Schedules, Scenery and a BoLieve Shirt

One more late and short post. I'm going to have to switch back to awakening at 3:00 am instead of 4:00 am. My treadmill time of 45-50 minutes is really cutting into my blog and catching up with all of you, my readers and friends. I apologize for posts you've made that I haven't read yet, and I'm going to try my best to do some catch-up at the shop this morning ... at least until DH arrives when any scheduling I have hits the fan *sigh*. 

Today I was running/fast walking in the area around 
Sedona, Arizona and Sunset Crater. Some really 
beautiful land out there, it's really helping me with my 
homesickness. There are sometimes when I miss 
my Southwest, even though I love being in Minnesota. 

Today is just a work day - nothing health related at all. That's becoming rather rare, and I'm appreciating those days. I'll be doing health stuff on the 29th, 31st, 4th and 5th. Maybe after all of that I'll start to get my "normal" life back. That's my goal, let's see if I can achieve it. Meanwhile, I'll get poked and prodded, cut and diced, and finally stitched back together again over the next two weeks. I'll start my six-week recovery countdown as soon as reasonable and get back into the swimming pool as quickly as I possibly can. Just doing the treadmill, although I love my treadmill, simply isn't doing it for me. I need the combination of the pool and the tread to have a balanced workout every week. 

It's always a "treat" to have to make an impromptu 
appointment with someone in my health care group. 
But, I'll make it happen. I need my pre-op physical, so 
I'm scheduled with a "baby Doc" on Wednesday instead 
of my usual Doctor.  

Today will be practically Spring-like with a high temperature of 44 F. It's January ... it's Minnesota ... and it's above freezing! So unusual and so odd and so very welcome. It'll confuse the birds because it's too early for the Spring Thaw, and we'll lose some of the snowpack around the state too. It's been a weird winter so far - either we're in the deep freeze, or the "tropics" - LOL. I'm all in favor of the tropics, but I also know that we actually do need our snowpack to soak into our soil and feed the plants and crops after they've been sown. 

I'm not seeing the exact version of the BoLieve shirt 
that Sharon sent to me, but what's important is that I 
have it! Yippee! I'll be wearing it, for sure!!

So I'm going to wrap this up. Sharon, I got my shirt yesterday! I LOVE it. For those of you who aren't Denver Broncos fans, a "BoLieve" shirt may not mean a great deal. But I'm a Broncos fan down deep, and the shirt is FABULOUS! Thanks to my "Bestie", I now have a BoLieve shirt to wear for the next football game (and maybe more than one more game). The Broncos have won the SuperBowl in the past, maybe this year will be another win. (Crossing my fingers.) So ... have an excellent Tuesday. Tomorrow is a lot of doctor appointments, so my post might be short, but I'll be here. Slava Ukraini. 

LJ Idol, Football and Clearing Leaves - My Sunday Had it All

The latest story for LJ Idol (and there are only SIX of us left in the competition) is due today. I sat down at my computer yesterday afternoon, after having thought about a million ways to run the prompt for the week (Fools Errand, if you're curious), and just let my fingers do their work. Then it was lots of proofreading and shaping, sharpening and cutting, adding and maneuvering, while listening to football on the TV behind me. Football is always a good background noise. If something really important happens, they'll always replay it so you're not really missing anything if you're not actively watching. 

I had no idea anyone needed instructions on how to 
watch NFL games, but I assume this was from a specific 
carrier, giving instructions on how to access the games 
on their bandwidth. Still, it's a good picture, isn't it? 

Speaking of football, both Minnesota and Denver won yesterday, so that pleased me. DH and I actually started the day out cleaning the last of the leaves out of the gutters. It's a horrid job, but with him filling the large 5-gallon bucket and my carrying them to our compost heap and bringing it back, it went well. It's never comfortable on the feet to be on the rungs of the ladder for that long, but my ladder once again came through in spades - one of the most useful ladders I've ever bought. We probably should have backed the truck out and brought out the extension ladder for the back gutter, but we were cold and exhausted by that point, so only did what we could reach with my ladder instead. 

These aren't our leaves - we mostly have Maple trees. But, this 
is pretty close to what our gutters looked like. Plus we had 
all of the different valleys in the roofline that had to be 
raked out with our roof snow removal shovel. It's a lot of 
work, and it's the final thing that has to be finished before 
the winter truly comes. Now we're ready for the snow. 

