Making progress

With the frugal thing.  Mostly.  The clothes I hung out yesterday were dry by this afternoon.  It was pretty windy so they got a good blowing and didn't freeze.  Although my fingers tried to.  I had my fingerless mitts on and kept putting my hands in my pockets but the weather was in the high 20s today and definitely cold.  Still, I got another load hung out and hopefully will get more hung out on Thursday.  We didn't go to the movies today because it's trash day and I had some stuff to go through in the basement to throw out.  Which I need to bring up and take outside before it gets completely dark.  I love it when it's dark before 5 p.m.  But then...I'm a night person.

I slept a bit before Tom got home but woke up when I heard him.  We had bought him a new work coat because the coat he's been using since his Navy days was looking so bad.  I mean, it's over 25 years old.  So we got a sturdy work coat, which he liked and wore to work today.  I was able to get back to sleep pretty well after that but got woke up this morning at around 8 a.m. by 2 robo-calls from the Republicans freaking out because their side lost the election so they want everyone to make sure the President doesn't get anything passed.  They're not getting me on their side with all this hysteria, especially at 8 in the morning.

I scheduled my mammogram today for right before Christmas.  I kept meaning to but time got away from me.  I was due the end of August but there was a lot going on there and a 3 hour trip up to FDL and back wasn't going to work out for me.  Especially when I wasn't sleeping at night then.  Now that I seem to be better, I'll get it done.  That means my surgeon's visit will be probably in January though, but maybe I can get in before then.

I worked on Zach's sock last night.  I need to dig out the pattern for the blanket so I can finish it up and then put buttons on the sweater and get it mailed out.  I'm really bad at that last point.  I just hate going to the post office, which is why a home business wouldn't work out at all for me.  I know my limitations.  I did start working on a dishcloth shawl out of some bulky yarn I had plenty of.  It's a chocolate brown and not particularly luscious but it will make someone a nice, warm shawl. Won't be done for a while yet though.

I forgot to pick up my medicine at the store yesterday but as they hold it for a few days I'm not running back there.  Trips to town have to be limited from now on to save gas.  Tom put a few things on the list but I hope he doesn't run out before I can get back to the store.  If he does, he does though.  I've got to stop this constant shopping that seems to be going on.  'Cause I never just get what's on the list, you know.  I used to be good at this, not going but once a week.  I'll probably have to do at least 2 trips a week but even that would be a lot better than the 4-5 times I go now.  We're doing the movie tomorrow but it's in the opposite direction.  I don't go to the movies in the town we shop in because parking is awful and far away and they don't have matinees during the week.  When I say parking is awful, I mean it's very limited and a few blocks away from the theater.

I'm not sure what I'm going to fix for supper tonight.  I have some canned salmon I might fix into patties.  We haven't had that in a while.  I've got a venison roast but that would take too long.  I'll fix that on Thursday when I can be home all day.  I've got a crock pot but I won't use it if I'm not home.  It's still in great shape but it's old and our wiring is old and I just don't trust it if I'm not here. 

I should get busy with supper now and get the trash out to the bin.  It's already dark now but we've got a street light in front of the house so I won't need a flashlight or anything.

TTFN

Been a while

Tom was gone last week hunting and brought back half a deer.  They share out their deer in the camp but this one he shot.  First thing on opening day.  One other hunter got a deer as well. So he got home a bit early yesterday, before I was even out of bed, and started processing the meat.  We had bought him a set of knives for processing a few years ago so he was thrilled to use them.  It was also nice to see him doing it instead of me.  I had processed one deer years ago with our crappy knives and swore never to do it again.  Now we have meat in the freezer.  Yay!

For me the week wasn't great.  Depression being what it is, it left me in a funk so I didn't get anything much done while he was gone.  Hardly any knitting at all.  Not much cleaning and very little cooking.  I would have been better off if I had just stopped fighting it and rode it out.  'Cause once I did that, it resolved itself more quickly.  I never learn.

But I am back to knitting again.  Nearly finished with the baby blanket.  I just need to finish up the end trim and weave in the ends, wash it and get it off to my daughter and her husband for their new baby.  I finished up my wool socks and one of Zach's, started on the other one and plan on starting Tom's mittens after I finish up the blanket.  And from now on I plan on using up my stash.

We're in super tightwad lockdown from now on.  I have to get back to where we used to be in that regard.  I don't think we will ever be able to relax again.  We have to start fixing the house up, putting money back into the house.  Even if it's just decorative.  Plus we need to get some money in savings again.  I don't think I will ever trust the economy again.

I've got a load of clothes out on the line.  It's around freezing but it's windy so they won't freeze.  It will take a day or two to dry but they will dry.  Whites and socks I'll dry in the dryer because they take forever to hang up and don't feel great on the feet.  I won't be able to hang up all the clothes inside on racks this winter, but I can use the dryer partly and hang them up on the racks when they're partly dry. That will save some money a bit.

