Yummy!

Just went into Etsy - been spending a little bit too much time there lately .. ahem.  And this was the screen that greeted me.  I was like - ooooohhh - and I don't know why.  It was just incredibly appealing to me.  What do you think?

Or is it just me?

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Maxine Monday

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.. and on it goes

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Early in the week I noticed that suddenly I was not getting the upper channels on cable.  Kind of threw me for a loop because those are pretty much the only ones I watch!  Come to find out I had ignored emails from the cable company telling me that if I did not have "the box" and was just plugging cable directly into my TV, I would need to get some kind of converter to continue to get the top cable channels.  UGH.  So I ordered some converters and commenced to feeling unsettled as I tried to find other things to watch in the meantime.

Coming home from work on Friday after the end of a really crappy week, my brakes decided they weren't just bad, they were worse than bad and started squealing in protest.  Wonderful.  

After I got home and collapsed on the couch that day I discovered, oh joy, my TV was dead.  Simply died during the day while I was at work. 

 And to finish that day my full figured kitty Norah was sitting on the other end of the couch and when I looked down at her she had a tuft of fur sticking out of her mouth.  I told her NO! but she simply reached around and pulled another tuft out of the center of her back.  She's been doing this lately but now she has almost gotten a bald spot.  She's always been a nervous cat, very skittish and now I guess she has turned the corner into full blown neurosis.  I sat on her and wrangled a "calming collar" on her, that had been waiting in the wings to go on Abby next month but Norah seemed to need it more.  Next I have to look for the rescue water drops that I bought and immediately misplaced so I can calm all the doggone cats!

And me?  I just might be looking at downing some calming wine.  Or something.  Damn I wish cigarettes didn't kill people.  Cause I would give my right arm to start smoking again.  I think I deserve it.  Deserve the wine, not the cigarettes.  I won't smoke.  But I will whine.  This is me whining.  Argh-h-h-h!   

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Could have been a better week.

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There are many things that happen in life that aren't fair.  And while I always wanted everything to be fair - I learned very early that not everything is.  I can't say what happened this week wasn't fair, because I don't know why it happened, but I will say it was really quite stupid.

My office roommate who makes me crazy half the time was let go on Monday.  She has worked for the company for 26 years and is incredibly talented.  She spoils her child to a point that I can barely restrain my comments sometimes.  She is self centered and a bit obsessive compulsive and a germaphobe.  But she is also very sweet and sensitive and generous.  I will miss her.


It was a huge shock when they let her go.  She was not one you would have pointed to and said - oh yeah, I can see why they would choose her.  And what the company does not seem to understand is that in whatever cost saving measure they were implementing - they just let a fantastic amount of knowledge, talent, and information walk out that door without a key card to get back in.  Seems to be a trend too - people who have worked there for many years - being let go.  Maybe they make too much money.  Maybe it is ageist.  But beyond the whys - it just isn't good business.


There were many things my office roommate was very good at, and one was making sure she had skills and certifications for different areas of the business.  By the time she left today - she had heard from at least 3 competitors looking to snatch her up.  Our company's short sightedness will be someone elses gain.


Stupid, stupid corporate decisions.  When will they ever learn that people are not chess pieces or numbers on a spreadsheet?  And really, not everyone is expendable.  


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He HAD a new do!

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Took crabby ol' man Riley cat to the vet for his once weekly "drink".  The technician came and carried him away in his carrier like usual, while I amused myself listening to these crazy cat people obsessing about their cats, pretending I wasn't one of them.  


It wasn't too long before Riley cat was being returned to me in his purple carrier, all watered and ready to go.  Except the tech had a strange look on her face as she approached me, which wasn't usual at all.  She hesitantly asked me, "are you painting your house?"  


Well isn't that the strangest question to get at the cat clinic!  

Cute even with a clean head!

"No, not painting anything ... "


"Well Riley had this stuff all over his head .. "


Oooof!


I realized I should have warned them but I had forgotten.  "OH!  NO!  That was cottage cheese!  He wanted to finish the container of cottage cheese and stuck his head all the way down to the bottom and it kind of slicked back the fur on his head and dried like that."  I went on.  "I kinda thought it was cute, so I didn't wash it off."  


The tech smiled at me, not nearly as amused as I was.  "Well it's washed off now."


Oops. 


It really was cute, though.  Really.


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Maxine Monday

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Paper Camera

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If I have more of one thing than any other on my phone, it would camera apps.  I cannot get enough.  Here is one more called Paper Camera.  Love it!

It's not an app where you have to mess with the pic after the fact - this is what it looks like as you take it.  What fun!  Check it out!

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Is there such a thing as too many candles?

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Having the power back on is wonderful and I am completely grateful that it came back on earlier than predicted. But accepting the situation (with a small amount of whine .. and no cheese) made it easier.  My son took off for greener pastures so not only was I in the dark, I was alone.  You don't realize the sounds you don't hear under normal circumstances.  The low buzz of the refrigerator, the television, the air conditioning or furnace depending on the season - it all combines to muffle the sounds around you.  


