Saturday, April 22, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
RAIN, rain, rain.....and Frogmore Stew
Yeah......at about 2am this morning the thunder rolled and lightning flashed.......and the rain began!! And.....it lasted until this afternoon.....making a great deal of mud, large puddles of water, and soaking everything that wasn't covered. BUT........ahhhhh, all was not lost, as the awnings were unrolled and the Creekers from around the country gathered under the dripping awnings to have coffee, converse, and enjoy each other's company and laughter!! And so......the morning passed quickly.
Two Creeker friends from Kansas, Chuck and Sue, wanted to go into Memphis for some more BBQ, so off we went to have lunch at THE RENDEZVOUS!!!! Oh yeah.....those dry ribs are great......in MY opinion. I could probably eat some of them several times each week and not grow tired of the great flavors. Would to go have BBQ once more time before leaving on Monday.......perhaps????
This afternoon the rain was not as bad. But.....I did some trip research on the internet so I stayed dry with no problem......hahaha!!! THEN.......about 4:30 we began to head to the Clubhouse for our evening dinner: South Carolina Frogmore Stew!!!!!! The head chef was AG Caldwell of S. Carolina......and he had help from some of the other guys who were just hanging around. Ingredients: Polish sausage, small ears of corn, onions, potatoes, wonderful spices from the South, and at the last minute, tons of shrimp!!!! WOW.......what a feast!!!! Everyone had brought their favorite appetizer to share.....along with their favorite beverages......and before long it was like being with family. Of course, we are the Creeker Family of Cedar Creek Owners!!!
The dinner was great, was fun, and full of camaraderie(sp?). It seems that we all have known each other for years.......but it really hasn't been that long. LOTS OF LAUGHS!!!!!
Good friends of mine from STL arrived this afternoon.....Jim and Sherry. AHHHHH, but they, too, love their dark red medicine....and so we shared our prescriptions during dinner. Sometimes think that Jim and I could hit the road with a comedy routine........we just seem to work well together with our humorous thoughts!!!
This evening went by quickly.....and I am way behind on getting this posted. For those of you Creekers who are not with us..........WOW, you are missing an incredible weekend. Even better than last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MUCH, MUCH better!!!!!
Soooooo, as I hope to get some pictures posted, and it takes a long time with this slow internet hookup........
LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! And....I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Two Creeker friends from Kansas, Chuck and Sue, wanted to go into Memphis for some more BBQ, so off we went to have lunch at THE RENDEZVOUS!!!! Oh yeah.....those dry ribs are great......in MY opinion. I could probably eat some of them several times each week and not grow tired of the great flavors. Would to go have BBQ once more time before leaving on Monday.......perhaps????
This afternoon the rain was not as bad. But.....I did some trip research on the internet so I stayed dry with no problem......hahaha!!! THEN.......about 4:30 we began to head to the Clubhouse for our evening dinner: South Carolina Frogmore Stew!!!!!! The head chef was AG Caldwell of S. Carolina......and he had help from some of the other guys who were just hanging around. Ingredients: Polish sausage, small ears of corn, onions, potatoes, wonderful spices from the South, and at the last minute, tons of shrimp!!!! WOW.......what a feast!!!! Everyone had brought their favorite appetizer to share.....along with their favorite beverages......and before long it was like being with family. Of course, we are the Creeker Family of Cedar Creek Owners!!!
The dinner was great, was fun, and full of camaraderie(sp?). It seems that we all have known each other for years.......but it really hasn't been that long. LOTS OF LAUGHS!!!!!
Good friends of mine from STL arrived this afternoon.....Jim and Sherry. AHHHHH, but they, too, love their dark red medicine....and so we shared our prescriptions during dinner. Sometimes think that Jim and I could hit the road with a comedy routine........we just seem to work well together with our humorous thoughts!!!
This evening went by quickly.....and I am way behind on getting this posted. For those of you Creekers who are not with us..........WOW, you are missing an incredible weekend. Even better than last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MUCH, MUCH better!!!!!
Soooooo, as I hope to get some pictures posted, and it takes a long time with this slow internet hookup........
LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! And....I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Near MEMPHIS!!! (Addendum below)
TheHowserHouse was rolling at 8:30 this morning......right out of town and down to Memphis(area). I had planned to leave a bit earlier, but didn't want to get in the way of the traffic going to Cape Girardeau so I waited awhile to let the commuters get started before me.
WHAT an EASY trip: 3.5 hours from city limits to the National Rally at the ABC campground in Marion, Arkansas.....just northwest of Memphis. Ran throught a bit of rain south of Cape........of course all my washing the rv/truck was not quite for nothing, as the winter sludge is gone and now replaced with a bit of highway splashings....but that doesn't seem to be too bad. Rather warm and muggy here....at first, but now a great breeze has begun and it is very refreshing.
SOOO good to see old friends from last year and those that I have met in cyberspace on the Cedar Creek RV Owners Club website. Lots of laughs, lots of waving as I drove into the cg, and the friednships become closer and strengthen with each conversation. Lunch was provided by one of the members.......and another is doing some of the dinner tonight.
More members with their rigs are arriving hourly: Delaware, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, California, Missouri, and who knows which other states are here. It should be a great time with everyone who enjoys this type of lifestyle!!!!!!!! WOW......those who aren't here SHOULD BE!!!
More later.....time to see some more "Creekers" as another rig arrived!!
Oh yeah: LIFE IS GREAT......AND I HOPE IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU, ALSO!!! (stay tuned for updates and pictures)
An afternoon of visiting and helping those who arrived get parked and set up for the weekend. After talking with the Watters of Morris, IL......we decided to skip the BBQ hamburgers and drive into Memphis....just a few miles....and have BBQ ribs at the Rendezvous!!! Oh my God......how GREAT are there ribs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We drove right into a parking garage downtown, and then a short walk up the alley and we had arrived at the "Mecca of Memphis BBQ".....the Rendezvous. Again.....we walked right in, got a table, some drinks, and then those RIBS!!! It is a dry rub BBQ.....and it would be very hard to beat this flavor. The aroma in the basement restaurant/cafe is an instant grabber......hunger immediately sets in......and before very long, your/my face is plastered with the wonderful rub of the ribs!!!! GIVE ME MORE!!!!!!!!!!! (tomorrow perhaps???)
Back to the Rally campground, ABC of Marion, Arkansas.....and the National Cedar Creek RV Owners Club Rally. Joining many of the others who were sitting around "Cook" AG's rv, we "sat a spell" and visited and discussed many non-controversial issues(house building, house remodeling, materials used, etc., etc.). Soon.....everyone began to pick up their chairs and wander back to their own home on wheels.....and some of us, myself included, "battened down the hatches" as storms are forecast for tonight. I rolled up TheHowserHouse awning as I do NOT want to get up in the middle of the night and fight the winds in my underwear as I put up the awning!!!
Some of the pics are of the Rally and there will be more in the next few days. Anyone not here.....well, you are missing an incredible time!!!!!
Soooo, until tomorrow......
