Home From Mini Columbus Vacay

Sorry about not posting. I went to Columbus Sunday and came home yesterday and I'm not a good blogger on my Kindle or the iPad so you have to suffer (you 3 people who read this and you really can't count Maggie since I was with her). We had a good time and basically did nothing except for hang at the pool, play and go to lunch at Ted's. I loves me some Ted's!!!  I wish they'd bring one here to Cincy! On the other hand, that would make it a little less special when I get to go there with Maggie and Eva so...I'm cool with it being only in C-bus.

When Jim got home yesterday we went to Shooters...just a little bonus for Jimmy for being such a non-complainer with all my out-of-town travels. While we sat at the bar drinking beer and playing MegaTouch I told him I'd most likely be heading back to Maggie's in about two weeks. Hee hee...sorry Jimmy.

My plans for today: It's rather chilly and a perfect day for a bike ride. I'm not sure how long I'll last on the trail but my plan is to ride from downtown Loveland to the Kings crossing. That's about 6 miles each way so I'm not sure if I'll manage it on my first ride in 2 years. We'll see. I'd be happy to go half that though. Other than that, I'll walk Sami and clean house.

The 4th of July is NOT looking good weather wise. 90% change for heavy rain and storms pretty much all day. And the Sunday before isn't looking good either. Oh well...Not that I really care or care about fireworks. Just scares Sami anyway.

And that's all I've got. Chicken salad for dinner tonight (Mom's version) with cucumbers and fries. Yummy. Happy Thursday. Later!

All Caught Up

I slept yesterday from about 1-4 and then slept today until 7 and I'm finally feeling like I've caught up on my sleep. I really didn't feel too terribly tired yesterday until I laid down for the night. I tried to read for a bit but realized I was reading with one eye closed so finally just turned out the light and closed them both.

Plans today are pretty up in the air. Jim's working 2nd shift today and Monday so we'll probably just hang out...after he cleans up his room in preparation for Maggie and Charlie's arrival tomorrow. They're coming to town for the day for a short cousin reunion. I wanted to lay out for a bit but the weather isn't as nice (currently) as I thought it'd be. Bummer.

Currently reading an interesting book - weird. It's called The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. It's a thriller and though I'm about 8 chapters in, I'm still not sure what's going on. It's futuristic. Here's the description:

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Hmm...

Okay well that's all I've got for now. Time for breakfast. Later. 

Phew

For the most part, the weather forecasters were correct but thankfully the major storms with wind skirted around my house. Regardless, however, I was still a disaster and got a 1/2 hour sleep last night (between 2 and 2:30). I was just so nervous and afraid that I would miss something and NOT get Jim from upstairs (I sent him up around 10:00 when he was snoring and farting and sweating enough that I finally popped a pill and kicked him out of my general vicinity). Since dawn, I've slept about 3 hours so that's good but I can't sleep during the day unless I'm sick so I'm up...until I fall over.

Oh - Happy Anniversary to Jimmy and me! Fifteen years!!! Who knew? To get sappy for a minute Jimmy is the kindest most generous, would-do-anything-for-anyone person that I've ever met (perfect example of opposites attracting, huh?). I don't know what I did to deserve him but I do truthfully know how lucky I am. I thank God that I got to meet my best friend and then marry him. Love him!!!

Watching Live with Kelly and Cameron Diaz is on and she looks weird. I don't know if it's too much botox or what but her face looks bizarre.

Ooh, Big Brother started last night. I'm liking it so far. I'm not sure who I'm liking but I am already annoyed by certain players (Paul and Davonne is on my nerves AGAIN!). Loves me some Big Brother...loves me some James...loves me some Frank. Should be a fun summer with BB18!!!

Lets see...my plans today? I'm going to start a new quilt for a former student of mine. She's having a boy and invited (and everyone on her Facebook it seems) to her baby shower. Of course I'm not going to go but I want to do something special. She was one of my faves too so there you go. I'll just put some of my blue fabric together and make a cute and simple crib quilt. The shower isn't until after school starts so I should have plenty of time to construct it. And truthfully a crib quilt takes me about a day to make so...

And that's all I've got. Sami deserves a walk and since it's not raining, I think I'll try and give my girl what she wants. Happy Thursday. Thank you God for sparing me from mother nature. It is much appreciated. Later!

Nervous Night Forecasted

I may have to break out my little stash of Ativan tonight with the predicted weather that's supposed to hit overnight. I'm not looking forward to dark and I'm sure I'll be obsessed all day with the developing storm. I'm seriously not sure why I live in a house with so many trees surrounding! So stupid!