Hot tea can do wonderful things. I had been mulling my story for LJ Idol while we were working on the leaves (it's not that fascinating watching DH on a ladder piling leaves into an orange bucket after all). I was pulled this way and that, and finally decided that I would tackle it after I warmed up with a nice, hot cuppa (herbal tea - it's my go-to beverage). I hadn't decided on a direction to take the tale, but knew directions I wouldn't go. When I sat down at the computer, I only knew it had to be a journey, but the direction the words took were, as usual, a wonderful surprise. 

There's nothing much better than a steaming cup of tea 
and a writing challenge. It's one of the perfect combinations 
that make my daily slog of work and home worthwhile. 
I love exercising my brain into new areas, and Gary always 
seems to come through with prompts that really make me 
think. If I get voted out after this challenge, then so be 
it. It's been a wonderful season. But ... I'd certainly love 
to continue onward - LOL. 

There's something wonderful about writing to prompt. It makes my brain exercise in ways it hadn't contemplated before. It's one of the things I truly love/hate about LJ Idol. Gary comes up with the most unusual phrases or prompts, and somehow it's up to all of us to make magic happen at our keyboards. How wonderfully fun. The stories are due tonight and will go live tomorrow. I'll be sure to post a link for all of you and I hope that once again, I will merit your votes. We're down to six now, the air is thin and the peak beckons to us to bundle up, grab our ropes and pins, and head upwards into the final stretches. While I'm getting that exercise (you'd think my treadmill would have been enough this morning - LOL), I'm signing off and wishing all of you a wonderful Monday. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Sunday - It Was An Excellent Day and An Excellent Game!

I hope those of you who love American football had a chance to see the Super Bowl last night. It was an excellent game - very well played by both teams, and totally down to the last few plays to achieve a winner at all. In fact, the game went into overtime, a rarity in Super Bowl history. I was hoping that San Francisco would pull it out. As a Denver Broncos fan, I find it impossible to cheer for Kansas City, despite their playing superb football over the years. DH, on the other hand, was cheering for Kansas City since San Francisco is a rival for his beloved Minnesota Vikings. So, we were a "house divided". One of us was bound to be disappointed. 

Both teams played really well and it was a totally entertaining 
game that went into Overtime for the win. That's the way I 
love to have my Super Bowl games. Two well-matched teams 
that play up to their abilities until the final whistle. 

Still, even though I'm disappointed in the final score, I'm far from disappointed in the game itself. It was outstanding, and I was glued to the TV, for the ads and for the game play. I didn't even mind the few gratuitous TV shots of Taylor Swift in her box, and Usher ... OMG, Usher was fantastic! Total entertainment from step one onward, so many guests appearing with him, and so much awesome music. DH was left totally cold - he doesn't care for Usher's musical style. I was enthralled, and several of my nieces and nephews were also commenting about how much they enjoyed the half-time show. 

Usher was the half-time headliner, and he totally brought 
it! His guests included Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Lil Jon, 
along with cameos from will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri, and 
H.E.R. You could easily tell that Usher has been performing 
in Las Vegas for a while (I think he's been headlining 
there for more than a year now). That Vegas gleam and 
swag were everywhere, and it was a finely tuned 
machine. A truly well-done show. DH doesn't much care 
for Usher's style of music, but my nieces and nephews 
were totally over-the-moon at the show, as was I . 

So, all in all, it was a fantastic Sunday filled with football, food, music and minor arguments about whether a play was a good one or not (depending on which team we were supporting). I'm without football for many months now, so will have to concentrate on ice hockey instead - LOL. Certainly not a tragedy since I adore my Minnesota Wild ice hockey team. 

This is going to be a fun repair. Now that I have it 
totally disassembled and cleaned, I have to graph 
out the design and then start reweaving it. I'll have to 
pull out two vertical rows to give me enough beads 
to reweave the center element correctly, but I don't 
think that will be a problem for the total look. It's 
the best I can do, since the missing beads can't be 
replaced. I'll make a careful count before making the 
final decision, however. If I can avoid pulling rows 
out of the pattern, I'd prefer it. 