Life is STILL GREAT.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
WHAT an EASY trip: 3.5 hours from city limits to the National Rally at the ABC campground in Marion, Arkansas.....just northwest of Memphis. Ran throught a bit of rain south of Cape........of course all my washing the rv/truck was not quite for nothing, as the winter sludge is gone and now replaced with a bit of highway splashings....but that doesn't seem to be too bad. Rather warm and muggy here....at first, but now a great breeze has begun and it is very refreshing.
SOOO good to see old friends from last year and those that I have met in cyberspace on the Cedar Creek RV Owners Club website. Lots of laughs, lots of waving as I drove into the cg, and the friednships become closer and strengthen with each conversation. Lunch was provided by one of the members.......and another is doing some of the dinner tonight.
More members with their rigs are arriving hourly: Delaware, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, California, Missouri, and who knows which other states are here. It should be a great time with everyone who enjoys this type of lifestyle!!!!!!!! WOW......those who aren't here SHOULD BE!!!
More later.....time to see some more "Creekers" as another rig arrived!!
Oh yeah: LIFE IS GREAT......AND I HOPE IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU, ALSO!!! (stay tuned for updates and pictures)
An afternoon of visiting and helping those who arrived get parked and set up for the weekend. After talking with the Watters of Morris, IL......we decided to skip the BBQ hamburgers and drive into Memphis....just a few miles....and have BBQ ribs at the Rendezvous!!! Oh my God......how GREAT are there ribs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We drove right into a parking garage downtown, and then a short walk up the alley and we had arrived at the "Mecca of Memphis BBQ".....the Rendezvous. Again.....we walked right in, got a table, some drinks, and then those RIBS!!! It is a dry rub BBQ.....and it would be very hard to beat this flavor. The aroma in the basement restaurant/cafe is an instant grabber......hunger immediately sets in......and before very long, your/my face is plastered with the wonderful rub of the ribs!!!! GIVE ME MORE!!!!!!!!!!! (tomorrow perhaps???)
Back to the Rally campground, ABC of Marion, Arkansas.....and the National Cedar Creek RV Owners Club Rally. Joining many of the others who were sitting around "Cook" AG's rv, we "sat a spell" and visited and discussed many non-controversial issues(house building, house remodeling, materials used, etc., etc.). Soon.....everyone began to pick up their chairs and wander back to their own home on wheels.....and some of us, myself included, "battened down the hatches" as storms are forecast for tonight. I rolled up TheHowserHouse awning as I do NOT want to get up in the middle of the night and fight the winds in my underwear as I put up the awning!!!
Some of the pics are of the Rally and there will be more in the next few days. Anyone not here.....well, you are missing an incredible time!!!!!
Soooo, until tomorrow......
Life is STILL GREAT.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Never fear.....Howser's still here!!!
Oh yeah.......don't get upset....for some reason last night I was just tooooo damned tired to use my fingers to report on the day at TheHowserHouse. The reason???? I spent literally ALL day yesterday washing the RV and then cleaning the inside, then washing ALL the windows inside and out, and more and more and more!!!!! By the time the sun set, I was almost too tired to come inside the house!!!! Up and down, up and down the ladder I climbed, at times stretching as far as I could reach......at other times I climbed up on top of the RV....which is 13 feet at the hightest point......climbed up there so I could reach the top edges of the RV to get rid of the winter grudge that had accumulated there.
The inside was not overly dirty, but quite a bit of dust and a few little cobwebs in the corners, so I brought out the electric dirt sucker.....and then I scrubbed the floors which aren't carpeted. All in all.....a labor of Love!!!! Can't wait to get going down the highway!!!!!
Guess it is the "freedom" of the road that calls me........plus the incredible people that you get to meet along the way......and in the campgrounds. Yes.......some of the most wonderful people on this planet can be found traveling down the highways with RV's!!!! Soooo many people think that the rv people are retired senior citizens......but how WRONG those ideas are!!! LOTS and LOTS of families........it is such an inexpensive way of seeing our country......seeing Mexico.....and also Canada!!
Sooooo, after crawling in bed and feeling the aches all night, we got up this morning rather early. Headed up to STL to check out a few things....such as kitchen cabinets, birthday gifts for two of the granddaughters whose BIG days are next week, and then begin to make a decision on a new gas range for the kitchen(??). Not sure about this, but giving it some thought. You know........one things ALWAYS leads to another when remodeling the house. I told our contractor that I was going to construct a fence at the end of the living room........that he could NOT go any farther with remodeling......hahaha!!!
Returned this evening and immediately began washing the truck for the trip to Memphis on Thursday. WOW.....was it ever dirty!!!!!! Much more so than I had realized.......or perhaps I just hadn't given it my attention!!!????
Caught the TIVO recording of American Idol after I finished the truck. WOW......WOW.....WOW......what wonderful performances tonight. Kelli P. was my least favorite.......think it is time for her to go!!! If you didn't see tonight's show, you really missed some near perfect performances!!!!!!
Under a tornado watch here this evening.......so, I am staying up a bit later than usual......sure as hell can't hear the siren up here on Buford Heights and I don't want to be blown away.....laying in my bed!! This new sofa is GREAT for lounging and typing and keeping an eye ( or two ) on the "floating plasma tv". A very, very comfortable room!!!!
Sooooo, enough verbage for this evening.......guess I'm making up for not posting last night.??? Soooo,.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
The inside was not overly dirty, but quite a bit of dust and a few little cobwebs in the corners, so I brought out the electric dirt sucker.....and then I scrubbed the floors which aren't carpeted. All in all.....a labor of Love!!!! Can't wait to get going down the highway!!!!!
Guess it is the "freedom" of the road that calls me........plus the incredible people that you get to meet along the way......and in the campgrounds. Yes.......some of the most wonderful people on this planet can be found traveling down the highways with RV's!!!! Soooo many people think that the rv people are retired senior citizens......but how WRONG those ideas are!!! LOTS and LOTS of families........it is such an inexpensive way of seeing our country......seeing Mexico.....and also Canada!!
Sooooo, after crawling in bed and feeling the aches all night, we got up this morning rather early. Headed up to STL to check out a few things....such as kitchen cabinets, birthday gifts for two of the granddaughters whose BIG days are next week, and then begin to make a decision on a new gas range for the kitchen(??). Not sure about this, but giving it some thought. You know........one things ALWAYS leads to another when remodeling the house. I told our contractor that I was going to construct a fence at the end of the living room........that he could NOT go any farther with remodeling......hahaha!!!
Returned this evening and immediately began washing the truck for the trip to Memphis on Thursday. WOW.....was it ever dirty!!!!!! Much more so than I had realized.......or perhaps I just hadn't given it my attention!!!????
Caught the TIVO recording of American Idol after I finished the truck. WOW......WOW.....WOW......what wonderful performances tonight. Kelli P. was my least favorite.......think it is time for her to go!!! If you didn't see tonight's show, you really missed some near perfect performances!!!!!!
