Rusty Skills But At Least I Still Have Them

I received a quick note yesterday afternoon that a fellow Tolkien-based fiction author and good friend had passed. Dreamflower was a friend of many years, a talented author, and a fellow enthusiast who was an active member in the Tolkien fan-fiction community. She read other's writings avidly, commented when she felt moved, always was positive, and she'll be missed. Travel safely to the West, my friend. I hope to meet you again someday on that far shore. 

Another friend is sailing into the unknown - heading to the 
Western seas. Travel safely, my dear. You'll be missed. 

Yesterday was also a very busy day in the kitchen, and I even got an hour to spend cutting mats for two pictures I need to get into their frames. I wish I had gotten a bit more completed, but it was a good start and I'll try to get some more work done on them on Sunday. My workspace for framing at home isn't the greatest space. It's small, it's crowded, and it doesn't work super well for the larger cuts. It's fine for the finer detail work, but the big stuff is a bit of a PITA. But, it's what I have available, so I'll just have to make do. No choices. 

My Fletcher glass cutting equipment takes quite a bit 
of space. And the sheets of glass are often quite large 
too. Tiny shards of glass also accumulate beneath it, 
so if I bring this home, I'll have to be very careful about 
where I mount it. 

I will have to take interior measurements for these also - I need to get glass cut for them, and my glass cutter is on the wall at the shop. I've been running through possibilities of where I could get it set up here at home, and I haven't come up with a decent location for the cutter yet. I'm running out of time - I'll have to get it pulled and mounted somewhere here ... but where??? 

My framing skills are a bit rusty, and the space I have available 
for my equipment isn't the best. Nonetheless, as the saying 
goes ... I'll persevere. No real choices here - LOL. 

But, at least it was a day when I did get something accomplished for framing. I didn't get nearly as far as I had wanted, but anything is an improvement over nothing. Part of the problem is I simply haven't done a lot of framing over the past few years, and my skills are rusty. They are still there, but everything takes a bit longer - it's less intuitive. On that note, I'm going to the swimming pool to work out some of my basic frustration. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Busy Day and I Was an Idiot

Back to the shop today. Apparently DH pulled out a desk drawer from one of the desks and is unable to actually get the sucker back in, so that'll be a job for me. Also, I need to get the freezer defrosted on the ancient refrigerator that we have in the framing studio. It was in the place when we moved in, and it'll probably be here when we move out. I can't imagine someone wanting to purchase it, but ... if they want it, they can have it. It'll be up to them to get it up the stairs and out the door. The same with our huge safe on the main floor. I got that from the KTCA Public Television Auction at no charge - they were getting rid of it when they were moving to their downtown location and no longer going to hold the auctions. So, we've had it for a long time now. It's not super secure - a simple bike lock is what we've used for decades - but it also doesn't hold a lot of valuable items either - LOL. 

I use a simple combination lock at the gym. My 
valuables - car keys and cell phone are in their 
wall lockers which are keyed, but the rest of my 
stuff is in the gym locker inside the dressing room. 
I try to never carry valuables in any case. Not 
really needed at 5:00 am after all. 

So I guess I'll get dirty and dusty working at the shop today, and Chickie will mostly be on her own. I do have her holiday gift, however. I had hired my "nephew from a different sister" in Oregon to paint two Dungeons & Dragons minis for her characters. Of course, he packed them poorly, and one arrived broken. I glued it back together yesterday and sprayed a protective finish over both of them, so they should be good to go. I'll try to take a photo of both of them today, but right now they're in my backpack and I'm very short on time for the pool. So ... that will have to wait. 

My dear "nephew" apparently understands 
NOTHING about shipping because he didn't 
put any packing materials into the box at all! 
It's a wonder that only one of them broke, 
and lucky that I was able to repair it easily. 

And yesterday I was a complete idiot. It's a good thing that Target is relatively close to where I live. I needed a new set of jeans, so went to Target yesterday morning early. I tried on a couple, and ended up with two size 6 sets, but decided, after trying them on again in the comfort of home, that I'd rather upgrade to the size 8 instead. So while out on afternoon errands, I dropped back by Target and returned the incorrect size. I went to the display for jeans and decided which type I wanted, then picked one from the size 8 pile. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it actually was another size 6. *sigh* I'll try to return these later this week or maybe next Wednesday, and get the size 8 I really want. I don't need to be squeezed into my jeans, I like them to be comfortable,  not constraining. 

