Over the fence chat for December, 2004

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What the heck; might as well try another chat thread. Maybe we can catch up with what we've all got going on.

Well, I could pull one of my previous threads from just about anywhere and plop it in here - life just doesn't seem to change that much for me. Working too many hours - almost 70 between Wed night and Mon night; and now looking at a 60 hour week to follow it - lots of staff out with flu type symptoms. Pop got a flu shot this year, but I'd still like to wrap him up in cotton wool and keep him home and safe. Like I don't bring "bugs" galore in from work anyway. Eyeball roll.

Hmmm, besides working too many hours, what am I doing? Laundry, housework, taking care of Pop. Feeding the birds. A little phone and internet shopping for the holiday season. Missing Jes. Talking to Jes on the phone. E-mailing Jes. Dang but it hurts that umbilical cord to stretch 1,000 miles!

Found 6 new seed catalogs on the kitchen table when I got home from work Monday night (yeah, a day shift. Like to have killed me dead.) then another one came in the mail on Tuesday. I sorta got offended there for a moment. You know how they kind of send out different versions of the catalog to different people? Well, I got one that had an old bald guy with white whiskers and a old lady with white hair on the cover. I asked Hubs "Just what are these folks trying to say, anyway?!" He took me in the other room and stood me in front of the mirror - pointed at his head, then mine and said "What DO you think they're trying to tell you?!" Hrummph. Unlike EM, I'm not blond; haven't been blond since I was about 4 years old - what I've am is GREY! I keep telling myself that it is some kind of special bulbs they use at the salon that makes my hair look so grey but now it's starting to show up in other places - like every mirror I look in! I keep telling myself I look distinguished... Hubs doesn't have to worry about grey....

Anyway, back to the seed catalogs. I think I'm getting old. I haven't even looked through all of them yet. In fact, I've only been all the way through one of them - the Totally Tomatoes one. Maybe it's just that they came so early this year - ya think? I've not had time to even clean up the rest of the weeds out of the garden yet. (My story is that I'm leaving all that stuff there for the birds to eat, and to shelter in - sound good to y'all?) I did drag out a pad of graph paper and have been lakadasically drawing out my beds but the enthusiasm just isn't there as it has been in years past. Then again, I can still see green outside - since that last snow melted, anyway.

Took Jes's cat Janie in to get spayed the other day. Vet called today to see how she was getting along; told me to bring her in to have the stitches out on Friday. Only thing is, she's only got one stitch left - she's already pulled the other 3 out herself. I think I could probably get that last one out myself. 'Course, then I'd probably have to go in for a blood transfusion...

We've had an influx of squirrels at the bird feeders this year - 5 of them, all small greys. We hadn't had squirrels in the yard for a long time as Sherman, our old German Shepard, always chased them off. Well, apparently the squirrel grapevine finally got the news that old Sherm passed on a few years back, so they have come back. I got an old ear corn dryer like they used to use to keep the seed corn over winter and hung it out in one of the trees we have bird feeders in. It holds 10 ears and it is a lot of fun to watch their acrobatics as they climb down, or hang by their hind feet to reach the corn. They don't care much for the guineas, who will stand on the ground under the corn dryer and yell at them. The squirrels will then pull off kernals of corn and throw it at the guineas - whether it's to shut them up or just being nice and feeding them, I haven't decided yet.

Unc finally gave in and bought a new (used) chopper/bush hog to replace the old ones that we've been using forever. Says he's going to take the torch to the old ones. I've just got to make sure that Hubs isn't around when he does it or we might end up with a big pile of metal and no farm equipment, as most of it is pretty old! Neighbor Mike put in dibs on the old rotary hoe - he saw a metal cat sculpture in one of the seed catalogs for $80 and decided it was time to pull out his welder and get back into the yard art business. Unc and Neighbor Mike got some sort of deal going on that has to do with Mike's feed grinder; don't know if it's coming to live at our house or what. Never do know what I'm going to find when I go out to the machine shed...

Well, I reckon I'd better close this, and go finish up my work so that I can get out of here on time for a change. You folks all take care, stay warm!

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2004

Answers

Hi Polly!

Eeek. I haven't looked that closely at my Totally Tomatoes catalog, but I'm afraid to now! I have a lot of grey hair, too. However, I also have blonde hair (both artificial and 'real'), so maybe it's not so obvious. Who am I really kidding?