Under a tornado watch here this evening.......so, I am staying up a bit later than usual......sure as hell can't hear the siren up here on Buford Heights and I don't want to be blown away.....laying in my bed!! This new sofa is GREAT for lounging and typing and keeping an eye ( or two ) on the "floating plasma tv". A very, very comfortable room!!!!
Sooooo, enough verbage for this evening.......guess I'm making up for not posting last night.??? Soooo,.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
TWO very, very busy days.......and more to come!!
Yesterday....There was much to do around the house.....and with Jeremy here, we didn't get much done except to sip some steaming coffee on the patio and discuss the past two months. He has made campaign trips to Washington D.C., Miam, FL, Chicago, IL, and is leaving next week for a trip to NYC. Of course, we talked about things he had done in each city with the campaign.....and needless to say, restaurants they had dined in.
He left around noon to go into STL to visit friends and hit a few of the hot spots last night. Sooo, the 1st Lady and I left a bit later and went into STL to get serious about selecting a new bedroom suite, along with several other things that we needed to pick up for the house. Well......it took much longer than expected and before we knew it, it was 9:30pm and the store we were in was making preps to close. So, we headed home and was in the house in only 70 minutes from the southern part of STL. Getting so that I think I could drive this with my eyes closed.......and last night.....hahaha, they were almost closed by the time I arrived home.
This morning.......well, it was coffee on the patio accompanied by the Sunday St. Louis Post-Dispatch.......so we caught up on the news of the day and the events planned for future dates in the city. Then it was time to get to work........finished raking up leaves that I had left around plants and shrubs, burned some of the massive amount of limbs and twigs and other pieces of trees that had fallen during the recent storms.
Then after a delicious late afternoon dinner on the patio accompanied by some wonderful red vino, I headed to TheHowserHouse (on wheels) for the de-hibernation process.........the cleaning part. I got my brushes, cleaning liquids, sponges, etc. and climbed up the ladder with the hose on my belt and began the job of scrubbing the "rubber" roof .......on my hands and knees. It is almost 400 sq. feet......and so my knees are screaming at me as I sit here and write these thoughts.
After the roof was done, I began to wash down the sides by hand........and got about 1/4 of the way around the entire RV. Then I couldn't move another muscle.......so I called it a day. Now....my 63 sagging hulk is REALLY sagging and.....my entire body is pissed at me/my mind for doing all of this to it!!!! I am certain that I will really need some help.....less gravity.....to get out of bed in the morning......hahaha!!!!
Getting anxious to head south 225 miles to Memphis......wish I was leaving before Thursday, however, the 1st Lady is not very excited AT ALL about me going and her staying here in Missouri. She has a couple of competitions with her science teams and with her Academic Teams this weekend.......so it is impossible for her to make the Rally!! Hope the weather is good.....however, long range forecasts for Memphis for later this week is for thunderstorms.....UGH!!!! When the 1st Lady and I were down there for Veteran's Day weekend, it stormed one night while we were in TheHowserHouse and the winds kept the RV shuddering and shaking for awhile.
Soooo, another day comes tomorrow.....more RV washing ( it is BIG at 37 feet long and 8 feet wide with the slides CLOSED).....and the 1st Lady is talking about running up to STL to check on some window treatments. The panel drapes I bought at Pier I are tooooo short ......we have tall window in the bedroom, so they have to be returned ......DAMN IT!!! We both really, really like them....the fabric, the texture and the color. Anyway....just another glitch in the remodeling process!!
Life is GREAT......(even with the minor glitches).....and I hope it is for all of you, also!
He left around noon to go into STL to visit friends and hit a few of the hot spots last night. Sooo, the 1st Lady and I left a bit later and went into STL to get serious about selecting a new bedroom suite, along with several other things that we needed to pick up for the house. Well......it took much longer than expected and before we knew it, it was 9:30pm and the store we were in was making preps to close. So, we headed home and was in the house in only 70 minutes from the southern part of STL. Getting so that I think I could drive this with my eyes closed.......and last night.....hahaha, they were almost closed by the time I arrived home.
This morning.......well, it was coffee on the patio accompanied by the Sunday St. Louis Post-Dispatch.......so we caught up on the news of the day and the events planned for future dates in the city. Then it was time to get to work........finished raking up leaves that I had left around plants and shrubs, burned some of the massive amount of limbs and twigs and other pieces of trees that had fallen during the recent storms.
Then after a delicious late afternoon dinner on the patio accompanied by some wonderful red vino, I headed to TheHowserHouse (on wheels) for the de-hibernation process.........the cleaning part. I got my brushes, cleaning liquids, sponges, etc. and climbed up the ladder with the hose on my belt and began the job of scrubbing the "rubber" roof .......on my hands and knees. It is almost 400 sq. feet......and so my knees are screaming at me as I sit here and write these thoughts.
After the roof was done, I began to wash down the sides by hand........and got about 1/4 of the way around the entire RV. Then I couldn't move another muscle.......so I called it a day. Now....my 63 sagging hulk is REALLY sagging and.....my entire body is pissed at me/my mind for doing all of this to it!!!! I am certain that I will really need some help.....less gravity.....to get out of bed in the morning......hahaha!!!!
Getting anxious to head south 225 miles to Memphis......wish I was leaving before Thursday, however, the 1st Lady is not very excited AT ALL about me going and her staying here in Missouri. She has a couple of competitions with her science teams and with her Academic Teams this weekend.......so it is impossible for her to make the Rally!! Hope the weather is good.....however, long range forecasts for Memphis for later this week is for thunderstorms.....UGH!!!! When the 1st Lady and I were down there for Veteran's Day weekend, it stormed one night while we were in TheHowserHouse and the winds kept the RV shuddering and shaking for awhile.
Soooo, another day comes tomorrow.....more RV washing ( it is BIG at 37 feet long and 8 feet wide with the slides CLOSED).....and the 1st Lady is talking about running up to STL to check on some window treatments. The panel drapes I bought at Pier I are tooooo short ......we have tall window in the bedroom, so they have to be returned ......DAMN IT!!! We both really, really like them....the fabric, the texture and the color. Anyway....just another glitch in the remodeling process!!
Life is GREAT......(even with the minor glitches).....and I hope it is for all of you, also!
Friday, April 14, 2006
A brighter room.....
Off to the city I went this morning. Called the U-Haul place in Farmington and they had a large enough trailer to do the transporting of our new sofa......sooo, I picked it up and headed up to STL.....about 60 miles north. The highway traffic was really thick and heavy.....but OMG, when I reached the South County shopping area, the backed up traffic became horrendous!!! I would have thought it was the day before Christmas had it not been almost 90 degrees......it took forever to get to the pickup location where our new sofa was waiting. And......trying to turn with a 12' U-Haul behind me was a bit tricky. But did get there, and thank goodness I had rented a trailer this large because the three peices of the sofa took up the entire.....yep, the ENTIRE....trialer.
On the way north I had called former student, Andrew Gipson and his fiance, Laura.....and after I got the sofa loaded....I parked in a vacant store's parking lot, and they picked me up. A quick trip to Penny's looking for a window curtain rod proved fruitless......nothing that would work for us. Another quick(??) trip to Pier I for the same item.......nothing. Soooo, we went for a quick lunch and a visit....before I had to start back.
