It's July - I'm Hanging On For the Ride

First, happy July! We're in the exact middle of the year (month-wise, not necessarily by day count), and it's time to enjoy being at the top or bottom of your cycle. Just think of the possibilities ahead in the next six months. How amazing your life can be, how much joy and how many experiences you will have before we reach December 31st and January 1st. Dig your heels in - it's an election year and a year of great changes around the world. You can't personally influence world peace, so just work on keeping your own little part of the world as positive and peaceful as you possibly can. Even if it is just one room, or even just one hour a day - it's a positive change when we need it. 

There are actually cultures on earth where a smile is 
interpreted as an aggressive action. But in the majority 
of Earth's cultures, a smile is universally seen as a 
positive image. Try smiling first, before speaking. 
A smile can break the ice better than words. 

Our plans for the fence didn't happen. On Saturday, DH decided he would be wise to use a respirator for the fence. Although he was (and is) sure that I own one (I actually don't think that I do), he finally gave up and went to the local Home Depot, ordering one which he will pick up in a couple of days. That meant that we wasted a perfect weekend on one hand, but enjoyed a perfect weekend on the other. I'll have to let Laura know when we finally have our act together. 

DH decided he would be more comfortable 
spray painting the fence wearing a respirator. 
I don't really blame him, but we don't own 
one, so he had to order one from Home Depot. 
Thus, the delay in painting the fence. *sigh*

It's hard to believe that we're already in July. I need to pull out some things I have set aside and start working on a couple of projects that I usually have for the summer/fall. Of course, I'm also watching Le Tour de France, which will end on a different note this year since it's at the same time as the Summer Olympics in Paris. Le Tour will end up in a different location for the first time ... well, if it was ever ended in a place different than Paris, it was a long, LONG time ago. But it's a month of athletics for those of you who enjoy watching that type of event. With Le Tour and the Summer Olympics, there's bound to be something for just about everyone on TV this month. 

Le Tour de France is once again going on. I'm finding it 
a bit harder than usual to focus on it since the first few 
days were in Italy. But soon they'll be in France and then 
my attention will be split between the bicycle race 
and the Summer Olympics. Oy! Too much for one month! 

Also, Thursday is July 4th, so I won't be posting that day (I'll probably put up a splash screen, but I won't actually do a verbal catch-up post). Who knows? We might end up painting one or the other side of the fence that day - LOL. The minute I try to predict life, it throws me a curve ball, so I'm just getting back on the board and hanging on for the ride. I hope your week begins well, and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Le Tour de France, Project Runway and a Pork Shoulder

Yesterday's stage of Le Tour de France was full of surprises and quite fun, and I hope you had a chance to catch Wednesday's hilly stage because that one was exciting. We have a final hill/mountain stage coming up tomorrow before the ride into Paris and the final sprint on Sunday when it all wraps up. Since I have Peacock again on my equipment, I set up the tablet and worked at the computer at the shop while watching Le Tour, then switched to The Open golf tournament. Finally, toward the latter portion of the afternoon, I did a bit of searching and found Season 20 of Project Runway! Yippee!! I've started watching that and it's SO MUCH FUN. 

Tomorrow we'll have some pretty decent mountains again, 
but today is a lot of up and down terrain. Hilly - but not 
super steep. A challenge nonetheless because the boys 
are tired and their legs are tired. Tomorrow's stage will 
be true mountains for one last shot before Paris. 

On Season 20 they invited specific previous participants from the prior 19 seasons to compete one more time. Not all seasons are represented. Some, such as Season 1, have more than one person in the current competition. The judges are the same - Nina Garcia, Elaine Welteroth and Brandon Maxwell, and Christian Seriano is once again the mentor. This is going to be great, and since it already aired, I can binge on episodes, skip commercials, and pause when needed. Perfect! I'm diving back into fashion and divas and couldn't be more pleased. 

The twelve designers invited back for a second try at 
Project Runway are a varied bunch from Season 1 
through Season 18. Christian Seriano's roommate from 
Season 5 is one of those who were invited to participate. 
It's a great mix of people, many of whom have been 
quite successful in fashion since their appearance on 
the show the first time. 