I totally messed up with this one. I'll be returning 
it later in the week or next week, and getting the 
right size this time. LOL

So, on that note, I'm off to the pool. I hope you have a great day, we'll see how mine goes. Lots of frayed tempers as we're under deadlines with Travis. Enjoy your Thursday! Slava Ukraini. 

The Olympics Are Wrapping Up

The Olympics are starting to wrap up. I'm already sad because I truly do love watching them, and the Winter Olympics are my favorite. I find that odd, since I'm really not that fond of snow, but I think the events are more exciting and it's not just a bunch of people running around a circle. Speed skating can be, but I also don't watch a lot of speed skating either - LOL. 

There have been Olympics where they've had two different 
locations in the past, but not necessarily eight hours away 
before. Still, it seems to be working out very well, and 
the venues are stunning. I want to ride in that bobsled run! 

The variety that goes on in the Winter Olympics is what makes it fun. And now they're thinking about adding ice climbing to the mix - maybe just as a trial, but how fun would that be to watch!? I could totally get behind that event. 

Ice Climbing has been projected as a possible Olympics 
event for a few years now. That could be a very 
interesting addition to the mix. 

Today I get to do my own Winter Olympics activity - it snowed yesterday - starting in the late afternoon. We've got a few inches on the ground now, where I was seeing bare grass yesterday morning. I'll have to shovel before heading to the gym, so I'm going to just do a short post today because it's a bit driveway, and my little green shovel will be working hard - LOL. 

Shoveling snow is a necessary evil when you live in 
the Frozen Northlands. So, I'll be wrapping this up 
and taking the time to shovel before heading to the 
gym for my last swim of the week. Have an excellent 
day! 

I did get my cooking done yesterday, though. I did six BBQ porkchops, and then I needed to make new BBQ sauce, which also required my making new Worcestershire sauce. Of course, I also ended the day making chicken for dinner. So it was a VERY busy kitchen day - my favorite kind of day, though. I also dropped the frames off at my framing company for corner inserts, and got sample packs of mats they have available. Very helpful. 

Italy did a terrific job preparing for the Winter Olympics. It's 
been smooth with wonderful venues and even though things 
are separated between the two main areas (and two other 
secondary areas), it seems to be working very well indeed. 
Bravo, Italia! 

So I'm wrapping this up and heading out to shovel. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Finally Back to the Pool and the Olympics, Of Course

So, a quick post before dashing to the pool. Yesterday I skipped the gym, texting a friend that I was too exhausted from the Olympic Curling mixed doubles finals to be able to swim. They might not understand my love for curling, but I'm quite sure a lot of them are catching whatever they can of the broadcasts. 

The majority of the USA Curling team are from the Duluth 
Curling Club, which is HUGE. We're busy watching the 
men's curling now. 

Last night was figure skating - Ice Dancing. I actually had caught most of that during the afternoon while I was cooking, but it was nice to watch without having to dash back to the stove or pull something out of the oven. I didn't get everything I needed cooked yesterday. I'll still have to pull off my stuffed peppers either tonight or tomorrow night. There was a lot that needed cooking, and my baked fruit was more important than a dinner was. I'm now stocked for another 14-16 days of fruit, so the time was well worth it. 

Chock and Bates pulled out the Silver Medal last 
night in an almost flawless performance. Well 
Done!!!

Do any of you use or work with Facebook Ads? I've never bothered, but apparently it's a very important part of my liquidator's contact weapons. I thought I had given him all of the information needed, but he's still having problems. But ... I'm sure we'll figure it all out. I've never used Facebook for advertising, and I'm not fond of my friends getting notifications like that, but it won't be for a long time and then I can pull back from the ads part of the software and go back to the friends part only. 

I don't really do much with Facebook at all, and have 
never received any Facebook ads to the best of my 
recollection. I can't say they'll be a major splash, but you 
never know. 

