I completed the work on the closet last week, and we moved the bed back upstairs. It is amazing how much space the living room appears to have now! I was starting to get very agitated that my house looked like a disaster area for a month, but now things have normalized. My sweetie is already pressing me to start work on the upstairs hallway. I have the feeling that it will be a very complex task even though the square area to deal with is relatively small.
All those doorframes means a lot of handsaw work, plus special contour cuts in the floorboards to make them fit in place. And then there is the linen closet--about a foot deep and two feet wide, if that. Of course, we cannot redo a floor without painting the walls. This one will involve a color change. The weird light gray choice of the previous owners has not been pleasing, but it has been adequate. At one time, we speculated on the possibility of my creating a mural of some sort, but we eventually concluded that the visual clutter would make the hallway seem claustrophobic. I may revisit that idea at some point. I was toying with the idea of painting the doors in an interesting way--like making the linen closet door look like a British red telephone box.
Returning the house to a neutral beige tone when we are ready to move will be a BIG hassle. :/ Future hassle versus personalization....decisions, decisions, decisions.
My sweetie started moving all her clothes back into her closet this weekend, and more and more of the cluttered feel of the house is starting to go away. She's feeling a little better now that her room is becoming open again. We made a big effort to clear things out on general principle, only to clutter it up "temporarily" with bedroom furniture and gear from our room. She was adamant that we have one less bookshelf in our room, but there wasn't a place to put it...so now it clutters up her craft room.
The last items of business for the bedroom renovation are to get rid of the old bed frame (it is a nice cherry sleigh bedframe) and create/find a footboard for the Mission style headboard and frame that we have. I've been too lazy to create what I think should go there, but I could put together something very simple that looks about right. Plus, there hasn't been any urgency to deal with it. We've still got the Danish Modern living room furniture that my sweetie is reluctant to part with because it is real wood and has sentimental value. I cannot tell her "no", so it is consuming space in the house. If we actually wanted to use the space it is consuming, it would be a priority to DO something about it. The question is if we had the space what would we use it for?
Keiichi is very much a cuddle cat. With the cooling(!) temperatures, he has taken to crawling under the covers with us. It is cute, tickly, and amusing when Josie or Ignatius decides that the soft lump that is K-1 is a perfect comfy spot for them to lay on top of.
I was so happy to have all the old filing cabinets disappear from the garage this year. Alas, the vast space that was opened by their removal seems to have been consumed by a hoard of cardboard boxes my wife seems to collect with an almost avaricious glee. The Cardboard Curtain that has descended upon my garage interferes with my already annoying duties of yard maintenance. It cuts off access to the battery charger and the array of lawnmowers and other equipment, but we have not made an effort to make space for this type of thing. Boxes simply go where there is an open space.
The only mitigating point to this deplorable state of affairs is that she is collecting them to give to her sister's business. It allows the boxes to be reused, and it reduces the family business's shipping costs. Now if I could get her to not store more boxes than will fit in the car each 6 months, I would be far, far happier. Excess boxes turn into rodent and roach habitats--mainly because boxes are a LIFO stack instead of FIFO. There are some boxes that never ever get delivered...they are the foundations of the leaning tower of cardboard.
Yes, I am complaining a little. But honestly, it is just a little venting more than anything else. The month long ordeal of living in cramped quarters during the renovation project has gotten on my last nerve. HOWEVER. I can put up with it because, after all, we are doing this for family. Besides, we might need a nice sturdy box at some point in the future (said every hoarder ever).
All those doorframes means a lot of handsaw work, plus special contour cuts in the floorboards to make them fit in place. And then there is the linen closet--about a foot deep and two feet wide, if that. Of course, we cannot redo a floor without painting the walls. This one will involve a color change. The weird light gray choice of the previous owners has not been pleasing, but it has been adequate. At one time, we speculated on the possibility of my creating a mural of some sort, but we eventually concluded that the visual clutter would make the hallway seem claustrophobic. I may revisit that idea at some point. I was toying with the idea of painting the doors in an interesting way--like making the linen closet door look like a British red telephone box.