DH attempted to use the invoice I designed for him, and got all frustrated with it. I growled at him because he has the patience of a gnat, and told him I'd write him a set of directions today, so that's one more thing I have to add to my day. I'll also be busy in the kitchen - I have a bunch of food I bought on Wednesday that needs to be made into something, then either frozen or used within a reasonable time. DH bought a pork shoulder roast yesterday. Apparently he loved the last time I cooked it so much, he wants it again on Sunday. I'll have to find that recipe again today so that I'm sure I have all of the ingredients on hand for the marinade. I also have to make my next four portions of Ogre Juice. I've already warned DH that I'll have to use one night next week (probably Friday) to make my Ogre Juice for the coming week. With Chickie leaving for Montana on Sunday, I will be solo at the shop for a week plus a couple of days, and won't be home to work in the kitchen. Thus - the cooking spree. 

I cooked one of these earlier this year and it was 
fantastic. I'm looking forward to cooking it again. It 
was easy and extremely tasty and turned out beautifully. 

So, I'm off to the pool again. Since it was storming on Wednesday, I had to push everything out by a day, and I need my third day in the pool. I hope you have a wonderful Friday, enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Le Tour and a Very Busy Day

 Although the time trials don't really entice me - sometimes it's rather like watching paint dry - yesterday's was actually exciting with the last few riders. Jonas Vingegaard rode the individual time trial like a man possessed, and extended his few seconds lead over Tadej Pogacar to one minutes and 48 seconds! That's HUGE! In third place now is Adam Yates, standing 8 minutes 52 seconds behind Vingegaard. Although the race can still be lost, Vingegaard has a very good shot of pulling out the win on Sunday. Pogacar has been trying to overtake him since the days of the Pyrenees - long, long ago (LOL), and just hasn't managed it. This might be Vingegaard's time to stand on the top level of the podium. Only a few more days until Paris, so we'll find out soon. 

We've got lots of lovely hills today - not the Alps, 
but not a bad profile. Today and Saturday will be 
up and down, the rest of the time will be rolling 
terrain or almost flat. Of course, Paris will be flat too, 
but Paris is the final stage - a sprint for the sprinters. 

Tadej, however, is still so young! He has one more year ahead where he can qualify as "Best Young Rider" and that one is almost guaranteed. He's won the White every year since he entered the competition. He's an amazingly talented bicycle rider. 

I have to get things done ahead of time because I'll have no 
extra time at all next week. It's not going to be easy, I'll 
still end up doing some things at nights or in the very early 
mornings. No choices in that. 

Today is a VERY busy "day off" for me. I wanted to get some work done on DH's invoice yesterday, and just couldn't get any uninterrupted time, so I'll sandwich that in today. He needs that ASAP, and I have to get going on designing it and making it happen. I'll use the laptop for that, if possible. Although I'm more comfortable with my older version of Windows, I need a form that will be more flexible, which means designing it on the newer hardware. I also have a couple of other things to do, kitchen stuff to get done, and the usual laundry. Aearwen and I will catch up via phone late this afternoon, before I go on "radio silence" next week since I'm working for eight days straight while Chickie is in Montana. So today and Friday are the only days I have to get food made, Ogre Juice blended, and my life in order before my schedule is turned upside down. 

I rarely get 8 hours of sleep, usually I'm closer to six 
hours. Often I'm waking earlier than that - guess I'm 
just one of those "get up and go" type of people. 

So, I'm wrapping this up and heading out to the pool. I think I need a good swim today - I have tension that needs to be released, and the water is the perfect place for that. Have an excellent Wednesday, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Le Tour, The Desk and a Book - Bouncing All Over the Place This Morning

Today's Tour de France stage is an individual time trial. Although the time trial won't win Le Tour, riders have lost their bids for triumph by messing up on time trials in the past, so it's important, even if it isn't the most exciting stage to watch. We're into the final few days, though. Sunday is the ride through Paris and the final sprint around the Champ-Elysees, so there aren't a lot of days left to shuffle the order and win that coveted top podium in Paris. 

Individual time trial today, and the course isn't very 
up and down, although of course there is some 
topography. Time trials aren't usually the most exciting 
thing to watch, but races have been won and lost 
on them in the past. If a rider falls on the TT, any 
chance he had for the Podium has just been eliminated. 

