Thursday'ss Thornes

I slept pretty well last night although I was up about 0630 again; I guess that is my new get up time. I use to be up before then when I worked, so I guess that I should not be too surprised to be doing it now.

This was my egg beater omelet morning, so trying to come up with a new or at least different variety I looked in the refrigerator and saw the salmon in cream sauce. So I decided that I would slice up a couple dinner rolls and pour on some of the salmon sauce on top of them and then the omelet on top of that. So I made my regular mushroom and onion omelet and while that was cooking I prepared the rolls and the salmon sauce in the micro-wave.

It was good! After I finished eating, I emptied the dishwasher, cleaned up the frying pan and then the stove and counters next to the stove. Then I grabbed some biscotti and poured myself a cup of coffee and the sat down at the kitchen table and read the paper.

Kathleen came down after I had read the paper and made herself something to eat and then went upstairs. I was taking the kitchen vegetable/fruit scraps out to my compost tumbler when I notice that I could see several blackberry plants growing close to the chain link fence in the back of the rose garden, so I got out my shovel and went over to the empty lot and spent about an hour digging them out.

They did a little digging into my arms and legs, one of the problems with wearing shorts and a tee shirt when working around plants that have nasty thorns. I was also in my rubberized garden sandals, so my feet got pretty muddy as well. So when I went inside, I had to spend about fifteen minutes cleaning up my legs and feet.

I saw the mailman drive by while I was out back so I got the mail, all junk mail, so it went into the recycling bag with the newspaper. By this time it was a little after noon, so I went upstairs to see if Kathleen was still planning on going to Home Depot to get the paint for the bathroom (walls, ceilings and woodwork), some new cans for the recessed lighting that we are going to replace the existing ones with plus add a couple more, and also a couple other odds and ends.

We finally were ready to leave, but it was almost 1400, so we stopped and had some lunch and then took off. It was after 1700 by the time we got back and I put things away, or at least someplace were we could get at them.

I started to watch Bill O'Reilly and then Hannity & Colmes; finally about 1830 I asked Kathleen if she were planning on doing dinner soon, so she came down and made some spaghetti for dinner.

Well, Stan should be here tomorrow morning to finish putting the pluming into the sink and maybe get started putting the new canned lights in. So I think that I will just end this for tonight and say my good nights now.

Watercloset Wednesday

I got up a little earlier this morning than I would have liked to, but I was pretty wide awake and probably would not have gotten any more sleep. I made myself some oatmeal for breakfast and after eating I washed the frying pan from last night and the rest of the dishes in the sink. Then I poured myself a cup of coffee and read the paper.

Kathleen came downstairs and fried herself a banana and put it on a couple rolls. The mail came so I went and got it. Not much there and nothing really important.

Jack came over with the last door for our long cabinet in the bathroom. He put that up and then also put the door back on that I had taken off so that we could caulk between the two cabinets. Then he readjusted the doors so that they lined up better.

A little while after Jack left, Stan showed up. We installed the toilet and adjusted the water level in the tank. Then we put the faucets and the drain on the sink and then put the sink onto the vanity top. Stan caulked between the sink and the tile and then the toilet between the toilet and the floor.

We did not hook up the water to the sink or the drain as Stan wanted to let everything set before so that we would not take a chance in moving the sink. Stan will not be back until Friday as he has to finish up the job that he has been working on this week. So at least we have the toilet working even if we do not have the sink usable.

Kathleen made some chicken, cut up the potatoes from last night and cooked some mixed vegetables for dinner tonight. Well, it has been long day and I am feeling it, so I think that I am just going to say good night.

Tired Time Tuesday

I got up this morning before I was ready, but I thought that Stan might be coming over this morning and I needed to be up, but he did not, so I kind of loafed around the house all day. He did call this afternoon and said that he would probably be over tomorrow afternoon to help put the toilet and sink in.

I made myself an omelet this morning and topped it with some left-over chili from last night. Then I loaded up the dishwasher and started it up. Then I poured myself a cup of coffee and read the paper. Kathleen came downstairs and made herself something to eat and I went and got the mail. Not a lot of anything there, I did get the credit union statement and so I got onto my computer and reconciled the accounts.

I made myself a salad and added some salmon on top of it, it was pretty good, but I was still hungry so I made a couple dinner rolls with Limburger cheese on them. I did not get much done the rest of the afternoon, in fact I dozed off a little bit.

For dinner tonight Kathleen boiled some red potatoes and made a cream sauce and added the rest of the salmon and some peas to put over the potatoes. I liked it, but Kathleen thought that the salmon was a little strong. I guess I will have it for the next couple of days for lunch.