But, now I'm going to wrap this up and get to the pool. Missing it yesterday was a good decision- I really needed that extra bit of sleep - but I don't like feeling like a slug in the mornings. Have an excellent Thursday, and enjoy the Olympics if that's your thing. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Life Continues - Busy as Anything and ICE Is Still Lurking in the Cities

Yesterday was VERY busy, and I ended up spending almost all afternoon on stuff for Travis. But I did get my meals made for the next week, and my "Ogre Juice" for the next week as well. Today. after swimming, I have a dental checkup at 7:30 am, and then on to work. I have 14 items that I need to send to Travis in three days, so I'm pushing to get those finished and sent off. DH apparently has some of the information I need, but I don't think he's actually given it to me yet. *sigh*

I suspect Travis is a good 20 years older than this 
photo, but it's hard to say for sure. I haven't met 
him in person. I do hope if I get a chance to meet him, 
he won't be this wizened little old man - LOL. 

I ended up going to the grocery store closest to me THREE  times yesterday. Once for my regular shopping, a second time because I forgot something, and a third time because their shelves hadn't been restocked when I had been there earlier, and I needed two more items. It's a good thing the store is only a mile from my house! But it still was a major rush. 

This is my main grocery store - Lunds & Byerlys. The two 
stores merged in the late 70's or early 80's. It's only a mile 
from my house, which makes it very convenient. It's not 
the least expensive, but that's OK too - the quality is there. 

I spent a lot of time yesterday on the phone getting this or that changed or this or that notified about things regarding our upcoming sale or business closure. There's just SO much to do. But these first two weeks are the worst, at least in terms of things I need to check out and notify Travis about. Then we'll be getting things worked out, and, of course, we're also still in the middle of reorganizing, pulling items that we don't want to put into the clearance sale, and otherwise working on stuff. Stuff never truly ends. 

I'm not really much of a fan of to-do lists, 
but sometimes they have their place. When 
it comes to this store closing, they're 
essential. He's supplied us with a very 
detailed schedule, and we need to get everything 
on the schedule done on time. 

It's 25 degrees today, almost balmy (which will make going to my dental check-up appointment this morning much easier). Oh, and the government will be pulling 700 ICE agents out of Minnesota. Of course, that will still leave 2000 agents remaining! Can you say "Overkill"? Such bullshit! So, that's life in a war zone. It continues onward, but those "interesting" times that we would rather not be living in are continuing. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Vintage Clothing and Today's Agenda - No Rest For Me LOL

I spent three hours with my dress form and my mother's gowns yesterday,. photographing them to send to a few vintage stores around town who have expressed possible interest. I also collected the receipts from the cleaning and repairs that I had done to them - almost $600 that I spent getting them back into wearable condition. I adore them, however, so the cost wasn't a factor. I'm hoping that I can find a thrift store which will want one or more of them. The two St Paul stores I contacted are not accepting any items until April - it is the slow season, after all, and that's very understandable. The Minneapolis shop wanted a minimum of 10 items, and I only have six, but I'll still send the photos to them and see if they might be interested. 

The Golden Pearl vintage shop looks like a place I could 
get into some serious trouble in. They carry a lot of designer 
items but ... I'm hoping they'll take Mom's dresses, so we'll 
see if the photos elicit any interest. 

I'm going to continue working on the shop closing today, though. I'll try to do a walk-through of the video that I need to submit to Travis early next week. In all of the time I've had a cell phone, I've never made any videos to share - I've taken hundreds of photos, but never a video. So this is new ground for me. I'll re-read his instructions once again. I think the total length needs to be approximately 5 minutes, and he needs exterior and interior shots as a prospective customer would see. I also need to submit a head shot of myself. I don't photograph well, but I'll have to see how I can manage that. 

I've read a lot of hints and tricks for filming on my cell 
phone. I take a lot of still photos, but have never really 
done much with moving videos. Still, no time like the 
present to learn t new skill, right? LOL

Last night DH and I met with our accountant to give him all the information necessary for our business and personal taxes. DH is finally admitting that we're closing the store before next year's tax appointment, so that's an improvement over prior years. We discussed tax ramifications and any issues that might arise from that, but things seem pretty straightforward. Now to just make things happen. 

It's going to be a busy day, but I suspect they'll all be busy 
until we're finally able to close the place down at the end 
of May. It's a roller coaster of emotions along with a long 
list of tasks that MUST be accomplished before we can 
lock the doors for the final time. 