Soooo, winding thru the ungodly bumper to bumper traffic to the entrance to the Interstate...it took much longer than it should and usually does. But finally got onto the 6 lanes headed south and out of town. My son, Jeremy, had said he was coming over for the weekend from Evansville so I wanted to be there when he got to our house. Also......had to make sure our contractor was still there to help me unload this heavy sectional sofa.
Arrived about 3:30 and got it unloaded and BARELY through our front entrance!!!! LOOKS GREAT!!!! The red color certainly adds a new dimension to the family room!!! Will get some pics tomorrow and post them.
Then, Jeremy arrived.....and after he cleaned up, we went back up to Farmington to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. They serve really good south-of-the-border cuisine....and good drinks!!! Had a great visit and dinner.....and then returned home. He went off to some of his friends' home for a small party of his old gang.
He has just been down to Miami Beach with his candidate........who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. Jeremy is his campaign manager.....and has been doing a lot of traveling, as usual(wonder where he gets that gene???). He is off to NYC in a couple of weeks for some meetings.
Soooo, the 1st Lady and I are sitting here on the new red sofa, in our newly remodeled gray room, watching some movies on our new plasma tv. This room is done except for a few more items for the decor in here. Sure tired of living in the mess in the rest of the house, though!!!!!
Sooooo, after a good day, my memory comes back to remind me that my neice had to get out of her house last night, with her daughter and pets, as it was on fire. Most of the house was destroyed either by fire or by smoke and water. Must have been terrible.....and will continue to be terrible for them for a long time to come. They are just very lucky they got out ok.......as two of the firefighters were overcome by the fire and smoke and had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital during their efforts to save the house. Sure feel bad for my family members........!!!!!
But.....they were not hurt in any way.......so,.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!
On the way north I had called former student, Andrew Gipson and his fiance, Laura.....and after I got the sofa loaded....I parked in a vacant store's parking lot, and they picked me up. A quick trip to Penny's looking for a window curtain rod proved fruitless......nothing that would work for us. Another quick(??) trip to Pier I for the same item.......nothing. Soooo, we went for a quick lunch and a visit....before I had to start back.
Soooo, winding thru the ungodly bumper to bumper traffic to the entrance to the Interstate...it took much longer than it should and usually does. But finally got onto the 6 lanes headed south and out of town. My son, Jeremy, had said he was coming over for the weekend from Evansville so I wanted to be there when he got to our house. Also......had to make sure our contractor was still there to help me unload this heavy sectional sofa.
Arrived about 3:30 and got it unloaded and BARELY through our front entrance!!!! LOOKS GREAT!!!! The red color certainly adds a new dimension to the family room!!! Will get some pics tomorrow and post them.
Then, Jeremy arrived.....and after he cleaned up, we went back up to Farmington to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. They serve really good south-of-the-border cuisine....and good drinks!!! Had a great visit and dinner.....and then returned home. He went off to some of his friends' home for a small party of his old gang.
He has just been down to Miami Beach with his candidate........who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. Jeremy is his campaign manager.....and has been doing a lot of traveling, as usual(wonder where he gets that gene???). He is off to NYC in a couple of weeks for some meetings.
Soooo, the 1st Lady and I are sitting here on the new red sofa, in our newly remodeled gray room, watching some movies on our new plasma tv. This room is done except for a few more items for the decor in here. Sure tired of living in the mess in the rest of the house, though!!!!!
Sooooo, after a good day, my memory comes back to remind me that my neice had to get out of her house last night, with her daughter and pets, as it was on fire. Most of the house was destroyed either by fire or by smoke and water. Must have been terrible.....and will continue to be terrible for them for a long time to come. They are just very lucky they got out ok.......as two of the firefighters were overcome by the fire and smoke and had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital during their efforts to save the house. Sure feel bad for my family members........!!!!!
But.....they were not hurt in any way.......so,.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Another technology challenging day....all of it!
WOW.....this sure the hell is NOT spring.....but SUMMER!!!!! It was 88 here today....and will be at least 90 degrees tomorrow!!!!! This just doesn't happen in Missouri in the first half of April..........has global warming reached Missouri?????????????? At this rate, I have no doubt about it. We even had to turn on the A/C for the afternoon/evening!!!!!!
Oh yeah....the title is CORRECT. I began at a bit after nine this morning, with only a partial cup of Fr. Roast infused into my blood stream......so, before long I knew that a bit more was required. Anyway.....I continued by gingerly removing the TIVO and the cable box from the main tv in the den...it had been in the family room prior to the demolition and reconstruction there. Then it was time to move it into the new family room and then it had to separated at the various umbilical cords which connected the two. Each set of connecting cords/cables had to be "fed thru" the back of each niche in the wall so that they were then on the garage side of the wall.
The contractor had designed and created the coolest "box/cabinet" on the garage side with a sliding door for the tv access and right next to it for the component access. WOW......it is wonderful!!! Completely bug/mouse proof as it is a nice and tight fit all the way around. So....then began the task of getting these "miles" of cords/cables connected to the correct component and the new plasma tv. I had the contractor put in a hookup receptacle for the telephone in the cabinet for the TIVO....and, of course, a grounded electrical receptacle for two outlets. I only need one since I got a really good Surge Protector for all of these expensive techno items.
Well.....it wasn't as easy as it is supposed to be......isn't that ALWAYS the case???? With everything???? Trial and error.....trial and error.......determined to do it myself.......more trial and error attempts.....and frustration set in. Soooo, went and got my trusty lappie and got on the TIVO website forum......and before long I had a better diagram of the needed connections. Sooooo, by almost 3pm, I had it completed and working......almost! I am still having difficulty trying to get the plasma remote to handle the cable and the tivo, or the tivo remote handling it all. Problem is that the code numbers the plasma tv instruction book gives......doesn't include one for the Motorola Cable Box that I have from our "wonderful" Charter Cable company. Tomorrow, or perhaps tonight.......I am ordering Direct TV to be installed and get rid of Charter Cable TV........will keep their internet service, but NOT the TV!!!!!!
Doug Shrader.......sure you could have done this for me by phone...had I just called you????? Larry.....perhaps you, too????? As I have written, I am one of these senior citizens of age 63 that seems to have learning disability in technology creations. However.....I DO feel good that I got all of this done today with the exception of combining the remotes into one.....or even two.
The picture on the plasma looks great.......it certainly helps bring ournew room alive!!!! Now......if only I can get a U-Haul tomorrow I will then run up to STL to pick up our new red sofa for this room. I could never reach the place in Farmington to get one today, but then I sure didn't have the time to get up to the city this evening.
Our vanity is being installed ......and should be finished tomorrow. The top we purchased at EXPO looks wonderful.......solid black thick glass which will rest/float on the custom made espresso colored vanity. Very contemporary faucet fixtures will add the final touch to this. Will tomorrow be the finish......and a tooooo big check due to our "man"?????? Stay tuned and see......