Well, that about covers it for today, I think I will just say good night and try to get some sleep tonight.

Mild Monday

I must have been really tired last night as I slept in until almost 0800 this morning. After finishing my oatmeal, I made a pot of coffee, emptied the dishwasher and then poured a cup of coffee and read the paper. Kathleen made her way downstairs as I was reading the paper and made herself some breakfast.

I mentioned to her that we needed to go to Costco and pick up several items, so while I waited for her to get ready, I gathered up the laundry and washed a couple of loads and had another in the drier before she came downstairs ready to go. It was after noon before we got out the door, and here I had hoped that we could have gotten out of here about 1030 or 1100.

Before going to Costco, I needed to stop off at the credit union to deposit our kicker check from the state. I had planned on getting some cash out, as I had gone through most of what I had over the weekend, but the line was so long that I just made my deposit at the customer service desk and let it go at that. I think that 90% of the people were probably depositing their kicker checks as well.

Costco was really busy, it usually is this time of year, but we were able to get just about everything on my list. As usual, they stopped carrying a few of the items so I will have to get them else where. I am finding out that we are buying less at Costco now that we do not have anyone else living with up. We are better off buying less volume and smaller sizes because it takes up a lot less storage space.

We finally made it back home a little after 1600 and I put most of everything away and then went upstairs to change into my around the house shorts and tee shirt. I did not have lunch today as we grazed at Costco while we were there and I really did not need to eat much of anything else, although I did sample some of the goodies that we purchased at Costco.

After I had gotten down stairs, I turned on Fox news and settled down for a while. Then the buzzer went off on the drier so I took the clothes out of the drier, folded them and put them away. Then I did the same with the last load of clothes.

Kathleen heated up some chicken & cheese tamales and black bean & cheese taquitos that we had gotten at Trader Joe's a while back. Neither one of us felt that they were that great, which is unusual for things we have gotten at Trader Joe's.

I think that Stan will be back tomorrow so we should be getting close to installing the toilet and sink. We still need to paint the upstairs bathroom and then it should be pretty much done. Well, I am really tired, so I think that this will have to be it for tonight...good night.

Snow Showers Sunday

It was one of those mornings that just looked like it should be snowing, but it was not, at least not yet. We made it to church this morning and by the time we were ready to leave it had started snowing. Of course nothing was sticking and by the time we got home it had stopped.

After getting home I changed back into my shorts and tee shirt and took off the bandage that I had put on my knee so that it would not leak onto my pants. It did anyway, but at least I tried and it would have leaked more if I had not had the bandage on it.

Once I had the bandage off, I applied some more of the antibacterial ointment and after a few hours it started to look a little better, in fact it has not been oozing. I think having it exposed to the air has helped it dry up and form a new scab.

Finally about 1500 Kathleen decided that she was ready to apply the third coat of sealer to the grout. This time it only took about an hour, I guess that is due to the fact that it is not absorbing into the grout as much and also we are getting better at it.

After we cleaned up and I changed into my going out shorts and a clean tee shirt, we took off to see Andrea and John's new house. It had started to snow again, but this time it was even lighter and lasted less time than before. I use my new GPS to find it and it took us right up to their place. It took a little different route than I would have now that I know where it is, but it did a really good job of getting us there.

We helped watch Brandon and I put his crib back together again. I had taken it apart a couple days ago so it was still pretty fresh in my mind how everything fit together. John and one of his friends went out and got a couple pizzas from Flying Pie Pizzeria and they were really good.

We finally got to the point were we were all a little too tired to do much of anything and Kathleen and I left and got home about 2130. Well, I think it is time for me to say good night.

Sunshine Saturday

I must have really been tired last night, I do not even remember my head hitting the pillow and I slept through the night until about 0530 this morning. Once I got up I put Aaron's guitar wraps into the dryer and then made my Saturday morning omelet. While it was cooking I cleaned out several things out of the refrigerator that had spoiled and emptied the dishwasher.


After breakfast, I took the wraps out of the drier and folded them. Then I poured myself a fresh cup of coffee and read the paper. Andrea called and wanted to know if we wanted to come over today to see their new place. Kathleen was not up yet so I told her that we needed to put another coat of sealant on the grout and after that we might be able to get over there.


Kathleen got up and came downstairs around 1100 and it was after noon before we got to working on sealing the grout. After we finished sealing the grout, I went outside and did a little more trimming on the birds nest spruce.