I started on an interesting project during the afternoon, A customer dropped the piece off on Friday for a total reweave. It's old - I'd guess mid-1950's, maybe even earlier. It's using beads that haven't been made for decades, and I have no good replacements, so I'll have to pull two rows out of the piece to make up for the few missing beads. It won't affect the end result by much. It's a fun challenge. I spent much of the pre-game chat pulling it apart, separating the beads by color, and washing them thoroughly. They were a bit of a mess, and I might wash them once more just to make sure I got all of the gunk off. I then tried a trial run with the thread that DH thought would be a good size. That didn't work - that thread was too thick for the project. So he took the spool back to his workshop and brought me one that was the dimension I asked for (1 mm instead of 2 mm thick), and that works much better. I started graphing out the pattern, but then the game started and I got involved in the game instead - LOL. 

So, that was my Sunday - football, beading, a load of laundry, a thorough kitchen clean (including washing the floor - it desperately needed it), and a relaxed day of food, beads, and football. A perfect day all around. I have movies coming up that I HAVE to see ("Despicable Me 4" and "Kung Fu Panda 4", and I loved the Budweiser Clydesdale horses (and the dog) appearing once again during the "Big Game" commercials. What a great Sunday. Now it'w back to reality once again. Sigh. Enjoy your Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's Day 1 of Our First-Ever "Inventory Reduction Sale" - OY VEH! LOL

My desktop computer is being a bit cranky this morning - probably matching my mood. It's a Monday, I stayed up and watched football (GOOD games) and am resigned to once again seeing Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl. Although, seriously, I have to congratulate Kansas City. It's their fourth time at the Super Bowl in five years, and that's an outstanding achievement. Still, it's going to be Kansas City vs San Francisco again - shades of 2020! I was hoping Detroit could pull things out against San Francisco, but they just fell apart in the second half. 

It's Kansas City vs San Francisco in this year's Super 
Bowl. I'm not thrilled with it, but it should be a good 
game - entertaining to watch. They were last in this 
situation in 2020, so it's a repeat experience for both 
teams. 

Today is the first day of our first "Six Day 50% Off Clearance Sale" and we're concentrating specifically on Delica beads. Delica beads are a Japanese seed bead, made in several different sizes and two shapes - cylindrical and hexagonal cylinders. The most popular size is the size 11o, and we've got almost 50 of those included in the sale, but the majority of what we're offering for this are the other sizes - the 8o, 10o and 15o sizes. For those of you who aren't using this product, the 8o and 10o sizes are larger and the 15o size is smaller than the more commonly used 11o size. 

These are regular rounded seed beads, not Delica beads, 
but you can get an idea regarding the size differences 
and shapes. The most commonly used size is the Size 11, 
the next most commonly used sizes split pretty evenly 
between Size 8 and Size 10. 

People first entering beadwork get confused by the sizes. They're like anyone .. the larger the number, the larger the bead. Except, for beads, it goes back a century or more and the numerical designation roughly corresponds to how many beads would fit a predetermined measurement - like an inch, although that may not have been the size the factories started using initially. Still, the numbering system stuck, and although there might not be exactly 11 beads in an inch for an 11o bead, it's close enough. 

What I sell in my store are the two categories on the 
left - the standard 11o round seed beads (from several 
factories and two different countries) and the Miyuki 
Delica beads - a true cylinder bead with exceptionally 
standard sizing bead to bead. I fell in love with these 
when they were first introduced and they're still a 
favorite of mine. The second bead is the one we're 
putting on sale this week. 

Around 2:30 am, I awakened with a horrible thought. I have a specific style of 11o pulled for the sale. They were collected and organized and strung by Chickie into a sample strand, and she made a list of the Part Numbers for me - more than 100 beads. HOWEVER, I also need the Price Lookup Numbers so that we can actually pull those beads for people wanting any of them. OOPS. My early morning at the shop will be spent doing a quick look-up of those secondary numbers so that I can effectively sell the items. 

The Price Lookup Code (PLU) is what I need to plug into 
my computerized cash register to be able to sell the 
product. The Delica Bead part number is the color number 
and we organize our beads by those numbers. Our 
string of beads on sale are also organized by our 
part number, but we need to find the beads by the 
PLU. Oops. First thing I'll be doing, as soon as I 
get into the shop, is making a cross-reference list 
so that beads can be pulled easily. 