So, I have a lot of things on my personal agenda today. I hope all of you have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool for my final swim of the week. Stay warm (or comfortable) and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Getting Pulled In So Many Ways Right Now

Yesterday was a VERY busy day. Between errands here and there, I took my Mom's couture gowns to the local thrift shop to see what they would accept. I wasn't happy with them, so I didn't leave any of them, and they're in my car trunk. I'll need to make a few calls and see if any of the more upscale 2nd-hand stores would like any of them. Otherwise I'll look into putting them onto Etsy or Ebay. 

In the 1950's, emphasis was on the shape 
of the body, and draping. The gowns don't 
look great on hangers, but they look amazing 
on a dress form. I don't have the time to deal 
properly with them while we're working on 
the store, and DH was bitching about the space
they were taking up in the spare closet. So, I 
need to sell them or toss them. 

I also got an extensive email from Travis, our business liquidator. It's a full schedule of everything that we need to accomplish, the dates that we need to have them done by, etc, etc. It's rather scary. DH is saying "I don't see how we can get this done in his timeframe" and I'm thinking "It's got to be done, I'll have to make it happen". The one thing I'm a bit worried about is the walk-through video that he needs me to make and send to him. It should be 5-7 minutes long, and I've never made anything of the sort. I'm horribly worried about whether my phone will accommodate that length of a recording. Any of you who have done similar things - can you advise me? 

I've taken a lot of photos with my phone over the years, 
but I've never done much with video. Any advise you can 
offer would be appreciated. He needs a 5-7 minute 
full walkthrough of the shop as well as a serious look 
at the exterior (snowbanks and all, I guess - LOL). 

Along with everything else, DH and I were at the attorney's office yesterday signing the final legal agreements for what will happen to our funds when/if one of us dies. (With the stress of the next few months, that's not out of the question - LOL). But, we're all legal now for the estate and how things will be handled. We each had to make some compromises, but that's how life operates. Because it was snowing and we had the meeting with Corey at 8:00 am across town, I gave up on swimming yesterday - it would have been crowding too much into a short window of time. I'm swimming today, though. I actually was at the YMCA, waiting for the doors to be unlocked, before I decided my schedule would be too tight, told another friend who was also in the parking lot that I was skipping the day's swim, and headed to the gas station to top off before the long day ahead of me. It was a good decision. 

 
We're on a strict time schedule for closing the store and it's 
stressing both of us out. DH can't push things out anymore, 
and I have to really focus on what is needed and get Travis 
the information he'll need to make this successful. 

So, any information any of you can offer on the video that I need to make would be very appreciated. I've never done much with video, and I'm super concerned about whether my old phone will have enough memory left to accommodate a video of that length. So ... please message me back and let me know if you're more up on that particular technology than I am. I use a Google phone, so no Apple, if that's helpful. Have a great Thursday, Slava Ukraini! 

Time - Not Really My Friend Today

Just a fast post today. It's a swimming day, DH is already stirring (during MY quiet time) and my internet connection required me to actually move to the study to do my morning meditation. Thank goodness I was able to connect downstairs because upstairs simply didn't happen this morning. 

A fast post this morning. I have about ten 
minutes before I need to leave for the swimming 
pool. 

Yesterday's crazy schedule actually went quite well. I got my injection - I'm always a bit astounded by getting an injection in the back of my arm instead of into the upper arm muscle, but it's almost completely painless in this area, and the more standard way of injections always is painful. So I guess it's a win even though it's a massively expensive procedure. This is for bone health, which I don't really have - LOL. My exercise regime and my diet help my bones, but not enough. Chemical assistance is necessary. But I'm done for another six months now. Yippee! 

I was getting Prolea for my bones, but the Doc switched 
me over to some other name now - a generic. Since each
 injection is almost $2000! (Yeah - that many zeroes), I'm 
fine with whatever he recommends. Thank goodness for 
health insurance or I'd be totally sunk. 

I got quite a lot of cooking done. I found a wonderful package of six boneless pork chops that were calling my name. So I made a quick cook of those yesterday and I have my meals for the next few days ready. The trash and recycling were finally picked up, and my recycling bin is already at least 1/3 filled with what I couldn't fit into it yesterday. Just missing a single pickup can really mess things up and I was off schedule on the last pickup. My bad. 