Shortly after I finished that Aaron came over to pick up the wraps for the guitars. He also brought the finished guitars over so we got to see them and I helped him wrap them up. He was going to try to get them to FedEx to send them off today.


Andrea called back and said that they were going to be going to church in about an hour or so and since we had our Sunday School Christmas dinner tonight at 1800 we decided that it would not be a good idea to try to go over there today...maybe tomorrow.


We just got back from the dinner, it was fixed up really nicely and the food was good as well. I think that everyone had a really good time. It seemed much more relaxed than some of the ones that we have had in the past.


Well, to day was a nice sunny day and tonight is nice and clear, so tomorrow morning there ought to be a lot of frost on the windows. My knee is really bothering me and it is oozing so I think that I will call it a day and say good night!

Fatigued Friday

I slept in until 0730 this morning; I think that I was making up a little from my lack of sleep a couple of days ago. Since today was yard debris pick-up day when I got downstairs, I went out side to add some more to the can, that I had put up front last night, but to my surprise it had already been picked up.

So I went ahead and trimmed the Birds Nest Spruce as it was growing into the sidewalk leading up to the front porch. I am planning on taking it out eventually, but I wanted to trim it back until I got the opportunity and the energy to actually cut it out and dig out the roots.

After putting my tools away, I went into the house and made myself a pot of coffee and some oatmeal for breakfast. After breakfast I emptied the dishwasher and put in my breakfast bowl and silverware. Then I took the kitchen vegetable scraps and coffee grounds out to the compost tumbler. This was the first time in about a month that I have been able to use my right hand to turn the tumbler and I could feel the loss of strength in my right wrist.

For the last few days I have been keeping my splint off unless I went out somewhere and that was more of a reminder that it was not at full strength and also so that those who did not know would realize that my wrist was injured. It has felt pretty good not having it on although my wrists have been hurting a lot more these last few days. Part of it may also be due to the cool damp weather and some of it due to my using it more without the splint.

Anyway, after coming back inside and cleaning up, I read the paper at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Aaron came over to drop off some cloth for Kathleen to make some protective covers for his guitars to protect them in shipping and also for use as protective covers afterwards.

While he was still here Kathleen took her sewing machine to Montivilla Sewing Center to correct a problem that she was having and also to get a new software updated for it. Aaron took off just before 1100 as he had a dentist appointment to go to.

Kathleen came back and a little after noon and set up her machine again. Andrea had called earlier this morning wanting us to come over and help her pack/watch Brandon so I told Kathleen that we probably ought to do that because if we waited too long we would not be doing her much good.

I made myself a turkey and dill pickle sandwich and then we took off to help her pack as she and John are hoping to move tonight and tomorrow. I took apart Brandon's crib and then watched Brandon while Andrea and Kathleen packed up some of the kitchen items.

We left about 1530, so that we could miss most of the traffic, although we did run into enough the way it was. Andrea had put Brandon down for a nap before we left so she could pack by herself and did not need someone else to watch him.

I felt bad that I would not be able to help with the actual move, but I did not think it would do my wrist any good to do that and I stood a good chance of re-injuring it. I still have not seen the house, I guess now I will see it once the get moved in.

For dinner tonight we reheated our left-over dinner from Giuseppe's last night as we were both too tired to do much of anything else. We did not get to give the grout a second coat of sealer today, there just seemed to be too many urgent things that got in the way.

Right now Kathleen is busy finishing up Aaron's guitar sacks and I am trying to stay awake at my computer. Well with that said, I think that I will just say good night.

Thursday's Tiles

Well, this morning I was awake by 0430 and could not get back to sleep, so I just got up. I think it was from the late nap that I took yesterday, now I am ready to crash again. Oh well, now for today’s tail.

Since I was up so early I read the paper when it got here and then made a pot of coffee and started my omelet. Kathleen came downstairs and made herself some English muffins. The mail came as I was clearing the breakfast dishes and putting them into the dishwasher. I went through the mail at the kitchen table but there really was not much there.

After recycling the paper and the mail, I put on my work jeans and went up into the attic to see if I could the light switch wiring in the north bedroom. I disconnected the wire to the light and then found where the switch came from. I noticed some very creative wiring, and was able to eliminate a junction box and abut ten or twelve feet of wire.

Once I had cleaned up that mess, I connected the wires up the way they should have been and then looked down at the switch, which was on but the lights were still not on. I had to climb down and take the switch plate off and then remove the switch from the box to see what color the wires were and to which side of the switch they were connected to.

After seeing how they were connected, I went back upstairs and rewired the junction box so that the switch would work...and surprise, surprise...it did. As I was going back to the entry hatch, the overhead light went out, so I had Kathleen check to see what else was out.