Also, it's a Monday. It's Chickie's "day off" and I'm working with DH (who tries to be helpful, and usually only gets in the way). By the end of the day, I'll be a wreck - LOL. If I can get today to run smoothly, tomorrow will be a breeze with Chickie, and hopefully I'll have all of the kinks worked out so that Chickie will be OK on Wednesday and Friday and I'll get my own days off. We'll see. In the meanwhile, since I don't have anything else earthshaking to share (not that any of the above is earthshaking either - LOL), I'm signing off. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow for a quick post before hitting the road to get to the swimming pool. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Today Is A Sports Wrap-up - Sorry ... Not Sorry - LOL

It was a relaxing Sunday filled with football and hockey. The Minnesota Vikings (football) are of course, long out of the run, but after Saturday and Sunday's games, we're down to four teams for the Conference Finals. Those will be held this weekend, then we'll have two weeks until SuperBowl. So, victorious and moving into the Final Four are the Ravens, the 49er's (in a VERY tight game against Green Bay), the Lions,and Kansas City (in a squeaker over the Buffalo Bills). It was an awesome day of football. 

So, the Conference Finals are next weekend. the AFC 
and the NFC champions will then play each other in 
the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 11th. Right now, 
The Detroit Lions will Play San Francisco for the NFC 
Championship, and Kansas City will play Baltimore 
for the AFC. Kansas won a squeaker last night, and I 
was SO hoping they would lose. But, now it's up to 
the Ravens to stop KC from getting another step closer 
to another Super Bowl win. 

In ice hockey, Minnesota totally crushed the Carolina Hurricanes and Karil Kaprisov had a hat trick (that's three goals in a single game for those of you who don't follow hockey). That was fantastic, so pleased for him. It seems he's finally getting his skates under him once again, and it's about time! In other games, the Senators beat Philadelphia, Detroit pulled out a squeaker over the Lightning, and the Islanders beat the Dallas Stars. Add in the Rangers trouncing the Ducks and the Maple Leafs crushing the Kraken and it was a totally satisfying weekend of ice hockey too. We have one more week of regular season games before settling down for a minor break while All-Star Weekend takes place February 1-3. The week following that will be Super Bowl weekend, and then I'll be relying on hockey only for a while until the great sports desert of the summer months. 

Karill Kaprisov scored his second career "hat trick" for the 
Minnesota Wild yesterday. For those of you not familiar 
with ice hockey terminology, a "hat trick" means scoring 
three goals in a single game. They're rare, and always 
worth celebrating. The Wild went on to win that game. 

Yes, there's something called the Olympics that will be going on in Paris from July 26 - August 11, and I'm quite sure I'll be watching it because I enjoy the Olympics, and because I'll be sports starved by that time. LOL But that's just a bridge until football and hockey seasons pick up again. I'm not a baseball fan (there's just not enough action to interest me), but I'm quite sure DH will be watching whatever baseball he can. He's a fan of the sport. We're both watching whether Joe Mauer will be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame or not. It's looking good for the former Cretin High School alumni. DH also attended Cretin, although Joe was a few years ahead of him - I think he shared his class with DH's older brother, if I remember correctly. Still, it would be a great honor and well deserved - Mauer was an awesome player for many years with the Minnesota Twins organization. 

Joe Mauer was a three-sport athlete when he was in High 
School and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins at the same 
time that he was the #1 quarterback recruit in the country, 
and he was pretty darned good with basketball too. But, 
he signed with the Minnesota Twins in the 2001 draft 
and stayed with them throughout his career. Local Boy 
Makes Good could easily be the headline if he is 
elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

So, today's post has turned into a sports recap. Sorry about that, for those of you who don't do sports. I don't populate my blog with sports news that often, but we're getting down to Super Bowl in football, and it's time for All-Star Weekend in ice hockey, and the Hall of Fame for Joe Mauer ... well, they are all things that deserve their place in the sun. So, today was a sports wrap, and I'm not sorry. LOL Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

We Dodged A Bullet - The Storms Hit South of Us But It's COLD

It's cold up here in the Frozen Northlands right now. The big snowstorm hit south of us (fortunately), so the Twin Cities didn't really get snow, but we got the cold. We're currently entering our second day when we won't get above zero degrees F (that's a high of -17.7C for my overseas friends). In anyone's book, that's cold. the computer room, where I'm currently at, is a "cozy" 68 F (20 C), and the rest of the house is perched at around 62 F (16.67 C). It's -8 F (-22.22 C) outside right now, and it won't warm up more than a straight zero (-17.77 C) for the day. Winter has finally arrived in the Frozen Northlands, even though we aren't getting much snow so far. 