We're going to see a movie this week.  Zach has been wanting to see Wreck-it Ralph so we're going tomorrow.  The Hobbit is coming out soon but we'll wait until after the holidays because I don't do well in crowded movie theaters.  And we only do matinees.  We only do one movie a year normally but we haven't gone for a few years so two this year will be okay.

I'll also be doing more cooking from scratch.  I had debated getting another bread machine but I think I'll just go back to making it by hand instead.  The problem in winter is the house not being warm enough for the bread to rise, but I'm working on using a candle to heat under my bread mixing pan, which is stainless steel.  I just need a rack under it so it's not too close.  Tea candles last several hours so they should work well.

Which means less time online.  I have been losing interest in the internet lately but I had thought it was the depression.  But I think I'm getting more interested in things going on here so I plan on spending less time on facebook and stuff.  I'll keep up with my blogs though, because I do still like writing them.

But for now, I've got to put the load of whites in the dryer and get another load started, get Zach up so we can go to the store and pay bills.  And then get something going for supper.  I have a chicken laid out so I think roast chicken for supper tonight.  I need to make tortillas this week and maybe some noodles as well.  I'll work on the bread next week.  Right now the freezer is full of venison so I don't have room to freeze any bread.  And I want to make at least 4 loaves at a time.  It's more economical.

TTFN

I'm still here

Can't believe it's been almost a week since I last posted.  I am still sleeping fairly well.  I had one bad night that resulted in me putting my room back the way it was since the arrangement wasn't helping me sleep after all.  The inconvenience was a pain but worth the effort if I was getting sleep.  Not so much if I wasn't.

I had to stop working on the baby blanket to knit up a pair of flip-top mittens for Tom for hunting.  I have no idea what happened to all our mittens but they aren't in the bag I keep that stuff in.  So I'm knitting him a new pair out of the Fisherman's Wool from Lion Brand.  I absolutely love how they're turning out and we all will have our own pair before it gets too much colder.

Tom is leaving tomorrow for deer hunting.  I have one more thing to get him for the trip and then I will work on laundry and cleaning.  It's hard to clean before he leaves so I'll do that afterward.  But the laundry  must be done ahead of time.  He needs some clean clothes to take with him.

I don't have any great plans for Thanksgiving except our annual trip to Pizza Hut on the day before.  Probably just frozen dinners with a pumpkin pie on the side.  I haven't cooked for T-day for around 17 years.  It's just not a big day for me.  When Zach was little, Tom was always out to sea around that time and when he got out of the Navy, he was gone deer hunting.  I've been invited to other people's houses but honestly the stress of trying to socialize with people you don't really know never appealed to me so I would graciously decline the invitation.  I do wish I were more social but attempting it one day a year with a crowd of people in a small house makes me nuts.  I did have one big family dinner here once and it was more than I ever want to do again.  The people were fine.  The house was too small and I spent the majority of the time finishing up the cooking by myself in the tiny kitchen so it's just not worth it.

I do plan on a lot of knitting while he's gone since I don't plan on doing a lot of cleaning after I get it all straightened up.  And cooking will be simple and plain.  I just don't want to spend my whole time cleaning and cooking.  It's the closest I get to a vacation, even though I still have all my regular chores to do.  And I still have laundry and cooking, even if it's not elaborate meals.  And of course, the kitchen has to be cleaned up daily as well.  Sigh.  I've never had a real vacation in our whole marriage.  Or before that either, come to think of it.

Anyway.  I hope to get the baby blanket done and a pair of socks for Zach in addition to some flip top mittens for me and Zach and some socks for Tom.  Then I've got tons of WIPs to finish up.  Or rip back.  I have to put a dent in this stash of yarn.

The sun is shining today and the birds have nearly emptied the feeder so I need to refill that as well.  We've killed 8 mice so far in the traps.  I had to resort to kill traps instead of humane as I think the mice were coming back in.  We haven't seen or heard a mouse in a few days so I'm hoping they're all gone.  I hate to kill them but they were in my stove, leaving droppings in my pots and pans so I had to wash them every time I needed to use them.  Plus they were way too close to my food and that I will not tolerate.  I can't afford to be merciful when there is risk of our health involved.

Well, I need to get dressed and get to town to finish up the shopping and then get the laundry finished up.

TTFN

Hope this trend continues

Three nights of sleep.  Good sleep. Mostly uninterrupted sleep.  I'm still not feeling energetic but I'm not feeling like I can barely move anymore and plan on getting some work done today.  Inside and out.  Apparently that orientation for my bed is working out great in spite of the fact it's not ideal at all.  I have a tv tray for a nightstand that blocks my armoir so I have to move it whenever I need something from my drawers.  But I'm sleeping and that's more important.

I haven't gotten a lot of knitting done but hopefully that will change now.  I won't be online as much either as the election is over and I have much to do around the house. Especially now that I'm sleeping. I just turned the furnace on to heat up the house but I'll be turning it back down afterward.  It's not that cold outside but as the sun isn't shining today, the inside won't warm up like it did yesterday.  I didn't turn the heat up at all yesterday.