I usually only have one week's worth of 
trash, but this time I was double that, and 
the recycling was a month's worth. My 
cans were FULL. 

My swimming friend, Rosemary, has been MIA and we've all been concerned about her. Sabrina, our "Gate Gargoyle" was determined to make sure she was OK (Rosemary is elderly and lives alone with only a land-line, no cell phone). We both were very concerned. But she managed to contact Rosemary on Tuesday afternoon. Apparently she's sick - too sick to swim. No surprise there - she spent a week closed up in a large rental house with her three sons and their assorted families. It's a New Year's tradition for the family - they come to Northern Minnesota from all over the nation for this after-Christmas reunion. She ALWAYS gets sick from the kids. Always. Hopefully she'll be feeling better today and will be back at the YMCA to reclaim her swimming lane. 

So, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow on another very busy day with another doctor appointment - the story of my life sometimes - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Still No Success - My Certificates Just Aren't Here Any More

Yesterday's swim was more normal. The roads, although typical winter, weren't skating rink icy, and the usual group of swimmers showed up. (I rather missed my "private pool" - LOL). It was good to see my friends again though, and to share my lane with Jolene. Even Meg showed up, her Hubby having once again dropped her off in her wheelchair. I'm sure she's getting closer and closer to being able to put that wheelchair behind her, but it was a serious lower leg break that she experienced at the dog park, and she did say it would be a minimum of eight weeks before she'd be able to walk on it again. I think it's been longer than that by now, so her doctor must be erring on the side of caution. With a weight-bearing fracture like that, caution is a very good thing. 

Winter up here in the Frozen Northlands can be beautiful, 
but we all know to dress appropriately, and have the proper 
boots for walking on ice and through snow. I really feel 
sorry for our ancestors who didn't have down coats, internal 
self-heating vests, or good snow boots. 

I'm still looking for my "certificates" from DH for this past Christmas, but I'm almost ready to give up the hunt and admit to him that I have lost them. It's totally tearing at my heart. The certificates are my absolute favorite gift that he gives to me. Losing/misplacing/throwing them away (all possibilities) just makes me sick to my stomach. But, there's nothing much I can do about it. It's rather like a lost sock in the washing machine. You know you put in a pair, but there's only a single one when you remove the load. It's rare, but it does happen. In this instance, I had a brain glitch and I have NO idea what I did with the certificates. *sigh*

Sometimes my brain glitch really stops me short, and losing 
my certificates was a brain glitch. I've totally run out of 
places to look, however, so it's time to tell DH about my 
stupidity. *sigh*

I did, however, get a LOT done in the kitchen yesterday. I did my "Ogre Juice", I did a new batch of baked fruit for my breakfasts, and I did at least two different things for my dinners. My empty shelving on my side of the refrigerator are once again filled. What a relief! 

I squeezed in a quick run of baked fruit in my kitchen 
work yesterday (I don't do the crumbles that this photo 
has, but the general fruit mix is pretty close). I adore my 
baked fruit for my breakfast, along with a couple of 
pieces of toast and a nice, hot, cup of tea. 

So today I'm off for my final swimming time of the week. I listen to audio books while I'm swimming, and my current book's characters are in the middle of a hidden city inside a glacier - very cold and icy. Highly appropriate for a Minnesota winter's day - LOL. I'll be back tomorrow, so have an excellent Thursday. Slava Ukraini. 

Happy New Year to ALL!

I had a quick post written, but the computer ate it while I was searching for a good photo. *sigh* I really hope that's not the way this year will be going - LOL. I hope all of you had a happy New Year spent with loved ones near and far, and that this year of 2026 will be fulfilling dreams for many of you. I'll be trying to get together with the family for our celebration - a week late, but without the massive blizzard we would have been dealing with last week. Have an excellent day to start your excellent year! Slava Ukraini. 

Nothing brightens my day more than Minions! Happy New 
Year to All and may 2026 be the year you'll happily look back 
on in later years to come. 

It Was a Sleepless Night - I Guess I'll Be a Zombie Today & Normal vs MCI

I've had something very rare for me, and I'm hoping to skip a repeat performance tonight. I got ZERO sleep last night. I guess I've just got too much on my brain right now, but I simply couldn't get into sleep mode for love or money. I finally gave up about 3:00 am, did my daily brain exercises and games, and resigned myself to a sleepless day. I'd better get some sleep tonight. 