Yesterday's garage debacle was just that and a more annoying day is hard to recall. The technician was supposed to be at my house between 10-1. At 1:01, I called the company because I hadn't heard a word. They said, "Oh, sorry," giggling (I almost came through the phone and slapped the little bitch), "the technician had a longer morning than expected. You're still on the schedule though and you will be next." Two and a half hours later (at 3:30) he showed up. Turns out the opener didn't need replacement (although it's old as the hills). Instead, the spring that allows the door to raise was busted. Of course...OF COURSE!!! This is the most expensive part of a garage door and of course mine is a double spring because we have a HEAVY wooden door. It cost more than the opener would have cost. Of course! To say the least I was annoyed and frustrated and once he left I partook in several alcoholic beverages.

Today I will go to the grocery since I didn't get a chance to go yesterday. I will clean the house and I will watch the weather. I should go to the basement and set up an area too. Oh, and I need batteries for the flashlight. Maybe I should pop some ativan now. UGH!

I will say the weather turned quite lovely last night and I was able to turn off the A/C and sleep with the windows open. It was quite delicious. I'm guessing that won't be the case tonight. Dear God, please steer mother nature away from my house.

Ooh - Big Brother starts tonight!

Okay well, I best get a move on and walk Sami before it starts raining. Happy...Wednesday! Later!

Home Sweet Home

Jim and I had a GREAT vacation but we were both so happy to be home yesterday. And you KNOW Sami was excited! She stuck to me like glue last night and I made sure to be here all day and night for her. Aside from going out to check the mail, I didn't leave her side. She was happy, healthy and well taken care of while we were gone but I hate being away from her. I just hate thinking that she may think we're not coming back.

Our vacation consisted of going to the pool, watching the sunset, delicious dinners (both in and out), I rode on the wave runner several times, and just hanging out. Thankfully we only had a tiny little taste of mayflies (there was a small hatching on the Tuesday after we got there and then Sunday night). Timed that just right. I hope to get back at least in August with Maggie and Charlie but I don't know that Jim will be able to go because I don't think we'll have a sitter for Sami. I wish we had another dog/house sitter when Diane isn't available but it's hard to trust someone. I'll ask around. We also have a weekend in October reserved and I think Sami will have to go with us then too. We'll see.

Today will be a lot of catching up. Depending on the rain, I'll mow the lawn (hopefully front and back), grocery shop and of course I'll walk Sami. And I need to get started pretty early because the humidity is OPPRESSIVE! YUCK!!!

This weekend we have a cousin reunion of sorts. Maggie is coming down for the day to stay with us and then I'll head to Columbus on Sunday. I haven't been up all summer and have yet to put a toe in her pool. That will be nice to hang up there with her.

And that's all I've got. Time for breakfast and then I'm off to the store. Later!

Heat Wave

Tomorrow will be in the 90s and I'll be in PIB...where it's supposed to be in the 90s. Of course the next day's high is supposed to be 76 so that works for me. I'm hoping for lots of nice weather but as I've said before, no matter the weather at PIB, it's always perfect.

Today's plans: Cleaning. And packing. I also need to go to the bank and gas up. Other than that, it's easy sailing. Jim will help me clean, paint doors and pack but he's got easy sailing as well since most of his "jobs" have been completed. He has to work tonight but hopefully he can be out of there relatively early. I hope to be on the road by 7:00 AM tomorrow but I'm not in a huge rush and will try and be easy going (rather than my usual stressed self who just wants to get there).

Yesterday was quite productive. I mowed the lawn, finished the last two quilts for the Bay and did my shop. I managed to get 4 extra blankets for the cottage (in addition to the three quilts I'm bringing) and a mattress pad for the king bed (that I'm hoping will fit the bed). I got the car packed with dry goods and finished prepping the rest of my meals (marinating the pork and making my chicken burgers). Not much to do from here.

I got a call from Eva yesterday evening saying she was not going to the Bay. I thought she was kidding but alas, she was dead serious. She kept saying she wanted to stay home with her daddy. This is very unusual from Eva who loves PIB as much as the rest of us. However, her daddy had been in Dallas for a day or so and I just assumed she missed him. Then I got a call from Maggie who had riddled it all out. See, when we were there in May, we put the latest Star Wars on and Eva did NOT like the weird looking aliens in the bar scene. I guess it freaked her out and she associates PIB with the ugly monsties. Maggie assured her we wouldn't watch it. She's good to go now. Phew. I didn't want Maggie to have to leave her behind.

And that's all I've got. This will be my last post until I return...probably until the 21st. I will post on FB, however, you can be sure of that. Happy Friday and safe travels to me. Later!

Getting Closer

I'm getting closer to vacation but also completing my final two quilts. I managed yesterday to get the tops quilted and one of them prepped for the border to be sewn so all I have to do is prep the other one and then sew and wash. Should only take about an hour to do. Woot!

Other than sewing today I'll be grocery shopping and cleaning as well as laundry and pulling clothes to pack.

