Saturday, November 21, 2009

Saturday Busyness

The Senate has voted 60 to 39 to debate and then take a vote on the health care bill. That should be interesting. I recall how upset everyone was over the Medicare bill and it has turned out for the best. Perhaps whatever happens with the health care bill will be for the best too.

Oddly enough, when the Republicans were in charge of the congress, they wanted an up and down vote...no chance for a filibusterer. Now that the Democrats are in charge, they want the opportunity to filibusterer. I guess it just depends on your point of view as to what is the right way to go about it.

Today we got up, had a light breakfast and went to the Arts and Crafts fair downtown. It was a real disappointment..mostly jewelry.

After that we visited a few Flea Markets around town. We went by the cell phone place and Leslie turned in her claim. Somehow yesterday she lost her cell phone. Luckily she had her insurance.

We just killed some time until Leslie's beauty shop appointment. Then we came home and had lunch. After that, the guys took a nap. I read the news and had the dog in the kitchen for a snack. Then I fixed dinner. We had potato cakes, roast beef and gravy, salad and veggies. Just used up our leftovers.

This evening the guys are watching TV and I am doing this and posting on my church's web board. It's been a pretty dull day but every once in awhile we need a few dull days.

Tomorrow we will go to church and have our light breakfast and Church School class and in the 11:00 hour we will have our election of officers. After that is the hymn and prayer service. I will fix chili for lunch.

We will have a quiet afternoon and then go to the Community Wide Thanksgiving service that evening.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Finally Friday

We went up to Independence this noon and met Leslie for lunch. We had a nice visit. Then the men came home and took a nap. I did a load of laundry and read my e-mail and posted on the church's website. For dinner, I will fix that leftover roast with the leftover veggies from last night and the salad from last night.

Tonight we may watch an old movie.

We watched "The Shoes of the Fisherman". Does anyone remember that old movie?

Then we went to Brahms and got an ice cream cone.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Finally Keith is Here

Keith finally got in at 9:30 this morning. He drove 50 miles per hour all the way. It took forever. But he is here and we have had a great first day visit. This afternoon I went to the market and the guys both took a nap. I bought about $75 worth of groceries. They both slept like babies.

When I got home we put away the groceries and then I rested awhile. About 4:00 John, our son-in-law, came by to load the water filtering system Keith had brought to give to them into his pickup truck and out of Keith's car. Then they took Keith's car up to Gary's Automotive and had the computer run on it to confirm the diagnosis of the garage in New Mexico. Sure enough,the motor is dying.

About the same time, I started dinner. We had pork cutlets, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, veggies and chocolate pudding for dessert. Keith was almost too tired to enjoy it. We went out to John and Leslie's after that so he could help John unload that water filtering system and put it into their garage until they can figure out how and where to install it.

Leslie gave him the grand tour of the new house. He was properly impressed.

Then we came home and Keith took a shower and went to bed about 8:00. Bob and I are watching "This Old House". Then we will go to bed.

It's supposed to be warmer tonight and Slinky wanted to stay outside and sleep on the chaise. I brought him in the kitchen but he wanted back out. We'll see how that goes tonight. It won't be warm enough for him to do that very much longer.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A New Problem

Keith called last night. He was thirty miles east of Albuquerque, NM when his car starting making a loud clanking noise when he gave it gas. I suggested he not try to get through West Texas while that was happening but to go back and get a motel and take the car to a mechanic in the morning. He hated to spend the money but he also hated to get stranded in that God forsaken area of West Texas. So, he went back a few miles and found a Comfort Inn and got a room.

The first thing this morning, he took the car to a mechanic that was recommended by the woman at the motel. On the way to the mechanic, the noise was gone and nothing showed up on their computer. But after the mechanic drove it awhile, the noise came back. They are in the process of taking the head off to check out whether it's a loose tappet, a valve or a valve spring. They assure him they will have it for him today. And if he notifies the motel by 2:00, they will not charge him another half day. Plus the mechanic will let him put the charges on a Visa card.

He may be in late tonight or early morning. It will be over a ten hour drive..whenever he leaves Moriarty.

Keith has a very complicated life.
UPDATE:

They finally got a hold of Keith about 2:00 this afternoon. They had taken the head off the motor and discovered that it was just a piece of trash in there. They called numerous dealerships in the area and all they could find out was that the Dodge Intrepid has a motor that will only make it 100,000 miles and Keith's car has 92,000 miles on it. The car itself is spotless but the motor is a piece of junk.

They put it all back together and he has taken off for Coffeyville driving 50 miles per hour all the way. That will take him another 13 1/2 hours to get here at that rate.

One good thing: the mechanic only charged $303 for all that work and he will go tow Keith in from anywhere to Coffeyville if the car breaks down on the way. He said that would cost him but a lot less than a rental car and he would still have the car to sell to someone who would want to put a motor in it. Keith can't afford to do that. It would cost from $3,500 to $5,000 to do that. If we have to salvage it, it will only bring $500. The mechanic says it is really slick. If Keith didn't have bad luck..he wouldn't have any luck at all.