I'm usually fine if I get five hours of sleep in a night, but I 
got ZERO last night. It wasn't for lack of trying but my 
monkey brain just wouldn't stop running in place. *sigh*

It's extremely rare for me to miss out on sleep. I've had some short nights - three to five hours of sleep - but I haven't had a no sleep night since college. It's always stress related and performance anxiety centered. Although it could be my final Mental Cognizance Impairment class this afternoon, I suspect it's not actually related to that at all. I think it's just Holiday stress coming to the forefront. I had planned on wrapping DH's holiday gifts at the shop early this morning, but he informed me last night that he would be coming in early and would need my help for this or that. 

Although I agree with these items, I'd also add:
Memory Problems - Normal: Missing one payment, MCI:Taking 
care of monthly bills is challenging.

Impaired Thinking Skills -
Normal: Losing things from time to time. MCI:Misplacing 
items often and being unable to find them.

Language 'Difficulties - Normal: Sometimes forgetting which
word to use. MCI - Some difficulties carrying on a conversation.
 
Disorientation in Time and Space - Normal:  Forgetting what 
day it is but remembering later. MCI - Losing track of both 
the date and the time of year.

And ... Poor Judgment - Normal: 
You make a good decision every once in a while. MCI: You 
make poor decisions a lot of the time. 

DH's going a bit crazy himself, trying to finish getting all of the precious metal products we sell priced properly and inventoried correctly. He's been coming inside the store taking off his coat and settling down at the computer for a full day of work. That's a rarity for him. He usually only puts in a few hours (one or two in some cases) before going back to his desk and playing bridge for an hour or two on his phone. But he knows we're under a time deadline. Still, the stresses that he's going through are getting transferred to me through his words and attitudes towards me. I'm not very appreciative of that aspect of his work these days. 

Still, I'll have an opportunity to see Chickie Mama again for the final week of the class. I always enjoy seeing her - she's been a staunch friend over the years. I'm going to wrap this up and get moving. Lots to do and not a lot of time in which to do it. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Day of Exercise and Frustration - Cards Will be Mailed by the End of the Week

It was indeed a VERY busy day yesterday. It took almost an hour for me to get the driveway and walkways shoveled out, and I was 30 minutes late for my mammogram appointment at the Breast Center. However, the world was also delayed, and they were able to take me right away. I was quite grateful. I won't know the results for a day or two, but hopefully they won't find anything to be worried about. 

My breasts are very dense - rather like the scan on the 
right. My life would have been quite different if my 
breast tissue was less dense like the breast on the left. 
My friend's Mother-in-Law just had a 2mm tumor removed 
from her breast. They didn't find mine until it was 10mm 
in size because they simply couldn't see it. 

DH came home yesterday evening in a foul mood, and informed me that I WILL work on Friday. So, I'll be working tomorrow. It won't stop my getting to the post office to mail my holiday cards (which I labelled yesterday. I think, however, I might have forgotten to actually sign some of them, so I'm extending apologies to all of you if you get one that I missed signing. That's poor form on my part, and I can put that at my door of "Too Much To Do and Too Little Time in Which to Do It". 

DH needs to renew his driver's license and needs to get 
a "Real ID" style. He was trying to fill in the form online 
yesterday, without success. I don't know why it wasn't 
working for him, but he'll have to go to the License Center 
like most of us do. 

I've had a friend at the grocery shop for several years now. Justin first began the friendship while he worked in the Produce department alongside Phil. When Justin got married, there was a freak hail storm and, of course, since it was early Spring, it was an outdoor wedding. VERY bad mojo, which within two months became EXTREMELY bad mojo when his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died within two years of the wedding, and Justin was on his own again. 

So Justin has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. That 
totally SUCKS! I'll be able to keep touch on how he's 
doing through Phil, but coming on the heels of his wife's 
cancer death, this is not a good thing. 

Now, according to his friend Phil (whom I use to keep in touch with everyone), Justin's doctors found a brain tumor when they were doing a scan prior to a surgery that would deal with his head. Wow ... just WOW. That came out of total left field and left all of us totally shocked. How much bad mojo can one guy have? Of course, we're all pulling for him, but I'd say the "Fickle Finger of Fate" has definitely targeted him. 