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the fact that I still have an employee this week, and already missing her. I know that handling things while she's on vacation will be much harder for me, generally and specifically. Chickie and I have worked together since my Mall of America store. Not constantly - she left to go for her Masters Degree, and worked at a couple of other jobs, but she kept coming back and we work well together. This trip to Montana will be a bit of an adventure for her as she picks up the antique secretary desk and brings it back to Minnesota. I wonder how the old furniture will react to our humidity. There's quite a difference between the two climates of the states. 

From the photos that Chickie was sent, the 
desk is quite similar to this one. They range 
on Etsy and similar sites from under $100 
to a few hundred dollars, but the current 
manufacturer is asking more than $6000 
for a new one from mahogany. I can only 
assume that's because the wood is so 
hard to get these days, because that 
price seems quite excessive. 

DH has decided he needs a specific form for liquidating his inventory, so I get to spend some time with the laptop today, designing it. I'm hopeful I can find a template that I can take and run with. It's always easier to customize a template than to design from a blank page. It's an invoicing form, so if you have any suggestions of a template I can check out, please let me know in the comments. Nonetheless, I usually enjoy making things like this, and it will be a fun challenge. 

I'll be designing something similar to this, but there's 
a lot of disclaimer paragraphs that also have to go 
onto it, absolving us from any responsibility if the 
part fails in the future. It is aircraft parts, after all, 
and we have to cover all eventualities. 

One of the things I most enjoy, however is reading fiction. A favorite author of mine, C.S. Poe, released the newest book in her Memento Mori series a week or so ago and I immediately purchased it and read it. Then I decided to go back and re-read the first two books again, so I'm in the middle of Book 1 and enjoying it just as much the 2nd (or probably more than 2nd) time around. It's an excellent mystery, good characters, but it's also gay romance because that's my genre of choice. Still, I highly recommend it to all of you. 

I love C.S. Poe's books. She brings in the history 
of New York in detail, without it being weighed 
down in facts. She knows her city well, and it 
comes through in her writing. I don't know New 
York well, but it's quite evident that she does, and 
the City plays as a major character in all of 
her books. 

And I'm off to the pool for my Tuesday swim. I've got a million things on my mind, so it will be good to just listen to my latest audio book and lose myself in laps for a while. I really need that rhythm in my life, it's stability and motion. Very important. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Le Tour de France and the Epic of "Dune"

Today is a Rest Day for La Tour de France - a seriously needed rest day after two days of stress and strain in the Alps. But the weekend was magnificent and so much fun to watch. It was anything BUT easy, but kept us watching until the end - DH on his tablet and I on my laptop or phone. The end, on Sunday, was just below the top of Mt Blanc - absolutely stunning and with a BUNCH of exhausted riders. 

It was a beautiful Alpine stage and weekend - such fun to 
see the big mountains again. They ended on Sunday at the 
"top" of Mont Blanc - not the actual top since that was 
above the comfort level for the riders and spectators, but 
it was quite near to the top, so the vistas were magnificent. 

Today we start out with our semi-annual dental appointments. That messes with everyone's schedules. I'm always first one - 7:30 am for me. DH has his appointment at 9:10 am, and Chickie hauls in there for a 10:00 am appointment. 

Chickie borrowed a trailer similar to this from a friend. 
Claire purchased the trailer hitch and wheel boot and had 
them installed onto her car. They'll be driving to Montana 
next week, so everything had to be ready to go after 
yesterday. They're building a box to fit into the trailer so 
that they can put the desk flat into the box, cushion it, 
screw down the lid and take it back with them to Minnesota. 

Chickie was going to spend yesterday constructing a large box from plywood that will fit into the trailer she's borrowed from a friend that she's driving to Montana with her next week. They've got all the bells and whistles. The trailer hitch is a locking hitch, and they have a wheel boot for security as well. They'll put blankets all around the desk to cushion it and cover it, and hopefully it won't weigh an absolute TON so that it will be possible to get the antique desk up the stairs and into Chickie's half of the house. 

