Wednesday, November 29, 2006
EEKAMOUSE!!!
Nothing gets a person moving like the prospect of having people over for dinner. I must say that since our move...oh...nearly four months ago, we still have a boatful of stuff to dig through and unpack. Actually, it's not a boatful, but a garageful. Among the items I have been dying to excavate are my wine and martini glasses. I haven't had a drink since we moved! Let me correct that. I haven't had a drink out of anything other than a juice glass since we moved.
The friends who are coming over for dinner have had us over to their place a couple of times and it's a beautiful home. I figure that despite the fact that our place currently looks like a "before" picture, I could at least summon up the ambition to tackle the garage and find the appropriate drinking vessels.
Let me draw you a mental picture of the scene. Double garage. No room for a car. Not even room for a bicycle, although there is a rumour going around that there is, in fact, a bicycle in there somewhere. There are cabinets sitting empty and boxes full of items that could nicely be held in said cabinets if one could only get to them. There is a sofa that we don't have room for, so that has been "dibbed" by The Squeeze's brother when he gets his apartment this week. There are bags and bags of winter clothing that we thankfully haven't had cause to uncover yet. Suffice to say, it's a mess in there.
Sunday evening I got the urge to wade through the minefield and organize. I started by digging through the boxes that blocked my path to the large cabinet I was determined to put against the wall and fill with occasionally used appliances. Much to my delight I managed to find our cutting boards which for several weeks I have sorely missed. I continued on to moving the bags of clothing into the house so we could go through them and prepare for the cold weather that is bound to arrive at some point.
Before I was able to move the cabinet from the middle of the room, I needed to move a huge heavy banquet table that was leaning on the cabinet. The Squeeze agreed to take a break from cooking to give me a hand hoisting the table against the wall and out of my way. I pulled his tool cabinet away from the wall so the table could be stored there and that is when I discovered a pile of niger seed on the floor. I saw that there was a bag of the seed that the previous owners left behind on a shelf above the pile. There must be a hole torn in the bag, I thought. Uh-oh...what poked the hole in the bag? The alarm in my head sounded. I called for The Squeeze. Now the beauty here is that The Squeeze works in the pest control field. I couldn't have been in better hands.
He came out to investigate, trusty flashlight in hand, and came to the conclusion that yes, indeed, we had a mouse. Figuring he made that deduction as a result of seeing droppings, I said, "are you sure they aren't all just seeds?" After all, the niger seeds do look like little mouse droppings to my untrained eye. He just poined the trusty flashlight to a...um...overly puffy-looking seed. "The seeds aren't that big," he replied. Don't doubt the ex-Terminator!
After we got the table into position behind the tool chest, The Squeeze grabbed a few snap traps from his truck and gave them all a dab of peanut butter and he strategically placed them along the wall. He returned to his cooking, and I cautiously continued my work. I slid the couch along the floor and as I did this, a blanket that was stacked atop some boxes and partially leaning on the couch became a niger seed dispenser. A pile of seed poured from the blanket onto the floor. Needless to say, I screamed for The Squeeze. He came out, calmly eyed the situation and concluded that they must be nesting in the blanket. Ewwwwwwww! Not a big deal, really. It was only a car blanket I had pulled out of my car when I traded it in and I never bothered to put it in the land yacht yet. Procrastination is my strong suit. I hit the garage door opener and The Squeeze scooped up the blanket and walked it into the driveway and he shook it out. Nothing there. What the hell?
We (and by we, I mean he) spent the next bit of time examining boxes for holes or mice, but came up empty. The Squeeze said that if there was still a mouse in the garage, we'd get it that night. We went to bed that night, and I was feeling secure that my worries would end with a spine crushing snap.
The next morning, The Squeeze looked at the traps and found them empty. I was of the belief that maybe the mouse met his end in someone else's garage and hadn't actually been in ours for a while. Maybe that cat that is always roaming around the complex caught it. Good kitty. I'm so sorry I ever considered calling animal control on you.
Then the thought hit me. Oh. My. God. The bags of clothes! The Squeeze had the same thought. He inspected each of the bags for holes, but found nothing suspect. We decided that we were safe, but he stated that if I notice our cat sitting near one of the bags, staring intently at it, we may have a problem.
I awoke Tuesday morning and The Squeeze informed me that two mice had been caught. Deer mice. Brown bodies, white bellies, big brown eyes. It appears that one of them was being eaten by another (I'm hoping it was THE other, and not one of many) after it had been caught in the trap. Apparently, they don't have a taboo about cannibalism. Animals!