Returning the house to a neutral beige tone when we are ready to move will be a BIG hassle. :/ Future hassle versus personalization....decisions, decisions, decisions.
My sweetie started moving all her clothes back into her closet this weekend, and more and more of the cluttered feel of the house is starting to go away. She's feeling a little better now that her room is becoming open again. We made a big effort to clear things out on general principle, only to clutter it up "temporarily" with bedroom furniture and gear from our room. She was adamant that we have one less bookshelf in our room, but there wasn't a place to put it...so now it clutters up her craft room.
The last items of business for the bedroom renovation are to get rid of the old bed frame (it is a nice cherry sleigh bedframe) and create/find a footboard for the Mission style headboard and frame that we have. I've been too lazy to create what I think should go there, but I could put together something very simple that looks about right. Plus, there hasn't been any urgency to deal with it. We've still got the Danish Modern living room furniture that my sweetie is reluctant to part with because it is real wood and has sentimental value. I cannot tell her "no", so it is consuming space in the house. If we actually wanted to use the space it is consuming, it would be a priority to DO something about it. The question is if we had the space what would we use it for?
Snuggle Bug Fu
Keiichi is very much a cuddle cat. With the cooling(!) temperatures, he has taken to crawling under the covers with us. It is cute, tickly, and amusing when Josie or Ignatius decides that the soft lump that is K-1 is a perfect comfy spot for them to lay on top of.
My Wife is the Smaug of Cardboard Boxes
I was so happy to have all the old filing cabinets disappear from the garage this year. Alas, the vast space that was opened by their removal seems to have been consumed by a hoard of cardboard boxes my wife seems to collect with an almost avaricious glee. The Cardboard Curtain that has descended upon my garage interferes with my already annoying duties of yard maintenance. It cuts off access to the battery charger and the array of lawnmowers and other equipment, but we have not made an effort to make space for this type of thing. Boxes simply go where there is an open space.
The only mitigating point to this deplorable state of affairs is that she is collecting them to give to her sister's business. It allows the boxes to be reused, and it reduces the family business's shipping costs. Now if I could get her to not store more boxes than will fit in the car each 6 months, I would be far, far happier. Excess boxes turn into rodent and roach habitats--mainly because boxes are a LIFO stack instead of FIFO. There are some boxes that never ever get delivered...they are the foundations of the leaning tower of cardboard.
Yes, I am complaining a little. But honestly, it is just a little venting more than anything else. The month long ordeal of living in cramped quarters during the renovation project has gotten on my last nerve. HOWEVER. I can put up with it because, after all, we are doing this for family. Besides, we might need a nice sturdy box at some point in the future (said every hoarder ever).
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:Cold
- Current Music:LOUD BLATHER
This weekend, my sweetie finished painting her closet. I waited about 24 hours for the fumes to dissipate before beginning the final phase of our bedroom renovation. It only took a couple of hours, and the hardest part was undercutting the door frame so the flooring could slip underneath it. OK...maybe piecing the underlayment together was difficult, too, but it was a close second. The remaining floor work is the transition piece between closet and bedroom--measure twice, cut once, and we're done with that.
BUT! We don't get to move in just yet. The baseboards are a small project in and of themselves. Sanding and painting needs to occur, an the plunging temperatures of our short-lived autumn mean getting the painting done will be a bit of a challenge. However, in the meantime, we can return the bed to the bedroom and start returning to some semblance of normalcy.
The next project on the horizon is the reflooring of the upstairs hallway. But, that involves repainting the hallway and a lot of intricate cutting to work around the multiple door openings all over the place, not to mention the challenge of painting around curious kitties. The last time I painted a room, Ælfgifu backed into the wall....
We have a small collection of amusing fleecy blankets that we use around the house. Right now, two of them are on the bed for supplemental warmth. Kiera decided she likes the Scooby Doo-themed blanket and I caught her nomming on the edge of it, and kneading it with her paws (like she could make it any softer). We nearly died of teh ky-oot.
BUT! We don't get to move in just yet. The baseboards are a small project in and of themselves. Sanding and painting needs to occur, an the plunging temperatures of our short-lived autumn mean getting the painting done will be a bit of a challenge. However, in the meantime, we can return the bed to the bedroom and start returning to some semblance of normalcy.