The best thing about the original "Dune" 
movie from 1984 was Sting. He was gorgeous 
in the film, and pretty was all he was supposed 
to be, frankly. He didn't really move the plot 
along, but he was some nice eye candy. 

We had watched Part 1 of the new "Dune" movie a week or two ago, and felt the need to see the original "Dune" movie again, so we watched that last night. Now DH will be grabbing the paperback from our library to read it again - it's been a while. I think I own at least the first six books, maybe even more. The world that Frank Herbert built on Arrakis was magnificent. Apparently there are 22 books in the series as of now, of which 6 are his:  Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune. I'm pretty sure I own at least those six, and probably some of the others that were not by Herbert. It's a huge universe that he envisioned and, he said, there simply wasn't enough room in one book to encompass it. 

"Dune" part 2 is supposed to be released 
into theaters in October this year. We'll 
see if that actually happens. I won't see it 
in the theater (DH hates seeing movies 
there - he can't hear them properly. With a 
DVD, he can enable captions.) If it does 
get released on time and if the DVD is 
available for Christmas, I'll add it to my 
Holiday Gift list. 

Looking at the original "Dune" movie again, I can certainly see why the remake was done in two parts (second part to hopefully be released sometime this year or early next). I know they originally wanted to make it in more than two parts, but the funding fell through. Still, it should do a bit better than the original movie - there's just too much to compact into a single movie. Watching the original "Dune" is like reading a Reader's Digest Condensed Book - a taste, but no depth. 

I'm pretty sure this is the set of Dune books that I own in 
my library upstairs. The original "Dune" and the sequels. 
I loved the story - loved Arrakis and the entire idea of 
the worms and stillsuits and the Bene Geseret. It was a 
world of complexities and without easy answers, and it 
brought ecology into the mainstream, a rarity for any 
fictional book. 

So, I'm heading out to my dentist and to start my day. Since it's a Monday, it will only be DH and I in the shop, which means I'll have to fight for every break from the sales floor. *sigh* He doesn't mean to abandon me, but he works on his stuff in the basement and I help customers. Half the time he forgets his phone on his desk, so getting in touch with him if I need help is difficult. It's 1000% better when it's just Chickie and I on the sales floor. We actually get things done! LOL So, have an excellent Monday and Slava Ukraini. I'll be back tomorrow. 

   

Le Tour Meets the Alps and a Day of Housework Accomplishment

For those of you who love the mountains in Le Tour de France, today and tomorrow are the days for you to watch. We're in the Alps, and the scenery and roads will be spectacular. Just look at the two profiles! Monday is a "Rest Day" and the riders will certainly need it. It's going to be a fun two days watching the boys try to pull their way over and through these massive mountains. 

I just love it when I see a stage profile like this! Lots of 
high mountains with an HC as the last peak of the day. 
The Alps - there's nothing quite like them. 

This might be the stage when Tadej Pogacar might finally take the Yellow Jersey. I do suspect he'll be wearing yellow by the end of Sunday's stage, if not today. He's been strong, and he's been very strategic - allowing Vingegaard to be in Yellow, while he lurks behind - breathing down his neck. He's been riding a strategic and very careful race, but he's also one of the most talented riders of his generation, and it's always a pleasure to watch him on a bicycle. 

Take a look at Sunday's stage!!! With a summit finish, 
and the way the Alps can kick any rider, this should be 
a super fun stage to watch. I'll be glued to my phone 
while sitting out in the garden. 

I worked very hard in the kitchen yesterday, making a meatloaf for a few meals, baking a pound of bacon to a beautiful crisp for my salads, cutting up fruit, and generally being very busy. I spent more than an hour at the shredder chomping through old financial records and paperwork. I ended up with three bags for my recycling bin, so I had a real feeling of accomplishment. 

We have two shredders at home and one at the shop;. The best 
one is at the shop, but the one in the kitchen area is a close 
second. I made it work hard yesterday, shredding a bunch of 
old documents and check registers and duplicates from the early 
2000's. I ended up with three full bags of shredded material 
for my recycling bin. 