The sound of tires on gravel, the footsteps of someone walking their dog, the tinkling of the tags on the pup's collar, a cough from a neighbor's house all can be heard when the normal background noise is not there.  And you would think the time would drag not being able to use the normal distractions but for me the time went by very quickly.  I made sure I got everything ready for the next day - my lunch, my meds, the cat's food and meds .. (sigh) I even got my clothes out the night before.  And then there was the Kindle app so I could read comfortably without full light.  


It was warmer than I would have liked but I stayed still for the most part, and read.  Everything was calm, absolutely quiet, and peaceful.  NO, Com Ed, I do not want to go back there.  But instead of wringing my hands and fighting it, I just did what I could to make it the easiest on myself and almost enjoyed it a bit.


Of course today when I had to throw away everything except the cold packs and the ice trays in my freezer, and most everything in my refrigerator too (replacing condiments, oh my!) wasn't fun but again, I knew I was going to have to so I just did it.  Done.  Begin again.


The first night I lit practically every candle I had - I had one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, one in my bedroom and a ton in the living room.  The second night after hearing I might not have power for days yet - I decided to be more conservative and lit fewer.  I messed with my camera a bit, trying so see how well I could capture the candlelight with no flash and holy cow it looks like I had power!

And here I am being a girl scout and making absolutely sure I got up in the morning.  Never having used my phone(s) as an alarm - I had no confidence in my ability to figure out the snooze feature when half asleep, so I set 2 phones.  Anal retentive, much?  

But it worked, I survived, my son returned and the sounds of the world are muffled once more.  I have to wonder though, is that a good thing?  Are we a bit too removed these days?


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POWER!!!!!

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Feeling powerless.

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I actually got through to the electric company today and got an estimate of when the power might be on. The lady was very nice but seemed a bit guarded like maybe people had been yelling at her all morning. But really, when you've been without power since early Monday morning (and quite possibly addicted to the Internet and TV) you really don't want to get an estimate like - NOON ON FRIDAY!!!!


I was very nice. I did not yell or scream or cry or beg. I simply said "you are aware of course, that it's TUESDAY??"


Ahem.


"of course Ma'am, and I apologize for the delay."


YA THINK?


So the candles are lit, I have 3 books on my Kindle app and plenty of candles. And of course, plenty of kitties to keep me company. Thank God for gas hot water heaters and the promise of temps dropping to 64 during the night. Oh - and I'm grateful for phones with alarms on them or I would never make it to work in the morning. Hmmm - might have to rethink that last one.


Although - my neighbor has a generator - I can hear it. Another clue is the light in the living room and the soft glow of their TV. Kinda mean, I think. They could at least close their drapes so the rest of us aren't pressing our noses against their window . Just saying'.


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Power to the people ... Com Ed? Soon?

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The house is so quiet I can hear every kitty foot fall, every tick of the one clock I have that does that. Every inhale every exhale is making the house FREAKING HOTTER!!! Ahem. I am uncomfortable.


Grew up in a house with no air conditioning, rolling back and forth during the night to find the cool spot on the sheets. Sometimes I would get lucky and get one of those big box fans in the doorway of my room, a warm breeze to at least dry some of tHe sweat. Ah, the good ol' days.


The cats know something is wrong but they can't seem to be able to figure it out. It's hot in here y'all. Can't wait for power.


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Maxine Monday

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.. about those collections ..

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... there is nothing I own (that I can think of) that I expect my kids to keep after I am gone.  I was reading someones post about cleaning out 3 generations of "stuff" from a relatives house, and how you should think about the people left behind when you collect things, store things, save things for a special day.


So I have some collections.  Vintage glassware and some other things.  None of those things need to be kept - hear me kids?  I would hope there would be a big garage sale where it would be sold to people who would be thrilled to get a deal or excited to add something to their own collection.  Okay, or might be happy to find stuff to turn around and sell on eBay.  And in the end - if the stuff doesn't sell - stick it all in a box and drop it off at the local thrift store.  


It's only stuff.  I do not want to cause anyone more work than is necessary, no rending of garments or anything, but these things make me happy right now.  So if my kids have to clear it out I can only make one promise - I won't leave so much that it's like cleaning out a hoarder's house.  No, really.  I promise.  There will be floor space to walk on and nothing stacked to the ceiling.


As far as I am concerned, I won't be going anywhere for a long time so no one will have to worry about anything - anytime soon.  But with my Mom's passing she left some things, like artwork she created that none of us quite knows what to do with.  And there is guilt involved in finding a new home for it.  I mean - Mom, your paintings are quite good but I just don't have a place in my house for native American art.  Sigh-h-h-h.


So I will try to only leave things my kids will think are crap and won't have any guilt about getting rid of.  Or something.  Just sayin'.  Isn't is nice how I think of them?


Besides, the real hoard will be quite easy for them to dispose of because it's all on my computer.  The real hoard is images.  Thousands and thousands of images ... for the same reason many hoarders give for collecting all the stuff they do - I might need them someday.  Huh?  I know, right?

Never said I was normal.


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Maxine Happy 4th of July Monday!!

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