"So....we caught two. What does that mean exactly?", I asked.
"Well, some people say where you catch one, there are a hundred more. But that's bullshit. All you can say for sure is where you catch one, you had one...at least."
Very profound.
This morning the traps were empty. We will continue to monitor the situation. And tonight, I continue my search for martini and wine glasses. I'll be kicking all of the boxes in case any of them are housing mice. I hope the box with the glasses is labelled. I'll kick that one softly.
The friends who are coming over for dinner have had us over to their place a couple of times and it's a beautiful home. I figure that despite the fact that our place currently looks like a "before" picture, I could at least summon up the ambition to tackle the garage and find the appropriate drinking vessels.
Let me draw you a mental picture of the scene. Double garage. No room for a car. Not even room for a bicycle, although there is a rumour going around that there is, in fact, a bicycle in there somewhere. There are cabinets sitting empty and boxes full of items that could nicely be held in said cabinets if one could only get to them. There is a sofa that we don't have room for, so that has been "dibbed" by The Squeeze's brother when he gets his apartment this week. There are bags and bags of winter clothing that we thankfully haven't had cause to uncover yet. Suffice to say, it's a mess in there.
Sunday evening I got the urge to wade through the minefield and organize. I started by digging through the boxes that blocked my path to the large cabinet I was determined to put against the wall and fill with occasionally used appliances. Much to my delight I managed to find our cutting boards which for several weeks I have sorely missed. I continued on to moving the bags of clothing into the house so we could go through them and prepare for the cold weather that is bound to arrive at some point.
Before I was able to move the cabinet from the middle of the room, I needed to move a huge heavy banquet table that was leaning on the cabinet. The Squeeze agreed to take a break from cooking to give me a hand hoisting the table against the wall and out of my way. I pulled his tool cabinet away from the wall so the table could be stored there and that is when I discovered a pile of niger seed on the floor. I saw that there was a bag of the seed that the previous owners left behind on a shelf above the pile. There must be a hole torn in the bag, I thought. Uh-oh...what poked the hole in the bag? The alarm in my head sounded. I called for The Squeeze. Now the beauty here is that The Squeeze works in the pest control field. I couldn't have been in better hands.
He came out to investigate, trusty flashlight in hand, and came to the conclusion that yes, indeed, we had a mouse. Figuring he made that deduction as a result of seeing droppings, I said, "are you sure they aren't all just seeds?" After all, the niger seeds do look like little mouse droppings to my untrained eye. He just poined the trusty flashlight to a...um...overly puffy-looking seed. "The seeds aren't that big," he replied. Don't doubt the ex-Terminator!
After we got the table into position behind the tool chest, The Squeeze grabbed a few snap traps from his truck and gave them all a dab of peanut butter and he strategically placed them along the wall. He returned to his cooking, and I cautiously continued my work. I slid the couch along the floor and as I did this, a blanket that was stacked atop some boxes and partially leaning on the couch became a niger seed dispenser. A pile of seed poured from the blanket onto the floor. Needless to say, I screamed for The Squeeze. He came out, calmly eyed the situation and concluded that they must be nesting in the blanket. Ewwwwwwww! Not a big deal, really. It was only a car blanket I had pulled out of my car when I traded it in and I never bothered to put it in the land yacht yet. Procrastination is my strong suit. I hit the garage door opener and The Squeeze scooped up the blanket and walked it into the driveway and he shook it out. Nothing there. What the hell?
We (and by we, I mean he) spent the next bit of time examining boxes for holes or mice, but came up empty. The Squeeze said that if there was still a mouse in the garage, we'd get it that night. We went to bed that night, and I was feeling secure that my worries would end with a spine crushing snap.
The next morning, The Squeeze looked at the traps and found them empty. I was of the belief that maybe the mouse met his end in someone else's garage and hadn't actually been in ours for a while. Maybe that cat that is always roaming around the complex caught it. Good kitty. I'm so sorry I ever considered calling animal control on you.
Then the thought hit me. Oh. My. God. The bags of clothes! The Squeeze had the same thought. He inspected each of the bags for holes, but found nothing suspect. We decided that we were safe, but he stated that if I notice our cat sitting near one of the bags, staring intently at it, we may have a problem.