I had hoped to work on my beadwork project late in the afternoon, but I just didn't have the tine. I did, however, pull down a second loom from my loom stash and get it strung up. I'll take this one to the shop so that I can do a panel in the early mornings before I unlock the store. Eventually I won't be able to spend the time with that - I'll be working on the embossing instead, but right now, an extra hour to spend beading will be a lovely thing. 

I actually own a Mirrix Loom - a metal loom 
made for beading and tapestry weaving. I still 
have it in its' box (bad me). It was a very 
expensive item, but I'm still happy I own it. 
I'm looking forward to playing with it after 
I retire. It was a gift I bought myself with my 
inheritance money from the sale of my Mom's 
condo. I'm using a board loom that I built 
myself for the project I'm currently working 
on, though. Looms don't have to be expensive 
to be functional. 

I dropped by my orthodontist early in the morning, hoping they could envelope me in. Fridays are odd days for them - they catch up on paperwork and deal with emergencies. I had one hook that I needed that had broken off, so I needed a replacement. Unfortunately they weren't open yet when I got there, so I phoned and left a message. They got back to me and we scheduled for 10:30 am. I showed up early, and got right in. Fifteen minutes later, my tooth was back in business and I was back on schedule. 

Our raspberry plants are wild and grow between the house and 
our neighbor's house on the West side where they get a lot 
of sun. We don't ever do anything with them - just harvest them 
when we start getting ripe berries. I've gotten more than three 
pints of fresh raspberries over the past week. I do love them. 

I spent quite a bit of the afternoon in the kitchen making a meat loaf for my next few meals, and then my batch of Ogre Juice for the coming week. I also baked a batch of crispy bacon for my salads. Yummy! To end the kitchen time, I cut up the melon I had bought on Wednesday. Now that's ready to eat, and it smelled lovely! 

My canteloupe is absolutely lovely, and very 
sweet. I picked a good one - LOL. I got that all 
cut up and in a bowl, ready to eat. Summer fruit - 
there's nothing much better. 

So that's about all I have right now. I'm looking at a busy weekend, I'll go out and harvest raspberries again, probably on Sunday. We're at peak season for our raspberry patch right now, and I've already harvested several pints from it. SO GOOD! I'll be enjoying those in the early mornings - I do eat fruit when fruit is in season, and now's the best time for so much of it! Have an excellent weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Wednesday Was a Busy Day

I was so busy yesterday, I didn't even have a chance to watch or even listen to Le Tour de France!!! I did get a lot done, though. I made a second batch of baked peaches. This time I decided to parboil and peel them, and it turned out OK, but I won't waste my time doing that again. I think it actually turned out better when I didn't peel the peaches. But I have six portions in the refrigerator now, ready for my lunches. I also cooked two batches of gluten-free brownies. It's one of my go-to night snacks, and I was down to two portions left, so it was time to get restocked. 

Pamelas's Gluten Free Brownies is one 
of two brands I buy for my brownie mixes. 
I like this one because it only uses a single 
egg, and it's fork-mixed. The other brand 
I sometimes use requires two eggs and the 
use of my stand mixer. 

Today it's a work day, and I'm sure I will find my desk full of "to-do" notes and tasks. I'll worry about what I'm supposed to do with X Y and Z when I get there. I've got some swim time first, and that'll be fun. We've been cool for our nights lately, it's a bit warmer today (in the low 60's F, 17.2 C), but the previous two days were in the 50's (12.7) and it was a COLD walk into and out of the pool area. I'm quite grateful that we're warming up again. It's summer. It's supposed to be a warm season. 

I actually think I posted the incorrect stage map for 
yesterday's stage, and I apologize. Today it's an up 
and down day as they head for three days in the Alps 
starting tomorrow. I do love the Alps - BIG mountains, 
small bicycles, and totally used-up men on machines. LOL

I did take a bit of time to work on my beadwork project yesterday afternoon. I looked at the small stack of "deal with these things" that DH had left in the middle of the study floor. I then looked at my loom and the clock which said I had approximately an hour of "free time" left in my day, and I piled the stack of stuff into a box to be handled on Friday, grabbed my loom and beading materials, and sat on the porch for a little bit. That was quite pleasant, and I did manage to get two more pieces done. It's slow, but steady progress and I'm hoping to get some more done on Friday AFTER I've actually gone through the box of stuff which is currently under my laundry collection basket. That's tomorrow, though. One day at a time. 

