Tuesday is NOT Slug Day

As usual, I took Monday "off" from doing housework, so today I need to get busy. It's all about cleaning the upstairs today. Here's my To Do List:

• Vac upstairs, all rooms - done
• Dust upstairs - master bedrm, guest rm, hallway - done
• Wash bathroom area rugs - done
• Clean bathrooms thoroughly - done
• Empty all trash - done
• Wash bathroom floors - done
• Cob web check all rooms - done
• Vac heat returns - done
• Straighten linen closet - done
• Get some lavender from garden and put in linen closet
• Vac stairs, wipe down side molding - done
• Polish bannisters - done

That ought to keep me busy.

Dinner tonight is steak fajitas (leftover marinated steak from last night's dinner with lots of onions, green peppers, tomatoes from the garden served on steamed burrito wraps) and corn on the cob. I think next year I'm going to try growing corn in my veg garden. This is "corn country" and there's no reason it shouldn't do well -- and it will certainly taste better than the corn purchased at the grocery store that's probably a week old by the time I buy it!

Although our weather forecast continues in the 90's, this morning is UNbelievably cool and crisp! I have turned off the AC and opened up some windows and the door to take advantage of getting fresh air into the house. Even if I can just get an hour or so of cooler air, it's nice to be able to air things out after a long hot summer of AC!

Helpful Household Hint

Last year we had a new glass slider patio door installed, and the gentleman who installed it gave me this helpful hint. To keep the door sliding smoothly and to keep the frame clean, use spray furniture polish! Just spray the furniture polish in the grooves and wipe off (and use a toothbrush in the corners and grooves where the rag won't clean). It keeps our screen and glass doors sliding smoothly!

There's a raccoon in my garden, no, wait...

Jeff and I decided last night we were going to get up and view the meteor showers at 2am. HA! For some reason we stayed up until almost midnight, but didn't stay up for another two hours for the meteors. Instead, we set the alarm clock for 2am. I had difficulty falling asleep and remember seeing the clock at 1:55am -- and the next thing I knew the alarm was going off! I was not in the mood to get up, so instead gave Jeff a nudge and made him make the decision -- he promptly hit the snooze alarm and we both went right back to sleep. 10 minutes later, the alarm went off again -- and he got up, glanced out the window, didn't see any meteors (LOL!) and announced it was too cloudy to see meteors. Whether or not that's true I'll never know, because that's all it took to get me back to sleep! Up at the usual 6am, so that's four hours sleep. Luckily, it's Monday, which is my OFFICIAL "Slug Day" so I didn't have much on my To Do List today. Mary came over at lunch time and we had a nice talk -- I always enjoy having some alone time with her :) She's got so much of her life on track that she's still my miracle daughter and I'm so proud of her. Today I surprised her by asking her if she wants my SUV. She can either get it repaired for SIL to drive, or she can sell it and keep half the profit. Of course, she jumped at the chance and said yes, she wanted it. Good. Once less thing to worry about -- how to get rid of my old car. And YES YES YES the check for the new car came in today. Jeff will deposit it for me tomorrow, and I'll be off car shopping on Thursday with full intentions of bringing home a new car THAT day. FINALLY! I wish I could go on Wednesday, but I have Brayden that day, and can't imagine trying to juggle a car seat in all the cars I want to test drive, so it will have to wait until Thursday. Hmmm... Maybe I can go Tuesday evening. Hadn't thought of that. I looked out my kitchen window this morning and saw a raccoon acting kind of crazy on the other side of my vegetable garden. At first I thought he was digging in the ground, but then he started turning around in circles and just being really weird. I couldn't see too well as it was all the way across our yard and between our veg garden and the neighbor's. I went out to the side yard to get a better look (without getting too close, since we had one rabid raccoon in our neighborhood and this one was acting strange enough to be a second), and found the neighbor had a cage out and the raccoon was in the cage. The neighbor has a GORGEOUS vegetable garden (puts mine to shame) and I can't blame him for not wanting a raccoon in there. BUT the poor thing was out there in the cage for hours and hours in the 95+ degree heat! I finally went out and turned the sprinkler on in my garden, because I knew the water would hit the area where the cage was and give the poor guy a drink. Seemed to work because he calmed down quite a bit after that. Around 1pm the cage and raccoon were gone, so I assume he's on his way to a nice wooded area far far from here. Jeff has gone off to a work get-together tonight. Spouses were invited but I opted out for this one. I've gone to all the others and very few of the spouses have attended more than one or two, so I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to sit this one out. Besides, even if it's on the river (Ohio River) it's just too darn hot and humid to sit outside all afternoon.

Sunday - Not much of a day of rest!

 

I was hoping I'd be out car shopping today, but unfortunately, the stock check hasn't arrived yet. Ah well... a few more days without my own car won't kill me. Hopefully it will come in tomorrow and I can get out Monday and Tuesday. I'd like to test drive several cars before making up my mind. I plan on looking at the Ford Fusion, the 2008 Ford Taurus, the Subaru Tribeca and Forester, and a few Toyota's. I may also test drive a Dodge and Saturn as well. I test drove the Fusion a few months ago and LOVE it, and see that the price has come down about $5000 since then. So it's well within my budget.