She told me, so I traced that wire to another junction box and noticed that one of the wire nuts was not tight. I tightened it and the overhead light came on and so did the light plugged into the outlet that was out before. I made my way down the hatch before anything else went out.

The wiring is so messed up, that every time I have had to fix one thing, it not only takes me five times as long as it should, but I have to fix two or three other things in the process. I am not sure what is in worse shape, the wiring or the plumbing! Both are in really sad shape. I have fixed several things, but I almost need to replace both the plumbing and the wiring in most of the house.

It only took me from 1030 until 1130 to fix the wiring this morning, much quicker than yesterday. After cleaning up I went downstairs to sit down and relax, but that only lasted a short time. I thought I had better ask Kathleen when she was planning on sealing the grout. We could have gotten the toilet and the sink put in today, but we needed to have had the grouting done already.

When I got upstairs she was in the bathroom contemplating doing the grout. So I got a bucket of warm water and she cut up a couple sponges. We finished about 1630. I went downstairs and promptly fell asleep in my easy chair, I probably still would be sleeping except Toni called and wanted to know if we had left yet for Giuseppe's, a nice Italian restaurant.

We had not, so I made it upstairs and changed into my good jean shorts and off we went. Toni, Andrea and Brandon were already there, so we joined them. Chucky was coming from work and would join us after a while. Dinner was good, but I was really tired from being up so early.

We finally got home about 1730 and I am ready to crash, as soon as I finish this, I think I will call it a day. I think I probably wrote enough for one day, so I am just going to say good night.

Wednesdday's Wirings

Well, where do I begin? After breakfast and emptying the dishwasher, I read the paper and made myself a pot of coffee. After the paper I started to clean off the counter and the stove top. I had noticed some ants, and thought that I would make it less attractive for them by scrubbing everything and getting rid of anything that might attract them.

I heard the mail come, so I got it and opened it, not much there except a couple sales fliers. I took something upstairs, and Kathleen was up so I told her about the ants and she came down stairs to look.

While she was there she made herself some breakfast, so I told her that when she got done I would need her to shut off the circuit breaker so that I could work on the wiring in the attic. When I went up there, I thought that it would probably be about a half hour job.

I finally tracked down the wire, but it seemed to be hot at one end and nothing at the other, so I used my tester to determine where the current stopped. I had hoped that it was in a connection somewhere, but it was the wire.

So I went back down and got my box of wire and replace the wire that was bad. Well that fixed the wire and the lights that were not working before. So I gathered everything up and climbed back down the ladder. Then when I went to turn off the light in the bedroom where the hatch to the attic was it would not go off...so back up to the attic again.

I traced where the wire was, and it was loose, so I reconnected it and asked Kathleen to turn it off, again it did not go off. I wiggled the wire at the light and I could see the light go off and on downstairs, so I went back down and took the light fixture apart and there was a loose wire, so I rerouted it and reconnected it. That still did not fix it, so I took the switch out and replaced it, but again it still stays on all the time.

I had been up in the attic for about three and a half hours and my body was really aching, so I decided that I would just leave it on for now and go back up into the attic tomorrow. The attic is so full of wires that either go nowhere or are inter connected. I have wanted to redo it all for a long time and it looks like I am getting my chance to do at least a few of them.

While I was up in the attic earlier, I had rewired a wire and eliminated a connection box and a couple wires that went no where. There must be yards of wire that just wind around, I eliminated about twenty feet of wire earlier and there is two or three times that much more that I could eliminate when I get the energy.

I was really exhausted and tire by the time I finally got out of my clothes and into my shorts and tee shirt. Kathleen made me a couple salmon, onion and lettuce sandwiches and when I finished them I went upstairs and took a nap from about 1600 until 1945. Kathleen is now heating up some beef stew for dinner, I am still so tired and sore that I did not make it to tonight’s gathering with the guys.

Well, my wrists are really hurting and every so often they freeze up on me, so I think that I am just going to say good night and call it a day.

Tuesday's Turnaround

"the water had receded from the earth". I think that this verse is appropriate for us today, as after three straight days of steady rain, over three inches, this morning when I got up it was not raining. Our back yard was beginning to look like a swamp and from the living room looking out toward the street; it looked like we had lake front property.

Kathleen got up before 0800 this morning, and made herself breakfast; I was still reading the paper, so I made myself an omelet when I got done. Afterwards, I emptied the dishwasher and then did the dishes in the sink.