Tuscan canteloupe has these sections in the rind. 
You want to choose one that has more gold than 
green in the section dividers. The more gold it 
is, the more ripe it is. 

We're in the height of fruit season here, and I adore fruit, so I also bought a Tuscan cantelope and some organic apricots yesterday. That was in addition to the peaches that I baked. My house has a lot of fruit in it right now. It's not great for my weight - fruit is sugar, after all - but my tongue is happy. Sometimes that's equally important - LOL. 

I went to my co-op yesterday - I hadn't been there for a 
while and needed one thing I buy there. While there, I 
picked up a few organic apricots. SOOOO good! I also 
noticed they had my collagen on sale, so I picked up a large 
container of that, plus a $3 off coupon, AND it was the 
second Wednesday of the month, which gave me an additional 
10% off on the price of supplements. I scored a $54 jar for 
less than $40! Whoot! 

So, have a fabulous Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. I hope your day is filled with good experiences when you look back over the day before you go to sleep tonight. Enjoy and Slava Ukraini. 

It'll Be a Busy Wednesday - Housecleaning, Cooking and Le Tour

A very short post today because I only have a bit more than 15 minutes to get this together before I have to grab my stuff and head to the gym. DH was cleaning yesterday - cleaning his work area, that is. Of course, we share the computer room, and that's where his desk was approaching disaster, so the clean carried over into my area and he "cleaned" some of my area as well. GRRRRR. 

I really hate it when he cleans my area. Of course, he was 
wise enough to not touch my desk, but still - it's rather 
intrusive. I'll get the rest of the stuff cleaned up today 
and all will be good, but it's annoying! 

I now have a small pile of things in the middle of the floor that I have to take care of today. Nothing like having additional tasks added into a very busy Wednesday. I really could have done without that. 

The entire house could do with a thorough edge-to-edge 
clean, but that's not going to be happening today. I'll 
clean up the mess he left for me to deal with, and do a lot 
of shredding of old documents and checkbooks from extinct 
accounts, but that's probably about as much as I'll have the 
time for today. 

Of course, my area could also do with a thorough clean, but I doubt I'll have the time to deal with much of that today. I can get a start in, but I have other things that have to be done, so I won't be able to do much of anything else effectively. Still, I suppose a start is better than nothing. So, today will be a housecleaning day and (of course) a laundry day, along with my swimming, grocery shopping, cooking and weekly chat with Aearwen. 

Today we have a nice run of flat, but two huge peaks 
toward the end, with a summit finish. It should be 
wonderful, and since I'm home today, I might actually 
be able to catch most of it on my phone while I'm 
cleaning. 

Oh, and Le Tour. We can't forget Le Tour. I was so busy at the shop yesterday I didn't have a chance to watch AT ALL yesterday! That's totally unlike me, but I do have my priorities, and customers do count at a priority over Le Tour. Still, I did post today's stage map above, and we're heading toward the big mountains for the weekend. FABULOUS Have an excellent Wednesday. I'm going to wrap this up, put in pictures, put the garbage and yard waste cans at the curb and head off to the pool. I think I really need my swim today. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Day 10 of Le Tour de France and Deer Problems in the Garden

Today is Day 10 of Le Tour de France. It's hard to believe, but we're almost at the middle of this year's race, and what a race it's been so far! With Cavendish out of it, I really don't have a specific rider I'm following. The standard leaders, of course, but nobody that I'm really cheering on. That allows me to enjoy the strategy, the scenery, and the general race itself because there's always something to watch on Le Tour. 

We get lots of mountains today. If I remember correctly, 
we're crossing the Massif Central in the midsection of 
France right now, on our way towards the Alps, where we 
should be for the weekend. They're calling this stage 
"Hilly", not "Mountain", so these peaks aren't as 
tall as the ones over the weekend. I suspect they'll 
still be quite the challenge, however. The race goes for 
another week-and-a-half, though, so we have a lot of 
racing still to come. 