I was going to get some pics of the back side cab. of the tv/component units in the garage, but the 1st Lady must have the camera at school or in the car. She is attending her Sorority meeting tonight, so....there is still a chance I can get some pics tonight and post them!!
Anyay........as always....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Oh yeah....the title is CORRECT. I began at a bit after nine this morning, with only a partial cup of Fr. Roast infused into my blood stream......so, before long I knew that a bit more was required. Anyway.....I continued by gingerly removing the TIVO and the cable box from the main tv in the den...it had been in the family room prior to the demolition and reconstruction there. Then it was time to move it into the new family room and then it had to separated at the various umbilical cords which connected the two. Each set of connecting cords/cables had to be "fed thru" the back of each niche in the wall so that they were then on the garage side of the wall.
The contractor had designed and created the coolest "box/cabinet" on the garage side with a sliding door for the tv access and right next to it for the component access. WOW......it is wonderful!!! Completely bug/mouse proof as it is a nice and tight fit all the way around. So....then began the task of getting these "miles" of cords/cables connected to the correct component and the new plasma tv. I had the contractor put in a hookup receptacle for the telephone in the cabinet for the TIVO....and, of course, a grounded electrical receptacle for two outlets. I only need one since I got a really good Surge Protector for all of these expensive techno items.
Well.....it wasn't as easy as it is supposed to be......isn't that ALWAYS the case???? With everything???? Trial and error.....trial and error.......determined to do it myself.......more trial and error attempts.....and frustration set in. Soooo, went and got my trusty lappie and got on the TIVO website forum......and before long I had a better diagram of the needed connections. Sooooo, by almost 3pm, I had it completed and working......almost! I am still having difficulty trying to get the plasma remote to handle the cable and the tivo, or the tivo remote handling it all. Problem is that the code numbers the plasma tv instruction book gives......doesn't include one for the Motorola Cable Box that I have from our "wonderful" Charter Cable company. Tomorrow, or perhaps tonight.......I am ordering Direct TV to be installed and get rid of Charter Cable TV........will keep their internet service, but NOT the TV!!!!!!
Doug Shrader.......sure you could have done this for me by phone...had I just called you????? Larry.....perhaps you, too????? As I have written, I am one of these senior citizens of age 63 that seems to have learning disability in technology creations. However.....I DO feel good that I got all of this done today with the exception of combining the remotes into one.....or even two.
The picture on the plasma looks great.......it certainly helps bring ournew room alive!!!! Now......if only I can get a U-Haul tomorrow I will then run up to STL to pick up our new red sofa for this room. I could never reach the place in Farmington to get one today, but then I sure didn't have the time to get up to the city this evening.
Our vanity is being installed ......and should be finished tomorrow. The top we purchased at EXPO looks wonderful.......solid black thick glass which will rest/float on the custom made espresso colored vanity. Very contemporary faucet fixtures will add the final touch to this. Will tomorrow be the finish......and a tooooo big check due to our "man"?????? Stay tuned and see......
I was going to get some pics of the back side cab. of the tv/component units in the garage, but the 1st Lady must have the camera at school or in the car. She is attending her Sorority meeting tonight, so....there is still a chance I can get some pics tonight and post them!!
Anyay........as always....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Never stopped al day.....
WOW.....what a busy, busy day here on Buford Heights. How best to describe the majority of the day???? Clothes moving day......that is it. I spent the majority of the day moving/transferring all non-RV items out of TheHowserHouse and in the stick and brick.......and that was a HUGE amount. Pictures, lamps, pillows, area rugs, bedding, artificial flowers, a collection of Italian Armani figurines that had been stored oh-sooo-carefully, and then: CLOTHES!!!!! Tons and tons of clothes which had to be transferred into the new walk-in closet.....both mine and the 1st Lady's items. Wish I knew how MANY trips I made from the RV into the house.........way toooooooo many....hahaha!!!!
This took about three hours......minimum. Then came the job of hanging them on the new racks....and then restacking the many sweaters and sweat shirts.....onto the shelves. Oh yeah.....then it was carry into the new bedroom closet all the clothes that for the past 10 weeks+ we had in the guest bedroom. Soooo, all in all, this transfer job took a great portion of the day.
With a couple of hours before my music lessons were to be given, I got into the basement of the RV and pulled everything out onto the ground. Then I swept out the storage area, mopped it out, and soon put everything back into the basement in a more organized order.
Soooo, after the lessons were finished we learned that the 1st Lady's mother was ill with the flu.....and so we, at her suggestion, cancelled our plans to travel up there to NE Missouri tomorrow. If she gets a bit better, we will go on up there Friday. Soooo, we went to the city center for a quick supper at one of the local eateries.....not too good, not too bad.....an average meal....ok, I can handle it once in a while....hahhaa.
American Idol???? Bucky had to go soon......just didn't think he was "Idol" material.....so, I wasn't upset over the decision. Still haven't picked my favorite.........will just have to wait another week or two. (Easy way out...., huh??)
Amazing Race: I was good with seeing that couple leave the race. Thought my favorite pair....the "far out there" guys might be the ones to be kicked off, but.....they made it!!!!! HURRAY!!!!
Soooo, tomorrow is work on TheHowserHouse in earnest. BUT......we just received a call that our new sofa is now in STL, and so we can pick it up. Looks like a U-Haul trailer is needed....not sure I can get one tomorrow on such short notice.....we'll see.
Sooooo, my body is saying, "lay down, old man".....and so guess I will obey. And with that info......
Life is Great.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
This took about three hours......minimum. Then came the job of hanging them on the new racks....and then restacking the many sweaters and sweat shirts.....onto the shelves. Oh yeah.....then it was carry into the new bedroom closet all the clothes that for the past 10 weeks+ we had in the guest bedroom. Soooo, all in all, this transfer job took a great portion of the day.
With a couple of hours before my music lessons were to be given, I got into the basement of the RV and pulled everything out onto the ground. Then I swept out the storage area, mopped it out, and soon put everything back into the basement in a more organized order.
Soooo, after the lessons were finished we learned that the 1st Lady's mother was ill with the flu.....and so we, at her suggestion, cancelled our plans to travel up there to NE Missouri tomorrow. If she gets a bit better, we will go on up there Friday. Soooo, we went to the city center for a quick supper at one of the local eateries.....not too good, not too bad.....an average meal....ok, I can handle it once in a while....hahhaa.
American Idol???? Bucky had to go soon......just didn't think he was "Idol" material.....so, I wasn't upset over the decision. Still haven't picked my favorite.........will just have to wait another week or two. (Easy way out...., huh??)
Amazing Race: I was good with seeing that couple leave the race. Thought my favorite pair....the "far out there" guys might be the ones to be kicked off, but.....they made it!!!!! HURRAY!!!!
Soooo, tomorrow is work on TheHowserHouse in earnest. BUT......we just received a call that our new sofa is now in STL, and so we can pick it up. Looks like a U-Haul trailer is needed....not sure I can get one tomorrow on such short notice.....we'll see.
Sooooo, my body is saying, "lay down, old man".....and so guess I will obey. And with that info......