As I was finishing up it started to downpour, but it only lasted for about twenty minutes or so. After it stopped I went outside and picked up some fir branches and cones, but for as stormy as it was suppose to be there was really very little that had fallen. Then I got out my hoe and re-trenched some of my water runoff ditches, in the summer time they are where the grass and garden meet and I call it edging.

While doing it I discovered that a root that I thought belonged to one of my rhododendrons really did not, so I got out my stubbing hoe and chopped it out. that will also make it easier for my trench to work better. I also pulled out a filbert tree that was starting to grow near my Japanese maple tree.

While I was out I decided that I would transfer the electric cord to the new reel, so I got the old one out and unwound the wire and then rewound it up onto the new one. It was really too muddy outside, so once I finished those couple things, I went back inside and cleaned up. I decided to go up into the attic and put up the string of lights that I put together yesterday. I stretched them out and hung them up in the peek of the attic.

I had planned to do some more, but my knee got to hurting so much that I had all I could do to make it back to the hatch and get out of the attic. I thought that after "babying it for the last month I would be alright to knee in the attic, but it is still really tender. I kind of think that it might be the nerves that are causing the pain rather than the knee itself, but what-ever it is sure sore.

Kathleen had gone out to Mount Hood Community College to see one of her friends, this morning, and she finally got back around 1800. It what then that I discovered that the outside light was not working, so I must have moved one of the wires and now I will need to get back up into the attic tomorrow.

It seems that our bedroom ceiling light is also out, so it must be a wire got disconnected somehow. Oh some of the joys of owning an older house! I sometimes feel like I take one step forward and three steps backwards.

While Kathleen was out she stopped by Fred Meyer to pick up one of her prescriptions, and while she was there she picked up a nice Chinook Salmon fillet, so that a couple baked potatoes and some mixed vegetables is what we had for dinner.

It looks like our rain is scheduled to return again tomorrow, it was nice not to have it today, but this time of year it is almost expected to be wet outside. I am just thankful that we did not get the strong winds that some places got and because we are high enough up we were not affected by any high water from rivers overflowing their banks.

I guess I will call it a day, I did get a few things done today, and maybe with the help of knee pads, I can make the trip into the attic with out too much pain. We still need to put the sealant on the grout, but we almost need two people to do that and Kathleen was gone most of the day.

As you can see, I am writing longer blogs again, I have not been wearing my splint very much lately, only if I am going something that might injure it or when I go out. Mainly to let people know that it is still injured or at least not at full strength. Well, it is time to say good night for today.

Mopping up Monday

Well it was still raining this morning when I got up...almost three inches worth over the last three days. The temperature was in the fifties this morning and got up to the sixties. Is this really December?

After making and eating my oatmeal I emptied the dishwasher, did some of the dishes in the sink and added my breakfast dishes to the dishwasher. Then I went into the living room and read the paper. The mail came before I had a chance to read the paper, so after I finished the paper I got the mail. I got a one hundred dollar check from a contest that I had entered and that was my winnings. Kind of a belated birthday present I suppose.

I was getting cabin fever from having to be inside for the better part of the last three days, so when the rain slowed to a drizzle, I went outside and redid a couple of my trenches to divert the water away from the house and driveway.

Before I knew it, it started raining really hard again, so I went inside. About a month ago I bought a sting of work light, that I put together, basically adding the plastic cage to the sockets and putting light bulbs in them. I plan to use them in the attic while I do some work up there, and then the garage when I do some rewiring.

Luckily I had gotten several catalogs in the mail today, so I looked through all of them and before I knew it, it was 1600, so I took a shower and got ready for going to Alyssa's for Natalie's birthday dinner and family party.

Alyssa is having a party for Natalie on Saturday with several of Natalie's friends, but decided to have a dinner and cake tonight for the family. I am sure that she will be posting about it tonight along with some pictures, so no need for me to do that here.

We got home about 2000 and both of us were really tired. I think that it has something to do with the anticipation of the wind storm that kind of put an emotional strain on us. Well that is it for tonight, so I guess that I will say good night and call it a day.

Soggy Sunday

As I sit here writing this it is 49 degrees out and before the night is over the temperature is suppose to get to the mid-fifties. What is wrong with this picture? Unfortunately for us, we are getting the left-over from a couple South Pacific typhoons, hence the rain and the 109 wind gusts on the coast with even higher expected winds tomorrow.

Let me back track a little, I woke up this morning, hoping that I would feel well enough to make it to church or at least Sunday School, but my sinus' were draining so much and irritating my throat that I could not stop coughing. Then when Kathleen got up she did not feel very well either, so we just stayed home. When I first woke up my eyes were just about glued shut with eye goo.