Today is a swimming day, so that's something I'm looking forward to. There's just something about being in the water and getting a good workout. It's one of the best ways to start my day, so that's one good thing today. On the other hand, I awakened at 2:00 am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I'll be a Zombie by the end of the day. That's totally NOT one of the better things for my Tuesday, but it is what it is. 

I'm not sure when I first found and started using 
LensesRX for getting new lenses for favorite 
eyeglass frames. I suspect it was when my 
prescription changed and I had two favorite 
sets of eyeglasses that had been quite expensive, 
and were very unique. I didn't want to trash the 
frames, so sought out an alternative. I've used 
this firm ever since, and they do an excellent job. 

My two glasses frames have been received by LensesRX and they've contacted me to double-check exactly what I wanted done with the lenses. It's usually a pretty fast turnaround with them - they're doing their own work, not shipping things out to a lab/factory for grinding. I've used them for more than two decades now, and they've always done outstanding work. When I get these two back, I'll be sending another 2-3 frames to them. 

Deer are beautiful, and I'm glad we live in an area where the 
wildlife feels comfortable, but I really wish they would leave 
my plants alone. Maybe next year I'll have to string an 
"invisible fence" of fishing line to help keep them out. Or not. 
They might be frustrating, but the damage isn't major 
(so far). 

We were supposed to get some rain yesterday, so DH didn't do a serious watering of the plants. Unfortunately, the rain went both North and South of us, and missed our area of the Cities completely. He'll have to do a more serious water today. The deer attacked the bush beans and some of the lillys yesterday while we were at work. It was quite disappointing to come home and see the patches of devastation. Damned deer! Although we possibly could fence them out, it would be a VERY expensive proposition to do. It's a lot of distance along the east side of the property following the creek. We just shrug our shoulders, and know there's not much we really can do about the wildlife. Most of the wildlife is great, but the gophers and the deer drive me crazy. 

So, I'm heading out of here. I hope you have a great Tuesday and I have every intention of being back tomorrow. In the meanwhile, be kind, be healthy, and Slava Ukraini. 

It's The Weekend - Thinking Ahead and Planning

Today is Stage 8 of Le Tour de France. I hope some of you had the opportunity to see the end of Stage 7 yesterday. Cav came in second, and it was SO close! He's trying to set a record this year, and a single win will give it to him. But he's not great on the mountains, and we have a lot more mountains to come before the next good sprinter's stage. I feel for him - he's GOT to be so frustrated. So close!!! 

We're starting to cross France now, going from West 
to East. We'll be in the hilly central section of the 
country for the next two-three days. Not really a 
sprinter's paradise, but not the killer that the big 
mountains can be for the swift guys. 

So, today is Stage 8. It starts out flat, but has topography by the final third. It should be a pretty ride, and so far this race has been a fun one. Hopefully that fun will continue as we progress towards the Eastern wall of mountains - the Alps. 

This is Sunday's stage - hilly, with an uphill ending. Again, 
not a sprinter's paradise. Looking at the stage maps for 
the Tour in general, there really isn't a great stage for 
the Sprinters for a LONG time. Yesterday was Cav's 
best opportunity and he did his darnedest, but only managed 
to come in 2nd. GRRRR. 

Yesterday was pretty much as I had expected/wanted. I dd a bit of grocery shopping, went home and did two hours of beading, then I hit the kitchen. I baked six peaches (they're absolutely lovely, but I probably will parboil and skin them first, next time). The recipe said the skin wasn't an issue, and it really isn't, but I found that the skin was getting caught up in my braces, so for me it's probably best to pull it off for any future batches. 

I like the baked peaches I made yesterday, and 
don't mind the skin too much, but it's not the best 
thing for my braces, so I'll pull the skin off before 
making this one again (at least while I have a 
mouth full of metal junk). 

I made my Ogre Juice (veggie alkagizer) for the next week, and got those into the fridge, and I did sent off two sets of eyeglasses to my re-lensing place in Staten Island. When those get back to me, I'll send more frames their way. There are at least two more I'd like done, maybe three. I didn't sent the Craft Optic glasses off quite yet. I really need those for my beading project, and am reluctant to let them go for 1-2 weeks. 

I really need to get these re-lenses also, but while I'm working 
on my beading project, I'm loathe to let them go. I need that 
close vision assistance to make sure I'm not making errors that 
will cause a problem with the project. I might have to hold off 
on sending these for another 1-2 months!