The next project on the horizon is the reflooring of the upstairs hallway. But, that involves repainting the hallway and a lot of intricate cutting to work around the multiple door openings all over the place, not to mention the challenge of painting around curious kitties. The last time I painted a room, Ælfgifu backed into the wall....
Scooby Fu
We have a small collection of amusing fleecy blankets that we use around the house. Right now, two of them are on the bed for supplemental warmth. Kiera decided she likes the Scooby Doo-themed blanket and I caught her nomming on the edge of it, and kneading it with her paws (like she could make it any softer). We nearly died of teh ky-oot.
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:demotivated
- Current Music:Biotech and blather
I cast my ballot after work on Election Night. However, there were so many incumbents running unopposed that my effort was mostly worthless. I at least got my say on proposed amendments, the governor and lieutenant governor, as well as the Congressional critters that represent special interests and not those of the actual people they are supposed to serve.
I'm not bitter. I'm angry. Everyone complains about Congress, but they don't want "their" representation to change, even if that representation is part of the problem. I have the courage to vote against someone I think is doing a bad job as my representative--but voting "against" things and people is a crappy way to vote. Vote FOR what you believe in. Unfortunately, you may have to prioritize what you believe in...and sometimes the guy who is "for" the thing you believe in most is against all the other things you believe in. It makes that decision very very very difficult.
A friend crystalized my voting method based on an incident that happened to him while he was waiting to vote. One of the marriage amendments was on the ballot for his state, and someone in line accosted him trying to convince him to vote against the amendment. As a disabled American veteran, he was incensed, and he turned to respond: "I did NOT risk my life on behalf of this country so that YOU could TAKE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AWAY" Apparently, there was a good bit of thoughtful silence following that remark. I wonder who actually won that argument....
That simple statement, the sentiment that the role of the government is to expand and protect people's rights, that is what forms the fundamental core of how I make my decisions during elections. The government isn't there to protect the rights of businesses. It is there to protect the rights of WE the PEOPLE. Which part of the Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness was unclear?
Colder weather = cuddly kitties. MMMMMMMMM! Plush kitty endorphins!
'Nuff said.
I'm getting annoyed. A large portion of my job centers around education. Over the last month, I've had to cancel over half a dozen classes that have been on the schedule. Low enrollment. Last minute "emergencies". Whatever. I don't have the minimum number of students to make the classes practical. By the same token, everyone seems to whine that they don't know what to do or how to use the tools....but they don't take the time to go to the class?
ARGH!
Head. Desk. Repeat
I'm not bitter. I'm angry. Everyone complains about Congress, but they don't want "their" representation to change, even if that representation is part of the problem. I have the courage to vote against someone I think is doing a bad job as my representative--but voting "against" things and people is a crappy way to vote. Vote FOR what you believe in. Unfortunately, you may have to prioritize what you believe in...and sometimes the guy who is "for" the thing you believe in most is against all the other things you believe in. It makes that decision very very very difficult.
A friend crystalized my voting method based on an incident that happened to him while he was waiting to vote. One of the marriage amendments was on the ballot for his state, and someone in line accosted him trying to convince him to vote against the amendment. As a disabled American veteran, he was incensed, and he turned to respond: "I did NOT risk my life on behalf of this country so that YOU could TAKE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AWAY" Apparently, there was a good bit of thoughtful silence following that remark. I wonder who actually won that argument....
That simple statement, the sentiment that the role of the government is to expand and protect people's rights, that is what forms the fundamental core of how I make my decisions during elections. The government isn't there to protect the rights of businesses. It is there to protect the rights of WE the PEOPLE. Which part of the Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness was unclear?
Cuddle Bug Fu
Colder weather = cuddly kitties. MMMMMMMMM! Plush kitty endorphins!
'Nuff said.
Cancelled
I'm getting annoyed. A large portion of my job centers around education. Over the last month, I've had to cancel over half a dozen classes that have been on the schedule. Low enrollment. Last minute "emergencies". Whatever. I don't have the minimum number of students to make the classes practical. By the same token, everyone seems to whine that they don't know what to do or how to use the tools....but they don't take the time to go to the class?