Yesterday at Alyssa's my eyes were really burning and itchy, so I must have gotten into something that irritated them. I am not sure what it was, but that is probably the same thing that is causing my sinuses to be so active as well. I think that I will have to take some medicine to see if I can get my sinuses to calm down a bit.

After eating my morning oatmeal, I unloaded the dishwasher and then went into the living room and read the paper and comics. While reading the paper, I got up a few times and put the caps on the outside faucets, although I do not think that there is any danger of freezing at least for the next few days or so. I also got all my 18 volt batteries and charged them up in case we loose our power tonight or tomorrow.

I also transferred my tools into the new bags that I bought last night. I think that both of them are going to work out pretty well. Right now I have my electrical tools in two heavy nylon bags; one is a little bigger than the other and some spare parts in a medium size plastic container.

I have my carpentry tools in a large heavy nylon bag and a large plastic container, and I have my plumbing tools in a medium size canvas bag. I also have some spare pieces of pipe other spare parts in a medium size canvas bag and a medium plastic container.

I did not get much done this afternoon except cut coupons and organize some of my cordless power tools a little. Most of them have been scattered all over the place and now I have them in two places. I even found one that I could not find, I had seen it and just could not remember where, so it was nice to find it.

I also tested all my 18 volt batteries and found that one of them was defective, so I know not to try to charge it. Now I just need to get ride of it, so that I do not try to use it some time in the future. I did use a "Sharpie" and put a "D" on it to remind me until I can dispose of it.

Tonight Kathleen heated up some left-over Thanksgiving turkey and made a couple baked potatoes. I think yesterday was the first day that we have not had turkey in one form or another since Thanksgiving.

Well, I am sure that I will be hitting the sack early tonight to try to get some sleep before the high winds hit, so that just in case they wake me up, at least I will have gotten some sleep. So until my next blog this is good night!

Saturday's Surprises

Well this morning I had a meeting at church that lasted until about 1130 and by the time I got home it was time to go to Alyssa's for my lunch party. We left the house about 1215, because we had to stop at Winco to pick up some things for the salads.

We did not get out of there until almost 1300, because we picked up a few items that we would need just in case we get the storm that they are predicting that we are suppose to get. Anyway, we finally made it to Alyssa's; Andrea, John and Brandon were there already, but Tami and the girls got there a little later.

Aaron stopped by for a little while as we were finishing eating and was able to share in the "Happy
Birthday" singing and also the angle food cake, but had to get back to work. Toni and Chucky stopped by after Toni got off work, so eventually I had all four of the children, their spouses and all six grandchildren...the makings of a truly happy birthday!

We finally got back home about 1930 after a stop a Home Depot and the gas station. I wanted to stop at Home Depot as they had a couple things that I wanted to pick up with the money that I got for my birthday and also the Home Depot gift card.

I got an electrician's bag with some tools in it and also a general bag for larger tools like hand saws and wood working type tools.

Kathleen heated up the last of the turkey soup and made some melted cheese sandwiches using garlic Italian bread. Well, I am exhausted, I had not stopped to really rest since I got up this morning. Not that I did anything strenuous, but just that I did not have any alone time.

I had a good time with the grandchildren, I read stories to all of them except Brandon, he was too busy crawling around the floor and climbing up on things. It has been a good day, one of my better birthdays in a while. I am not sure why, but I enjoyed it more and was not disappointed after everything was said and done.

I guess that is about it for today, good night and thanks for the memories!

Finding Friday Fun

Well this morning when I got up I called my Mother and wished her a Happy Birthday, even though it was about 0700 here it was about 1000 in New York, so I knew that she would be up. We had sent her some flowers and she said that she really liked them. My sister Sue told me that as well.

It is always a little scary to order flowers and not really know what they will look like, but several years ago I had asked Sue is she could recommend a good florist and she recommended one to us and we have been using them ever since and always had good luck.

After talking to my Mother I did my computer stuff and then took off to meet with the guys for breakfast. It was really crowed and we had to wait fifteen or twenty minutes to get seated, but the food was good once we got it and we did not leave until after 1000.

When I got home, I called Stan and let him know that I was back and he could come over and do the caulking and put up the molding around our new door. He got here around 1100 and worked until about 1730. Next week he is going to be working on another job, so Kathleen and I will be sealing the grout and painting the ceiling and walls.

He did say that he would stop by one afternoon and help put in the new toilet and sink, so maybe we will be able to actually use it next week. It is hard to believe just how much better the "new" bathroom looks compared to the "old" bathroom. Even without the sink and toilet, it looks good.