We are going to give him his dad's Ford Ranger pickup.

P.S. It's 9:30 and Keith is 350 miles away. Still driving 50 miles per hour.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Nasty Rainy Day

Today is another rainy day and Bob has gone to Tulsa for his Red Cross class. He will go tomorrow too. I went to my sister's this morning after fixing Bob's breakfast and spent an hour or so.

Then I came on back home because I didn't know whether Bob had left Slinky barricaded in the kitchen or not. As it turned out, he had put him out on the patio. It's forty degrees out there so I guess he's all right. He barked awhile ago wanting in but I ignored him. I am cleaning house today...getting ready for Keith to come sometime tomorrow...probably evening.

I'm getting my hair done in the morning and then picking up Juanita (if she's up to it) and we will go to Joplin to Christmas shop. Then we'll eat at Olive Garden and then come on home. She wears out easily at 88. Hopefully, I will be home before Keith gets here. I will leave a door open..just in case.

I will put a roast on for Bob's dinner tonight. Leslie gave me a small one...just the right size. We will have carrots and sweet potato with the roast....and gravy, of course. With applesauce that should be plenty. Neither Bob nor I eat much anymore.

I went the market and bought a few groceries. I am trying to hold off on the big stuff until I need to buy my groceries for Thanksgiving. I will fix sweet potatoes then too. Also, I will fix green bean casserole and some pies. Leslie will take care of the bird and the bread and of course, she is hosting us. There should be only eight of us this year.

Keith just called. His company got the Afghanistan contract but the problem was that they had had a cap put on salaries. They could only pay $145,000 per year instead of the $200,000 he was pitched. After paying 28% tax on that, he would have just made a little over $104,000. So he turned them down. He can make that here in America without taking his life in his hands. I am happy he decided against that. I was afraid he would be killed or maimed over there anyhow.

He is on his way here now for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Another Quiet Rainy Monday.

I decided against going to Creative Conversations today. The quiet day I had Saturday seemed awfully good for today too. Every once in awhile, I need to slow down and smell the roses (in this case it's Slinky who is in the kitchen with me). I didn't even clean house today. I had just cleaned on Wednesday last week and I will probably clean after I get home from my sister's in the morning.

All I have done is play on the computer all morning posting on my church's web board and writing this blog. I did go mail off the three more books I sold on Amazon this weekend. That makes ten altogether. I can use the cash when they deposit it in my account. I just paid the $400 for the house insurance and next month there will be the taxes on the house. I will have to pay at least half of them. The second half are due in May. Between December and May, I will have to save enough money to pay the second half. The car insurance is due in May too so I will probably hit my IRA for that. I have looked and looked for a part time job but so far nothing has shown up.

It has rained all day. It's barely misting now but that may change later on in the day. This evening we will watch Antiques Roadshow and American Experience on TV.

Keith called last night and he will be starting his trip here from Arizona on Tuesday noon. He may be here by Wednesday sometime. We are looking forward to seeing him again so much.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Rainy Sunday


What a day! Last night, after I had taken my bath and had my PJs on, Bob reminded me that I had the breakfast at church this morning. I had forgotten. I put some jeans on and went up to the market and looked for my regular coffee cake mix. They didn't have it. I bought another couple of mixes, one for coffeecake cupcakes and another for a loaf size coffeecake. This morning I discovered that I had very little oil. The loaf mix needed a third cup of oil and the cupcakes needed a fourth cup of oil. Then I looked for the correct pans. The only loaf pan I had was a silicone one that I had never used. The other was a couple of cupcake pans.

I put together the loaf pan coffeecake first and added pecans and raisins. After that finished baking I raised the heat to 400 degrees and put in the cupcakes. They both came out fine...thank goodness.

I had bought juice and chocolate milk to go with them. Bob fixed coffee and we were fixed. I had a bunch of stuff to take with me.

This was Sue's Christmas Child shoebox project service. She talked about the shoebox ministry and also showed a video of the children who received the shoeboxes full of toys. It was a nice service.

After church Bob and I took Leslie to eat out at Hong Kong Delight. We brought half our food home. They serve so much.

I have worked for several months to try to get my computer network working properly again after reinstalling Windows XP last spring. I could never get the printer to work from my laptop after that. I fooled around this afternoon and finally figured it out. Keith called while I was working on it and low and behold he was able to help me get it finished so the laptop would even turn on the printer. Now I can work from the living room with Bob nearby if I want to do that.

Keith will be leaving Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon and will get here Wednesday afternoon or evening. It's a seventeen hour drive. He will stay about a week. It will be great to see him again. It's been awhile since Sara's wedding in Houston a few years ago.

Juanita and I are going to Joplin on Wednesday morning if it doesn't rain. I will be back home by 2:30 or 3:00 so hopefully will be here when Keith gets in. Bob will be in Tulsa taking his Red Cross class Tuesday and Wednesday.