I'm getting orthodontic braces here in another month! I wore them as a kid, but never had a retainer, and my teeth are pretty bunched up in front (maybe pretty isn't the right word!!!). I have a Class II overbite and surgery was suggested to lengthen my jaw (yeah right). Anyway, I'll settle for braces for a couple-three years. How can I be middle aged if I have teenage mouth appliances?? LOL.

I do look at my face in the mirror and try to imagine any shred of objectivity...absolutely cannot! Folks tell me I look a good 10 years younger than I am (which I can kind of grasp since my mom has always been that way). Still on occasion, I freak when I see where my neck and chin have gone south and my Jerry Mahoney lines are getting deeper!

Anyway...

The UCC ads (my church's national advertising campaign) has been turned down by CBS and NBC. Sheesh. I'll have to comment on that later.

Getting coolish around here. Feels close to snow again.

Our E. Washington house is all ready to go if we could only get a contractor. We keep interviewing folks, but run into snags.

We did go on a barrel tasting wine tour last weekend. Check out Cave B winery (wine is okay, but the site it incredible...next to The Gorge Amphitheater).

Glad to hear all your news. I think if I had a daughter, I'd never want to have her far away. Maybe I understand some of my mom's clinginess, even though we've usually been pretty healthy about our relationship.

Gotta run. Take care, and good to hear.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2004


I saw the UCC ad on the History Channel last night. I thought it was very well-done.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2004

Sherri, Good! I'm glad somebody saw it. I can't believe CBS (emphasis on the BS part) wouldn't run it because the Executive Branch is trying to pass a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage...what's the teevee-government-church thing all about? They allow hate ads for political candidates but not a nice ad by my church??? huh? Guess this has been discussed/dissed on the hot-head radio circuit. Nice publicity I guess!

I'm SO busy...gotta run. What's everyone else up to? zzzzzz

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2004


Well, I've been up to zzzz today; me and Boo-Boo kitty spent the afternoon napping on the couch and reading trash. He's not as fond of books as he is of watching TV with Hubs, but for a warm human to curl up next to, and an occasional pat, he'll make do. Janie cat and Boo-Boo are not getting along well at all; I don't know how much time I'm going to have to give them to get used to one another. I don't know that I've ever tried to introduce two adult cats before.

Sheepish, braces, eh? Beats false choppers, no? I would have to be sedated to get braces, so you are a far braver soul than I. I think I could handle the braces part, if dentists just didn't come along with them... I'm waiting for pleasant weather before I do my laundry. Well, I'm waiting for weather that I can hang my clothes outside on the line in. 40 some degrees is the closest to warm we're going to get for a while, I'm sure. Rain, rain, rain....I'm just glad the temperature has been warm, if all this rain had been snow, it would be ass deep. Hopefully, tomorrow will be sort of decent, then Thursday is supposed to be better yet; maybe I won't have to go to work naked after all.

The phone rang at 0445 this morning and, of course, I panicked, thinking 'Jes'. No, just work. "We have 16 patients, one of the two nurses called in, the boss (also an RN) isn't coming in today, and we've got the new CNA; we need you to come in and cover day shift." "No." 0500, just as I got back to sleep "The night shift nurse is going to cover day shift, we need you to come in and cover night shift." "No." I worked 120 freaking hours in 11 1/2 days, the boss took a 4-day weekend for the holiday, only one other person took an extra shift during that time and I am TIRED! I plan to keep the phone line tied up with the internet until after the shift starts so they can't call again!

John and I went out for supper last night; had to use a gift certificate his sister gave us for Christmas last year or lose it. After we ate (overpriced steak and salmon) we walked around the little mall in the town where I work; then stopped by a grocery store on the way home. I have decided that there are an awful lot of people out there who need to be on antipsychotic meds. (Right after they get out of traffic school.) John has decided that I need to get off the psych ward. He thinks I'm starting to get a little weird, myself. Hrmmph. Is it just me, or are people becoming even more obnoxious than they always were?! (I think I'm turning into Pop.)

Well, that's about all I can think of to say; reckon I'd better close and go wander the web a bit more. Take care, all..