We ducked out of another storm over the
weekend. It hit south of us, but barely 
brushed the southern end of the Twin 
Cities. Oh happy me! So far DH hasn't had 
to drag snow off the roof at all, and my driveway 
shoveling has been minimal. It's been COLD - 
really cold, but I can handle that. I know how 
to bundle up and I have my "Canada hat". LOL

I'm actually just fine with the lack of snow. I realize we're still in a drought, and the snowpack and corresponding snow melt in Spring would help minimize the drought conditions. But I shoveled FAR too much snow in last year's record-setting winter. It's rather nice to have gone into the New Year without having to clear the snow off the roof, and having had to only shovel the driveway twice. I'm not a "weather wimp" (as my dear friend living in California terms herself), but I think we need a milder winter this year to make up for last year's icy hell. I can always bundle up tightly for the cold temps, but my back appreciates not having to shovel as much. 

Most of the people have the day off today to celebrate 
Martin Luther King day. He certainly deserves a holiday 
to think about his words. Those quoted in the picture 
aren't as well known, but it's a good tenet for life, isn't it? 

Football yesterday was FUN. I loved the fact that Green Bay beat Dallas. I'm not a fan of either team, but I'll root for almost any team over Dallas - LOL. The LA vs Detroit game was really fun, but I had to go to sleep before the end. It turned out to be a one-point difference, with Detroit pulling out the win. So WTG for our Northern teams! On Saturday, Kansas City blow the Dolphins out of the water, and Cleveland was run over by the Texans. This afternoon we get Pittsburgh vs Buffalo for the early game, and Philadelphia vs Tampa Bay for the night game. It's a holiday for most people (not for me, though), so having an afternoon game on a Monday worked out well. 

I didn't watch the Kansas City Chief's playoff game. It 
wasn't broadcast on network TV, only on Peacock. We 
have Peacock, but it's more hassle, and it just wasn't 
important enough to go to the trouble. 

We're winding down the football season and of course Minnesota never made it this far. Although the Vikings have actually been in the Super Bowl at least twice, we've never actually won it. Denver, on the other hand, has won the Super Bowl three times, even though they weren't anywhere in the mix this year. In football, I'll always be a Denver Broncos fan first, and in ice hockey, I'm totally a Minnesota Wild fan (although they're not playing well this year). 

We don't close for Martin Luther King Day, we stay 
open, and usually have good sales. We'll see. LOL

So, if you have today off work, enjoy your holiday. I'm going to the shop and I'll spend most of the day with my heater on, trying to stay warm, while listening to the afternoon football game. I hope you have a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Holiday Card Update, Hockey and an AWFUL Football Game

So here's the Holiday Cards update. All of my international and 99% of my domestic cards have been mailed. I hope all of you enjoy the twist for this year's card. Making them this year was like driving on a dirt road of steep twists and turns - always sliding a little bit, and having to make a lot of adjustments. The larger plans for this year's cards can be pushed off to any upcoming year and still be fun. There were issues here and there, but what's important is that they all got into the mail. 

This year's card underwent so many changes in concept, 
schedule, additions, deletions and other twists and 
turns. It was a crazy project. Now ... onward to next 
year's card - LOL. 

There are less than 10 people who will be getting replacement cards. Those will go into the mail on Wednesday and they're all USA people, so I'm not forced into deadlines I can't meet. Since my personal deadline is Solstice, I think we're still on track with that one. 

My absolute deadline for having all cards in the 
mail is always Winter Solstice. I still have a little 
breathing room for my last few, but they'll be 
out by the end of the week. 

My hockey team is playing quite well, 5 wins our of the last 6 games. They fired Coach a couple of weeks ago, and the team seems to be playing much better under their new leadership. It's a shame - I really liked Coach, but the team needed a shake-up, and it's much easier to switch a single guy or two than try to put the entire team into the Penalty Box. 

The hockey game was very entertaining and well played, 
but I had to go to sleep after the first period. These West 
Coast games just don't work in well for people who get 
up at 3:00 am. LOL

Although putting the entire team into the Penalty Box is probably exactly what our football team deserves right now. They played yesterday, and the final score was 3-0! We won, but by a single field goal. It wasn't a well-played game by either team, and it was sloppy. Our "new" quarterback couldn't complete a pass (well, he completed some, but not when it counted), and our defense was our only saving grace. RIDICULOUS! You don't ever expect to see a final score of zero in a professional football game, and it almost worked out to a zero/zero tie for the final. Thank goodness the Denver Broncos played well, winning their game against the Chargers with a score of 24-7. 