I need to make my mammogram appointment today. I keep meaning to and forget until it's too late in the day to call.  I'm a few months late but I'm not in a panic about it.  I would have done it sooner but it's so far to drive for it.  It takes about an hour to get there.  Plus I have to then see the surgeon after the results are in so that's two trips in a month.  I know I used to drive that daily when Zach was in school but I'm older and tireder now and just hate the journey.

Tom leaves for deer hunting next week so I have to get busy with the tightwadding.  I need to get back to where I was years ago because things are only going to get worse from here on out. The economy keeps pricing upward and Tom's raises don't.  We can't keep getting 1% raises in a 5% economy and expect to live on it for long.

Well, I need to eat breakfast and get busy.  Much to do. :)

TTFN

I voted

And I hope I can sleep in tomorrow without having my sleep disturbed by non-stop political calls.  And by political calls, I mean calls from the right. 99.9% of the calls I got were from the right.

I had to get up with Professor at least 4 times last night, which woke me up because I had to go outside with him to keep him from barking.  And it seemed like as soon as I got back to sleep, he woke me up wanting out again.  And then, toward morning, I was in twilight sleep when I had the strangest feeling.  I opened my eyes to see Hannibal's nose about 2 inches from my eyeball.  Just staring at me.  Creepy.

Another problem I have is that I can't prop my pillows up so I can sleep which means it take forever to get comfortable so I'll be shifting the bed a bit, sliding it against the wall under the waterbed headboard that I use as a bookcase.  It won't be ideal but at least I should be able to sleep again.  It still leaves the heating vent open but also opens up the room a bit so I can walk through it.  As it was I had about 6 inches of corridor through the room.

I would love to have my own room.  Sigh.

Well, off to finish up my room and start supper.  Probably chili tonight.  It's cold and rainy and that's just chili weather.

TTFN

Having one of those "I hate some people" days

I'll admit it started  with Professor not letting me sleep last night, wanting out every time I entered REM sleep.  Around 8 a.m. the robocalls started and some of them were minutes apart.  Tom picked up some but he was upstairs most of the morning.  Finally I got up around 1 p.m. because sleep just wasn't going to happen anymore.  Not meaning to be political but 100% of the calls were from the right.

I had to go back to the store because there were two necessary items not put on the list yesterday so  I had my coffee and a bit of incredibly slow computer time (I have no idea what is up with my computer but Zach says I need to reformat it to fix it which will lose everything I've got and if I save to a stick, I run the risk of bringing it back to the computer afterward.  I just keep putting it off.) I got dressed and headed to the store.

I stopped to get some gas, which was about $20 cheaper than the last time I filled up (only to find the price was 4 cents cheaper on the way home...I think they see me coming.)  Then I got past the one stop light heading out of town on E and traffic was backed up about a half mile from the railroad crossing where they load the cars on the train.  Being this was rush hour, I didn't think it was a good time to close off the one of two west exits out of town.  By the time we finally got going (I had a book to read and got 2 pages finished before we got to move again and I was pretty far back.) I think traffic was backed up beyond the traffic light.

So...finally got to town, grabbed a sandwich because one of the things we were missing was bread and I didn't feel like cooking something before I left.  Had some peaceful time reading and enjoying my dollar menu items and then headed to StuffMart where things got crazy.  There were two things I needed in addition to the bread and in front of both items, family reunions were going on.  I coughed, hinted and finally left, thinking I could come back in a few minutes but it was nearly 20 minutes before either aisle was available.  Even coming back every few minutes didn't deter the people from catching up on all the news.

So I wasn't in a very good mood at all.  Not to mention I'm having an allergy headache because I didn't take my meds yesterday.  I occasionally give myself a day off to see if I'm okay without them.  Apparently I'm not.  It was also frustrating when people who shop take up the whole aisle and shoot daggers at you if you try to get around them. 

So now I've got a raging headache and just want to go to bed.  I'll do the plastic on the windows tomorrow. 

TTFN

Getting closer to furnace time

I haven't finished the winterizing yet.  Last night I slept a lot, just not uninterrupted and woke up this morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all.  So slow going today.  Plus I had errands to run and shopping.  I have two more windows to do and the rug to put down in the back hallway since it's not insulated.  There is nothing between the floor and the patio it's built on.  Plus I need to put a curtain up back there to contain as much of the cold as possible.

Tomorrow for sure I have to get all that done.

I ended up having to rip back all I knitted last night as I put a few yarnovers in the wrong place and didn't see them until this morning.  So maybe it's not a good idea for me to knit when I'm that tired.  I'm still not back to where I was before. 

I'm also trying to get the laundry done but the stairs are not my friends because of my arthritic knees so I'm only doing one load a day.  I would love to have everything on one floor.

I need to get supper started and then I think I'm going to bed.  It's cold in here but until I get the winterizing done and the filter changed in the furnace I don't want to run it.  I might run it long enough to take the chill off the house tomorrow morning though.  The house usually stays warm once it's warm.  It's just that it's been cold for a few days and no sunshine today.

I'm thinking macaroni and cheese tonight for supper.

TTFN