I awoke Tuesday morning and The Squeeze informed me that two mice had been caught. Deer mice. Brown bodies, white bellies, big brown eyes. It appears that one of them was being eaten by another (I'm hoping it was THE other, and not one of many) after it had been caught in the trap. Apparently, they don't have a taboo about cannibalism. Animals!"So....we caught two. What does that mean exactly?", I asked.
"Well, some people say where you catch one, there are a hundred more. But that's bullshit. All you can say for sure is where you catch one, you had one...at least."
Very profound.
This morning the traps were empty. We will continue to monitor the situation. And tonight, I continue my search for martini and wine glasses. I'll be kicking all of the boxes in case any of them are housing mice. I hope the box with the glasses is labelled. I'll kick that one softly.
Friday, November 24, 2006
New Picture Of My Baby
Here's an updated pic of Brynn. Hard to believe she's 4 1/2 months old already.
Harder to believe I finally got the picture to load!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
dumb survey
Explain what ended your last relationship?
-not sure if I'd consider it a relationship, but he already had a partner and I smartened up.
When was the last time you shaved?
-yesterday morning. I generally shave every other day.
What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
-reading the paper.
What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
-reading blogs
Are you any good at math?
-it's one of my strengths.
Your prom night, what do you remember about it?
-didn't do my own prom, but went with a friend to hers a couple of years after I graduated. I remember much of it.
Do you have any famous ancestors?
-not that I know of.
Have you had to take a loan out for school?
-no, but I've borrowed for many other things.
Last thing received in the mail?
-an insurance policy.
How many different beverages have you had today?
-water, milk (with my cereal), coffee
Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
-Well DUH
Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
-oh god...when I was a kid my sister-in-law took me to see a group called the DeFranco Family (Heartbeat, it's a Lovebeat). NOW I know what made me gay!
Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
-I don't do the beach. People keep trying to save me by rolling me back into the water.
What’s the most painful dental procedure you’ve had?
-fillings, extractions
What is out your back door?
-a tiny little yard, patio, barbecue, mammoth central air unit and miscellaneous plants
Any plans for Friday night?
-so far it looks like laundry and cleaning up the garage unless anything better comes along
Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
-what ocean? what hair?
Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
-my friends and family know better
Have you ever been to a planetarium?
-yep. wasn't too thrilled about it at the time. Lights on a ceiling. Ooh, ahh. Might feel differently now.
Do you re-use towels after you shower?
-since my mother no longer does my laundry, yes.
Some things you are excited about?
-seeing my baby, time off work, hanging with The Squeeze.
What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?
-it's all good, but I like their chocolate pudding.
Describe your keychain(s)?
-metal ring. I'm not into pocket clutter.
Where do you keep your change?
-right front pant pocket, pennies go into a glass milk bottle.
When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
-can't recall
What kind of winter coat do you own?
-Columbia...wherever it is. Packed in a box or bag in the garage.
What was the weather like on your graduation day?
-was this written by a 19 year old? My graduation was so long ago all I can say is that the earth was cooling.
Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
-closed, or I'd have to kill the cat.
-not sure if I'd consider it a relationship, but he already had a partner and I smartened up.
When was the last time you shaved?
-yesterday morning. I generally shave every other day.
What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
-reading the paper.
What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
-reading blogs
Are you any good at math?
-it's one of my strengths.
Your prom night, what do you remember about it?
-didn't do my own prom, but went with a friend to hers a couple of years after I graduated. I remember much of it.
Do you have any famous ancestors?
-not that I know of.
Have you had to take a loan out for school?
-no, but I've borrowed for many other things.
Last thing received in the mail?
-an insurance policy.
How many different beverages have you had today?
-water, milk (with my cereal), coffee
Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
-Well DUH
Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
-oh god...when I was a kid my sister-in-law took me to see a group called the DeFranco Family (Heartbeat, it's a Lovebeat). NOW I know what made me gay!
Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
-I don't do the beach. People keep trying to save me by rolling me back into the water.
What’s the most painful dental procedure you’ve had?
-fillings, extractions
What is out your back door?
-a tiny little yard, patio, barbecue, mammoth central air unit and miscellaneous plants
Any plans for Friday night?
-so far it looks like laundry and cleaning up the garage unless anything better comes along
Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
-what ocean? what hair?
Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
-my friends and family know better
Have you ever been to a planetarium?
-yep. wasn't too thrilled about it at the time. Lights on a ceiling. Ooh, ahh. Might feel differently now.
Do you re-use towels after you shower?
-since my mother no longer does my laundry, yes.
