10/9/2015
Benjamin has been staying with Jeff and me for a few days. When he's here, and Auntie Kim is around, she takes him outside to play. Yesterday, they rode a horse. Over the course of 7 years, Auntie Kim provides all the outdoor play and I do the reading, baking cookies and watching movies with Benjamin.
Last night after Benjamin came home, he decided it was time for us to watch a movie. Now Benjamin doesn't exactly just sit and watch a movie. No, he bounces around and if there's music that he likes, he dances - and he's quite good at it.
So in the course of only an hour or so, we "watched" Santa Paws, Annie, and Dinosaurs. We didn't see any of them to the finish. Benjamin gets a little restless and so we bounce from one movie to another. I don't mind. I have seen all of these movies with him countless times. If we were watching Shrek, I could probably even recite some of the dialog!
Benjamin is still asleep, so I was able to drink my coffee while doing what I like to do most - reading a book. So many books, so little time.
I think sometime today, I'll take Benjamin to the movies. There aren't a lot of what I think of as kid-friendly movies showing at any one time. And that is because there's more money to be made in action adventure or drama movies for adults.
While Benjamin is sleeping, I could always dust or something. But then I think why should I bother, the dust just keeps reappearing. And Maggie's dog hair is always blowing around. You should never wear black when visiting us!
P
Friday, October 9, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
I Did It!!!
10/8/2015
Yesterday, I (yes me) drove myself to the doctors' office to get my eyes tested. For most of you, it wouldn't have much of a trip, only 33 miles or so. But, for me it might as well have been 333 miles and all on the interstate.
I left home in plenty of time so that if I got turned around (and I did), I would still be on time for my appointment. My navigator was able to right my wrongs and find a different way to reach the doctor's office.
My appointment was at 11:00, so I knew that rush hour would be over by then and I was right. My biggest problem was keeping my car at or near the speed limit. Cuzilu (name of my car) manages to get up to 70 mph in no time at all. I had to really concentrate to keep my speed down, because frankly it's fun to drive 70 mph!
The doctor I saw was very nice and laughed when I told him that all I really needed was a dog that could read to me! I, of course have one weak eye and the other is stronger. He told me that until I have cataract surgery, sometime in the future, I will never see 20/20 out of my left eye. Bummer.
Driving home in the sunlight with my eyes dilated was a lot of fun. I had trouble making out my speed, because certain letters look a lot alike. That was going to be my excuse if I was pulled over. Pretty sure it would have worked. But made it home all in one piece and frankly was very proud of myself.
Those of you who know me, also know that I have for years avoided the interstate. I much prefer the city roads, even with all the stop lights. So for me to pull up my big girl panties, and charge down the highway into uncharted waters, was huge.
I've already been to the optician and ordered my new lenses. Once we know that the prescription is right, I'll get new lenses for my sunglasses. Jeff has money in his health care spending account, and after one visit to get new lenses, have pretty much used up all the money. Much tidier and less trouble if you can just send in one or two bills as opposed to a whole bunch of little ones!
Benjamin is staying with us for a few days, so I will have to find ways to keep him entertained.
P
Yesterday, I (yes me) drove myself to the doctors' office to get my eyes tested. For most of you, it wouldn't have much of a trip, only 33 miles or so. But, for me it might as well have been 333 miles and all on the interstate.
I left home in plenty of time so that if I got turned around (and I did), I would still be on time for my appointment. My navigator was able to right my wrongs and find a different way to reach the doctor's office.
My appointment was at 11:00, so I knew that rush hour would be over by then and I was right. My biggest problem was keeping my car at or near the speed limit. Cuzilu (name of my car) manages to get up to 70 mph in no time at all. I had to really concentrate to keep my speed down, because frankly it's fun to drive 70 mph!
The doctor I saw was very nice and laughed when I told him that all I really needed was a dog that could read to me! I, of course have one weak eye and the other is stronger. He told me that until I have cataract surgery, sometime in the future, I will never see 20/20 out of my left eye. Bummer.
Driving home in the sunlight with my eyes dilated was a lot of fun. I had trouble making out my speed, because certain letters look a lot alike. That was going to be my excuse if I was pulled over. Pretty sure it would have worked. But made it home all in one piece and frankly was very proud of myself.
Those of you who know me, also know that I have for years avoided the interstate. I much prefer the city roads, even with all the stop lights. So for me to pull up my big girl panties, and charge down the highway into uncharted waters, was huge.
I've already been to the optician and ordered my new lenses. Once we know that the prescription is right, I'll get new lenses for my sunglasses. Jeff has money in his health care spending account, and after one visit to get new lenses, have pretty much used up all the money. Much tidier and less trouble if you can just send in one or two bills as opposed to a whole bunch of little ones!
Benjamin is staying with us for a few days, so I will have to find ways to keep him entertained.
