Sunday, April 27, 2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

Hi

Another nice day outside in New Hampshire. We've had a really nice April so far. Hope it stays nice although we are expecting some rain later this weekend. Even though we had mountains of snow over the winter, it's been dry since March and there are several areas of the state under fire watch.
My day off has been rather productive. I slept until 7 then got up and showered, had some coffee and then got busy rearranging things in my bedroom. It is truly amazing how much junk I have accumulated. I have already filled one huge trash bag with garbage and another with clothes. Goodwill is going to love me when I show up. I also have a big box of papers ready for the shredder. I feel quite accomplished right now even though I still have a bit more to do. I'm out of garbage bags though so the rest will have to wait until I buy some more.
Not a whole lot going on here. It hasn't been all that busy at work so I have to admit I've been passing the time by goofing off and fooling around. Of course I have managed to do this by 'looking' busy so I haven't gotten into any trouble. It does get tiring trying to look busy all day and hopefully on Monday we will have the parts we need to actually be busy. I have no idea why we have so many lapses where work is concerned. It's a production line and we have plenty of orders to keep us busy so why don't they have enough parts in stock to accommodate the production line? Oh well...I have today off so I'm just going to enjoy it.
My dad was here yesterday and he started pulling up the rotted boards on the back deck. He's going to replace the bad ones and then we are going to restain the whole deck. I've got to go to Home Depot sometime this weekend and buy the stain and also get a door to replace the broken one in my bedroom. I might look at ceiling fans too because the one in my living room no longer works properly. *Makes mental note to add these jobs to George's honey do list.*
I watched the movie Sweeney Todd last night and really enjoyed it. It's definitely one to watch if you are a Johnny Depp fan. There's a couple spots where it's a bit gory, even for me, but you know it's coming and you have time to look away if you are squeamish.
I have a few errands to run so I suppose I should get going. It's actually warmer outside than it is in here so I am going to enjoy the warm sunshine.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Catching Up

Holy Cow Spring has sprung! What a great couple of days we've had in New England. I think Thursday it hit 70 degrees but the rest of the week it's been mid to high 60's and so far today it is 64 degrees. The sun is shining brightly and all traces of snow are gone. My dad came up on Wednesday and raked the back yard. This morning I swept the driveway and cleaned up around the front of the house. It's starting to look good around here. I picked up some pansies this morning and some topsoil and tomorrow morning I hope to get them planted in the front yard.

I've been really busy all week and have hardly had any time to read any blogs, let alone post in my own. Work has been a tad bit slow but should pick up next week sometime.

Sara needed a dress for a wedding she is going to next weekend so last Saturday I went shopping with her and we were quite successful at Macy's. She found a dress right away but continued looking for awhile. We found a couple that were really nice but she ended up buying the first one she spotted. It's a royal blue knee length with a halter top neckline and it is cinched at the waist with some fancy ribbing or whatever you call it. It's very flattering and looks like it was made for her. She went shopping for some jewelry the other night and found some silver and CZ pieces that look really perfect with the dress. She just needs shoes now and I think she is going shopping for them today with Brad.

Saturday evening was George's granddaughter's birthday party. She got a complete spring/summer wardrobe, toys and gift cards. Not a bad haul for a 4 year old. She's adorable and quite the character. She wanted to know when I was coming over to her house to play with her new Barbie's with her. Hopefully it will be soon cos I can hardly wait!

We got up early on Sunday and went out for breakfast. Then we headed to Wal-Mart for supplies to change my shower head and fix a few things in the bathroom. By noon, we were finished with our chores and I have to say, I am loving what seems like a new shower! My shower head was so caked up with rust and junk, it is a wonder I got any water coming through it at all. It's so nice to have a man around the house who can actually fix things!!

I slept in a bit this morning and then got busy on the laundry and some of the yard work. I went grocery shopping and have my steak tips marinating now. I am going up to George's house when he gets out of work and will cook them out on the grill. I can almost taste them now.

Nicole, Nikki and I are planning a 50th birthday party for George in June. I know if we put our heads together we can really pull off something fun and awesome for him. Keeping it a surprise will be the challenge, I think. It's going to take some work but I think we can manage. Nicole is a big one for surprise parties and she is hosting a surprise birthday party for her husband next month. Will be fun, I am sure.

OK time for me to get some more things done around here. Hope your weekend is sunny and bright!

Friday, April 11, 2008

A Quiet Off Friday

Not a whole lot to post today. My week has been busy and productive but not very interesting.
It's my Friday off and I got to sleep in until about 7 this morning. Not too bad considering I was asleep by 10.