ARGH!
Head. Desk. Repeat
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:
annoyed - Current Music:Biotech and blather
On the morning of Hallowe'en, I walked out of the house and noticed there was a car in my yard. Technically, it was nose down in the ditch next to the driveway. GREAT Someone wrecked into my yard and I didn't hear a thing. The hazard lights were barely flickering, and there was no one in the car that I could see. I was pretty sure that it was the neighbors' car and they had already gone to where-ever they could find safety--which was apparently not to our front door.
When I got back home, the car was in the neighbor's yard, and it turned out it was the daughter's vehicle. She was OK other than some soreness where the airbag deployed. They must have pulled the car out with the tractor or the big F-450 they have. I'm just glad I didn't have to call the police and that everyone was OK.
Unfortunately, there was yet another incident the next night. I must have just fallen asleep, because my sweetie kept trying to wake me up. She heard a crash, saw lights outside, and then a car roared up the road, stopped near our woods and then they backed up and did a bootlegger turn in the middle of the road (risking having yet another car nose down in our ditch). The next morning (in the snow and ice!!!) we wandered out to check what happened. Sure enough, there were skid marks where the car spun around....and the other neighbors' mailbox was conspicuous by its absence. Either someone targeted the mailbox, or ran into it and went back to check. Ugh....
Progress was made on the closet floor. My sweetie convinced me to go get a full piece of OSB instead of piecing something together from the scraps I have on-hand. The trip turned into a full shopping excursion. One of the local chain stores is liquidating, so we took advantage of the early days of the sale to get a few things. Sure, the bargains weren't as good as they will be. But by the time we take advantage of the great sale prices, the things we want will already be gone--the bones picked clean by people with far more time on their hands to take advantage of the situation.
Anyway. Next step: paint the walls enclosing the chimney with Killz, repaint the closet, and then I can get to work on the flooring while Ealdthryth deals with the baseboards. Keichii decided to be really nosy during my demolition of the old floor, and I kept having to usher him out of the workspace.
Keichii thinks the water filter in the cat fountain is something he REALLY needs to pull out and play with. The natural consequence is that the water in the fountain ends up all over the bathroom floor when the cover pops off and he knocks the fountain around. I've fussed at him and told him it was all his fault that everyone would be thirsty....
No! No! Bad kitty! Awwwwwww! Aren't you cute!
When I got back home, the car was in the neighbor's yard, and it turned out it was the daughter's vehicle. She was OK other than some soreness where the airbag deployed. They must have pulled the car out with the tractor or the big F-450 they have. I'm just glad I didn't have to call the police and that everyone was OK.
Unfortunately, there was yet another incident the next night. I must have just fallen asleep, because my sweetie kept trying to wake me up. She heard a crash, saw lights outside, and then a car roared up the road, stopped near our woods and then they backed up and did a bootlegger turn in the middle of the road (risking having yet another car nose down in our ditch). The next morning (in the snow and ice!!!) we wandered out to check what happened. Sure enough, there were skid marks where the car spun around....and the other neighbors' mailbox was conspicuous by its absence. Either someone targeted the mailbox, or ran into it and went back to check. Ugh....
Ealdercote Improvement
Progress was made on the closet floor. My sweetie convinced me to go get a full piece of OSB instead of piecing something together from the scraps I have on-hand. The trip turned into a full shopping excursion. One of the local chain stores is liquidating, so we took advantage of the early days of the sale to get a few things. Sure, the bargains weren't as good as they will be. But by the time we take advantage of the great sale prices, the things we want will already be gone--the bones picked clean by people with far more time on their hands to take advantage of the situation.
Anyway. Next step: paint the walls enclosing the chimney with Killz, repaint the closet, and then I can get to work on the flooring while Ealdthryth deals with the baseboards. Keichii decided to be really nosy during my demolition of the old floor, and I kept having to usher him out of the workspace.
Your Fault, Fu
Keichii thinks the water filter in the cat fountain is something he REALLY needs to pull out and play with. The natural consequence is that the water in the fountain ends up all over the bathroom floor when the cover pops off and he knocks the fountain around. I've fussed at him and told him it was all his fault that everyone would be thirsty....