Life is Great.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
I need to RETIRE!!!!!!!
What ever happened to my life: getting up and on a warm spring day, having my coffee on the patio observing some of the returning birds enjoy my feeders......checking out my plants and herbs to see how soon it would be before they begin to grow once again......enjoying the early flowers....the azaleas.....everything that happens outside??????????????? I DON'T have the time to do this this spring.......and I MISS it!!!
This morning...I had to hurry to the local propane gas company to get TheHowserHouse tanks refilled before the guy who refills them left for some truck runs......then it was a quick trip to WalMart SuperCenter to pick up a few necessary items....and the hurry back home as there were some phone calls to be made....and received. THEN.......OMG....I had my ear to the phone for TWO AND ONE-HALF HOURS trying to get some tech support for my "dead" router.....a "D-Link" brand. Now....this WAS a freebee last fall when the 1st Lady purchased her own lappie, but it has worked beautifully since September.....until this past weekend and it just quit doing the job it was meant to do. Sooooo, there I sat, my ear getting hotter and hotter......and my blood pressure rising along with my own temperature as I became more frustrated and angry.....and angrier......and then boiling mad, as I went through 4...repeat: FOUR....so-called techies as they told me what to do to remedy the situation....and EACH one said the same damn thing and told me to do the same damn thing, EXCEPT each of the four had different HEAVY accents!!!!!
Now don't get me wrong......I have traveled the world toooooo much to get upset with accents....in fact, sometimes they are a real turn-on(hahaha)......but when you are attempting to understand instructions and it takes twice as long because you have to ask them to repeat the instructions SLOWLY, well.......enough said. Soooo, finally I kept asking and INSISTING to talk to their supervisor (all four were asked).....I finally got through to some guy on a "higher level". And........after much discussion.......and by this time, much cussion without the "dis", I finally got that damned little grey box to respond and am now wireless once again. WHEW......I was exhausted by the time the problem was solved/resolved!!!!!!!!
Then.....I hurried outside and began to rake up the remaining deadwood of the Buford Heights National Forest which had somehow found its way into my yard.....via the high and destructive winds of the past two weeks. After the raking was completed.....for now, anyway......I then proceeded to finish mowing the lawn. There is still a rather large trail of piled up dirt/mud from having my yard raped by the backhoe when the new pipes were laid for the new bathroom......it has sunk back down some, but will now require some muscle power to chop up the clods and spread it out, and then sow some seed (must be done quickly before the temps reach 100 degrees with the global warming).
A quick supper was had.......don't ask what......and then I was off to the little village of Marble Hill, about 37 miles southeast of here......to attend the Bollinger County Democrat Club meeting. It was great to see sooo many people there and to see soooo many of the supporters which I had from two years ago when I was the candidate for the Missouri Legislature (2004)!!!
Soooo, back to the title: I need to RETIRE!!!!! The past 10 weeks have been very hectic, frustrating, argumentative, upsetting, and yet....satisfying as the new rooms begin to look liveable!!!! (Not to mention about twice the cost of what we had budgeted!!!!!!!!!!!) A bit of R&R is much needed......to remind me of what retirement WAS like prior to this remodeling project!!!!!! Hmmmmmm.......
And......with retirement in mind, I will remind you (and ME).......
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
This morning...I had to hurry to the local propane gas company to get TheHowserHouse tanks refilled before the guy who refills them left for some truck runs......then it was a quick trip to WalMart SuperCenter to pick up a few necessary items....and the hurry back home as there were some phone calls to be made....and received. THEN.......OMG....I had my ear to the phone for TWO AND ONE-HALF HOURS trying to get some tech support for my "dead" router.....a "D-Link" brand. Now....this WAS a freebee last fall when the 1st Lady purchased her own lappie, but it has worked beautifully since September.....until this past weekend and it just quit doing the job it was meant to do. Sooooo, there I sat, my ear getting hotter and hotter......and my blood pressure rising along with my own temperature as I became more frustrated and angry.....and angrier......and then boiling mad, as I went through 4...repeat: FOUR....so-called techies as they told me what to do to remedy the situation....and EACH one said the same damn thing and told me to do the same damn thing, EXCEPT each of the four had different HEAVY accents!!!!!
Now don't get me wrong......I have traveled the world toooooo much to get upset with accents....in fact, sometimes they are a real turn-on(hahaha)......but when you are attempting to understand instructions and it takes twice as long because you have to ask them to repeat the instructions SLOWLY, well.......enough said. Soooo, finally I kept asking and INSISTING to talk to their supervisor (all four were asked).....I finally got through to some guy on a "higher level". And........after much discussion.......and by this time, much cussion without the "dis", I finally got that damned little grey box to respond and am now wireless once again. WHEW......I was exhausted by the time the problem was solved/resolved!!!!!!!!
Then.....I hurried outside and began to rake up the remaining deadwood of the Buford Heights National Forest which had somehow found its way into my yard.....via the high and destructive winds of the past two weeks. After the raking was completed.....for now, anyway......I then proceeded to finish mowing the lawn. There is still a rather large trail of piled up dirt/mud from having my yard raped by the backhoe when the new pipes were laid for the new bathroom......it has sunk back down some, but will now require some muscle power to chop up the clods and spread it out, and then sow some seed (must be done quickly before the temps reach 100 degrees with the global warming).
A quick supper was had.......don't ask what......and then I was off to the little village of Marble Hill, about 37 miles southeast of here......to attend the Bollinger County Democrat Club meeting. It was great to see sooo many people there and to see soooo many of the supporters which I had from two years ago when I was the candidate for the Missouri Legislature (2004)!!!
Soooo, back to the title: I need to RETIRE!!!!! The past 10 weeks have been very hectic, frustrating, argumentative, upsetting, and yet....satisfying as the new rooms begin to look liveable!!!! (Not to mention about twice the cost of what we had budgeted!!!!!!!!!!!) A bit of R&R is much needed......to remind me of what retirement WAS like prior to this remodeling project!!!!!! Hmmmmmm.......
And......with retirement in mind, I will remind you (and ME).......
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Monday, April 10, 2006
AHHHH, it is ALMOST finished!!
Yep......it is finally getting close to completion. This entire process began 10 weeks ago tomorrow.......never had any idea it would take this long to reach this point in the project. Today.....the new 42" plasma tv found its new home.......it is floating in the large built-in niche that I had built for it, with 3" of "breathing space" around the perimeter of the tv. It now appears to be definitely floating in the space, as the bracked is attached to some thick boards behind it so that the tv is actually flush with the walls of the room, but 3" away from the walls on each of the four sides. Just the way I designed this viewing area. The other three niches in the picture below are for the cable box/satellite box(when I get it installed), dvd player, TIVO box. Two of these will be in one niche so that I can use the bottom one which is a larger opening for the receiver of the surround sound system....yet to be purchased.
All of these openings open into the garage, so that NO cords/cables are visible in the viewing room. Small doors will cover the openings with small openings for the wiring to go through into the garage. It is finally all coming together......after a couple of mistakes due to the contractor and I being on different "pages" in our thinking and not communcating as well as we should have. But the mistakes were resolved, corrected, and all is well!!