So, I'm off to the pool. I'll be swimming again tomorrow since snow shoveling made yesterday's swim impossible. Last year's "Winter that Wasn't" is being seriously erased this year - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow if all goes well - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Angry, I Have NO New Phone, and It's Also Damned COLD

Well, THAT was a disappointment. No new phone. I knew exactly which model of Pixel I wanted, and I was on time for my appointment. I sat down with their representative, who went through the numbers and suddenly things weren't sounding right to me. I had them print everything out, and (hopefully I didn't get so angry that I shredded it). Sure, I could get the phone at a great deal (which I could also get from a number of other sources, including the manufacturer directly). But, in order to use the new phone, I also had to upgrade to a different phone plan - their "Unlimited" package, which would have changed my monthly charges quite a bit. I walked away, and I'm still furious and considering filing a formal complaint with my state Attorney General's office for a "Bait and Switch" con. 

It's sure looking like Verizon was using a bair 
and switch tactic to get me to upgrade to a 
higher-priced plan just because I wanted to upgrade 
my equipment. I might not have a case, but I might 
file paperwork for it nonetheless. 

I do want my new phone, but I might purchase it elsewhere. I did that with the phone I currently have - I purchased it from an outside source and had Verizon put in the SIM chip that allowed it to be used on their network. I'll probably look into that possibility, after my temper has cooled a bit, and when I have a bit more time to web surf. But I'm thoroughly disgusted with the way the entire thing was approached by Verizon. They're reacting to stiff competition, and I might be one more reason why their customer base is shrinking. But they still have the most comprehensive coverage for my area, so I'm between a rock and a hard place. I might still file a case, however, Cases are built one cog at a time. Mine might be the last complaint needed for the State to actually take action against the company. 

Keith Ellison is the Attorney General for my state, 
and his office is very helpful. I filed a case with them 
when AT&T was being ridiculous about already paid 
invoices. They took the case and we were refunded 
over-payments and able to get legal satisfaction. 

But, I was fuming all late afternoon and into the evening, and I'm still not happy. On the other hand, yesterday greeted me with a couple of inches of snow on the ground, so I had to quickly shovel the driveway before I could take the trash and recycling buckets out to the curb and drive over to the swimming pool. I got there on time, but it's a reminder to me that I need to be very aware of the weather. I don't want to be late for swimming, but I still need to do my morning meditation and write my daily blog before leaving the house. So much to do between 3:00 am (for swimming days - my running days give me a bit more sleep) and when I have to leave the house for the gym no later than 4:45 am. That's my time schedule, though. It has been for many years. It works for me - I get my exercise, and then more exercise, and then I'm fit to deal with DH, Chickie and various customers. 

We're into the deep freeze now. We're going to be below 
zero Fahrenheit for several days in a row. The Winter 
that ignored us last year is reminding us that we just got 
a lucky break last year and is returning back to more 
"normal" temperatures. *sigh*

I'm out of here. Maybe I'll take a bit of time to discover an alternative purchase point for my new phone ... or not. I'll check into it some more when I get into the shop later today. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Today is My Virtual Court Day - A Lot is On the Line

Today is my virtual court hearing for my official name change. It's not like I'm changing to something outrageous or even new, I'm trying to get official recognition of the name order I've used for decades. I use my middle name as my first name, and because I have a hyphenated last name, I just drop my original first name completely out of the picture. 

We'll see how this all goes today. I'm hoping it will go 
smoothly, but there are no guarantees. I have my two 
witnesses lined up to state that they have never known 
me as anyone other than who I say I am, but since I didn't 
supply documentation to back everything up, I'm not 100% 
sure things will be resolved today. *sigh*

It's bittersweet, but it has to be done. My first name was my father's choice, and he was a student and aficionado of Greek mythology. I was raised with Greek mythology for my bedtime stories, not Raggedy Ann and other more mundane tales. But Dad chose a minor character for my name, one that rarely appears at all. I'm fine with rare, but this one was too rare. It was like a chain around my ankle, following me wherever I went. I couldn't blend with others because the name always set me apart. 