No! No! Bad kitty! Awwwwwww! Aren't you cute!
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:
amused - Current Music:HVAC, Pink Noise, and Biotech
The "padawan" raided my workspace before I got to work today. In the spirit of Hallowe'en, I brought in a plastic skull to keep on my desk. He decided to enhance the effect and I was greeted by fake cobwebs spread all over my workspace. I'm more amused than anything else, and I've been arranging the webs a little more artfully throughout the day. Guess I'll raid our supply of spiders when I get home and bring them in to make this look right.
I've spent several days and evenings working on home renovations, and I am pleased to say that my work is nearly done. The old carpet: gone. Ealdthryth took it and the underlayment to the dump last Saturday. I installed new flooring that is like the downstairs, so we are another step closer to a healthy house. We cracked a few baseboards, so I had to replace some rather long stretches, and of course because everything was out of the room, a new paint job was required. I suppose I could have gotten it all done in one weekend, but painting takes a while and the house reeked of paint all week.
Unfortunately, there is ALWAYS a snag in our plans. At some point in the past, water ran down the inside of the chimney and rotted the floor in the closet. I have to cut out a section and replace it. Unlike downstairs, there is no subfloor beneath this space. I'm afraid I will find the mice the cats have been radaring in on recently. I keep putting off that little replacement job, but it has to be done SOON.
BUT! The newly refinished room looks terrific! The cats have been prowling around up there checking it out and meowing at the top of their lungs to hear the echo.
MROW! MEEEEEOOOOOOOW! MMMMRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
Echo Fu
I've spent several days and evenings working on home renovations, and I am pleased to say that my work is nearly done. The old carpet: gone. Ealdthryth took it and the underlayment to the dump last Saturday. I installed new flooring that is like the downstairs, so we are another step closer to a healthy house. We cracked a few baseboards, so I had to replace some rather long stretches, and of course because everything was out of the room, a new paint job was required. I suppose I could have gotten it all done in one weekend, but painting takes a while and the house reeked of paint all week.
Unfortunately, there is ALWAYS a snag in our plans. At some point in the past, water ran down the inside of the chimney and rotted the floor in the closet. I have to cut out a section and replace it. Unlike downstairs, there is no subfloor beneath this space. I'm afraid I will find the mice the cats have been radaring in on recently. I keep putting off that little replacement job, but it has to be done SOON.
BUT! The newly refinished room looks terrific! The cats have been prowling around up there checking it out and meowing at the top of their lungs to hear the echo.
MROW! MEEEEEOOOOOOOW! MMMMRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood: amused
- Current Music:Biotech and blather
The hobby store I used to work for part-time changed owners last month. They closed down two of the other stores and consolidated into the main store. Most of the people I knew there are gone, and they've reduced their model train inventory to a ridiculously small selection. Online retail basically did them in. This makes me sad. I really like going to the local shop to peruse their inventory so I can actually see and examine the merchandise rather than relying on some idealistic sample displayed on a webpage that bears little or no resemblance to what I really want.
Some people left of their own accord and others were "let go", which really makes me sad. Sometimes hard decisions have to be carried out to keep a business running, but it still is difficult to see people who had been loyal employees for decades turned out.
Keichii is a noisy boy. When either my sweetie or I go to bed, K-1 insists on hopping up on the bed and telling us about his day or demanding attention at the top of his lungs. If I happen to come to bed and my sweetie is asleep, this can be a problem. In fairness, Ignatius and Josie are both attention-mongers at bedtime, too, but they are much quieter and more demonstrative. BUNT! PET ME!
K-1 is also trying to change the pecking order, and has been harassing both Ælfgifu and Josie--trying to take their established comfy spots or chase them around. He'll find out the hard way that the girls won't put up with his shenanigans.
The temptation of the LEGO store on the way home from DragonCon was overwhelming. Ealdthryth has been dropping not-so-subtle hints she wants to build, too. My sweetie has expensive taste in LEGO sets. That is OK, because I do, too. I've been very restrained all year, but darn those licensing agreements between LEGO and Hollywood....
