Is it just my vacuum or to they all have this penchant for tipping over while reaching with the hose? I love my Hoover because its not a canister. I am so done with those. Not only are they awkward to use but to put away as well especially in a house that does not have any closets in any rooms. I used to store it in the upstairs bathroom but as it was the only closet before its transformation, it would fill up the tiny space. In the middle of the night, it proved to be a quick wake up after stumbling, tripping and stubbing a toe.
So now I have an upright which I absolutely love. It fits in the wardrobe, it isn't as heavy to carry and it actually has suction. But then there is the wrestling sessions to get it to reach where it needs to. The vacuum doesn't paticularily care where it puts up a fight. Its favourite spot would be the stairs for added excitement.
I have discovered other household sports during my housecleaning. There is laundry shot put. The rules are, you must have a bundle at least twice the size you are and hurl them down the stairs. The aim is to get all the laundry on the floor and not on the steps. You have as many tries as you do the bundles. Little bundles don't count because you can throw them farther. I have never hit my target. For those of you who do not have stairs, try your hallway and then little bundles would count.
If I am really in a daring mood, there is always Hot Water Dipping. You fill a sink for cleaning with only hot waterand soap then dip the cloth in to wipe or clean something. The aim is to endure the hot water for as long as possible before adding cold water. You get extra bonus's for how many hot water dips you can do.
Sweep dancing is good if you want to exercise and clean at the same time. The rules are, the brush must have contact for 90% of the song no matter what is playing. Artist came in on one such occasion but I don't think she caught me. I'm positive she wouldn't have let that one go.
My daughter was very good at the Phonecord High Jump. We have a cordless but I got tired of losing it or the battery dying so we picked up a replica of the old phones to sit out. It ties in with the antiques and doesn't look out of place. If I am on it the jack cord is very long so I can move about down stairs. Depending on my location the phone cord at times can be taut and about 6 to 7 inches off the floor. My daughter only tripped once over the cord but ever since then she has managed to reach even higher heights. I'm so proud.
I personally like the Clothesline Crunch. That's where you bend for the laundry basket and reach for the clothesline, then stretch for the clothes pins. Its a seasonal type of aerobics. Doesn't work the same with the dryer, but I'm working on that.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Bedtime Thoughts
Okay, where did summer go? One minute I was happily sipping coffee by the fish pond and then within twenty-four hours I'm locked inside the house with five dogs while its pouring rain outside. And when did the leaves change? This is what happens when you spend two days chained to a chair madly catching up on all your work. Then you spend another two days cleaning the house 'cause you were too busy madly catching up on the paper work. I have to get my typical day schedual going some how.
And for some insane reason I have yet again committed myself for the fall, winter and spring to our theatre group productions and a smaller one that is independantly (within the confines of the group) being produced. This is going to be an interesting year and is definitely going to test the limits of my quest for stress free living.
Oh well, I guess some of the insanity in the family does stop with me.
So, I decided to get my nose pierced as a result of a little challenge set forth by my younger sister. She was always the more adventurous one out of the two of us. I was always home before curfew, she was always late. You know little things like that. I decided it was time to step outside my little comfort zone. You know mark my 40th year with something that I would have never done in my previous life or B40 (Before 40). So what the hey. I want something tiny that just sparkles enough but not something large and obvious. I already have my stud and will choose another hopefully just as tiny to wear for the first month until I can put the one I bought in. And I am actually excited about it.
Life is cool.
And for some insane reason I have yet again committed myself for the fall, winter and spring to our theatre group productions and a smaller one that is independantly (within the confines of the group) being produced. This is going to be an interesting year and is definitely going to test the limits of my quest for stress free living.
Oh well, I guess some of the insanity in the family does stop with me.
So, I decided to get my nose pierced as a result of a little challenge set forth by my younger sister. She was always the more adventurous one out of the two of us. I was always home before curfew, she was always late. You know little things like that. I decided it was time to step outside my little comfort zone. You know mark my 40th year with something that I would have never done in my previous life or B40 (Before 40). So what the hey. I want something tiny that just sparkles enough but not something large and obvious. I already have my stud and will choose another hopefully just as tiny to wear for the first month until I can put the one I bought in. And I am actually excited about it.