The weather has begun to co-operate around here and yesterday it was a whopping 72 degrees. It's not going to get that warm today, naturally, but it is sunny out right now and the rain isn't coming in until alter this afternoon. All traces of snow are gone from the back yard and the front has just a little bit left in the area where all the snow was piled up from the snow plow. It's really dirty and yucky looking too so I hope it goes away by the end of the weekend. I noticed yesterday when I took a walk around the property that my little pine tree got damaged from the weight of the snow. I planted that a couple of years ago on the side of the house after a car accident took out my other tree there. I think it will be ok but it was a main branch that snapped in two. It just looks kind of pitiful. The daffodils are starting to show now and my tulips are coming along too. I really need to get out back and rake up the leaves that never got raked up last November. I can probably get to some of the yard but there is still a lot of wet muddy areas out there. My dad has been calling almost every week wanting to come up and get the yard cleaned up. It is supposed to rain all weekend so this won't be a good weekend for that chore but hopefully soon.

With the nicer temperatures, I haven't had to turn the furnace on for about a week. I think I cranked it one morning when I got up to get the chill out of the house but that's about it. It is chilly in here right now but I have a sweater on and am drinking some hot tea so that should help keep me warm for the time being.
Sara is coming home tonight and she is planning to spend the weekend here. She has a fancy wedding to go to next weekend and she needs to shop for a dress so I guess I have been designated to go shopping with her on Saturday. Her boyfriend's brother is getting married on the Cape which is a very affluent area of Massachusetts and everyone will be dressed to the nines. Even though Sara isn't in the bridal party, Brad's mother took her along with all the other girls to a day at the spa last weekend. They had their nails done and went tanning, had massages, the whole spa treatment. Tonight Sara is getting her hair cut and highlighted (or whatever it's called) and then tomorrow we will shop for a dress. Yeah I know, she always waits until the last minute to do everything. But she insists that's when she gets the best deals. Whatever...I just hope she plans on buying me lunch too! LOL

I have to get a shower soon though and get started on my errands. I have to go to the pharmacy and then get something for George's grand daughter for her 4th birthday. Thank goodness I have friends who are grandmothers, cos I have no idea what little kids are into these days.

I hope you are all having a great day!

Hugss

Sunday, April 06, 2008

It's Almost Monday :-(

It's been a very busy and short weekend. Never seems to be enough hours in the day, lately. But it was a good weekend and a lot of fun.

Friday night George and I went out for our weekly pizza and beer at a local pizza joint. Fremont Pizzaria has the best pizza in town. It is a small family run business but they don't just serve pizza and beer. They serve subs and sandwiches, and also have a nice array of Italian food, served in huge portions and a bit 'gourmet'. The lasagna looked especially fabulous Friday night so I might give that a try some other time.

Saturday morning I slept in and then ran my errands. I hit the bank and the grocery store and filled my gas tank. After I got the food put away, I was off to Manchester for "Therapy" with my friends Elaine and Heidi. This month we went to Shorty's Mexican Restaurant and lunch was terrific! We caught up for a couple of hours and solved most of the problems of the world. There were a few too many and not enough time to get to them all so we will take care of the leftovers next month. :-)

Saturday night George and I went out with my friends Cyndie and Bob to a local watering hole. We had a couple of drinks and some appetizers, and watched some crazy people do Karaoke. Some of the people singing actually did a great job. Others were not so great...but we had a few good laughs and a great time. One of the guys who got up to sing sounded so familiar and since I had my back to the stage I just had to turn around and take a look. It was Paul (you remember him with the daughter who hated me)? He has a great voice and was singing a Frank Sinatra song, and doing a really good job with it too. I waited until he was back in his seat and then went over to say hello and tell him what a great job he did. He was surprised to see me and gave me a big hug. I hadn't seen him since sometime after Christmas although we have talked on the phone a few times since then. His date looked annoyed when he invited me to sit down so I didn't hang around but it was good to see him. He was going to go up to sing again but he wasn't sure when and we didn't hang around to find out. It was already after 11 and we left around 11:45.

This morning I made a huge breakfast and then George and I got busy clearing the furniture out of my living room. He brought his carpet cleaner over and we cleaned the whole carpet. I couldn't believe how nasty the water was when we finished and all I can say is wow!! What a lot of dog hair!! I can't remember the last time this carpet was cleaned this thoroughly, but we definitely have to do it more often.

George then got busy knocking things off the 'honey do' list I made up. He fixed my faucet in the kitchen and then tackled the washing machine. He also pulled my floor mats out of my car and cleaned them before he put the carpet cleaner away. While he was busy doing that, I baked a chocolate cake and put a pork roast in the oven. The weather didn't turn out to be as nice as they said it would be so it actually turned out to be the perfect day to do domestic things. I've got a couple of small projects for him to help me with in the coming weeks and it wasn't my idea...it was his. He likes keeping busy and fortunately for me, he is very handy. And believe me, there is a LOT to be taken care of here since I've not had a man around the house for several years.
After supper, we cleaned up the dishes and George headed home. I sent half the cake with him so he can share it with Patrick.

It looks like a good time to jump in the shower and get ready for tomorrow. I still have a load of laundry to get done too.

Hope you all had a good weekend and have a wonderful work week.