P
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Getting My Eyes Examined!
10/7/2015
This morning, I am driving myself to a nearby city to have my eyes examined, rather than my head! Since my last eye exam, which was last year, I think my eyesight has gotten worse. There are times that I can't always read the text on the television. Jeff is kind enough to read to me.
Perhaps instead of a therapy dog for my mentalness ( I don't think that's really a word), I should probably find a dog that could read to me. Oh, how nice it would be if that was an actual possibility.
I have been going to the same ophthalmologist for many years. He is pretty old now and for my exam today, I'm going to see a new doctor. The thing is that this doctor doesn't live here in town, which forces me to drive on the interstate, like a big girl. So if you live in Maryland, stay off the roads this morning, 'cuz I'll be out!
So after I have my exam, and new prescriptions in hand, it will be time to order glasses. Due to the cost of my lenses, I seldom get new frames, though I would love to. My glasses have prisms and bifocals and I generally don't leave the optician without it costing a pretty penny. Come to think of it, a pretty penny that has a comma in it! I will probably leave this morning with a prescription for my regular glasses. If the prescription has changed a lot from last year, then I will need to upgrade my sunglasses too.
I also have a cataract and perhaps the new doctor will tell me that it's time to do something about it. I no longer drive at night because of the halo effect around lights on cars and signs. It also makes seeing the white lines on the road a bit difficult. Now that winter is just around the corner (more or less), I won't be out driving in the evening. This, is obviously good news for all the Maryland drivers!
Feeling a bit anxious about driving today. I normally just stick to driving close to home. I like being familiar with my surroundings. But I have made some progress. I now drive on the highway to actually get my head examined, which is a big step for me. I don't think it's as much about the drive as the possibility of getting lost that scares me. My car has a big engine, and I know that when I step on the gas there is no hesitation in her performance. The only hesitation will be me.
P
This morning, I am driving myself to a nearby city to have my eyes examined, rather than my head! Since my last eye exam, which was last year, I think my eyesight has gotten worse. There are times that I can't always read the text on the television. Jeff is kind enough to read to me.
Perhaps instead of a therapy dog for my mentalness ( I don't think that's really a word), I should probably find a dog that could read to me. Oh, how nice it would be if that was an actual possibility.
I have been going to the same ophthalmologist for many years. He is pretty old now and for my exam today, I'm going to see a new doctor. The thing is that this doctor doesn't live here in town, which forces me to drive on the interstate, like a big girl. So if you live in Maryland, stay off the roads this morning, 'cuz I'll be out!
So after I have my exam, and new prescriptions in hand, it will be time to order glasses. Due to the cost of my lenses, I seldom get new frames, though I would love to. My glasses have prisms and bifocals and I generally don't leave the optician without it costing a pretty penny. Come to think of it, a pretty penny that has a comma in it! I will probably leave this morning with a prescription for my regular glasses. If the prescription has changed a lot from last year, then I will need to upgrade my sunglasses too.
I also have a cataract and perhaps the new doctor will tell me that it's time to do something about it. I no longer drive at night because of the halo effect around lights on cars and signs. It also makes seeing the white lines on the road a bit difficult. Now that winter is just around the corner (more or less), I won't be out driving in the evening. This, is obviously good news for all the Maryland drivers!
Feeling a bit anxious about driving today. I normally just stick to driving close to home. I like being familiar with my surroundings. But I have made some progress. I now drive on the highway to actually get my head examined, which is a big step for me. I don't think it's as much about the drive as the possibility of getting lost that scares me. My car has a big engine, and I know that when I step on the gas there is no hesitation in her performance. The only hesitation will be me.
P
Monday, October 5, 2015
Lawn Looks Like a War Zone!
10/5/2015
The oak tree in our yard is now 29 years old. She's a big tree filled with a lot of acorns and squirrels. At this time of the year, the yard definitely looks like a war zone and it looks like the squirrels are winning!
Our neighbors' yards do not have acorns strewn around or a large amount of leaves that need to be picked up. Picking up wet leaves is almost impossible. The only good thing about wet leaves is that they don't blow around. Nope, those suckers are holding their ground.
It's windy today, which means that more leaves and branches will come down from the oak tree. The squirrels bite off small branches after they're empty of acorns. At this time of year, you do not under any circumstances, walk in your bare feet on our driveway!
We would like to pick up the leaves, but know it would be better to wait a day to make the leaf-picking-up chore a bit easier. Sometimes I wish I had a big vacuum for the yard and I could just push it around and all the yard debris would go swoosh up the hose. Since my chances of getting such a device, is about as remote as my chance of winning the lottery - slim and none!
Instead of working outside, I will stay inside and make beef stew for dinner. It's cooler outside and stew sounds like the right kind of meal for tonight.
Because you expect me to keep track of things for you, today is:
Have a great day.