 

Although it's a quiet day, it's certainly not been a "day of rest" today. I woke up fairly early (7:00) and got moving. I gathered laundry and brought it down to the laundry room, emptied the upstairs trash, brought down the upstairs coffee pot (yes, we have a coffee pot in our master bedroom!), and wanted to clean both coffee pots. Unfortunately, I was out of white vinegar, so decided to get in a run to WallyWorld, which I needed to do to buy the off-white thread I needed to work on the 90th birthday quilt anyway. Who would think I'd be out of off-white thread?!? So off I went to Wally-World, and also picked up a low (6 inches) clear plastic bin to put water in for Brayden to play with. He's been out on the deck playing in water in a tiny 8 x 8 tupperware container (!) with just a cup and a spoon, and having a ball. But then he decides he wants to "splash" and he tries to stand in it...lol.. funny to watch. We had a gorgeous pool given to us by a co-worker of Jeff's -- unfortunately, it had several holes in it and we had to throw it away (sorry June!!!). Too bad, because it was the nicest kid's pool I've ever seen -- with a little "hot tub" area, slide, and all kinds of blow-up toys (we kept the toys). Another co-worker transported it from one place to another -- and I think that must be where the holes occurred, since it didn't have holes when it left the original house, and did when it got to us!

 

Since I've been home, I've cleaned both coffee pots, and done 3 loads of laundry. I have ironing to do this afternoon, which I'll do while the NASCAR race is on.

 

Our weather here is still nasty hot -- 95+ today and very humid. I'd say I'm tired of the hot weather, but to be honest, with central air in the house and air conditioned cars -- who really notices?!?  I don't get out in the garden much during this hot weather, but did get out and pick some green peppers yesterday - gorgeous peppers. They do love this hot weather.

 

This afternoon I'm headed to my quilt room now that I have the thread I need. Should be able to get the pieced and applique strips sewn together and the fabric cut to start the borders. (See my other blog http://joanoh.blogspot.com for details on the quilt I'm working on.)

 

Because we'll watch the race, this afternoon will be a lazy one. Jeff's still suffering from his cold, but I'm happy to say that I feel like I'm almost over mine. Phew. Not nearly as bad as the last bout I had a few months ago!. Jeff actually mentioned going to the doctor this week if he continues to feel so bad -- so you know he's sick if he's talking about going to the doctor!

 

 

It's a Letter Writing Kind of Day

Some days things just get you so mad you have to sit down and write a letter. Lately I've not been bashful about writing letters to my Senators and Congressmen when there's an important Bill up for vote and I want them to know how I feel. Today I wrote a letter to President Bush (see below) for a ZILLION reasons, and a letter to Nan Talese (Senior Vice President of Doubleday and the Publisher and Editorial Director of Nan A. Talese/Doubleday) for her stand against Oprah Winfrey's horrendous and uncalled for second interview with author James Frey. My letter to Ms. Talese was as follows: Dear Ms. Talese: Kudos to you for your strong stand behind the works of James Frey. I read this book long before the Oprah Show deemed it "worthy" and shot it to the bestseller list. I read it at a time when I was having serious drug-related difficulties with my 20-something daughter, and Mr. Frey was kind enough to email me several times and provide me with encouragement and hope. I will never forget how kind and caring he was. I truly admire your willingness to stand up to Oprah, in a time when so many people (particularly her viewers) see her in some God-like role. A recent newspaper article stated, "Talese was unapologetic for publishing the book... and she described Winfrey to him as "holier-than-thou" and her talk-show audience as reminiscent of a 'Roman circus.'" I could not agree with this statement more. Although I can understand why Oprah wanted to clarify whether the book was totally fact / totally fiction / somewhere inbetween, I just cannot get past the horrendous, rude, uncalled for and hurtful way she went about it. The words in the book are the same words in the book that touched her and her viewers' hearts, made them think, brought them insightfulness into the world of addiction. That did NOT change!!! For her to play God over one man's life was just the most dispicable thing I have ever witnessed on television. I have not watched an episode of the Oprah Show since. Her viewers that jumped on the anti-James bandwagon should be ashamed of themselves for not having a mind of their own. I hope there is never a day in my life when another person dictates how I feel or react to a piece of literature or any other style of art. Think about it -- wasn't that one of the ways Hitler and the Taliban came into power? -- not just by dictating what could and could not be read and disposing of works of art and literature they "deemed" inappropriate for society -- but because the population around them LET IT HAPPEN. Oprah's viewers thought James' book was the best thing since sliced bread until Oprah told them to think otherwise. Shame on them. I commend you for continuing to stand behind your decision to publish Mr. Frey's books. but even more for standing up to a woman who has WAY too much power in our world, and abuses that power in ways that historically tells us is just not good for Society as a whole. Sincerely, Within just an hour or so, I received a letter back from Ms. Talese (I'm honored!). It read: Thank you very much for writing and for your additional thoughts. There was a wonderful program on public televison--Bill Moyers--about the media and the war, and it is the same thing : people are afraid to speak the truth. With all good wishes to you, Nan I'm tired of being afraid to speak the truth. Actually -- I'm not so sure that it's being afraid -- it's more like being too complacent to get off our butts and SAY SOMETHING AND SAY IT LOUD! I'm also a firm believer in writing as many positive letters as negative. My response to my email to President Bush is as follows: On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence. We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions. Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message. Thank you again for taking the time to write. Sigh.. I wonder if he sees ANY of the emails? I definitely think we need a new President who is willing to take the blinders off and look America in the eye for a change. Ok, I won't get going on that subject again... I encourage everyone to write write write to every politician that's pissing you off OR doing a great job. I just think they need to know that we (Mr. and Mrs. Average American) are actually AWARE of what's going on...