For lunch I made myself a sardine and dill pickled relish sandwich, while this may not be quite as tempting as Alyssa's phyllo filled "left-over turkey, potato and dressing" wrap, it is easy to make and in case of power failure you can still have this as a meal. Try that with your fancy wrap!

Actually it really looked good, especially since we had left-over turkey, mashed potatoes and dressing for dinner tonight, but I do not think that Kathleen saw Alyssa's blog when she heated our dinner in the micro-wave.

Well, just getting out on my own was fun today, as was meeting with the guys, some simple things that I have not been able to do for about a month. Since I cannot think of anything else to say, I think that I am just going to say good night and Happy Birthday Mom!

Tiling Thursday

Well today Stan got here about 0900 and grouted the walls and then the floor; it took him until about 1530 to finish. Now it just has to sit for seventy-two hours before we can do anything else to it.

I think that tomorrow he is going to caulk around the edges and maybe up the molding around the door. Then next week we can start putting the fixtures in i.e. sink and toilet. Since there was not much I could do while Stan was grouting, I dinked around the house.

I vacuumed the downstairs, washed dishes, and watered the house plants, which reminds me, our Christmas cactus is really starting to bloom nicely. I also went outside and dug a couple channels to help the rain water drain to where I wanted it to go better.

Luckily I got several catalogs in the mail today, so I flipped through them to kill some time. I also loaded some of the updates for my laptop as Kathleen has had it in her sewing room for a while and I had not gotten to update any of the software for a long time.

Tomorrow morning I am suppose to go to breakfast with the guys, it will be my first time driving since I fractured my wrist. I only wore the splint for part of the day, and I tried to use it as much as possible so that I can start building up strength in it again.

Well, not a very exciting day, but that is the way many of them are. I guess I will just say good night and call it a day.

Wednesday Work

Since Stan was not coming over today, I took my time getting going and before I had a chance to start on the tile, Jack called and wanted to come over to fix some of the problems that we brought to his attention the other day.

While I was waiting for him to get here, I swept and vacuumed the upstairs bathroom floor, then I started to scrap out the extra dry mud from between the tile so that Stan could start grouting when I gets here tomorrow.

I got most of the long wall done when Jack got here, so I stopped so that he would not have me in the way. While he was working, I read the paper and the mail and just kind of puttered around the house.

Jack worked for about three hours and then I helped him take his tools out to his van. Then I started back on my project for the day. I could only work for short periods of time as I was getting too stiff and my wrists would get to hurting too much.

I did not wear either my old splint or my new one while I was scrapping, but I wore the two wrist supports that I bought yesterday. They gave me a lot more movement and a little support, but by the time I finished me wrists were both really sore.

Kathleen had called Stan to let him know that I had discovered a tile that had not been set in place with the mud and also one of the glass tiles was really loose, so after he finished his other job, he stopped by and put some mud on them and reset them.

He also said that my scrapping looked really good and that he would be back tomorrow morning to start grouting. After Stan left, I watched the news and Kathleen made some spaghetti for dinner.

Well, my wrists are letting me know that I exercised them today, but it is nice keyboarding without that old splint on. The new one that I bought does not come up as high in my palm and I am able to use my fingers better. With that, I think that it is time for me to say good night.

Tempting Temperature Tuesday

Well, this morning it was not windy or rainy out so after I had my omelet and read the paper and mail, I went out and worked in the yard. Since Stan was not working here today, I could do what I wanted to do, well almost.

I pulled weeds in the rose garden, berry patch and under the fir trees. I also worked on the raspberries, and took myself for a little walk, something I had not done since my fall. I could not do as much as I would have liked to as Kathleen had her doctor's appointment at 1300, so I needed to stop and get cleaned up a little after noon.

We got in right away and the doctor spent about an hour with Kathleen, she seemed pretty nice and knowledgeable. She was Romanian and specialized in the Endocrine system, so hopefully she will be able to help Kathleen get her thyroid under control. She also asked questions about Kathleen's diabetes and cholesterol level, so maybe she can attack several of Kathleen's problems at the same time.

She gave Kathleen a new prescription, so after we left the hospital we made a quick stop at the credit union so that I could deposit a check. Then we stopped at Home Depot so that I could pick up a few things that I needed for the remodeling.

Finally we went to Fred Meyer to pick up a prescription, but there was a problem so it took over two hours to get every thing corrected. I bought a different wrist brace, this one is not as long and is not as annoying, it also has gel in it as well as the steel like my old one had. I also bought a couple really small wrist supports, one for my sprained left wrist and one for my right wrist when I take the brace off.