Life is cool.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Typical Day
Its another kick back day. I will be joining the fish soon but right now I am sitting inside amazed my house is looking clean. I was about to say that I really didn't do much today but its early noon, the bed is made, shopping done at the farmers market, kitchen floor scrubbed and the house picked up. So I guess I actually did some stuff today. I strive to do one extra thing cleaning each day. Here's what I do, on a typical day, I clean the house for two hours, work on the books for two hours, then get the majority of supper ready and by that time I usually have free time. Somedays I decide to carry on with the task at hand or I go back to do more cleaning.
That is, on what is supposed to be a typical day. A non-typical day means that I start out doing one with the intentions of only doing that task for two hours and something usually interrupts me. A phone call, a drop by for coffee or one of the dogs needs a bath. Something along that line to interrupt my two hours. And per the usual, one thing leads to another and my original task has been abandoned. I have the attention span of gnat somedays.
Today was a non-typical day. But I already knew that starting out. So for once I was ahead of the game. Tomorrow with be another non-typical day as I will be in Border's room helping her to clean out and organize. But something will have been accomplished. Now Friday should be a typical day unless Hubby is home. Then it becomes Non-typical. I'm beginning to come to the conclusion albeit slowly, that my Non-typical days are more typical than my typical days. But then when a typical day happens I do appreciate the fact it happens. Those days are great.
Oh well, I hear the fish calling me. Better put in some pond time.
That is, on what is supposed to be a typical day. A non-typical day means that I start out doing one with the intentions of only doing that task for two hours and something usually interrupts me. A phone call, a drop by for coffee or one of the dogs needs a bath. Something along that line to interrupt my two hours. And per the usual, one thing leads to another and my original task has been abandoned. I have the attention span of gnat somedays.
Today was a non-typical day. But I already knew that starting out. So for once I was ahead of the game. Tomorrow with be another non-typical day as I will be in Border's room helping her to clean out and organize. But something will have been accomplished. Now Friday should be a typical day unless Hubby is home. Then it becomes Non-typical. I'm beginning to come to the conclusion albeit slowly, that my Non-typical days are more typical than my typical days. But then when a typical day happens I do appreciate the fact it happens. Those days are great.
Oh well, I hear the fish calling me. Better put in some pond time.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Kicking Back
Housework is all done, cookies baked, apple crisp baked, and the books are as caught up as they are going to be for now. Even my hands are giving me a relatively pain free day. It’s now September, which means my Manitoba Maples are shedding their leaves. They are the first to come out in the street and the first to fall on the street. That’s okay, they are lush, green and form a canopy during the hottest part of the year.
With the baking and the fresh coffee perking on the stove, it will only be a matter of time before Artist finds her way down to the pond. For the first while that I knew her, she had the uncanny knack of appearing for coffee with twenty-four hours of my baking. Now she will tell you that I was always baking. Now here’s the conundrum, was Artist over so much that she always caught me baking or was I was always mixing a batch of cookies. I figure it will be one of those mysteries of life they never solve.
It’s a good day to kick back and relax. Especially when the phone is inside the house so no one will reach me. With the odd out bursts from the dogs defending their turf from every predator out there. Did you know that a little old man with an equally old poodle could possibly be a threat to their turf? This of course results in my bell like tones, yelling at the dogs to shut up. Mind you if the little old man was scoping out the house for his grandson to rob then at least our house will not be a target. I will admit I tend not to yell when it’s a questionable person walking by.
My Hubby’s rescue, is a furry mix of god know what. He’s really cute but extremely fence aggressive. He will start it more times than not from underneath the shed. Then there’s my so-called Chihuahua. I paid an airline ticket and hotel fees to get this dog. Now I absolutely adore him. But I do admit he has some very angry issues to deal with. He hops sideways when he is at his worst. The first time I saw this I burst laughing which did not help in shutting up the dogs. He is the first one at the fence and looks behind him to see whether or not his back up is coming. If they are, it only urges him on. If not, he lets out a few yips to call them. Then the Calvary arrives from inside the house. The Beagle hangs back to figure out which direction everyone is at so he can come up the rear. The sad bit is, he will go the wrong direction if he has been sleeping. The two little one will lead the charge to the back fence and the Beagle will run to the front. Hubby explained as the Beagle was covering the weak spot.