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2004


Good for you, Polly! Sayin "no" gets easier with practice! (they tell me). There are lotsa nutsos out there, but ponder this possibility once:

If we are all vibrational creatures, just energy really, what if you are merely attracting more than your share of goofies because you are tuned into their frequency? Could very well be because you hang around the deranged all the time, that you've become stuck in their vibrational field and are having trouble breaking out. Recipe for depression and maybe worse. John's right........get another assignment dear.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2004



Sheesh Polly! I sure hope they give you mega-overtime pay! Holy Cow. That's a lot of work to do in a short period of time. And your boss can get a 4-day weekend for T-day? Hmm. I think they depend on you too much or something.

Curling up with the cat and a good book sounds delightful. I am reading "Skeleton Man" by Tony Hillerman (his newest) but I'm having a time of it getting dedicated reading time, and it's due back at the library tomorrow. I suppose I could take it to work, read a chapter, transcribe a few reports, read another chapter, transcribe a few more reports, etc.! ha. We have been so tied up with dealing with my aunt's broken car and getting it up to her new house on Camano Island, that I haven't even been home to cook a meal in days. The laundry is getting stacked to a precarious altitude, and I'm afraid my dirty jeans will have a frost line on them soon! The cat, the book, the time all have a very welcoming feel; mostly the time!

We are headed to E. Washington this weekend to (hopefully) finally select the contractor for us. We have 2 who look good, but one is coming in $30k higher than the other. Mr. S. has built houses and used to bid/sell building materials, so I am confident that he knows what's in the numbers. I don't see why one should be THAT much higher, though. Fortunately, Mr S. is taking care of all of this. It's been snowing like mad up in the passes (they closed Snoqualmie Pass for a while a couple days ago, and Stevens Pass, which is the one we use, is 1000 feet higher and more northerly, so we'll see..). I think it's now warmed up, however, and we're due for our annual December flooding and deluge as all that snow melts. We're determined to get there, so we'll either plow or float, I guess.

Got the barn cleaned out last weekend. Now that I am ram-less, things are SO much easier. The whole gang can hang out together in one barn and stay warm and dry. I don't have to find surprises out there every dark morning (fences down, etc.).

I've been running on my treadmill a few times a week. I'm up to a mile each time. Funny. I used to run 4 miles a day (or so) in college. I loved to run. Now I don't have daylight or don't feel safe in some locations by myself, so the treadmill is it. I play really loud music and that helps.

Braces. Yup. This could be interesting. I also got my hair cut a bit and a little softer around the face with some layering. This must be by version of the red convertible?!!!

Have a good weekend!

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2004


Hi everyone. My computer got a virus so I was gone for a while. Anyone notice? Anyway, we decided to empty the whole thing and reload instead of trying to clean it. Had some problems with the reloading but I think it is finally fixed.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2004

I tried to go on Homesteading Today and was denied. Since when has it been password protected? I can't remember it at all. I e-mailed them but don't think I'll get an answer. I also was the only Dee and now it's saying there already is one. Me? I am also having trouble getting on a goat line I used to be on (that is why I'm trying to get on Homesteading. Same people since the goat one is down) See the problems of having a virus.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2004

Dee, I'm not a member over there but I managed to get to the website and bring up posts with no problem. Can't post without signing in, but can read.

Quite a few of the same folks are on todayshomestead.com, if you were looking for someone in particular you can check their membership list, or if you find someone you want pm'd, I can do that for you.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2004


I really wanted to talk to goat people. I lost the site I used to go to but know they also go there. Dairy Goat Forum.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2004


Dee, did you go to todayshomestead.com and check to see if any of them are there? You don't have to register to read, except for a few closed forums. They also have a forum there called "Links" that might have a link to the forum you're looking for; or if you ask, someone might know of it. Or there may be a link to another forum where someone else might know.

I just saw Hendo over there the other day; been a long time since I'd read anything from him.

I've been sleeping my life away recently; been coming home in the mornings on my last day of work and falling into bed and not getting up until the regular time - 5pm; and then going back to bed around midnight and sleeping through the night as well. Pisses me off, it does! This old chubby body just doesn't want to move anymore - and if I don't get it to moving, I'm going to be in a heck of a shape come spring and gardening time. Maybe I can annoy one of my patients to the point of punching me in the chops and have to have my jaw wired shut or something so I can lose a few pounds. Not as far fetched as it sounds; I am sporting some pretty good bruises on my chest, belly, hip and left leg from a patient that went ballistic the other day - and three of us were holding her down; or trying to, when she got me, and others as well. All over a glass of soda pop. I need a new job.