The Vikings/Raiders game was pathetic! It makes me happy 
that I'm a Denver Broncos fan, not a Minnesota Vikings fan. 
They should all be fired - on BOTH teams. Having a score 
of 0-0 going into the 4th quarter is past ridiculous! 

Sunday at the shop wasn't busy, but I did have a few sales and a couple of new customers who were very happy to have found us. Only one more Sunday to go, until my weekends are once again my own. I can hardly wait! That's about it - I want my breakfast, to catch up on your posts and comments, and to get moving to the shop for another day of working with DH (not my favorite working companion at all). I'll be back tomorrow. Sending *hugs* to all of you - my online friends. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Trans Day of Remembrance and A Holiday Week Ahead

Let's start out by thinking and sending prayers out to all who lost their lives over the past year because they were transgender. It's a guarantee that the list isn't comprehensive, there are always those who fall through the cracks. Let's NOT forget them - even though we never met them. Each one of them was a person who loved, laughed, and enjoyed a sunrise or sunset as much as any of us do. Each one had unique views and perspectives that changed the world of those they came into contact with. Each one of them was a person - a person of value - whose life was cut short because they were "different". Each one of them are, or certainly should be, missed. In the USA, 109 transgender individuals lost their lives, with 53 of them to violence and another 33 to suicide. If you're not shocked by those numbers, you should be! Around the world, the numbers jump exponentially. 

Never Forget. The number of people who lose their lives 
each year because they are transgender should be ZERO. 

Yesterday was a busy day - after a morning watching the Wild lose the second of two hockey games in Sweden *sigh*, and dealing with some website issues for DH's website *another sigh*, we dressed and went out to finish the raking in the upper front yard (DH had done ALL of the raking for the other yards over the past 10 days - it's a LOT of leaves and a HUGE job. 

Although most of what we do is working with rakes, 
we do a final clear with the leaf blower because it can 
be a bit more thorough and doesn't massively disturb 
the soil. Here's DH with the blower on the Western side 
of the area where we compost our leaves every year. 

After we finally finished with the leaves (which took more than an hour), we went down to the patio and started the final cleanup and put-away of the patio table, the various pots that were used for my tomatoes and peppers, and the tomato cages. We probably spend another hour getting the last of the summer things into the storage shed. But it's done now and we are ready for winter. 

Finally it was completed. It's rather amazing to be looking 
out over bare land this late in the year. I'm enjoying my 
green Thanksgiving week quite a lot - I'm not looking 
forward to the upcoming snow season AT ALL. 

We've been quite fortunate - Winter is arriving late this year. Last year we already had a few inches of snow on the ground by this time. It's cold(er), but it's not a sea of white when I look outside my windows. I'm grateful for every day of color I have left to me. Non-stop white is depressing and I don't do cold well either. I'm a Southwestern girl - I like the dry heat of New Meixco. Yesterday's football game was a Win/Win for me - Minnesota played Denver, I quite literally couldn't lose, no matter who won. As it turns out, Denver won, 21-20 - so a GOOD game. DH is disappointed, I'm quite sure, but I'm ecstatic. 

Denver pulled out the victory by ONE POINT! I'm so 
happy. I like it when either team could win, but I'm 
baseline a Denver Broncos fangirl. 

So, I'm off to the pool. Because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, I'm swimming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Then, on Friday, my annual Two-Day Sale begins. Fridays are usually the better attended day and I certainly WON'T be getting my Friday off. I've got plenty of food in the refrigerator, and a turkey waiting to be roasted on Thursday. I'm WAY behind on my Holiday Cards, but I think I can still pull this off - with a slightly different angle. In any case - don't give up on me. I'll come through for me and for you. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Football and Football - It Was an Excellent Sunday

Yesterday was a rather lazy day (after we set our clocks back for Standard Time) - a lot of football (some REALLY good games), a nice almost no-work meal and an episode of "Inspector Lewis" to end the day. We got an order placed for some smaller pieces of jewelry for the holiday season, and DH will be monopolizing the store computer today (and most of the week) getting the larger and smaller shipments of jewelry entered into the data base. There are a few items we're not 100% sure about (we realized after-the-fact that the finalized order wouldn't have photos of what the items were *sigh*). We were able to grab descriptions of most of the items, but there are still a few that will be a mystery until we open the box. 

