1/13/2017
Not only is it Friday, but it's also "Friday the 13th", which for years has given rise to suspicions that on this particular day, you may have bad luck. I know that's not true, because Jeff and I have had bad luck, such as not having any winning numbers on a lottery ticket! We try and parse out our bad, or not quite so good, luck throughout the year. Why wait around and have the world come crashing down on you, on one specific day?
This morning, I'm going to have my head "shrunk" by my psychiatrist. I only see her monthly now, so that's good progress. Will I need her forever? Odds are I will. Depression and anxiety for some people are not things that just magically go away and never return. It's hard to say when I had my first bout of depression, but I know it was many years ago. Depression can either (a) stick around indefinitely; or (b) just when I think I'm "out of the woods" (so to speak), and feeling good, the darkness descends once again. And, please don't tell me to pull myself up by my boot straps.
Today is a bright sunny day and when Jeff comes home tonight, he'll have a three day weekend. When he has three days off, it gives him much more time for relaxation, which he badly needs. And, on a purely selfish note, I have someone to help me wrangle the girls during the day. (Smiley face here)!!
I made and Jeff finished making gumbo last night. We like spicy food and the gumbo certainly delivered. Jeff does a couple of things really well, and that is: scrambled eggs, soups and stews. I'm not suggesting that he's not good at other things. I started the gumbo but when Jeff go home, he turned the gumbo into something spicy that tasted great. I made a double batch, so today I'll take some out of the pan, and put in a container to freeze for later on.
Even when a dish is good, after so many times eating it, it's no longer as delicious as it once was. Reminds of turkey after Thanksgiving. How many times and ways can you eat leftover turkey before you want to bite into a juicy steak?
No plans for the weekend. I think we're going to have some kind of weather event tomorrow. Today the high is supposed to be in the 40's, turning cold tomorrow and then by Tuesday back in the 50's. Sweater? No sweater? I have no idea how to dress right now. Last night we slept with both bedroom windows open, because we like our bedroom to be cool/cold. Unless there's a blizzard outside that would blow snow into the bedroom, one window is open all year by an inch or so. We try to keep the blinds down low enough so that the girls can't peek outside and find things to bark about - i.e., like a leaf blowing in the wind!
There are times during the day, when I think we've turned a corner with the girls and that they're maturing. And, then I go into the den and find something like pillow stuffing all over the floor. Everything, and I mean that literally, is fair game. Socks, shoes, tissues, paper plates, you name it and they've destroyed it. They are not chewing constantly now so the once weekly package of bones from Amazon has stopped. The girls have so many bones and antlers in the den, that we could likely pass for a boneyard!
Happy Friday and for most of you happy three day weekend.
P
Friday, January 13, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Staying Up Late, Waking Up Early!
1/12/2017
Each night, I dread going to bed. I take my nighttime pills, which ultimately make me sleepy, but still I stay up. I went to bed last night at midnight. The girls woke me up at 7:00. Actually, the girls didn't wake me up as much as the rattling of paper did. They had found an envelope on a low shelf and were gearing up to tear it to pieces. So now I'm up but not raring to go. A nap sounds good now, and will sound even better this afternoon!
I watched the movie "The Reader" which came out in 2008. It is a compelling story about a young boy (teens) who is seduced by an older woman. The movie weaves around the aging of the young boy, who becomes a lawyer. Many years pass but while in law school, his class sits in on a trial of the woman who seduced him. The woman is charged with war crimes and was a Nazi guard at one of the concentration camps. It is a highly compelling story and the ending, which I won't give away, wasn't what I was expecting. Kate Winslet plays the woman, and sat every day of filming for 7 1/2 hrs for make-up and prosthetic prep.
It's warm enough outside today, that I turned the furnace off. It's supposed to be 64 today, 46 tomorrow and 32 on Saturday. I don't know whether to put a sweater on, or take it off. The backyard is still wet from rain and unfortunately, thanks to the girls, is also muddy. The good news about that is I KNOW if they have gone outside. Muddy paw prints give them away each time they come back in the house!
Jeff has a three day weekend coming up and I'm happy for him. He gets an extra day to rest, relax and do what he wants (more or less)! I don't know if he's supposed to work on the 20th but since he's not a Federal employee, it's likely that he is.
I'm planning on recording the inauguration on the Tivo. If I record it, I can fast forward through any bits that are boring.