P
The oak tree in our yard is now 29 years old. She's a big tree filled with a lot of acorns and squirrels. At this time of the year, the yard definitely looks like a war zone and it looks like the squirrels are winning!
Our neighbors' yards do not have acorns strewn around or a large amount of leaves that need to be picked up. Picking up wet leaves is almost impossible. The only good thing about wet leaves is that they don't blow around. Nope, those suckers are holding their ground.
It's windy today, which means that more leaves and branches will come down from the oak tree. The squirrels bite off small branches after they're empty of acorns. At this time of year, you do not under any circumstances, walk in your bare feet on our driveway!
We would like to pick up the leaves, but know it would be better to wait a day to make the leaf-picking-up chore a bit easier. Sometimes I wish I had a big vacuum for the yard and I could just push it around and all the yard debris would go swoosh up the hose. Since my chances of getting such a device, is about as remote as my chance of winning the lottery - slim and none!
Instead of working outside, I will stay inside and make beef stew for dinner. It's cooler outside and stew sounds like the right kind of meal for tonight.
Because you expect me to keep track of things for you, today is:
- National Blue Shirt Day
- National Child Health Day
- National Apple Betty Day
- National Storytelling Day
- World Teachers' Day
Have a great day.
P
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Last of the Gray Weather?
10/3/2015
Yesterday, it rained all day. During the summer, I was worried that my new baby plants would die from lack of water. Today, I'm worried that those same plants will drown!
When Jeff got home yesterday, we headed up to Frederick to do our shopping. On our regular shopping trips, we buy a lot of food. Do we need all that food? Um, probably not, but we'll always be prepared in case for some force of Mother Nature we can't get to the store!
Getting through Costco was a breeze. Christmas decorations, trees, etc., are already out. I believe October is a tad early to be promoting Christmas. But then again, I'm not in the retail business, so what do I know?
Even at WalMart, where we normally get tangled up in long lines at the cashier, there was virtually nobody in line. A few people were buying bottled water, a concept that I don't quite understand. The water in our house is very good. I did have some plastic water bottles that I bought at one time or another. I have always just refilled them and they're as good as new.
This week though I bought a permanent water bottle. It's a steel water bottle made by Contigo. It's supposed to keep water cold for hours, and people it really does. Before I add water, I put in ice cubes, which really helps the water to stay cold. Unlike the plastic bottles that I reuse, the water quickly turns from cold to cool rather quickly.
I was at Hopkins this week and took along my new water bottle. At the end of the day, the water inside was just as cold as it was when my day started! Love it. I love it so much that I have been tossing out all my old reused plastic water bottles.
P
Yesterday, it rained all day. During the summer, I was worried that my new baby plants would die from lack of water. Today, I'm worried that those same plants will drown!
When Jeff got home yesterday, we headed up to Frederick to do our shopping. On our regular shopping trips, we buy a lot of food. Do we need all that food? Um, probably not, but we'll always be prepared in case for some force of Mother Nature we can't get to the store!
Getting through Costco was a breeze. Christmas decorations, trees, etc., are already out. I believe October is a tad early to be promoting Christmas. But then again, I'm not in the retail business, so what do I know?
Even at WalMart, where we normally get tangled up in long lines at the cashier, there was virtually nobody in line. A few people were buying bottled water, a concept that I don't quite understand. The water in our house is very good. I did have some plastic water bottles that I bought at one time or another. I have always just refilled them and they're as good as new.
This week though I bought a permanent water bottle. It's a steel water bottle made by Contigo. It's supposed to keep water cold for hours, and people it really does. Before I add water, I put in ice cubes, which really helps the water to stay cold. Unlike the plastic bottles that I reuse, the water quickly turns from cold to cool rather quickly.
I was at Hopkins this week and took along my new water bottle. At the end of the day, the water inside was just as cold as it was when my day started! Love it. I love it so much that I have been tossing out all my old reused plastic water bottles.
P
Friday, October 2, 2015
Trying to Win Money $$$!
10/2/2015
The last few days as the Powerball numbers continued to soar, Jeff bought a few tickets. With each ticket, we didn't even manage to get one number right! Basically, we didn't even get our money back for buying the ticket.
We don't have to worry about how we would spend the $310.5 million dollars because there is a winner. The winning ticket was bought at a gas station. The winner hasn't come forward yet, but I know that if Jeff and I had won that amount of money, we would have died from heart attacks on the spot!
Once you win that kind of money, then the question is do you take it all at once and give Uncle Sam his share, or take an annual annuity. After you win you are playing a different kind of betting game. Will you live long enough to spend that kind of money? Or do you want 30 installments over 29 years?
Luckily, I guess, since Jeff and I didn't win, we don't have to fret over how and when to spend all that money. But oh a person can certainly dream and dreams are free. There are places I'd like to visit, such as Italy. Things I would like to do to my body -we're speaking of plastic surgery here folks!