On a typical day this is the normal routine. But then you throw the cat into the mix and you’ve got entertainment for the entire afternoon. Just depends if the cat has had his treaties or not. Who says I have no life? Not me.
I had one once. I traded it in for a broom and dustpan. Best trade I ever made.
With the baking and the fresh coffee perking on the stove, it will only be a matter of time before Artist finds her way down to the pond. For the first while that I knew her, she had the uncanny knack of appearing for coffee with twenty-four hours of my baking. Now she will tell you that I was always baking. Now here’s the conundrum, was Artist over so much that she always caught me baking or was I was always mixing a batch of cookies. I figure it will be one of those mysteries of life they never solve.
It’s a good day to kick back and relax. Especially when the phone is inside the house so no one will reach me. With the odd out bursts from the dogs defending their turf from every predator out there. Did you know that a little old man with an equally old poodle could possibly be a threat to their turf? This of course results in my bell like tones, yelling at the dogs to shut up. Mind you if the little old man was scoping out the house for his grandson to rob then at least our house will not be a target. I will admit I tend not to yell when it’s a questionable person walking by.
My Hubby’s rescue, is a furry mix of god know what. He’s really cute but extremely fence aggressive. He will start it more times than not from underneath the shed. Then there’s my so-called Chihuahua. I paid an airline ticket and hotel fees to get this dog. Now I absolutely adore him. But I do admit he has some very angry issues to deal with. He hops sideways when he is at his worst. The first time I saw this I burst laughing which did not help in shutting up the dogs. He is the first one at the fence and looks behind him to see whether or not his back up is coming. If they are, it only urges him on. If not, he lets out a few yips to call them. Then the Calvary arrives from inside the house. The Beagle hangs back to figure out which direction everyone is at so he can come up the rear. The sad bit is, he will go the wrong direction if he has been sleeping. The two little one will lead the charge to the back fence and the Beagle will run to the front. Hubby explained as the Beagle was covering the weak spot.
On a typical day this is the normal routine. But then you throw the cat into the mix and you’ve got entertainment for the entire afternoon. Just depends if the cat has had his treaties or not. Who says I have no life? Not me.
I had one once. I traded it in for a broom and dustpan. Best trade I ever made.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Baby
Finally the eczema is letting up and things are getting caught up around here. I spent a few days taking the chance to get caught up on the paper work. Of course the house went to hell in a hand basket. So yesterday I donned the gloves and attacked the house. Today I only have a few things to do and all will be as done as quickly as possible.
Hubby's new hours are really wonky. I got to take the Baby out for shopping. I miss driving that truck. We drove crap vehicles for years. The Dodge Caravan I drove had an engine that would overheat within a half hour of driving it, no heat in the winter and a wiper that did acrobats in the middle of a torrential down pour. My mother bought it at an auction cause she thought it was a good deal. For the guy who sold it maybe. We poured too much money into that thing. Hubby's car which was a really wonderful car, was a 1983 Buick. I have to admit I cried when we brought it to the wreckers.
How not to buy a vehicle. Clapping your hands and bouncing in the passenger seat at every little thing, like heat. Hubby came home one last September and said there was a vehicle that was really low for payments and good on gas then asked if I would like to take a look. So we hop into the crap van and take a look. Its a silver Toyota Echo. Its really cute. But, I get thinking, 5 dogs, camping equipment including tent, food and screenhouse and possibly more that two humans. I expressed my thought to Hubby who said "Lets see what else there is."
We went to the used car lot of a dealership we bought the Buick from and was looking at a large sedan style when I see this Burgundy GMC suburban. Lets skip to the past briefly for those who may someday read this, My first vehicle I bought all on my own, that I never had to share with anyone, was a two toned, 1984 GMC Sierra Classic. I loved that truck. It was my baby. It had the best feeling about it. That truck loved me. This was an affair that started my love for GMC. I missed that truck when I sold it to move where I live now so much I was heartbroken. There was one parked by an apartment building, same year, same colour, same everything. I walked or drove by it hoping that they would put a for sale sign on it.