P
Each night, I dread going to bed. I take my nighttime pills, which ultimately make me sleepy, but still I stay up. I went to bed last night at midnight. The girls woke me up at 7:00. Actually, the girls didn't wake me up as much as the rattling of paper did. They had found an envelope on a low shelf and were gearing up to tear it to pieces. So now I'm up but not raring to go. A nap sounds good now, and will sound even better this afternoon!
I watched the movie "The Reader" which came out in 2008. It is a compelling story about a young boy (teens) who is seduced by an older woman. The movie weaves around the aging of the young boy, who becomes a lawyer. Many years pass but while in law school, his class sits in on a trial of the woman who seduced him. The woman is charged with war crimes and was a Nazi guard at one of the concentration camps. It is a highly compelling story and the ending, which I won't give away, wasn't what I was expecting. Kate Winslet plays the woman, and sat every day of filming for 7 1/2 hrs for make-up and prosthetic prep.
It's warm enough outside today, that I turned the furnace off. It's supposed to be 64 today, 46 tomorrow and 32 on Saturday. I don't know whether to put a sweater on, or take it off. The backyard is still wet from rain and unfortunately, thanks to the girls, is also muddy. The good news about that is I KNOW if they have gone outside. Muddy paw prints give them away each time they come back in the house!
Jeff has a three day weekend coming up and I'm happy for him. He gets an extra day to rest, relax and do what he wants (more or less)! I don't know if he's supposed to work on the 20th but since he's not a Federal employee, it's likely that he is.
I'm planning on recording the inauguration on the Tivo. If I record it, I can fast forward through any bits that are boring.
P
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Going To The MVA!
1/11/2017
Today, I am going to venture out to the MVA. Horrors I know. Going there is like the 7th circle of hell. You stand in line and wait your turn. When it's your turn, the rather snooty lady at the information desk looks over your paperwork and there are only two things that are going to happen there: (a) your paperwork is in order and you get a number for service; or (b) your paperwork is not in order, there is another form(s) for you to complete - and then RETURN to the MVA for the second time.
I bet you're wondering which category I was in. If you guessed "B" you'd be right. I have security interest filing documents for both cars. Madam says that the state would have sent me already the title to my cars. I responded how could they do that since both cars had liens up until recently. No response to my question. She pushed another form that needs completing. I also need either Jeff to go with me or return with a copy of his driver's license. Somehow I'm afraid that a copy of his driver's license will probably turn out to be a show stopper.
It's not like I have anything better to do with my time; but, I don't want to waste time and then be told that I need some more documentation and then I can return. Like I said earlier, the 7th circle of hell.
The good news is that it's really lovely outside. Fairly warm and sunny. So that takes some of the edge off of having to deal with the MVA.
This morning, I am going to the "bone and antler" part of the house (our den) and pick up all the bones, etc., and put them in the laundry basket. Bella will actually go to the basket and pull out something to chew on. Daisy let's Bella do the hard work and she waits for Bella to tire of her bone and then hurries to make it her own.
Last night I finished binge watching the movie on Netflix "Versailles". It's not the sort of movie that Jeff would like. You had to constantly keep track of the players. Who's sleeping with whom, who's talking out of turn, and like the Maury show, who's the father! It was interesting to note that in the movie or episodes that there seemed to be quite a bit of men with men in the bedroom. Somehow when I think of the 1700's, that's just something that doesn't come to my mind. I will tell you that 99% of the time, the characters were up to no good; and, with little or no hesitation throw somebody under the bus (carriage)!
Also, after doing some research, Marie Antoinette apparently never uttered those famous words, "Let Them Eat Cake".
Now that I'm hooked, I've run out of episodes.
P
Today, I am going to venture out to the MVA. Horrors I know. Going there is like the 7th circle of hell. You stand in line and wait your turn. When it's your turn, the rather snooty lady at the information desk looks over your paperwork and there are only two things that are going to happen there: (a) your paperwork is in order and you get a number for service; or (b) your paperwork is not in order, there is another form(s) for you to complete - and then RETURN to the MVA for the second time.
I bet you're wondering which category I was in. If you guessed "B" you'd be right. I have security interest filing documents for both cars. Madam says that the state would have sent me already the title to my cars. I responded how could they do that since both cars had liens up until recently. No response to my question. She pushed another form that needs completing. I also need either Jeff to go with me or return with a copy of his driver's license. Somehow I'm afraid that a copy of his driver's license will probably turn out to be a show stopper.