My letter to President Bush today

Dear President Bush,

 

I voted for you. Please - I ask you nicely and with respect - could you please stop making me regret it?

 

I'm not anti-war, but I am pro-America, and I'm really wishing you were a lot more pro-America and a lot less pro-every-foreign-country-that-isn't-up-to-your-status-quo.

 

America is in trouble. BIG trouble, Mr. Bush. And I believe you are so taken up with all your war activities that you've forgotten to look out your window. Yes, terrorism scares us all and 9/11 was a wake-up call. But there are other things out here scaring us, Mr. Bush -- and you and your fellow politicians are ignoring them.

 

Young adults who think it's fun to beat people up, bully other children, do anything necessary to get their 5 minutes of fame on YouTube -- that's scarey, Mr. Bush. Our elderly getting pommelled in the face for the sake of a few dollars, not being able to afford medicine that might extend or even save their lives, not being able to go outside their homes for fear of being mugged or abused -- that's scary stuff. Our children are being kidnapped, abused, used in pornography, bullied, victimized by their own parents or neighbors -- that's what's scarey. Or our children who think they need to have a cell phone by age 8, who listen to music that's demoralizing to women, who think saying the F word is good English, who have access to guns or who are victims of drive-by shootings, whose mothers are not old enough to be mothers, whose fathers have disappeared down the street to father other women's babies, whose parents think that being a good role model means being able to brag that they don't just get Welfare, they also have their children on disability -- that scares me silly, Mr. Bush.

 

What else scares me? A Wal-mart that is running our Mom & Pop businesses out of town but who has no respect for it's employees and imports a majority of its goods from China. Fortune 500 companies that now out-source their manufacturing to foreign countries after laying off a huge percentage of their American workers. Fake drugs being manufactured in China and sold in the U.S. that contain no semblance of the original drug but often contains poisonous materials. A justice system that is overwhelmed with stupid lawsuits just filed to see who can get money from whom. Young men who think it's easier to rob from the corner store than it is to get a job. People who think it's easier to scam people on the Internet and steal identities for free money than it is to get an education and a respectable job - that's what's scarey these days, Mr. Bush.

 

Dependence on foreign companies for oil, dependence on foreign lands for our manufacturing process, soon dependence on foreign countries for our vehicles.... it's almost too scarey to think about.

 

Please, Mr. Bush, please turn around and take a look at America. We have people starving right here. We have Gangs in our inner-cities who think our police forces are a joke and do as they like regardless of rules -- the same as you're fighting over in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or wherever the fight-du-joeur is. We have people without medical insurance, children who can't read, elderly who are prisoners in their own homes -- right here, Mr. Bush.

 

Do you have any idea what your $500 BILLION dollars could have done to help your own country, Mr. Bush? How many manufacturing plants could have gone back into business to create American jobs. How many police forces could get some extra help? How many air conditioners or meals could we provide for the elderly? How many children could have gotten the medicine they need or a book to read or a toy to play with?

 

How many blankets could your $500 billion buy, Mr. Bush? How many nutritious meals? How many books for our public schools? How many bridges could it repair?

 

How many soldiers could we bring back to keep guard against terrorism HERE, Mr. Bush? How many soldiers could we use at our airports for security, at our borders to help with immigration problems, in our inner-cities to fight the war against drugs and gangs?

 

You are my President and I voted for you and I will never show you anything but respect, Mr. Bush. But please hear me -- please hear AMERICA -- WE NEED OUR PRESIDENT TO BE ON OUR SIDE. We need a President to care about what's happening in AMERICA. We need politicians to care about US and our cities and our towns and our neighborhoods.

 

We need our PRIDE back, Mr. Bush. We need our pride in our President and our government back. It's all been both given away and taken away. We don't want to bully the world, Mr. Bush. We just want a decent life for ourselves and our families, especially our children and our elderly.

 

It's time to take a step back from being Presiden to the WORLD, Mr. Bush -- and come back to being President of the United States -- your people NEED you.

 

Sincerely,