Some things you are excited about?
-seeing my baby, time off work, hanging with The Squeeze.
What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?
-it's all good, but I like their chocolate pudding.
Describe your keychain(s)?
-metal ring. I'm not into pocket clutter.
Where do you keep your change?
-right front pant pocket, pennies go into a glass milk bottle.
When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
-can't recall
What kind of winter coat do you own?
-Columbia...wherever it is. Packed in a box or bag in the garage.
What was the weather like on your graduation day?
-was this written by a 19 year old? My graduation was so long ago all I can say is that the earth was cooling.
Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
-closed, or I'd have to kill the cat.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Serenity NOW!!!
Life with the new SUV hasn't been all sunshine and bunny farts.
The dealership where I bought this vehicle is about a 40 minute drive from my home. I didn't figure this would be an issue because there is a Honda dealership just down the street from me, and that's where I'd take it for routine service in the future.
A couple of days after picking it up I began to feel some discomfort in my lower back. This was caused by what appears to be a steel bar running horizontally along the base of the backrest. It caused me to shift in my seat constantly trying to find a comfortable position. Not good. I notified the dealership of this and they told me to bring it in for them to take a look at.
My first attempt to bring it in late Wednesday afternoon just prior to a "new owner's workshop" didn't work due to a car fire on the highway which made me nearly an hour late. Oh well, what can you do? We rebooked for Friday. The Squeeze and I drove back there and waited while they pulled the seat out (I assume) and examined it.
Much to my dismay, the girl from the service desk came in to let me know that there is nothing they could do to fix it. I could purchase new seat padding which would not be covered under the extended warranty I purchased. It would cost me $300 and it wouldn't guarantee to solve the problem. The other option would be to "buy a $10 pad from Wal-Mart". So what's the point in having heated leather seats with lumbar support if I'm going to cover it with a chair pad?
I was pissed. We retrieved the keys and left. The Squeeze commented "Someone's writing a letter".
Yep, I did indeed. I described my relationship with Honda and how I now feel screwed over by their dealership. Surely, one should feel some degree of comfort while driving their vehicle.
I sent that letter to the dealership owner, the business manager, the used car manager, and the two salesmen I directly dealt with.
About a week later I received a call from their customer relations rep. He said that he can arrange to have the seat repaired by an upholsterer and that they would need me to bring the SUV in. We made arrangements for Monday at 8:00 am. Yes, 8:00 am. On my day off. Normally I start work at 10:00. So on my day off, I had to leave the house just after 7:00 to drive to the dealership for 8:00.
After squirming around in the seat for the duration of the ride, I arrived at the dealership. I walked in and asked for the rep who was arranging everything. "Oh, he's not in today. He called in sick." Apparently he was the only one who knew what he was arranging and I would need to rebook the appointment. Hell of a way to start my day off.
So I drove back home and got the roast in the crock pot for dinner while I waited for stores to open so I could run my other errands. My first stop was the bank where I had to pay my business taxes. I pulled into the lot and found it rather empty. "Hey, I won't have to wait in line" I thought. Well, turns out that was true. Because they were closed. What the hell? Ah, yes. Closed for Remembrance Day which was actually on Saturday this year. Next I drove to an art supply shop in the neighbouring city to get some supplies for work. The store is going through renovations, so much of their stock is packed up in storage. Naturally, the items I needed were in storage. My day continues.
I managed to find another art store and bought what I needed there. Things are looking up.
I headed back home, stopped at my local polling station to do my civic duty.
When I got home I thought I'd wash the bedding and do some cleaning up. I put the sheets and pillowcases in the washing machine and waited for it to fill up and start working. Good thing, because it didn't! It filled up, sure enough, but when it started to agitate, it would keep making a loud thunking noise and the agitator kept slipping. Then the water would drain. This happened before, but that was when I tried washing a duvet that was probably a bit more than the washer was able to handle at its advanced age. So I drained all the water, gave it a spin (as much as it was able) and headed off to the laundrymat. The benefit of being there was that I actually had a bit of relaxation time where I was able to get a bit further into the book I recently started to read despite Oprah's cheers and laughter blasting through the speakers of the TVs suspended from the ceiling.
Once the laundry was done I slugged it back home and found the time and energy to clean one of my aquariums, much to the delight of the neglected little creatures that had been navigating through layers of furry algae and fecal matter. It wasn't pretty.
