my corgi, he is now 2 years old but, he is something of a paper pack rat, he drages things around the house and he shreds stuff.  (eye roll here)  Well, unbeknownst to me, he had packed a bag upstairs and some of my clothes had fallen on top of this slick thing.  I hit the clothes and went sliding...felt the knee tear and now I am back in the damn knee brace.  I am not wearing the big one since it needs replacing, it is all beat up and the bands are torn.  So, I am in the small one.  It doesn't work as well for support but, the big one is expensive!  It has to wait. 

Then the pool pump motor died about two weeks ago.  I ordered in a new one but, I seem to be going blind because I ordered in the wrong one.  Damn!  I had to write the company to get a RA and sure enough, I had to reorder my new pump motor.  Let me tell you a tale and you can decide what you would have done. 

I called Leslie's pool company for service.  In the past, I called, they brought the piece of equipment I needed, they installed, I paid them.  So, I called them up, told them what was going on and the girl on the phone tells me that I have to order the motor from them and when it arrives, they will come out and put it in.  So, I hung up and looked at how much a pool motor would cost...$329.  Who are they kidding?  So, I went ahead and started looking on line to see who had cheaper motors...I found the Aqua Super Center and they had the motor for $165.  The wrong one but, still...it was cheaper.  After the realization that it was going to cost me serious bucks to return it...actually, it is still cheaper than Leslie's $329 motor.  With the new motor and seals ordered, it is still cheaper for me to return the motor and get the new motor plus seals, it is no where near that $329.  I am still coming in under $300! 

When Gary heard how much they wanted to charge me for the motor and I know it is going to cost us $100 for them to put it in..he said forget them but, in stronger language.  I asked the girl on the phone why they stopped doing it the original way and she said a lot of people get the pool guy out to their house, have the stuff installed and refused to pay.  I am thinking with this economy in such a bad way, people have lost their morals.  If I need service on my pool, I am going to pay it.  If I don't have the cash for it, then I wouldn't call.  So, for all of those people who didn't pay, the rest of us are having to go elsewhere to get their pool taken care of.  If this hadn't happened, I would have never realized that pool pump motors can be had for under $300. 

I have been writing a shawl pattern and I am putting it on the back burner right now.  I have to get ready for my awards dinner.  I am making the centerpieces for the table and I have to get the flowers done as well for this event.  I am trying to save the chapter as much money as I can.  I am using my talents for this endeavor.