So I'm looking at this suburban and I said to Hubby what about that, pointing to the vehicle. He walked over and took a look. He said "Yeah maybe." Ah, a sign hope. The more I look at this truck the more I wanted it. It gave me the same feeling that the Buick and my truck did. We drove away and I was having an anxiety attack at the thought of not getting it.
After supper I went to Hubby's dungeon and said "Let's talk truck." And he blew. He tore a strip of hide off me that left me seething inside. He ranted, it wasn't the right time, he just started a new job, we can't afford the payments, and a bunch of other stuff. I sat on the step of the dungeon and when he was done I stood up. My fury is now so great, I am shaking. I knew if I started I might of done bodily harm to this man. This was the sixth time he had pulled it. Like a fool I fell for it. In my angry quiet voice, which is the dangerous one, I said between my teeth, "Fine. I will never go look at another vehicle with you so long as we are married. This is the sixth bloody time that you have done this. I will drive those shit vehicles in to the ground and then walk before I look at another car or truck with you." I went up stairs and cleaned the kitchen.
I didn't speak to him the next day except to tell him I needed the van for groceries. He called me in the mid morning to ask if I was still speaking to him. I said no. Then he asked if I could do him a favour, not for him but a customer. So I brought him the funny looking hose from the shed and dropped if off. Here's how pissy I was. Hubby says can I be there at six on the dot. Already knowing I asked why really clipped and nasty like. He said we had an appointment to see the truck. Instead of being all forgiving and sweet, I folded my arms across my chest and said, "You said no." Hubby looked around and said "I'm tired of driving those shitboxes we own."
So I pick him up on the dot at six. He gets into the van and starts his list this vehicle must have or he will not consider it. Here's the start, "It must have a 308, it must be two wheel, it must have an automatic transmission, it must have the doors that open vertically and not horizontally, it must have a driver's seat without the lumbar support but must be comfortable." Now here is where it gets really stupid. " It must have cruise control, it must have an extra jack for cell phones other than the lighter, air conditioning and it must have a decent sound system." At that point I was concentrating on not smacking him while he drove.
We get to car lot and the salesman meets us at the suburban. He unlocks it and opens the hood apologizing because they just got it in and it hadn't been cleaned yet. I look at the engine while the guy is telling my Hubby its a 308. Bingo one down, twenty eight stupid other ones to go. This engine is clean. Not a speck of oil anywhere. The guys says, "Oh wow. Its tight." Next he explains its a two wheel automatic. Yahoo! Two for one. I walk around the back and sweetly call out. "Oh Honey it has the doors you wanted." that's number four out of the way. We hop into the cab and I see cruise control, air conditioning and very pretty sound system that is not only top of the line, but anti-theft. Hubby looks down and says "Oh look the extra jacks." At that point I had to laugh. I pointed to the cell phone holder and said, "You got a bonus."
We were handed the keys and told to take it for a test drive. I'm wanting this vehicle so bad I can taste it. Its not only met every condition Hubby set but was now exceeding it as we drove. We drove it through a few streets and asked Hubby if I could drive it. "You would drive this!" The tone was surprised. Option A) Beat Hubby with purse. Option B) Beat Hubby with purse. Dismissing those I just looked at him and said, "Excuse me, I drove a truck for years." We are out on the highway and I asked again if I can drive it. Hubby says yes as soon as he pulls over but first he wants to see how it is in reverse. I asked again when we were going forward. "Yeah as soon as I pull over." He pulled over in the car lot.
Now here is where we acted like two kids in a candy store. Hubby discovered tons of storage, I found extra cup holders. It sunk in this vehicle had leather seats and a surround sound that made you feel like you were in a concert hall. The extra bonus was the manual still in the glove box. The icing on the cake was they would take the piece of crap of a van as a trade in for $500 less than I paid for it. How cool is that. Despite a few other odds against us we managed to get Baby. Its my baby.