We finally made it home at 1740. We were both pretty tired so Kathleen fixed me some chicken gumbo soup and some lentil soup for herself.

I think that is about it for today, I am still not sure if Stan is coming over tomorrow, so I am not sure what I will be doing tomorrow. Well, I guess all that is left is a good night!

Monday's Make-over

Stan got here this morning around 0830 and we finished laying all the tile. Now we will have to wait a couple of days before we can grout. So before Stan took off today we hooked up the switches for the overhead light and the light/fan/heater/night-light unit. We tried the out and everything works!

While Stan and I were working on the electrical, Jack stopped by with his plans for the sideboard and hutch for the dining-room, and we shared some of our concerns about the work he did in the bathroom. There was nothing really major, just a few things that are a little annoying.

We figured that as long as we were having the work done we might as well have it the way Kathleen wants it. Also the molding he put up was a different color white than the cabinets, so we would like him to paint them the same color.

Alyssa come by as Kathleen is taking her to the doctor's to see what can be done to prevent her from getting kidney stones so frequently. So they took off and I helped Stan clean up his equipment and he left around 1430. Stan will not be back until Wednesday or Thursday as he is working at another customer's house.

As soon as I got cleaned up I made myself another Limburger and herring sandwich, yum, yum! Once that was finished I emptied that dishwasher and then added some more dishes. Then I went into the living room and read the paper. After I finished the paper, I added it to the recycling and took it outside.

Kathleen is still not back, but she is planning on having left-overs tonight, since I eat dinner around 1500 I am not all that hungry yet. Tomorrow Kathleen has her own doctor's appointment, I had not planned on going with her as I thought that I would be working on the house, but now it looks like I will be able to go with her.

Well, I think that is it for today, so I think I will just say good night.

Sunday's Scrapping

Well, this morning we made it to church but not without a little excitement. We saw that the lawn was white from frost but did not take into account that we would need to scrape the windows of the car. So first we had to find an ice scrapper, I found an extra one that I had in the garage, but using it with my left hand was not the easiest thing for me to do.

After church I change back into my shorts and tee shirt, this was the first time that I have worn long pants in six weeks and also the first time I have worn a long sleeve shirt since last winter. Then when I got back downstairs I made myself a Limburger and herring sandwich, what a delicacy!

After reading the paper, I did a couple loads of laundry, folded and put it away, but that was about all I got done today. For dinner tonight we had some of the turkey soup that Kathleen made. It give it a little special flavor Kathleen added some Lingenberries.

Well, I guess that this is it for the weekend. Tomorrow Stan should finish the tiling and the in a couple days he can do the grouting then maybe we can even put the toilet and sink in. So maybe next week we will once again have an upstairs bathroom. That means no more middle of the night trips downstairs.

I cannot think of anything else to say for today, other than it was cold all day. So I guess that I will just say good night.

So-long Sunshine Saturday

Well, the weather is once again changing, it was not nearly as windy as it has been the last few days but it also was not as sunny either. Since Kathleen went grocery shopping yesterday I was able to make my Saturday morning omelet with onions and mushrooms.

After eating, I emptied the dishwasher and then got the mail as it arrived just as I was finishing the dishes. Not much of anything, except for My American Express Gold credit card bill. Jack arrived about 1030 and worked most of the day on the molding and installing the doors, draws and their respective hardware.

While he was working upstairs I swept and mopped the kitchen floor. Once the floor was dry I put the rugs back down and then washed some of the pots and pans that had been sitting around for a couple days. With only one good hand, washing the pots and pans is difficult to say the least.

I had also re-hooked up the charger earlier this morning and when I rechecked it the battery had charged, so I unplugged it and put the charger away. I then hooked up a solar battery charger that I had bought last summer to see if that would keep the battery charged. I had kept forgetting about it when I had charged the battery before.

I also dug up an arborvitae and cut it up into small pieces. Jack discovered that he had forgotten something so he had to run home to pick it up. By this time it was lunch time so I mixed the left over potato chowder and Kathleen's bean and bacon soup and had it with a herring sandwich.

I finished just as Jack returned with the long pieces of molding he had forgotten. Jack finally finished around 1600 and other than not having a toilet or sink the bathroom really is starting to look like a real bathroom.

Tonight we are having some left-over turkey and stuffing for dinner and I think Kathleen is going to cook the bones to make some turkey soup. Well, I am tired, my wrist is sore and I think it is just time to call it a week and say good night.