So last night I was sitting outside with my neighbors, just having a cocktail and chatting. It was mostly dark when out of nowhere some huge black bug landed on me. Needless to say I screamed and jumped up while my "friends" nearly peed themselves laughing. I could have been killed! It could have been a giant Zika mosquito...you just don't know! Me no likey big black bugs! At that point, I was OUT!

And that's all I've got. Time to get things started...breakfast, quilting and laundry. Happy...oh, right - Thursday. Later!

More Preparations

Yesterday was productive. I went to Walmart and got my laundry soap dispensers as well as some t-shirts for Jimmy and other necessities. I made the French dip to take to the Bay and I ordered the grill and grill cover. This should be delivered Friday and I'm hoping there won't be any issues. I got a confirmation of shipping and then the company emailed me to say that delivery will be Friday between 9AM and 11PM and will require an adult signature. I emailed customer service back explaining how PIB works with deliveries so hopefully I'll get a reply and okay. Here's hoping we don't have any snafus. Additionally I basted two more quilts that I'll hopefully be able to finish in time to take up to the Bay. My goal is to get some new blankets up there so that we can throw away some of the scary, skanky, who-know-when-they-were-last-washed blankets that are currently up there.

Today: I will start pulling things to pack, ensure Jimmy's doing the same as well as laundry, finish up my quilting (then I'll only have the edges to do), mow the grass in the back yard, direct Jimmy to clean and do some final things in the renovation. I want to go and get a mattress pad for the king sized bed Jim and I like to sleep in at PIB (the mattresses up there are in dire need of replacement) but I'm not sure it will fit. Why? Because for some reason, the "king" is really two twins put together. Why? Who knows but my belief is because there were twin mattresses available and since certain someones don't like to throw ANYTHING away at the Bay, we now sleep in a bed that doesn't allow bedding to properly fit. We'll see...I can always return it if the pad doesn't fit.

Now since I have a shit load of stuff to do, I'd best get a move on. Another beautiful day here. Sleeping was lovely - no humidity and cool to the point of needing an extra blanket on the bed. Happy Wednesday - later!

Quick Post

This will be quick because I have to get ready and take my car in for a tire rotation and oil change.

First - Jim and I have extended our time at PIB and I'm excited but nervous. I hate being away from my girl for so long. I don't want her to think I'm not coming back and I know I sound like a kook but I don't want her to be sad and lonely. I know she'll have Diane but it isn't her mama. It will only be 9 days rather than 7 but still. All that said, I'm excited to be up there for the time we'll get.

Additionally - the grandkids (the Arbaugh and West kids) all pooled together and got a new grill for the Bay. I'm excited because the current grill up there has been on its last leg for about 3 years. It barely pumps heat and cooks unevenly. Considering nearly all my meals planned are grill meals, this is major. It will be delivered Friday at the ferry and barring any issues, Jim and I will pick up and put together when we get there Saturday. YAY!!!

Plans today: I'll be making my lists for PIB (grocery etc) and then I'll do some quilting. I need to get to Home Depot as well because the faucet in the upstairs hallway at PIB needs replacing. Jim will do that when we get up. Other than that, I'll just be hanging out.

K - I need to get ready to go. Happy Tuesday. Later!

Big Planning Week

This week will be a lot of running around, food prep, packing and cleaning to get ready for PIB! I cannot wait to get up there. I believe most of my meals will be either grilling or heating up pre-made meals (French dip) to make things easier. I hate having to use the oven too much since it heats the place up so I'm hoping the grill will be in reasonably good working order. Not sure yet if we'll go up Saturday or Sunday...contingent on my cousin and her sons baseball schedule. I've emailed her and have yet to hear back. Here's hoping for Saturday...would really love to have a full week!

Jim got all the shelving up for my laundry room yesterday. It looks so good and I'm so happy. He now just has the doors to paint and the baseboards to caulk. I'm so happy it's pretty much complete and turned out so well. The jars I got from Amazon ended up all being broken (even after getting replacements) so I've gotten a refund on those and will go some place nearby to purchase so I can see first hand that there are no cracks etc. A pain but whatever - what else do I have to do?

As stated before, Jim's on second shift this week so I'll have him around to help out with some things this week. He'll take my car in for a tire rotation and oil change, probably tomorrow. Today I think we'll head to Party Source for needed supplies including a keg replacement (Jim blew his keg this weekend) and then maybe we'll go somewhere for lunch. We'll see.

And that's all I've got. It's time for some breakfast...maybe outside...it's a beautiful morning. Happy Monday. Later!

Ikea - My Obsession

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE!!! LOVE!!! LOVE!!! Ikea!? I wish I had unlimited funds to spend there cause you know I would. Place is amazing with so much to see, buy and so many ideas!