I rescued another vintage locomotive and have upgraded it. The tiny switcher is an old Penn Line model. I installed a decoder in it and it appears to be working. A little noisy, but the gearing seems to keep it running nice and slow. I stripped some of the paint off of it and repainted it with Testors, but I need a do-over. It is bright yellow, and the humidity made the paint runny so it did not coat evenly. I need to manufacture new grab irons for the locomotice, and if I were more comfortable with metalwork, I'd drill out the headlamps and insert actual lights for it. There is very little clearance, so I think I will postpone attempting that upgrade.
Ideally, I should drill out some windows for it--if we assume the "front" is where the hood is. The motor is very visible, so inserting some tinted windows might be appropriate. I am debating the merits of grinding off the handrails and installing brass wire ones or leaving it as is. Considering the previous owner already left obvious file marks on the coupler areas, I think I won't be destroying any further value. This little guy would be great in an industrial area with light switching duties, so it will be making an appearance on the portable layout and maybe do some work during operations night down in the industrial areas that have some VERY tight clearances.
Some people left of their own accord and others were "let go", which really makes me sad. Sometimes hard decisions have to be carried out to keep a business running, but it still is difficult to see people who had been loyal employees for decades turned out.
Noisy Fu
Keichii is a noisy boy. When either my sweetie or I go to bed, K-1 insists on hopping up on the bed and telling us about his day or demanding attention at the top of his lungs. If I happen to come to bed and my sweetie is asleep, this can be a problem. In fairness, Ignatius and Josie are both attention-mongers at bedtime, too, but they are much quieter and more demonstrative. BUNT! PET ME!
K-1 is also trying to change the pecking order, and has been harassing both Ælfgifu and Josie--trying to take their established comfy spots or chase them around. He'll find out the hard way that the girls won't put up with his shenanigans.
Overindulgence
The temptation of the LEGO store on the way home from DragonCon was overwhelming. Ealdthryth has been dropping not-so-subtle hints she wants to build, too. My sweetie has expensive taste in LEGO sets. That is OK, because I do, too. I've been very restrained all year, but darn those licensing agreements between LEGO and Hollywood....
Rescue
I rescued another vintage locomotive and have upgraded it. The tiny switcher is an old Penn Line model. I installed a decoder in it and it appears to be working. A little noisy, but the gearing seems to keep it running nice and slow. I stripped some of the paint off of it and repainted it with Testors, but I need a do-over. It is bright yellow, and the humidity made the paint runny so it did not coat evenly. I need to manufacture new grab irons for the locomotice, and if I were more comfortable with metalwork, I'd drill out the headlamps and insert actual lights for it. There is very little clearance, so I think I will postpone attempting that upgrade.
Ideally, I should drill out some windows for it--if we assume the "front" is where the hood is. The motor is very visible, so inserting some tinted windows might be appropriate. I am debating the merits of grinding off the handrails and installing brass wire ones or leaving it as is. Considering the previous owner already left obvious file marks on the coupler areas, I think I won't be destroying any further value. This little guy would be great in an industrial area with light switching duties, so it will be making an appearance on the portable layout and maybe do some work during operations night down in the industrial areas that have some VERY tight clearances.
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood: amused
- Current Music:Loud Blather and Biotech
The flooring is acclimating to its new home, and the cats are not interested in the boxes other than to shred them. Repainting the bedroom has fallen by the wayside because none of the colors my sweetie picked suited her. They were too gray, too cold, or something else was not satisfactory. Perhaps when we re-paint the trim in the room, that will satisfy her. The current trim paint is a bit grayish, I think. Repainting the hallway is still in play, though. It does need it--especially since I started patching some of the ding and dents that have been bugging us.
Keiichi is now the Mighty Bug Hunter of the house. He's still young enough that a scuttling bug or flying insect is a toy. Everyone else is old, fat, and jaded now. Why do I need to hunt bugs? The pink, hairless monkeys feed me every day. Even Ælfgifu shows no interest in bug hunting. On the other hand, she is no longer staying aloof from us. Every evening, she firmly settles between me and my sweetie as we turn into couch potatoes--slowly accumulating more television programs than we can watch....