It's not like I have anything better to do with my time; but, I don't want to waste time and then be told that I need some more documentation and then I can return. Like I said earlier, the 7th circle of hell.
The good news is that it's really lovely outside. Fairly warm and sunny. So that takes some of the edge off of having to deal with the MVA.
This morning, I am going to the "bone and antler" part of the house (our den) and pick up all the bones, etc., and put them in the laundry basket. Bella will actually go to the basket and pull out something to chew on. Daisy let's Bella do the hard work and she waits for Bella to tire of her bone and then hurries to make it her own.
Last night I finished binge watching the movie on Netflix "Versailles". It's not the sort of movie that Jeff would like. You had to constantly keep track of the players. Who's sleeping with whom, who's talking out of turn, and like the Maury show, who's the father! It was interesting to note that in the movie or episodes that there seemed to be quite a bit of men with men in the bedroom. Somehow when I think of the 1700's, that's just something that doesn't come to my mind. I will tell you that 99% of the time, the characters were up to no good; and, with little or no hesitation throw somebody under the bus (carriage)!
Also, after doing some research, Marie Antoinette apparently never uttered those famous words, "Let Them Eat Cake".
Now that I'm hooked, I've run out of episodes.
P
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Snow Today and Other Stuff
1/10/2017
Thanks to the girls, I have been up for several hours. I go to bed late, sometimes as late as midnight. Doing so, I already know before I fall asleep, that by 7:00 I need to get up, or the girls will start destroying things.
Today is a "SAD" light kind of day. It's gray and gloomy looking and still cold. Sixteen degrees at the moment, but the weathermen tell us it will start to warm up later this week.
If it does snow, it will be a dusting only. The good news about rain or snow is that I know with 100% certainty when the girls have been outside. Bella always comes back in wet, Daisy not so much. If you take Bella outside, she will potty every time. Daisy is stubborn and would rather do all of her business either in the basement or the house. I take them out many times during the day and they are rewarded for going potty.
I have nothing on the agenda for today. I'm a bit pressured into reading the book club's selection before we meet next week. The story's good, but I've discovered that I don't really like having to read a certain book. While taking the time to read this book, I have a small stack of other books sitting on the table, not to mention the new books I've put on my Kindle. The problem with books on my Kindle, is that when the book club meets, I cannot easily "flip" through to find a certain passage. And, thanks to my memory issues, don't really retain what I've read.
The girls are still running around like mad dogs. They do this every morning after they've had breakfast. Once they calm down, they are generally ready for a nap - and frankly, so am I!
For Christmas, Jeff bought me two products to use on my face. The problem is the print on these two bottles. I actually need a magnifying glass to read the directions. One of the creams is labeled as an age defying cream and the other is moisturizer. I'll give the products a try, even though I'm more of a soap and water kind of gal.
I'm beginning to ramble, which is a sure sign that I've run out of things to say. Sad but true. There are many things I could write about, and politics is at the top of my list. But, I decided early on that there were certain topics I'd not be writing about. Politics is one of those subjects.
P
Thanks to the girls, I have been up for several hours. I go to bed late, sometimes as late as midnight. Doing so, I already know before I fall asleep, that by 7:00 I need to get up, or the girls will start destroying things.
Today is a "SAD" light kind of day. It's gray and gloomy looking and still cold. Sixteen degrees at the moment, but the weathermen tell us it will start to warm up later this week.
If it does snow, it will be a dusting only. The good news about rain or snow is that I know with 100% certainty when the girls have been outside. Bella always comes back in wet, Daisy not so much. If you take Bella outside, she will potty every time. Daisy is stubborn and would rather do all of her business either in the basement or the house. I take them out many times during the day and they are rewarded for going potty.
I have nothing on the agenda for today. I'm a bit pressured into reading the book club's selection before we meet next week. The story's good, but I've discovered that I don't really like having to read a certain book. While taking the time to read this book, I have a small stack of other books sitting on the table, not to mention the new books I've put on my Kindle. The problem with books on my Kindle, is that when the book club meets, I cannot easily "flip" through to find a certain passage. And, thanks to my memory issues, don't really retain what I've read.
The girls are still running around like mad dogs. They do this every morning after they've had breakfast. Once they calm down, they are generally ready for a nap - and frankly, so am I!
For Christmas, Jeff bought me two products to use on my face. The problem is the print on these two bottles. I actually need a magnifying glass to read the directions. One of the creams is labeled as an age defying cream and the other is moisturizer. I'll give the products a try, even though I'm more of a soap and water kind of gal.