Although I like my given name, I don't enjoy using 
it. It's mispronounced and misspelled all the time. 
I stopped using it in late 1966 and have never looked back. 

So, when I entered Middle School in a new area of town where no-one knew me, I switched my name. My Home Room teacher, Mrs Brooks - whom I will hold in high respect for my lifetime - asked each of us what name we wanted to be known by and called in the class. I chose my middle name then, and I've never looked back. 

Mom felt that Paul and Pauline would be 
rather like a circus act. She was totally 
against that appearance, so switched to 
her middle name and used that name for 
the rest of her life. 

There is precedence in my family for that, but it was a lot easier in the days past. My mother was Pauline, my Dad was Paul. Mom felt when she married him that having the two names that similar sounded rather like a circus act, so she switched to her middle name, and was known as Eva for the remainder of her long life. So there was family precedence for what I'm trying to accomplish today. 

I'm really hoping today's court hearing will wrap 
things up, that the court will agree with me, and 
that the judge will rule in my favor. Of course, I 
probably won't know until I receive official 
documentation, but I'm hoping that will be soon. I 
need to get a new Driver's License and can't even 
do that until this is resolved. 

Of course, I can't present documents to the court in a remote session. If the judge decides he needs to have the paper trail, I'll have to schedule a second hearing, probably pay another ridiculous fee, and I'll need to arrange for the documents to be received by the Court for the second hearing. I'm really hoping it won't come to that. But there is a possibility that it will be remanded for a later hearing when documentation has been received.  So, I'm heading out to swim off some of my fears and frustration. I hope you have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Good Kitchen Day - VERY Busy

Yesterday turned into a fabulous kitchen day. I started the day out with a lot of almost empty shelves, and ended it up with a full side. I did a large batch of my fruit, I cooked another batch of cranberries (they're so easy - they practically cook themselves), and at least two other things were cooked. My kitchen was a very busy place for several hours. Of course I also did three loads of laundry, and had a nice but focused shop at the grocery store. But, since I was doing cranberries, I started the day out at my co-op. 

My Co-Op isn't close to my house or, for that 
matter, to my business. But I love going there 
anyway. They have awesome produce, and sometimes 
I just want that quality. My regular grocer also has 
good produce, but the Market has the odd thing, 
like the specific raw cranberries I crave at this 
time of the year. 

They've been doing a major re-do at my Co-op, and it's turned out fantastic. Everything is upgraded, nice, clean, refreshed, repainted, with new shelving, new signage, new everything. It's fabulous! They're finally finished with the actual construction work, and are busy putting new product on the shelves. Another week or two and they'll be complete with this make-over which has taken the better part of two months. I think it was well worth the inconvenience. 

There's something rather wonderful about raw cranberries. 
They practically cook themselves, and they're so very 
tasty. I started using raw cranberries a few years ago and 
have been in love with them ever since. 

I found my cranberries and bought a lot, I also fell in love with a bag of small sweet potatoes that I roasted into fingers later in the day. I bought some other fruits too, they just looked so tempting. After a quick stop at my regular local grocery store, I was ready to dive in. I didn't get everything done, but I got a lot done. I

I like sweet potatoes, and one of the easiest ways 
to cook them is to cut them into spears and put 
them into the oven. So tasty! 

I roasted the sweet potatoes, I made a batch of four pork chops for dinners, I did my cranberry relish again because it's SO tasty and easy, I made another batch of my BBQ sauce since I used the last of the old batch on the pork chops, and I also got a "steal of a deal" at my local grocer for an Eye of Round Roast that was sticker offered at $10 off. I got a great piece of beef for a little more than $10. I'll roast that tomorrow and slice it into thin roast beef for sandwiches. Yummy! 

I want to cook the roast tomorrow. I ran 
out of kitchen time yesterday. I'm looking 
forward to it. 

I topped my day off with my weekly conversation with Aearwen. We've been chatting on Wednesday afternoons for years now. We've never met in person, but I consider her one of my best friends. Somehow things just click between us. It's wonderful when you meet a person like that - in person or virtually. I'm very fortunate in my friends - physical and virtual. So, on that note, have an excellent Thursday. I'm off to swim and then dive into a busy day at work and my MCD meeting at the clinic in the afternoon. I can give Claire her "Comfort Chicken" - LOL. Enjoy your day, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.