I did get a Holiday card from a nursing school chum the other day that said "Looking for a job? Call me." I wonder if she's still working for the "dark side". We were both disaster responders for the Red Cross when we were in school, but then she went to work for a different Blood Service, therefore the "dark side" joke. I wonder what the dark side pays? I looked into public health, specifically WIC nurse (Women, Infant, Children program) a few years ago, but decided I couldn't afford a $20,000 a year pay cut; now, it would be more like a $35,000 cut. I'd like to do that kind of work, but I'd also like to eat and pay my mortgage! And I like having Hubs home much of the time, so I'd rather do what I'm doing than have him take a different job to make up the difference.

Was I just griping about my house being cluttered the other day? (Or did I just think about griping about it?) Well anyway...last night I stopped by Walgreen's on my way into work to pick up a secret santa gift for a co-worker and they had this set of seasonal dishes. Now, I've been looking at these dishes for a couple of years: heavy stoneware, red edges with snowflakes and some snow men in the center; bright and festive, just the kind of thing to brighten up your meatloaf during those gloomy January snowstorms. (I am very much affected by my surroundings.) BUT, they were priced beyond my cheapskate limit, and I need more dishes like I need a hole in the head, AND I've already got a nice set of winter dishes with pine cones and holly on 'em, so I just passed 'em by each time I saw them. Well, as I was saying, I walked in last night and they had these dishes for $6.95 for a 16 pc service for 4. So I bought a set. And then I stopped back by on my way home from work this morning and bought another set, so now I have a service for 8. And Hubs just shook his head, and helped me make room in the cabinet. (I didn't use those blue enamel ware dishes all that much anyway; they'll do fine on the top shelf!) So, if anyone is looking for some winter dishes; there's a good bargain to be had at Walgreens right now.

Hubs and I went out tonight and stuffed the chicken coop and the dog's straw bale house with more bedding; Bun's hutch is already full up. When I left work this morning, it was 12* with a wind chill of - 9*; wind was gusting up to 30 mph. I felt sorry for the Salvation Army bell ringers today! I told Pop to keep his butt at home and inside today, so of course he went to town and then went out and filled the bird feeders himself instead of having John do it. Old crank! The wind has died down some now, but it is still cold; supposed to get down to 5* tonight.

Hubs stopped and picked up our holiday tree Saturday when he went to town to get feed. It is a nice little Black Hills spruce (or fir?); about 4' tall; 5 1/2' with the root ball. Our yard is full of what I like to call the ghosts of Christmas past - live trees that we have bought for the holidays, then planted out in the yard. I like them much better than Marley! I like having someplace close to the house for the birds to shelter in the winter, and this is a nice, bushy little tree - of course, it's supposed to get 60' tall, so I will have to think hard about where it should be planted. Neighbor Mike will bring over his small backhoe and dig the hole for us, thank goodness! I've got Pop busy stringing cranberries but I need to get some more popcorn to pop and string. Then I'm going to melt some suet and mix in seeds and dried fruit bits and pour it in to a cake pan to set before using my small cookie cutters to cut out bells and stars and gingerbread type people to hang on the tree. We won't have it in the house but for a day before putting it back outside for the birds to enjoy.

Well, I've nattered on long enough, I think. You folks all take care, stay warm, drive careful, etc...

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2004


Hey Polly, I decided to register under a different name since they never got back in touch with me about my registed name of (of all things) Dee. Soooo, the goat site I wanted to find seems to be down. All the talk of the board, so I'm not missing much.

Last night I didn't put a blanket on Honey and early this morning, I kept listening to the wind whistle and worried about her. Ha, she has such a thick coat that icicles hang off of it and it doesn't bother her. I put a coat on her tonight though. As I was trying to buckle it and had to take off my gloves. They started hurting, it was so cold. It took a while, between blowing on my hands to get it done. Goats are fine, fat and sassy. I'm soooo glad I've got heaters in all their waters. Rabbit's only one but I change her water twice a day. Better one rabbit then the 14 I had.

They said it will be getting back into the 50's on Thursday and maybe snow for Christmas eve. Weird weather.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2004


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