I'm the one who had the temper tantrum to get it and Hubby knows when we get a second vehicle, he is driving to work and Baby stays with me.
I talk to the truck every time I get into it. It knows I love it. Hubby thinks I'm a little nuts when I talk to the truck but I'm not worried. I heard him greet the truck one morning. The best thing about the truck isn't the fact that its everything I love or everything that Hubby must have, it the fact that we are blessed to be in the situation that enabled us to own it. In watching life, I have realized that we make choices. The choice to stay in our situation or the choice to somehow combat it or make it better. Somewhere along the line Hubby and I have been making the correct choices in our lives. Please don't ask me which ones cause we haven't a clue. I'm beginning to think we just kind of stumbled upon the right away a few times. But when we look around now we feel blessed. We no longer see what could be but rather what is. And what we got isn't a whole lot by comparison. We would never make Home and Garden. (Did I mention the gothic garden with the dead fountain.) The house and yard isn't middle class. More like somewhere in between lower and middle.
But I look at our friends and our lives. We a far richer than most. I was once told that a single true friend is worth more than any huge bank account. I have several, one I have never met but only through emails. I think she's in Rhode Island or somewhere like that. (I'm not good with geography of my own country let alone the USA), another who lives down the street and others who I only see once in a blue moon. They have all enriched our lives. It can't possibly get any better than this.
Can it?
Hubby's new hours are really wonky. I got to take the Baby out for shopping. I miss driving that truck. We drove crap vehicles for years. The Dodge Caravan I drove had an engine that would overheat within a half hour of driving it, no heat in the winter and a wiper that did acrobats in the middle of a torrential down pour. My mother bought it at an auction cause she thought it was a good deal. For the guy who sold it maybe. We poured too much money into that thing. Hubby's car which was a really wonderful car, was a 1983 Buick. I have to admit I cried when we brought it to the wreckers.
How not to buy a vehicle. Clapping your hands and bouncing in the passenger seat at every little thing, like heat. Hubby came home one last September and said there was a vehicle that was really low for payments and good on gas then asked if I would like to take a look. So we hop into the crap van and take a look. Its a silver Toyota Echo. Its really cute. But, I get thinking, 5 dogs, camping equipment including tent, food and screenhouse and possibly more that two humans. I expressed my thought to Hubby who said "Lets see what else there is."
We went to the used car lot of a dealership we bought the Buick from and was looking at a large sedan style when I see this Burgundy GMC suburban. Lets skip to the past briefly for those who may someday read this, My first vehicle I bought all on my own, that I never had to share with anyone, was a two toned, 1984 GMC Sierra Classic. I loved that truck. It was my baby. It had the best feeling about it. That truck loved me. This was an affair that started my love for GMC. I missed that truck when I sold it to move where I live now so much I was heartbroken. There was one parked by an apartment building, same year, same colour, same everything. I walked or drove by it hoping that they would put a for sale sign on it.
So I'm looking at this suburban and I said to Hubby what about that, pointing to the vehicle. He walked over and took a look. He said "Yeah maybe." Ah, a sign hope. The more I look at this truck the more I wanted it. It gave me the same feeling that the Buick and my truck did. We drove away and I was having an anxiety attack at the thought of not getting it.
After supper I went to Hubby's dungeon and said "Let's talk truck." And he blew. He tore a strip of hide off me that left me seething inside. He ranted, it wasn't the right time, he just started a new job, we can't afford the payments, and a bunch of other stuff. I sat on the step of the dungeon and when he was done I stood up. My fury is now so great, I am shaking. I knew if I started I might of done bodily harm to this man. This was the sixth time he had pulled it. Like a fool I fell for it. In my angry quiet voice, which is the dangerous one, I said between my teeth, "Fine. I will never go look at another vehicle with you so long as we are married. This is the sixth bloody time that you have done this. I will drive those shit vehicles in to the ground and then walk before I look at another car or truck with you." I went up stairs and cleaned the kitchen.
