March 30, 2018

I had my toes done with THE most unlikely companion...

Spring is definitely here (I know I'm jinxing this as I type) in North Carolina.  Sandal Season is upon us and I needed a pedicure in the worst way.  My usual companion in this particular endeavor was not available due to having company.

I WILL have my toes done by myself but I prefer to have a companion.  Particularly, if that company is more outgoing than me and will carry the majority of the chit-chat that seems to accompany such an endeavor.

After I had determined that I would be going no matter what; I texted The Husband...

I'm as shocked as you are.

The fact that he'd even consider it amazed me.  I know he has been complaining about having a difficulty in trimming his nails lately - but I didn't realize it had become such an issue that he'd contemplate actually going to a salon to get them done.

I will say, I DID have to do some fast talking to actually get him to go.  He swore that if they turned him away that he would never speak to me again.  I assured him they would not turn him away.

His trepidation was palpable when we walked in; but the receptionist was kind and greeted us warmly.  As I knew they would.  I was directed to pick out my polish and The Husband blindly followed, I informed him that he could skip this step - unless he wanted it, the receptionist joked.

I had wrongly assumed that the middle of the afternoon on a Friday before a holiday that the salon would be slow.  It seems everyone and God had the afternoon off and had descended upon this particular salon.

I picked out my polish and we waited.  I could sense his nervousness ratcheting up as the wait continued.  Eventually, we were asked to take our seats.

And then we sat. And sat. And sat.  And then, sat some more.  The Husband was coming unglued at this point.  He was ready to just walk out.  I talked Mr. Impatient (yes, that IS his actual nickname around here) into waiting just a bit longer.

Eventually, the two technicians showed up and prepared to do our feet.  Mine started about ten minutes before his - which irked him even more.  What he didn't understand, this worked out for the best because I had polish that needed to dry.  When his technician showed up, he told her "I just want my nails cut, nothing fancy!"  Because he was DONE with this salon business.  She, of course, ignored him.  She also told him, that he would have to wait on me anyway so why not get the whole kit and kaboodle?  Basically, she held him hostage; bless her.

As I went off to dry, he sat back and enjoyed the full benefits of a pedicure.  After it was all said and done and we were walking to the car I asked him what he thought.  He was extremely displeased with the wait - but then again, I AM married to Mr. Impatient; but he enjoyed it once it started.  I also noted that he took a picture - I, of course, was forbidden from taking pictures because he "didn't want this plastered ALL OVER the internet" - which he sent to his daughter - who might well plaster this all over the internet before it's all said and done.  He was really pleased with the results.  He also stated that he would do it again IF, and only IF, we had an appointment so we didn't have to wait.

I have a feeling that the next time I need a pedicure and a buddy to accompany me, he will fill the bill...as long as I pay and he doesn't have to see the receipt.  Because his thoughts on spending $25 dollars to get your toes done...is unprintable.  But as I told him, spending time with your wife doing something enjoyable/beneficial for the both of you is priceless.

He's not quite as on board with that idea as I'd like...but he's getting there.





March 29, 2018

It's the little things - this applies to life and, apparently, blogging.

Am I finally remembering what got this blog started in the first place...those quirky, little things?

I was on the cusp of five whole days off...I know!  Since the Christmas vacation (here is where I'd usually post a link.  Apparently, I'm SO off my game I didn't even mention it this year.  For those not in the know, I generally hoard the majority of my vacation until Christmas) I haven't taken one day.  Even for me this unprecedented.

But this year I had decided to supplement the Good Friday and Easter Monday that my company so generously offers up as holidays with two days of vacation thus equaling a full week of paid time off.

Only to discover that this coincided with "Check the Lights" morning/night (depending on the time of year).

Normal people are now wondering what the hell Check the Lights is...this is the morning or night that The Husband has to drive around the various branches that he is responsible for to make sure all the lights are working properly.

A thoroughly tedious task, I am sure.

This affects me how?

Generally, this entire household is up before the crack of dawn.  Although, I must say that Man-Child is new to this routine...and, it appears, the one who has to be up and out before the rest of us of late.  Which is novel.  And I appreciate that more than you can imagine...this for the child that had to be grabbed by the ankle and pulled out of bed every morning before school...yes, I truly do appreciate it.

...back to the story; on Check the Lights morning the alarm clock needs to go off extra early...usually this isn't too much of an inconvenience as I'm getting up anyway.  But this morning I had the ability to sleep in!  (Could I make it to 8:00 am?!  Highly doubtful)  So I decided to set the alarm on The Husband's phone and shut off the other alarms.

This alarmed (ha!) The Husband as he wasn't quite sure that he could figure out how to turn it off.  Yes, we are slowly pulling him into this century.

This plan worked to my advantage better than I could have expected.  His alarm went off - as it wasn't a noise I was expecting to hear - and he was able to turn it off quickly; it meant that I was able to sleep in until 7:00 am!  I was over the moon - this was a historic turn of events - I fully expected to be awake by 5:00 am.