Our first piece of furniture arrived from Overstock.com.......a 48" black leather bench which has found its home under the two large windows at the end of the room. A great place for conversation with a good glass of dark red vino or two. In the pics below, the medium gray of the walls and carpet do not show up well at all......will have to work on the lighting to get a better picture, perhaps during the daylight hours.
The new red sofa should arrive by the weekend.......and then I have to find the Georgia O'Keefe print.....a large one.....of her painting of a large red canna......one of her famous flower creations. LOVE her work.....and it will go sooo well in this room...with a contemporary black frame around the print. I've found one online, but it is not as large as I want for the space on the wall that I have planned for.
Sooooo, my day has been one of multi-tasking: working on the tv room, beginning the job of getting my tax info into the computer program, mowing about 1/4 of the lawn, picking up MORE limbs, working with the contractor as to how we want the racks/shelving units installed in the walk-in closet, beginning the job of bringing TheHowserHouse on wheels back to Life again after the winter hibernation, going to Farmington to meet AGAIN with the kitchen cabinet designer, and then managing to see the newest episode of "24"(the most intense series on the tellie!!). WHEW.....this just tires me out writing all of this out for you to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now that I have caught my breath.......it is about time to lay this sagging hulk on the very firm bed and get some much needed rest this evening as tomorrow will be an exact repeat of the multi-tasking with a few more categories added.....ugh!!!
However, I can't close without expressing my appreciation for the wonderful email I received from a former student who is now a band director in STL. He discussed my influence on him and his life/career......and believe me, those kinds of words are worth soooooo much more than the few dollars a teacher receives each month. THAT is what teaching is all about!!!!! Thanks, Chuck!
Life is GREAT......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!
All of these openings open into the garage, so that NO cords/cables are visible in the viewing room. Small doors will cover the openings with small openings for the wiring to go through into the garage. It is finally all coming together......after a couple of mistakes due to the contractor and I being on different "pages" in our thinking and not communcating as well as we should have. But the mistakes were resolved, corrected, and all is well!!
Our first piece of furniture arrived from Overstock.com.......a 48" black leather bench which has found its home under the two large windows at the end of the room. A great place for conversation with a good glass of dark red vino or two. In the pics below, the medium gray of the walls and carpet do not show up well at all......will have to work on the lighting to get a better picture, perhaps during the daylight hours.
The new red sofa should arrive by the weekend.......and then I have to find the Georgia O'Keefe print.....a large one.....of her painting of a large red canna......one of her famous flower creations. LOVE her work.....and it will go sooo well in this room...with a contemporary black frame around the print. I've found one online, but it is not as large as I want for the space on the wall that I have planned for.
Sooooo, my day has been one of multi-tasking: working on the tv room, beginning the job of getting my tax info into the computer program, mowing about 1/4 of the lawn, picking up MORE limbs, working with the contractor as to how we want the racks/shelving units installed in the walk-in closet, beginning the job of bringing TheHowserHouse on wheels back to Life again after the winter hibernation, going to Farmington to meet AGAIN with the kitchen cabinet designer, and then managing to see the newest episode of "24"(the most intense series on the tellie!!). WHEW.....this just tires me out writing all of this out for you to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now that I have caught my breath.......it is about time to lay this sagging hulk on the very firm bed and get some much needed rest this evening as tomorrow will be an exact repeat of the multi-tasking with a few more categories added.....ugh!!!
However, I can't close without expressing my appreciation for the wonderful email I received from a former student who is now a band director in STL. He discussed my influence on him and his life/career......and believe me, those kinds of words are worth soooooo much more than the few dollars a teacher receives each month. THAT is what teaching is all about!!!!! Thanks, Chuck!
Life is GREAT......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Something NEW....a Sunday at TheHowserHouse for a change!!
WOW......can you believe this?? This is the FIRST Sunday since CHRISTMAS that we have spent the entire day at TheHowserHouse!!!!!! We have been gone for at least most, or all, of each Sunday since Christmas........what a change of pace today has been!!!!!!!!! Did we get a lot accomplished??? Of course not.......we had house guests all afternoon......drop-ins that we weren't really expecting! HOWEVER......it was really GREAT to have them here for some much conversing about many topics.
We slept "in" and had a leisurely morning......and also got some touch-up painting done in the new rooms. Then we hauled in a couple of our former walk-in closet racks.....and began to modify the size to fit the new closet. Believe we can get by without purchasing any new ones......just by making some slight adjustments in the sizes with some wire snippers!! And then, the doorbell rang.......
Both visitors were former students of mine......and are NOW each high school band directors in the St Louis area. Both are highly successful........and I believe are enjoying their careers ( as I did!). Sooooo, as they both were here at the same time....briefly an overlap......we did enjoy catching up on families, band "talk", and experiences with students and parents.....hahaha!!! I also got one of the guys to take a rather tall piece of furniture....a gun cabinet modified to be a bookcase......so that I have a few more feet of space in my garage.....hahahaa!!!!
Tonight.....FRUSTRATION!!!!!! Damn it......but my router has gone beserk and I can't download anything anymore on my lappie. Soooo, tomorrow when I am "fresh", I will call the company and get down to business with their support team and see what the hell is happening here. I feel like I am "locked up" now that I have to be plugged up with a cable connecting me to the wall!!!! UGH!!!!! I am no longer mobile!!!! CHAINED TO THE WALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soooooo, as I sit here at my desk once again......I will close this and return to my easy sitting sofa.....and as always....
Life is Great (even w/out my router).......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
We slept "in" and had a leisurely morning......and also got some touch-up painting done in the new rooms. Then we hauled in a couple of our former walk-in closet racks.....and began to modify the size to fit the new closet. Believe we can get by without purchasing any new ones......just by making some slight adjustments in the sizes with some wire snippers!! And then, the doorbell rang.......
Both visitors were former students of mine......and are NOW each high school band directors in the St Louis area. Both are highly successful........and I believe are enjoying their careers ( as I did!). Sooooo, as they both were here at the same time....briefly an overlap......we did enjoy catching up on families, band "talk", and experiences with students and parents.....hahaha!!! I also got one of the guys to take a rather tall piece of furniture....a gun cabinet modified to be a bookcase......so that I have a few more feet of space in my garage.....hahahaa!!!!
Tonight.....FRUSTRATION!!!!!! Damn it......but my router has gone beserk and I can't download anything anymore on my lappie. Soooo, tomorrow when I am "fresh", I will call the company and get down to business with their support team and see what the hell is happening here. I feel like I am "locked up" now that I have to be plugged up with a cable connecting me to the wall!!!! UGH!!!!! I am no longer mobile!!!! CHAINED TO THE WALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soooooo, as I sit here at my desk once again......I will close this and return to my easy sitting sofa.....and as always....
Life is Great (even w/out my router).......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Saturday, April 08, 2006
UGH!!!! A morning "mini-migraine" (is there such a thing?)