Mighty Hunter Fu
Keiichi is now the Mighty Bug Hunter of the house. He's still young enough that a scuttling bug or flying insect is a toy. Everyone else is old, fat, and jaded now. Why do I need to hunt bugs? The pink, hairless monkeys feed me every day. Even Ælfgifu shows no interest in bug hunting. On the other hand, she is no longer staying aloof from us. Every evening, she firmly settles between me and my sweetie as we turn into couch potatoes--slowly accumulating more television programs than we can watch....
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:
tired - Current Music:Loud Blather and Biotech
Wow. It has been a while since I wrote anything here. Either I've been busy or simply uninspired. Actually, I've been writing a lot--primarily for work and for the railroad museum newsletter. I'm not getting a lot in the way of articles or contributions for the newsletter, so I've been struggling to come up with decent and interesting content. The problem is that the material is interesting to *me*, not necessarily interesting to everyone else.
July marks the Southern Railway's 120th anniversary--something my NMRA calendar completely failed to note. This oversight is ironic considering where NMRA's headquarters are located and what ACTIVE steam locomotives are based in their town.... 100 lashes for abject failure to note the obvious.
Poor Kiera had to be taken to the emergency animal clinic Sunday night. We noticed that she had not come down to eat for a day or two--normally, she is right with the other kitties at feeding time. My sweetie also noticed that there was a bad smell in our room that turned out to be Kiera... My sweetie was able to corral Kiera with no trouble at all and we discovered her fur was all matted--kitty dreadlocks--and we tried to comb the tangles out. It was quite evident she had not been grooming, and she had a really bad rotten cheese smell. The fact she wasn't trying to escape our clutches was very telling.
So...off to the animal clinic with a whiny Kiera we went. The vet said Kiera was running a temperature, but hadn't really lost weight since her last checkup. They shaved her tangles off and cleaned her up. A vitamin B shot, and some sort of appetite stimulant, and she was ready to come back home. She is much perkier, eating, and getting the You smell like vet--I hate you treatment from the other cats.
Keiichi seems to be fully integrated into the family. He loves playing with Ignatius--who good-naturedly lets K-1 pummel him a little before rolling over and pinning the kitten in place. Kiera let K-1 groom her a bit, and K-1 tries to play with AElfgifu. Josie tolerates him, but there is no hissing, biting, or fighting amongst them. Feline equilibrium has been achieved!
Ealdercote is undergoing the second stage of its transformation. My sweetie is demanding change, so it is time to pull up the carpet. This is a bigger job than before because we don't have much room to shift things around. We've started by clearing the bookshelves and re-arranging the "spare" room that has served as a secondary junk room. Watching commercials for Hoarders convinced us it is time to let stuff go. One great thing is getting rid of the vintage computer books that have been taking up space. I also found a couple of places where we can trade in old books, CDs, DVDs, VHS, games, etc. Even at a 4-1 reduction, we can feel good about not wasting stuff and we can get a few new-to-us things.
Somewhere in all of this, painting and repainting will occur. I am dreading the stairwell....
July marks the Southern Railway's 120th anniversary--something my NMRA calendar completely failed to note. This oversight is ironic considering where NMRA's headquarters are located and what ACTIVE steam locomotives are based in their town.... 100 lashes for abject failure to note the obvious.
Rasta 'Ra Fu
Poor Kiera had to be taken to the emergency animal clinic Sunday night. We noticed that she had not come down to eat for a day or two--normally, she is right with the other kitties at feeding time. My sweetie also noticed that there was a bad smell in our room that turned out to be Kiera... My sweetie was able to corral Kiera with no trouble at all and we discovered her fur was all matted--kitty dreadlocks--and we tried to comb the tangles out. It was quite evident she had not been grooming, and she had a really bad rotten cheese smell. The fact she wasn't trying to escape our clutches was very telling.
So...off to the animal clinic with a whiny Kiera we went. The vet said Kiera was running a temperature, but hadn't really lost weight since her last checkup. They shaved her tangles off and cleaned her up. A vitamin B shot, and some sort of appetite stimulant, and she was ready to come back home. She is much perkier, eating, and getting the You smell like vet--I hate you treatment from the other cats.