I didn't speak to him the next day except to tell him I needed the van for groceries. He called me in the mid morning to ask if I was still speaking to him. I said no. Then he asked if I could do him a favour, not for him but a customer. So I brought him the funny looking hose from the shed and dropped if off. Here's how pissy I was. Hubby says can I be there at six on the dot. Already knowing I asked why really clipped and nasty like. He said we had an appointment to see the truck. Instead of being all forgiving and sweet, I folded my arms across my chest and said, "You said no." Hubby looked around and said "I'm tired of driving those shitboxes we own."
So I pick him up on the dot at six. He gets into the van and starts his list this vehicle must have or he will not consider it. Here's the start, "It must have a 308, it must be two wheel, it must have an automatic transmission, it must have the doors that open vertically and not horizontally, it must have a driver's seat without the lumbar support but must be comfortable." Now here is where it gets really stupid. " It must have cruise control, it must have an extra jack for cell phones other than the lighter, air conditioning and it must have a decent sound system." At that point I was concentrating on not smacking him while he drove.
We get to car lot and the salesman meets us at the suburban. He unlocks it and opens the hood apologizing because they just got it in and it hadn't been cleaned yet. I look at the engine while the guy is telling my Hubby its a 308. Bingo one down, twenty eight stupid other ones to go. This engine is clean. Not a speck of oil anywhere. The guys says, "Oh wow. Its tight." Next he explains its a two wheel automatic. Yahoo! Two for one. I walk around the back and sweetly call out. "Oh Honey it has the doors you wanted." that's number four out of the way. We hop into the cab and I see cruise control, air conditioning and very pretty sound system that is not only top of the line, but anti-theft. Hubby looks down and says "Oh look the extra jacks." At that point I had to laugh. I pointed to the cell phone holder and said, "You got a bonus."
We were handed the keys and told to take it for a test drive. I'm wanting this vehicle so bad I can taste it. Its not only met every condition Hubby set but was now exceeding it as we drove. We drove it through a few streets and asked Hubby if I could drive it. "You would drive this!" The tone was surprised. Option A) Beat Hubby with purse. Option B) Beat Hubby with purse. Dismissing those I just looked at him and said, "Excuse me, I drove a truck for years." We are out on the highway and I asked again if I can drive it. Hubby says yes as soon as he pulls over but first he wants to see how it is in reverse. I asked again when we were going forward. "Yeah as soon as I pull over." He pulled over in the car lot.
Now here is where we acted like two kids in a candy store. Hubby discovered tons of storage, I found extra cup holders. It sunk in this vehicle had leather seats and a surround sound that made you feel like you were in a concert hall. The extra bonus was the manual still in the glove box. The icing on the cake was they would take the piece of crap of a van as a trade in for $500 less than I paid for it. How cool is that. Despite a few other odds against us we managed to get Baby. Its my baby.
I'm the one who had the temper tantrum to get it and Hubby knows when we get a second vehicle, he is driving to work and Baby stays with me.
I talk to the truck every time I get into it. It knows I love it. Hubby thinks I'm a little nuts when I talk to the truck but I'm not worried. I heard him greet the truck one morning. The best thing about the truck isn't the fact that its everything I love or everything that Hubby must have, it the fact that we are blessed to be in the situation that enabled us to own it. In watching life, I have realized that we make choices. The choice to stay in our situation or the choice to somehow combat it or make it better. Somewhere along the line Hubby and I have been making the correct choices in our lives. Please don't ask me which ones cause we haven't a clue. I'm beginning to think we just kind of stumbled upon the right away a few times. But when we look around now we feel blessed. We no longer see what could be but rather what is. And what we got isn't a whole lot by comparison. We would never make Home and Garden. (Did I mention the gothic garden with the dead fountain.) The house and yard isn't middle class. More like somewhere in between lower and middle.
But I look at our friends and our lives. We a far richer than most. I was once told that a single true friend is worth more than any huge bank account. I have several, one I have never met but only through emails. I think she's in Rhode Island or somewhere like that. (I'm not good with geography of my own country let alone the USA), another who lives down the street and others who I only see once in a blue moon. They have all enriched our lives. It can't possibly get any better than this.
Can it?
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