I'd like to have a house at the beach. Buy a jet because it would allow Jeff and I to travel farther and faster, and who wouldn't like that? Our house is fine, but a one story home would be better. And because Jeff and I are pretty frugal when it comes to spending (unless you're talking about my love of all things on Amazon), we'd put a lot of the money away for a rainy day or days!
Before the lottery numbers were available, Jeff and I laughed about how we wouldn't want to be greedy - we could certainly live off of a million or so dollars!
The Powerball will again rise to large numbers, and we'll buy tickets again. As the saying goes: you can't win, if you don't buy a ticket!
P
The last few days as the Powerball numbers continued to soar, Jeff bought a few tickets. With each ticket, we didn't even manage to get one number right! Basically, we didn't even get our money back for buying the ticket.
We don't have to worry about how we would spend the $310.5 million dollars because there is a winner. The winning ticket was bought at a gas station. The winner hasn't come forward yet, but I know that if Jeff and I had won that amount of money, we would have died from heart attacks on the spot!
Once you win that kind of money, then the question is do you take it all at once and give Uncle Sam his share, or take an annual annuity. After you win you are playing a different kind of betting game. Will you live long enough to spend that kind of money? Or do you want 30 installments over 29 years?
Luckily, I guess, since Jeff and I didn't win, we don't have to fret over how and when to spend all that money. But oh a person can certainly dream and dreams are free. There are places I'd like to visit, such as Italy. Things I would like to do to my body -we're speaking of plastic surgery here folks!
I'd like to have a house at the beach. Buy a jet because it would allow Jeff and I to travel farther and faster, and who wouldn't like that? Our house is fine, but a one story home would be better. And because Jeff and I are pretty frugal when it comes to spending (unless you're talking about my love of all things on Amazon), we'd put a lot of the money away for a rainy day or days!
Before the lottery numbers were available, Jeff and I laughed about how we wouldn't want to be greedy - we could certainly live off of a million or so dollars!
The Powerball will again rise to large numbers, and we'll buy tickets again. As the saying goes: you can't win, if you don't buy a ticket!
P
Thursday, October 1, 2015
A Gloomy Gus Kind of Day
10/1/2015
This morning when I got up, it was dark outside even though it was 7:00. The sky is gray and looks like we're going to have rain today and tomorrow. The rain is good for the grass, or what's left of it after a particularly dry summer.
Because it's so gloomy outside, I am typing with my SAD (Seasonal Disorder) light on. It's like having the sun sitting near your face. Supposed to help me from getting depressed when it's dark outside. I don't use the lamp so much in the summer when it's nice and bright. But when the outside gets dark, I definitely need the light.
There's a hurricane out there and it's too early to tell whether we'll be in the path or if it heads out to sea. Even if the hurricane doesn't come inland, we're probably going to get a lot of rain and/or wind. Severe weather of any kind could make our power falter and/or fail. But, of course we have "Jenny" sitting in the backyard. Other than the 15 minutes weekly tests to make sure she's ready to run if the power goes out, we haven't had to really use her at all. I suppose because we do have this big generator in the backyard, we'll probably never lose power again!
Jeff has been buying lottery tickets and so far we haven't even won our $3.00 ticket price back! But as the old saying goes, you can't win if you don't play. We've agreed that if we ever won $30M, we'd probably both die of heart attacks on the spot. We've also agreed that we'd be happy with pretty much anything over the $3.00 ticket price! We're not greedy.
Hope it's sunny where you are.
P
This morning when I got up, it was dark outside even though it was 7:00. The sky is gray and looks like we're going to have rain today and tomorrow. The rain is good for the grass, or what's left of it after a particularly dry summer.
Because it's so gloomy outside, I am typing with my SAD (Seasonal Disorder) light on. It's like having the sun sitting near your face. Supposed to help me from getting depressed when it's dark outside. I don't use the lamp so much in the summer when it's nice and bright. But when the outside gets dark, I definitely need the light.
There's a hurricane out there and it's too early to tell whether we'll be in the path or if it heads out to sea. Even if the hurricane doesn't come inland, we're probably going to get a lot of rain and/or wind. Severe weather of any kind could make our power falter and/or fail. But, of course we have "Jenny" sitting in the backyard. Other than the 15 minutes weekly tests to make sure she's ready to run if the power goes out, we haven't had to really use her at all. I suppose because we do have this big generator in the backyard, we'll probably never lose power again!
Jeff has been buying lottery tickets and so far we haven't even won our $3.00 ticket price back! But as the old saying goes, you can't win if you don't play. We've agreed that if we ever won $30M, we'd probably both die of heart attacks on the spot. We've also agreed that we'd be happy with pretty much anything over the $3.00 ticket price! We're not greedy.
Hope it's sunny where you are.
P
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