I'm beginning to ramble, which is a sure sign that I've run out of things to say. Sad but true. There are many things I could write about, and politics is at the top of my list. But, I decided early on that there were certain topics I'd not be writing about. Politics is one of those subjects.
P
Monday, January 9, 2017
Golden Globes
1/9/2017
Last night, after Jeff had gone to bed, I watched part of the Golden Globes ceremony. The only movie I had seen was "The Martian" and the only television show I was most familiar with was "Veep".
It's the good part of recording a ceremony such as this on your Tivo - you can fast forward through acceptance speeches, commercials and anything else that is boring to you. I have a general dislike for the acceptance speeches, because the actors (female included) have to go on and on thanking practically everybody for winning. You know the kind "want to give thanks to my grandmother who died in "x" for believing in me" and so forth.
And then we come to the fashion parade. It saddens me for some reason that so many of the actresses feel the need (I guess that's what I'd call it) to call attention to all their bits and pieces. It looked like some dresses must have been glued on and the number of dresses cut down to there and had very little fabric on top were plentiful. If by dressing this way, you're letting the world know you have breasts, then I guess go ahead. But every man and woman already know what you have under your dress. If I wore of such little substance, there would have to be a bit (that's an understatement) more fabric on top. My "girls" couldn't/shouldn't be contained with a piece of fabric the size of a handkerchief.
There were a few actresses that were classically elegant. Annette Being comes to my mind. She wore a dazzling metallic dress that covered everything and was drop dead gorgeous. The amount of jewelry on display was abundant and it seems likely that somewhere in the background were security guards, if you will, watching. It's no secret that jewelry designers WANT their pieces on display, and the fact that they are displayed by beautiful women is an added bonus. For me, if I was wearing, let's say diamond earrings, I think I would spend all night touching them to make sure they were still there! But maybe Hollywood stars don't worry about such nonsense, after all they could always pay for the jewels.
One example of jewelry was displayed by Anne Hathaway, for some ceremony a few years ago. She teamed her shiny red gown with $10 million worth of sparkling charms. She wore a 94-carat diamond necklace, a 10-carat diamond dangling earrings and a diamond ring, all of which came from Tiffany & Co. However, Anne didn’t pay for these. Tiffany & Co., on the other, hand, paid her $750,000 to wear the set to the event. I would wear diamonds too, particularly if somebody PAID me to do so!
It goes without saying that the next People magazine and others in the same genre, will have abundant photos in their next issues.
P
Last night, after Jeff had gone to bed, I watched part of the Golden Globes ceremony. The only movie I had seen was "The Martian" and the only television show I was most familiar with was "Veep".
It's the good part of recording a ceremony such as this on your Tivo - you can fast forward through acceptance speeches, commercials and anything else that is boring to you. I have a general dislike for the acceptance speeches, because the actors (female included) have to go on and on thanking practically everybody for winning. You know the kind "want to give thanks to my grandmother who died in "x" for believing in me" and so forth.
And then we come to the fashion parade. It saddens me for some reason that so many of the actresses feel the need (I guess that's what I'd call it) to call attention to all their bits and pieces. It looked like some dresses must have been glued on and the number of dresses cut down to there and had very little fabric on top were plentiful. If by dressing this way, you're letting the world know you have breasts, then I guess go ahead. But every man and woman already know what you have under your dress. If I wore of such little substance, there would have to be a bit (that's an understatement) more fabric on top. My "girls" couldn't/shouldn't be contained with a piece of fabric the size of a handkerchief.
There were a few actresses that were classically elegant. Annette Being comes to my mind. She wore a dazzling metallic dress that covered everything and was drop dead gorgeous. The amount of jewelry on display was abundant and it seems likely that somewhere in the background were security guards, if you will, watching. It's no secret that jewelry designers WANT their pieces on display, and the fact that they are displayed by beautiful women is an added bonus. For me, if I was wearing, let's say diamond earrings, I think I would spend all night touching them to make sure they were still there! But maybe Hollywood stars don't worry about such nonsense, after all they could always pay for the jewels.
One example of jewelry was displayed by Anne Hathaway, for some ceremony a few years ago. She teamed her shiny red gown with $10 million worth of sparkling charms. She wore a 94-carat diamond necklace, a 10-carat diamond dangling earrings and a diamond ring, all of which came from Tiffany & Co. However, Anne didn’t pay for these. Tiffany & Co., on the other, hand, paid her $750,000 to wear the set to the event. I would wear diamonds too, particularly if somebody PAID me to do so!