This morning, after a lousy sleepless night, I got up, paid my taxes, and headed off to work. I'll be calling the Honda dealership today, and it looks like we might just be going out to buy a washing machine.
Oh ya...and then I'm going to sleep. The good folks at Gravol will see to that.
The dealership where I bought this vehicle is about a 40 minute drive from my home. I didn't figure this would be an issue because there is a Honda dealership just down the street from me, and that's where I'd take it for routine service in the future.
A couple of days after picking it up I began to feel some discomfort in my lower back. This was caused by what appears to be a steel bar running horizontally along the base of the backrest. It caused me to shift in my seat constantly trying to find a comfortable position. Not good. I notified the dealership of this and they told me to bring it in for them to take a look at.
My first attempt to bring it in late Wednesday afternoon just prior to a "new owner's workshop" didn't work due to a car fire on the highway which made me nearly an hour late. Oh well, what can you do? We rebooked for Friday. The Squeeze and I drove back there and waited while they pulled the seat out (I assume) and examined it.
Much to my dismay, the girl from the service desk came in to let me know that there is nothing they could do to fix it. I could purchase new seat padding which would not be covered under the extended warranty I purchased. It would cost me $300 and it wouldn't guarantee to solve the problem. The other option would be to "buy a $10 pad from Wal-Mart". So what's the point in having heated leather seats with lumbar support if I'm going to cover it with a chair pad?
I was pissed. We retrieved the keys and left. The Squeeze commented "Someone's writing a letter".
Yep, I did indeed. I described my relationship with Honda and how I now feel screwed over by their dealership. Surely, one should feel some degree of comfort while driving their vehicle.
I sent that letter to the dealership owner, the business manager, the used car manager, and the two salesmen I directly dealt with.
About a week later I received a call from their customer relations rep. He said that he can arrange to have the seat repaired by an upholsterer and that they would need me to bring the SUV in. We made arrangements for Monday at 8:00 am. Yes, 8:00 am. On my day off. Normally I start work at 10:00. So on my day off, I had to leave the house just after 7:00 to drive to the dealership for 8:00.
After squirming around in the seat for the duration of the ride, I arrived at the dealership. I walked in and asked for the rep who was arranging everything. "Oh, he's not in today. He called in sick." Apparently he was the only one who knew what he was arranging and I would need to rebook the appointment. Hell of a way to start my day off.
So I drove back home and got the roast in the crock pot for dinner while I waited for stores to open so I could run my other errands. My first stop was the bank where I had to pay my business taxes. I pulled into the lot and found it rather empty. "Hey, I won't have to wait in line" I thought. Well, turns out that was true. Because they were closed. What the hell? Ah, yes. Closed for Remembrance Day which was actually on Saturday this year. Next I drove to an art supply shop in the neighbouring city to get some supplies for work. The store is going through renovations, so much of their stock is packed up in storage. Naturally, the items I needed were in storage. My day continues.
I managed to find another art store and bought what I needed there. Things are looking up.
I headed back home, stopped at my local polling station to do my civic duty.
When I got home I thought I'd wash the bedding and do some cleaning up. I put the sheets and pillowcases in the washing machine and waited for it to fill up and start working. Good thing, because it didn't! It filled up, sure enough, but when it started to agitate, it would keep making a loud thunking noise and the agitator kept slipping. Then the water would drain. This happened before, but that was when I tried washing a duvet that was probably a bit more than the washer was able to handle at its advanced age. So I drained all the water, gave it a spin (as much as it was able) and headed off to the laundrymat. The benefit of being there was that I actually had a bit of relaxation time where I was able to get a bit further into the book I recently started to read despite Oprah's cheers and laughter blasting through the speakers of the TVs suspended from the ceiling.
Once the laundry was done I slugged it back home and found the time and energy to clean one of my aquariums, much to the delight of the neglected little creatures that had been navigating through layers of furry algae and fecal matter. It wasn't pretty.
This morning, after a lousy sleepless night, I got up, paid my taxes, and headed off to work. I'll be calling the Honda dealership today, and it looks like we might just be going out to buy a washing machine.
Oh ya...and then I'm going to sleep. The good folks at Gravol will see to that.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
I'm trying, folks.
I have been pounding my head against this computer for a few weeks now trying to upload pictures. I get that window that says an image is uploading, it chugs along for...oh, an hour or so, and I get all green bars in the status window on the bottom, but it never goes further than that. I'm getting ticked off. Anyone else having the same issues and is there a way around it?