I did settle down in the morning and did two panels of beadwork, and then in the late afternoon, it was such a lovely day - not too hot, not too cold - I brought my loom and beads out to the patio and beaded another two panels outside. That actually worked quite well - a bit better than I had hoped. If I get more nice weather days on days when I can bead, I'll do that again. 

We have two different brush recycling areas we can use, but 
one is extremely close to us. They open at 11:00 am on 
Sunday, and we hope to be there at 11 or shortly thereafter 
to get rid of some smaller trees we're cutting down. 

Tomorrow is a yard day - DH wants to bring a load of brush to the recycling collection point, and they open at 11:00 am. He'll be working in the yard all day today, trying to get as much done as he can so that his impact on my "day off" will be as minimal as possible. That would be VERY appreciated. 

I have no idea what the secretary desk will look like, and 
Chickie didn't have a photo of it when we looked 
through her phone on Thursday. So, it's a mystery. It 
might look like this one ... or not - LOL. 

I'm already mentally gearing up for Chickie's vacation at the end of the month. She'll be gone for a bit more than a week, and both DH and I will have to work every day she's out of town. She's attending a family reunion with her Mom, and they're hauling a trailer along with them to bring an antique Secretary Desk home with them. Apparently it was one that has been handed down in the family, but the current owner is moving to a new place where it simply won't fit in. So, Chickie will take it. Actually, it's her Mom who wants it, but Claire has no room in her part of the duplex, so it will go upstairs in Chickie's part of the house. 

So, I'm off. Have an excellent day and enjoy the Tour for the next two days. We're back into topography now, as you can tell from the stage maps I've provided, so it should be rather fun. I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Happy Friday - A Rushed Day Off With Lots of Mail To Send

Just a quick post today since I'm on the way to the gym for an off-schedule swim. I'm making up for the 4th of July and the doctor appointment from earlier in the week. I really dislike not getting my three days in the pool. 

Yesterday's stage, which I was too rushed to add into the 
blog, looked like this. Outstanding. But now we leave 
the Pyrenees behind us and have a flat stage for the 
sprinters. 

Yesterday's swim was a cold run in and out of the pool. It was 52F (11.1C) in the morning air, and I was quite glad to get into the water. Then it was another quick run out of the pool after I was finished with my laps. It wasn't one of my best workouts, but it wasn't really a bad one either. 

Today's stage is a sprinter's dream - flat, with the flattest 
part at the end. We're moving up and across France now, 
heading towards the Alps. 

I hope my Tour de France fans had a chance to see the summit finish on Tourmalet yesterday! It was absolutely outstanding and the last two kilometers were epic! Today will be a flat stage as we leave the Pyrenees behind us and head towards the Central Massif portion of France (and if I'm messing up the geography, I apologize. I  don't have a map directly in front of me, and I know that today is a flat stage - a chance for the sprinters once again. Will Cav get his record win today? Maybe. But there are some really good sprinters in the field, so it won't be a "gimmie", for sure! 

I have used LensesRX to relens my eyeglass frames 
for decades now. Although I've also ordered a couple 
of new pairs from Zenni, I actually prefer the frames 
I purchased almost two decades ago. They're unique 
and totally one-of-a-kind. These guys do a great 
job putting in new lenses that are optically excellent 
quality. 

I'm sending off two sets of eyeglasses to LensesRX in Staten Island NY for new lenses. I actually have four frames I want redone, but I'll do two at a time. I still need to be functional until I can get my new lenses on my face. I'm also sending off my CraftOptics glasses to that company for relensing. I'll have more glasses in the hands of the postal service than I have in my home - LOL. I have a small Etsy package I'll be dropping off today as well, so it's a busy mail day on my "day off". 

I also have a set of these - CraftOptics magnifying glasses. 
They are also prescription, and I'll be sending them off 
to get relensed as well. These, I send to the manufacturer, 
who arranges for new lenses, installs them, adjusts the magnifiers 
to be in the correct location, and then sends them back to me. 

So I'm going to plug in the photos, grab my clothes, and head off to the gym. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.