The Philadelphia Eagles squeaked out a victory over 
the Dallas Cowboys in a great game. Very fun to watch 
and to flap my arms cheering the Eagles onward. 

We're gearing up for the Holiday Season now. It's our last one, and we've been really cleaned out of the low and mid-range jewelry items, so that's why we're bringing in some things. The cupboards are bare, so to speak. So we're trying to get things stocked up in time for a good holiday, and we're running really tight on time. 

The Minnesota Vikings pulled out a victory with our 
brand new (been with the team for 3 days) quarterback! 
Astounding! Our main quarterback is out for the season 
with a torn Achilles tendon. Our backup QB was injured 
early in the game, and that meant our new guy, who had 
arrived less than a week ago, was pulled in to play. And 
 he pulled it off! Vikings won 31-28 over the Falcons. 
Hurrah for Joshua Dobbs! 

As for my own holiday cards - I arranged the interior and tried a sample, but I don't really like what I've got. My main supplier for my stamps, however, just sent through an e-flyer, and viola! There was the perfect stamp. So I quickly got on-line and ordered it. I should have it by mid-week, and then I can start the interior of this year's cards for everyone. I'm running quite late this year, but time is as it will be. No choices. Hopefully next year will run smoother, but no guarantees since next year will be the first year I won't be in the shop for their manufacture. That will be both good and bad, so new challenges to be faced. 

Every day is another challenge to be overcome. I'm getting 
a bit tired of the constant ebb and flow, however. Our 
tempers are getting pushed and DH and I rarely get along 
for long in the best of times. Add the stresses we're dealing 
with now, it's becoming very challenging to not lash 
out at each other and start arguments. 

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend. I'm ready to dive into the week. DH said he may be at the shop every day this week (growl on my part because I like my solo times without him around). He needs to get both jewelry shipments checked in as much as possible, and we have beads and beading supplies coming in from both of our major suppliers too. It'll be a very busy computer this week, and our computers at the shop are complaining about their age and becoming more and more quirky. I'm crossing my fingers that they will survive the next 6-8 months without blowing up. 

Our shop computers (inventory, registers, sales history, 
etc) all run on a Windows 95 operating system off 
two computers - a main computer and a separate 
cash register computer. When we had looked into upgrading 
several years ago after I closed my Mall of America 
store, they quoted me a cost of $12,000 for a new 
system. I said a firm "No" and we've relied upon the 
old system since there. There are quirks, and things 
don't operate as well as they used to, but Dale has 
kept things running for me. Now we just have to make 
it for less than one more year. I'm crossing my fingers 
that the computers make it through. 

On that hopeful note, I'm going to wish you a lovely day. I'm already looking forward to getting back into the swimming pool tomorrow. I need to work off some of this tension - LOL. Enjoy your day, be kind to those you interact with, and smile. A smile can heal a world of hurt. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Sunday Was a Day of Sports - It Was Grey and Gloomy and Cold Outside

It was almost a perfect sports day, yesterday. The weather was colder and gloomy and not at all comfortable for sitting in the garden, and DH is already mourning the fact that he won't have a garden to check on for several months. Although I've suggested grow lights and indoor gardening, he's actually correct when he says we have no room for that. I can think of a couple of places where it would work, but basically, we've been in this house since the mid-1980's and have set every room up the way we wanted. Putting in something new like a grow light wouldn't be an easy thing to do. I can think of a couple of places that would work, but it wouldn't be easy. 

I wouldn't mind buying something similar to 
this - an AeroGrow system, and I even know 
where I would want to put it. But that area is 
cold, and I'm not sure it would enjoy the temp, 
and I'd have to check where the closest electrical 
outlet is. So this may not be a perfect solution, but 
it's certainly a thought. 

So, at least sports was a good thing. My Denver Broncos beat their divisional rivals the Kansas City Chiefs by a huge store 24-9! We were playing in Denver, which always helps. There's a definite altitude adjustment that visiting teams have to deal with when playing a mile high. It also was cold, with snow threatening. I didn't see snow when I watched the game, but they were expecting quite a bit, even if it wasn't in the stadium. 