OH MY.....I awoke this morning at 5AM (the 1st Lady's alarm went off as she had a school trip this morning at 6AM).....well, as I was saying I awoke and realized that I could barely get my pounding head off of the pillow. Yep....of all days, I was in the middle of one of my 2-3 times a year small migraines!!!!! AND....I was supposed to drive up to Truman State Univ in Kirksville this morning.......soooo, needless to say, I took some heavy duty pain killers and quickly....VERY quickly returned to bed. WOW....I sure hate these damn things......can't imagine having to bear the pain as often as some people do who have these damn things frequently.
I "came to" in the middle of the morning, with things a bit better. Got up.....fixed some good hot coffee and just laid around for the rest of the morning. Had a visitor knock on the door after lunchtime.....and a discussion for 1.5 hours concerning some school/school bd. issues. Wasn't really in prime shape when that individual was here, but managed to carry on a conversation and listen to his discussions on this concerns.
The 1st Lady returned late afternoon.........and from that time on, we just "piddled" the rest of the day.....in other words: we did nothing but kick back and relax. Spent this evening checking out mail forwarding services for when we leave this summer for many months before returning to Missouri. Found lots of information.....and have about decided on a way to make some changes in our residency status for another state, while maintaining our home here in Missouri. More research yet to do......more discussions to have....more reading/listening to do, but it must be done rather quickly.
Soooooo, even as my head begins to return to normal.........
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
I "came to" in the middle of the morning, with things a bit better. Got up.....fixed some good hot coffee and just laid around for the rest of the morning. Had a visitor knock on the door after lunchtime.....and a discussion for 1.5 hours concerning some school/school bd. issues. Wasn't really in prime shape when that individual was here, but managed to carry on a conversation and listen to his discussions on this concerns.
The 1st Lady returned late afternoon.........and from that time on, we just "piddled" the rest of the day.....in other words: we did nothing but kick back and relax. Spent this evening checking out mail forwarding services for when we leave this summer for many months before returning to Missouri. Found lots of information.....and have about decided on a way to make some changes in our residency status for another state, while maintaining our home here in Missouri. More research yet to do......more discussions to have....more reading/listening to do, but it must be done rather quickly.
Soooooo, even as my head begins to return to normal.........
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Friday, April 07, 2006
I have not much news to "leak" from TheHowserHouse
Yeah.....the morning was busy running errands for the 1st Lady, for myself, and getting my lawn mower picked up here at TheHowserHouse for the annual Spring cleaning, tuning, and sharpening!! By about noon all of this was completed.....and then it was about time to head north for a hair appointment......needed to have all 69 of my hears trimmed....not a very large task for my "hair arranger/dresser". Then it was on up the road to make a visit to Mike for the next five hours. The 1st Lady joined me when she was through teaching her classes later this afternoon.
Returned home this evening and immediately baked some walnut infused Brownies!!!!! Served them with Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream.......yummmmmmmy!!!!!!!
House info: The ceiling track lights are up in the bedroom.....the plasma tv is out of the box for the 1st time since we purchased it, and the wall hanging bracket is on the floor ready to be installed. WOW.....I am almost blinded by the intensity of the light at the end of the tunnel.............I LOVE it.......hope to get a really good sunburn from this wonderful light.
Tomorrow morning: the 1st Lady heads to the Missouri Bootheel with her H.S. Academic Team for the regional tournament.....she leaves at 6AM. I leave shortly after that for Truman State University in Kirksville, MO......5 hour drive from here......to attend the senior trumpet recital of a student of mine who will be graduating this spring. He is an incredible trumpet performer.........and is the best that they have at the University. I am really, really proud of him!!!
Sooooo.....it is time to get a bag packed and prepare for an early departure for northern Missouri. And .....as always.............
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Returned home this evening and immediately baked some walnut infused Brownies!!!!! Served them with Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream.......yummmmmmmy!!!!!!!
House info: The ceiling track lights are up in the bedroom.....the plasma tv is out of the box for the 1st time since we purchased it, and the wall hanging bracket is on the floor ready to be installed. WOW.....I am almost blinded by the intensity of the light at the end of the tunnel.............I LOVE it.......hope to get a really good sunburn from this wonderful light.
Tomorrow morning: the 1st Lady heads to the Missouri Bootheel with her H.S. Academic Team for the regional tournament.....she leaves at 6AM. I leave shortly after that for Truman State University in Kirksville, MO......5 hour drive from here......to attend the senior trumpet recital of a student of mine who will be graduating this spring. He is an incredible trumpet performer.........and is the best that they have at the University. I am really, really proud of him!!!
Sooooo.....it is time to get a bag packed and prepare for an early departure for northern Missouri. And .....as always.............
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
"The icing is being put on the cake"
Yep.......this day was one of starting the tedious job of frosting the large cake: new lights were installed, new door handles were installed(the kind for senior arthritic hands), the doors shortened just a bit so they moved easily over the new, thick carpets, and the beginning of the design for the 12 foot flexible halogen track lighting in the bedroom was discussed and decided upon. The frosting that was not applied to the cake today will, hopefully, be finished tomorrow.....or Monday. The mounting of the plasma tv into the "cavity" in the wall where it will "float" is planned for tomorrow.
ALL of this takes more time than planned and so it was late in the day before our contractor departed. For a little more than an hour this afternoon I was at the local furniture store looking through "catalogues" of new bedroom furniture. Looking for a very contemporary, dark espresso colored wood bedroom set......but could not find anything available through their companies. NOT much, if any, requests here in F'town for this style of furniture.......hmmmm...are we ahead of the "times" up on Buford Heights inside TheHowserHouse??????
After the contractor left, I hurried around to grab a sandwich and then prepare for the monthly Bd.of Education meeting.......the meeting was a bit early this month due to the Easter Break that begins late next week. The 1st Lady had a dinner meeting with her "teacher friends" .......they meet once each month for dinner in Farmington. A good time is always had by all of them as they sit and chat while having some vino and a good meal.
Soooooo, it was a rather uneventful day......OH YEAH....I did post a few pics on this little blog of some of the huge changes that have been made in a couple of our newly remodeled rooms. And as usual.....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also.
ALL of this takes more time than planned and so it was late in the day before our contractor departed. For a little more than an hour this afternoon I was at the local furniture store looking through "catalogues" of new bedroom furniture. Looking for a very contemporary, dark espresso colored wood bedroom set......but could not find anything available through their companies. NOT much, if any, requests here in F'town for this style of furniture.......hmmmm...are we ahead of the "times" up on Buford Heights inside TheHowserHouse??????
After the contractor left, I hurried around to grab a sandwich and then prepare for the monthly Bd.of Education meeting.......the meeting was a bit early this month due to the Easter Break that begins late next week. The 1st Lady had a dinner meeting with her "teacher friends" .......they meet once each month for dinner in Farmington. A good time is always had by all of them as they sit and chat while having some vino and a good meal.
Soooooo, it was a rather uneventful day......OH YEAH....I did post a few pics on this little blog of some of the huge changes that have been made in a couple of our newly remodeled rooms. And as usual.....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also.
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