It goes without saying that the next People magazine and others in the same genre, will have abundant photos in their next issues.
P
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Sunny Sunday
1/8/2017
This morning the sunshine is startling bright. A huge difference from yesterday. But, even with the sun shining, it's cold - 16 degrees. Jeff and I always disagree about what temperature is defined as cold. However, as he sits near the fire with a blanket, I'm pretty sure he agrees that it's cold outside.
Daisy's collar has not yet been found. If we don't find it, I can only imagine what a hassle it will be to get duplicates of all of her varying tags. Dogs today have so many things hanging off their collar, they might as well be considered a "charm" collar! Think about losing your wallet, and having to get new credit cards and driver's license.
I've got one week left to finish reading the book club's selected book "The Storyteller". The book's okay, but somehow it feels (and actually it is) required reading. I have many books on my Kindle as well as a number of print books (with larger print) that I would like to read first. And, then on the night the book club meets, I'm pretty much at a complete loss to talk about the book. My memory doesn't serve me well and I don't retain things like I used to. To be sure, I can tell you about the clothes I wore as a teenager and "important" stuff like that, but don't ask me to tell you what I did last week. Since it's been three years since 2013 (the year from hell), I think my memory is as good as it's going to get. And yes, if you're wondering, I do write things down - and then promptly forget where my note is!
One of the writers in the Washington Post, challenged her readers to spend the next 21 days cleaning up our financial house, but our real house as well. I have two of those "junk" drawers in the kitchen. The problem with drawers like that is, stuff goes in but never comes out. This makes me wonder if 99% of what's in the drawers either (a) doesn't need to be saved; or (b) could be moved to another place in the house. The problem with solution B is, that if you move things from one place to another, you pretty much haven't gotten rid of anything!
I started to watch the movie about Debbie and Carrie Reynolds, but after only a few minutes knew that I didn't want to continue. The movie hype sounded good on paper, but at least for me, wasn't interesting enough for me to stay the course.
After I get dressed, then I'll turn my attention to next week's television recordings. Sunday nights are particularly tricky because a game moves everything starting with 60 minutes back. It's been years since we bought our first Tivo, and I don't know how we ever got along without it!
Happy Sunday.
P
This morning the sunshine is startling bright. A huge difference from yesterday. But, even with the sun shining, it's cold - 16 degrees. Jeff and I always disagree about what temperature is defined as cold. However, as he sits near the fire with a blanket, I'm pretty sure he agrees that it's cold outside.
Daisy's collar has not yet been found. If we don't find it, I can only imagine what a hassle it will be to get duplicates of all of her varying tags. Dogs today have so many things hanging off their collar, they might as well be considered a "charm" collar! Think about losing your wallet, and having to get new credit cards and driver's license.
I've got one week left to finish reading the book club's selected book "The Storyteller". The book's okay, but somehow it feels (and actually it is) required reading. I have many books on my Kindle as well as a number of print books (with larger print) that I would like to read first. And, then on the night the book club meets, I'm pretty much at a complete loss to talk about the book. My memory doesn't serve me well and I don't retain things like I used to. To be sure, I can tell you about the clothes I wore as a teenager and "important" stuff like that, but don't ask me to tell you what I did last week. Since it's been three years since 2013 (the year from hell), I think my memory is as good as it's going to get. And yes, if you're wondering, I do write things down - and then promptly forget where my note is!
One of the writers in the Washington Post, challenged her readers to spend the next 21 days cleaning up our financial house, but our real house as well. I have two of those "junk" drawers in the kitchen. The problem with drawers like that is, stuff goes in but never comes out. This makes me wonder if 99% of what's in the drawers either (a) doesn't need to be saved; or (b) could be moved to another place in the house. The problem with solution B is, that if you move things from one place to another, you pretty much haven't gotten rid of anything!
I started to watch the movie about Debbie and Carrie Reynolds, but after only a few minutes knew that I didn't want to continue. The movie hype sounded good on paper, but at least for me, wasn't interesting enough for me to stay the course.
After I get dressed, then I'll turn my attention to next week's television recordings. Sunday nights are particularly tricky because a game moves everything starting with 60 minutes back. It's been years since we bought our first Tivo, and I don't know how we ever got along without it!
Happy Sunday.
P
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