Denver won decisively over the Kansas City Chiefs, which 
made me very happy indeed! 

DH's Vikings succeeded in a win over their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers with a store of 24-10. It's amusing me right now that both our teams scored 24 points on Sunday. LOL Of course, the Packers no longer are headed by Brett Favre, and their new quarterback is still finding his balance, but we'll take a win over the Pack anytime we can get one. 

The Vikings traveled to Green Bay and beat the Packers 
on their own turf. That was fabulous! I'm quite pleased. 

Finally, we did have one failure, although it was a hotly contested game. In hockey, the Wild fell to the New Jersey Devils 3-4. It was a well-played game, for the most part, and very fast, as hockey is. They just got one more puck past the goaltender. But hockey is a very long season. I'm not happy with how we're starting, we've lost 6 and won 3, but there's still a LOT of hockey to play this season. 

The MN Wild, unfortunately, lost a closely-fought 
game to the New Jersey Devils. It was a disappointment. 
Now they return home for a few days. Next game is 
Thursday, then another on Saturday before they're on 
the road again. 

So, I'm bundling up and heading over to the shop. Mondays are always hard days because I work with DH, who is not always available if I need help on the sales floor or need a quick bathroom break. Working with him is always a challenge, and not necessarily a good one. *sigh* I hope all of you have a wonderful start to your week and enjoy your Halloween Eve. Tomorrow it's time for ghosts and ghouls, and candy for tots. I'll be back then. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

A Day of Cooking, Sports and Miscommunication - An Almost Perfect Sunday

Happy Monday, all. DH and I had a weekend of miscommunication, which always makes for a rather tense Sunday and a bad taste in my mouth on Monday morning. Still, there's nothing to be done about it. Hopefully today won't be horrid at the shop. It's the one day when we work together, and sometimes it can be a tough one. 

Sunday was a day of miscommunication and 
that made for a frustrating day. I'm hoping that's 
behind us as we start the work week. 

The MN Wild lost their game on Saturday, and are now 9th in the NHL, putting them just below the cut in the Stanley Cup standings. The season is new, there are a LOT of games still to play, but it's been a disappointing start. The team just hasn't jelled together yet, and they're still playing with eyes instead of instinct for where the player will be to pass the puck to. Their next game is tomorrow, so here's hoping they'll get one in the Win column tomorrow night. 

I love watching the Wild, but when they aren't playing 
up to their skill level and potential, it's frustrating to 
watch them. Still, it's a very long season, moving through 
until mid-April with several games a week, average. It's 
early enough that they can pull themselves back out 
of the garbage and get on track. But GRRRR. 

In football, the Vikings play tonight, but the Broncos pulled out a squeak win over Green Bay, winning 19-17 with the last play of the game. It was one of those OMG games ... the OMG I can't believe they pulled that off, vs the OMG what do they thing they're doing! Another ten minutes, maybe even another five minutes, might well have seen the entire score reverse. 

The Broncos pulled out a win over Green Bay, in a rather 
sloppy game. But still, a win is a win. So I'm quite pleased 
with this game's result. The Minnesota Vikings play tonight, 
and we've NEVER done well on Monday Night Football. 

My task, yesterday, was to cook a pork tenderloin. I put the marinade on it Saturday night, and started baking it early yesterday morning. It was done earlier than I had planned for - but it was incredibly tasty and yes, it's one of my favorite recipes. It takes minimal work, and gives maximal enjoyment. The recipe is for a 6 pound roast and mine was about three pounds, so that probably accounts for the time differential. I'll have to make a note on the recipe that the cooking time is reduced for a smaller roast. Thank goodness for remote thermometers. Without that, I would have overcooked the meat and it would have been awful. 

We ended up eating dinner an hour or two earlier 
than planned because the pork was done sooner. 
All I can figure is that since it was a three pound 
roast instead of a six pound, it cooked faster. Makes 
sense to me, and I'll make a notation on the recipe 
for the future. I've only made the recipe a couple 
of times before, so it's not instinctive to me yet. 
But it was DELICIOUS. 

So, I'm ready to start another week. I guess - LOL. I could just as easily go back upstairs and grab another few hours of sleep ... but I really can't indulge. Time moves on and I've got to get going on my day. I hope your Monday is spectacular, and I'll be back tomorrow. Slave Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.