Integration Fu
Keiichi seems to be fully integrated into the family. He loves playing with Ignatius--who good-naturedly lets K-1 pummel him a little before rolling over and pinning the kitten in place. Kiera let K-1 groom her a bit, and K-1 tries to play with AElfgifu. Josie tolerates him, but there is no hissing, biting, or fighting amongst them. Feline equilibrium has been achieved!
Second Stage
Ealdercote is undergoing the second stage of its transformation. My sweetie is demanding change, so it is time to pull up the carpet. This is a bigger job than before because we don't have much room to shift things around. We've started by clearing the bookshelves and re-arranging the "spare" room that has served as a secondary junk room. Watching commercials for Hoarders convinced us it is time to let stuff go. One great thing is getting rid of the vintage computer books that have been taking up space. I also found a couple of places where we can trade in old books, CDs, DVDs, VHS, games, etc. Even at a 4-1 reduction, we can feel good about not wasting stuff and we can get a few new-to-us things.
Somewhere in all of this, painting and repainting will occur. I am dreading the stairwell....
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood:overwhelmed
- Current Music:Loud Blather and Biotech
Keiichi is fascinated by running water, and as soon as we use the sprayer attachment for the sink, he comes running to bat at the water. Flush the toilet? He wants to see the vortex swirling down the drain. He is smart enough to have not snuck into the shower while we take our morning ablutions, but it is only a matter of time.
Silly boy!
Work has been a bit of a struggle over the last couple of months as I have tried to take on double duty, and manage an area I am not familiar with in addition to trying to make progress on my regular work. Late last week, we lost a team member that was supposed to have been taking over some of the responsibility in the area I was temporarily covering. It just didn't work out, and that is always frustrating.
On the home front, I am now in the annual battle versus the green stuff that grows in the yard, and weeds are starting to take over our new "natural areas". I am highly annoyed by this because the agreement was that I take care of the lawn and general heavy lifting, while my sweetie manages the new beds. That isn't happening. At least I was able to get the gasoline mower started and made some inroads on the curtain of thorns that has flourished next to the workshop.
At the end of winter I brutally hacked down most of two of the privet bushes at the side of the driveway. Those things are mighty stubborn. There is already enough new growth that they look like normal shrubs again. I have no qualms about going after the others now.
I am soooo close to my second stage weight loss goal! The first 10% took some time, but I achieved it and maintained it. The second 10% goal is within reach. Just a couple more pounds.... Even if I don't make it, I can be satisfied in the knowledge that I am no longer considered "under tall". It would be terrific if I could push for one more 10% beyond that, but I'll be more than content to reach this second goal.
Silly boy!
Stress vs Strain
Work has been a bit of a struggle over the last couple of months as I have tried to take on double duty, and manage an area I am not familiar with in addition to trying to make progress on my regular work. Late last week, we lost a team member that was supposed to have been taking over some of the responsibility in the area I was temporarily covering. It just didn't work out, and that is always frustrating.
On the home front, I am now in the annual battle versus the green stuff that grows in the yard, and weeds are starting to take over our new "natural areas". I am highly annoyed by this because the agreement was that I take care of the lawn and general heavy lifting, while my sweetie manages the new beds. That isn't happening. At least I was able to get the gasoline mower started and made some inroads on the curtain of thorns that has flourished next to the workshop.
At the end of winter I brutally hacked down most of two of the privet bushes at the side of the driveway. Those things are mighty stubborn. There is already enough new growth that they look like normal shrubs again. I have no qualms about going after the others now.
Successful Effort
I am soooo close to my second stage weight loss goal! The first 10% took some time, but I achieved it and maintained it. The second 10% goal is within reach. Just a couple more pounds.... Even if I don't make it, I can be satisfied in the knowledge that I am no longer considered "under tall". It would be terrific if I could push for one more 10% beyond that, but I'll be more than content to reach this second goal.
Happy dance
- Current Location:New Telephone Booth
- Current Mood: tired
- Current Music:Blather that cannot be masked by white noise
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