Jim and I went to Ikea yesterday (after having breakfast) to make the purchases for the reno and we pretty much got everything we needed (plus some). The only thing I still need to get is a bench for the mudroom. I have the bench I want picked out  but I want to put all the shelving up first to make sure it will fit and look good. For the mudroom, we bought the bookshelf (shown with cute baskets!), the shelving as well rug. For the bathroom, we got a rug and decorations (how cute are the flowers on the mirror?). The laundry room, got the most attention. We got all the shelving (two each for the sides of the washer/dryer), drying racks (shown below though those aren't ours...just a random pic from the Internet.  You can see, they can be put up or down so they stay out of the way, they have three differnent positions and most importantly won't poke Jim in the back!), and some storage drawers as well. Jim will work on hanging the shelves today but he may have to cut into the drywall so that he can hang things safely and securely. 

When we got home, I put the shelves for the mudroom together as well as the bookcase and the storage drawers for the laundry. I keep going in there and thinking, "It's so pretty!" Not to toot my own horn but you know...it's so pretty!

Additionally we got some needed kitchen utensils and a cutting board. Oh and a veggie steamer. I need to go back there and look at their counter tops some time in the future since they do quartz and I want to price it out. I just wish I had unlimited funds to fulfill all my wants and needs! 

Today I'll head to Costco (was too excited to come home yesterday and start putting things together) and supervise Jim (he'll love that). He's still sleeping and will probably be there for a bit. Not sure what time he got home but I'm pretty sure it was LATE! At least it's Friday.

Sami's doing great. She's eating like a champ although she's not really had much dry food of late. Her poop is solid (I know you were concerned) and she seems almost back to normal. Thank you GOD!

K - well, I need to get a move on so I can be ready at Costco when it opens. Happy Friday! YAY! Later!

Normalcy

I do believe we have turned a corner. First of all, Sami went to Jim's side of the bed around 5:30 this morning. This is her normal routine when she needs to go out or wants Jim up. Now, the door was left open all night so she really didn't have to go so I'm not sure she doesn't have the runs but when I finally got up, she willingly ate her pill hidden in dog food (she actually has to take one for the next 6 days) along with two other bites and then an additional plateful of canned food. WOOT! Here's hoping!

Jim and I will get up and go out to breakfast here in a bit (probably the Original Pancake House) and then head to Ikea for stuff. I'm hoping to get the drying racks for the laundry room, a bookcase for the mud room, a rug, maybe a bench and possibly shelving. We'll see what they have. From there we'll go to Costco for some needed things. I'll start looking to make things for the Bay/plan the menu.

So my neighbors and I exchanged passwords for HBO/Netflix accounts and last night I started watching Orange Is the New Black. Hilarious...really good and I look forward to watching the rest of the 3 seasons that are out. I'd also like to watch House of Cards. One at a time, however.

And that's all I've got. Jim's on 2nd shift for the next week and a half (until we leave for PIB) so I'm hoping the last bits and pieces of the reno are completed (painting doors etc.)

Happy Thursday! Later!

Sami Update

It was a rough day yesterday. I got up, called the vet and was able to get an appointment for 10:00. I lazed around and just kept an eye on my girl. Around 9:00 or 9:15, she came running downstairs and headed outside. I followed her and saw her dry heaving in the yard and she had more diarrehea. I snuck up to see how her poop looked and saw blood in it. I said, "That's it!" and hightailed it to the vet early. At that point I was very emotional but I managed to hold back my tears as I explained to the vet tech what was going on. In the end, the vet decided to do blood tests, including a test for pancreatitis. Most of her levels were in the normal range but a couple were elevated but that could be because of the virus or whatever she's fighting. They also gave her a shot to help with her stomach, subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and some canned food to take home. The said is she wasn't improved by today, they would have me bring her back in and they would do x-rays.

When we got home yesterday, I immediately gave her a pill which she took with a bite of dog food. She wouldn't take any more food but doc said if she took a bite every couple hours, that would be fine. She slept all day (as I finished a quilt...shown). When Jim got home, she greeted him while lying down but she wagged her tail a lot! That's a first for a while. Eventually she drank water twice without prompting and though she wouldn't eat more than a nibble of her canned food, she enjoyed a couple bites of hard boiled egg.

I left the sliding glass door open overnight so she could go out on her own. I know she went out at around 11:00 and 4:00. She definitely seems better so that's good. I'll be anxious to hear the pancreatitis test results but barring that, I don't think she'll need to go back in. Fingers crossed. I'm really anxious for my girl to feel better. She's so pitiful. UGH!

Jim works second shift tonight so that sucks but at least he'll be able to help me keep an eye on Sami today. Not sure what the day has in store. I'll probably finish another quilt and hang with my girl.

K - day 2 of vacation is under way. Time for breakfast. Happy...what day is it? Wednesday! Later!