Oh and BTW...Thank you Kerry, once again for the lovely L angel. She is precious!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Yup...I Am At Home

Surprise, Surprise, it's me, home in the middle of the week. Not that I want to be here, mind you, but sometimes things can't be helped.
For the last month or so I have been having issues with the pump that pumps water from my well into my house. At very odd times, that are still unexplained, the pump will just not turn on and eventually my water pressure in the house will slow to a trickle and then a drip until there is no water pressure at all. Other times, let's say after I use the washing machine, it will trickle for a little while then the pump will kick on and it will be fine again. Now it is my understanding that a properly operating pump will switch on when the water level reaches a certain point. I know there is something wrong with the switch and not the water supply because it will turn on but it seems to be anyone's guess as to when. The longest I have had to wait for the pump to turn on in recent months has been about 4-6 hours. That isn't a really big deal since I live alone and I am the only one who would need the shower, and it doesn't happen every day, in fact my water pressure has been good for the last 10 days or so. But yesterday, I got home from work and had very little water pressure. I did my supper dishes and waited for the pump to go on so I could jump in the shower. Well...I finally gave up and went to bed around 10. By then I had just an occasional drip coming from the faucet. I set my alarm so I could get up a little earlier so I would have time to shower before work. Wrong. I got up at 3:30 and still no water. At 5:30 I still had nothing so I had to call work and explain I wouldn't be in because I had to finally deal with this problem. It had been at least 12 hours since the pump had gone on and I figured the switch finally gave out. I waited until 8 to call the plumber, and I told the dispatcher what was going on. I'm still waiting for someone to call me back. The dispatcher did say that they are shorthanded today and a lot of people have been having water in their basements and similar problems because of all the melting that's been going on around here. She was very apologetic, which I appreciate, but I have a feeling I could be waiting awhile. :-(
In any event, it looks like I have the day off. Too bad I can't take off and run errands or even stay here and do laundry. My hair needs to be washed and I probably don't smell all that great so I shouldn't leave the house anyway. I have a couple movies I can watch so I suppose that will keep me occupied after I finish here.

It's been really busy for me at work the last couple of days. My supervisor had a couple days off and I was trying to keep up with my own work load and tackle some of hers too. My manager surely kept me busy since he wanted some things shipped and that was a job I hadn't done all the way through yet. I got a crash course, that's for sure. I don't think I want my supervisor's job. LOL I was run ragged the last couple of days and pretty much ready to drop by the time I got home.
We also had a new girl start work in our department on Monday and it is usually my job to train the new hires so I had that to do on top of everything else. She seems to catch on really fast and I don't think she will have any problems fitting in with our group.

The weekend was a busy one. Saturday was my day to run errands and then we had dinner with my brother. We ended up hanging out there for awhile and watched a movie before calling it a night. Sunday morning we drove up to Concord and met George's son Jon and Jon's fiancee Nicki for breakfast. It was my first time meeting them both and I was excited. We went back to their home after breakfast and they showed us pictures of their recent trip to Florida and the renovations they are making to their Condo. Nicki is very bubbly and talkative and obviously excited about their engagement. (Jon proposed at Disney World in Cinderella's Castle) I was interested in hearing about their upcoming wedding and they just set a date for April 4th, 2009, so now they can make definite plans. Jon is a very serious 23 year old and I am very impressed with him. He is tackling most of the renovations himself and seems to know what he's doing. He works for a Hyundai dealership as a Master Mechanic (perks...I drive a Hyundai) and loves what he does. He is very much like his father was some 25 years ago. So now the only one left to meet is Patrick and that is going to be a challenge. Pat is going to Culinary Arts school and also works as a chef at a resort up at Lake Winnipesaukee. He has a very busy schedule going to school during the week and working weekends but we might go up to the resort for breakfast some Sunday. That might be the only way for me to catch him right now.

After we left Jon's house, we went for a drive up to Gilford to the Smith Farm Sugar House. It was New Hampshire's Maple weekend and all of the local Sugar Houses having tours and refreshments. Maple Sugaring is a big industry up here and I never realized just how much fun going to the sugar house can be. We were too late for the actual tour but I got some literature about the whole process and sampled some of the maple ice cream which was delicious. Apparently this was a very good year for maple sap and although it wasn't in huge abundance, the quality is expected to be very good, as opposed to last year when the sap was in short supply. Freezing nights and sunny days are needed to create the pressure in the maple trees that causes the sap to run from the tapped holes in the trunks. It was really interesting and next year I want to make sure we go early enough in the day to get a grand tour.

Well lo and behold...I just heard water running in the sink and I went to check and the pump just turned on, all by itself. That's really weird, but I'm glad it's running! Maybe now I can finally get a shower.



I let the tank fill up and flushed the toilet, waited a bit and then did the dishes. The pump went on again about 10 minutes later and refilled the tank. I just got out of the shower and the water pressure held. I am going to wait and see if the pump goes on again and then call the plumber. It still needs to be looked at but maybe they can put me on tomorrow's list instead of worrying about it today since they are so busy. Maybe I should go into work for at least half a day. Or maybe I should stay home and relax. LOL Decisions, decisions.

Well I better get this posted...seems like it's taken me forever to get this darn thing posted today.

Enjoy your Wednesday!