When he came home, I asked him if he wanted me to re-set his alarm (I'd only programmed it for the one day since I was thinking yesterday was Thursday - as usual, I was off by a day) and he proudly told me that he'd already set it.  When I gave him "the look" (i.e., Are You Sure?) he said he'd Googled it and then handed me the phone to double check.  He did it correctly.

Now, I'm looking forward to sleeping in again tomorrow...I hope.

March 26, 2018

A rambling post...we haven't one of these in a while

There is much I want to share and I could probably make each thing its very own post - but we are talking about me here so that would probably never happen and that's why you are getting a post in "bits."

***

I think I have FINALLY found a cure for the hiccups!  Of course, I am totally jinxing myself here as this particular cure has only been utilized once.  But try it for yourself and tell me the results.

A huge, heaping tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter - the crunch part being crucial; because I've tried this with creamy without the same results.  But when using the crunchy I experienced IMMEDIATE results.

As we all know, I DESPISE the hiccups - so this was a huge relief to be able to get rid of them within moments of them starting.

***

Earrings.  Hands up...who knew that not all earring posts were not created equal?

Not me.

So I asked for sterling silver hoops for Christmas because my go to, every day hoops were showing their age (much like I am of late).  I asked for them because I know myself...if I were to shop for them myself I would look for the EXACT REPLICA of what I already had.  And given how old those earrings were I'd still be looking...because they don't exist today.

The Husband produced the perfect pair for Christmas morning (yes, I AM pulling material from nearly four months ago!).  Which is when I discovered the discrepancy in earring posts.  And that is when I had to re-pierce my ears in order to actually wear the new earrings.

And here's the moral to that bit of randomness...change up your earrings every once in a while...because those posts?  There isn't an industry standard.

***

Shall we talk about driving etiquette?  Friday, as I was behind a giant - and slow moving garbage truck - the person behind me determined that somehow his tailgating me could make everything move at a quicker pace.  Considering we were on neighborhood roads, with no passing, this wasn't possible.  As soon as we turned onto a two lane boulevard this person sped ahead of us all.  Fine...be on your way and leave the rest of us alone.

The irony?  About ten miles up the road?  I found myself immediately behind him at a red light.  His impatience and anxiety was for naught...we both arrived at our destination at the same time (apparently, Mr. Impatient works in the same building as I do).

And speaking of driving etiquette...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD what is it going to take to make people use their turn signals? It is one of my biggest pet peeves.

***

Man-Child.

Yes, it's been a while since there has been an update on this front.  As some of you so astutely noticed in my last post yes...he has found a job.

He is currently working as a PE teacher for an elementary school about an hour from here.  Some days he seems to love it; other days not so much.

Apparently, these poor kids have been rotating through substitutes like nobody's business.  This means that MC's charges are used to no discipline (according to him).

This is not his dream job and I expect he will be keeping his eyes open for a job that will allow him to coach within the next year or so.

***

The Husband just complained about why manufacturers put that thin, metal piece over the opening of various tubes.  This was my time to shine.

I took the tube and lid from him and using the lid pierced the thin, metal piece.  He was AMAZED and asked how I knew to do that - for the life of me I can't remember how I learned that but I'm sure it's because I was reading the directions...something he rarely does.

I asked him how he had been opening these tubes all these years and he said, "With a knife."  Well...that totally explains all of the many cuts to his hands over the years.

'***

I found a new bra that I *could* love - if it fit properly.  Amy, from A My Name Is Amy recommended the Spanx Bra-llelujah bra which I found in a local store on sale and while it IS more comfortable than any other bra I have tried, it rides up a bit.  And given that this bra does not have an adjustable back hooks or straps that is hard to overlook for me.  I finally gave in and ordered (at full price) a smaller band size with larger cups.  While that one fits pretty well it's a tad constricting...which leads me to believe that I am an in-between size.  So I am considering a different style of Spanx which lets me adjust as needed, I'll report back.

In the meantime, I can't wait for the one in the smaller band size to stretch out just a bit, as most bras do; then I think I will have found THE perfect bra.

I did hear great things about Walcoal - but I tried on a few yesterday and did not find them comfortable AT ALL.  So what about you?  In your opinion what is the most comfortable bra - because now I am on a mission here...

March 14, 2018

In today's news of random, semi-creepy coincidences...

So this morning - this very, very COLD morning (where are you Spring?) - my Keurig decided that it was out of the coffee making business.

I tried all my usual tricks to get that sucker up and running but it was having none of it.  In a snit, I headed off to get ready for the day.  The Husband, knowing how much I need my coffee in the morning because he loves me so VERY much continued to futz about with the machine until he was able to produce one glorious cup of coffee for me.

I have since googled it and have added a few new tricks to my bag to extend the life of that ONE YEAR old coffee maker.  I also discovered that there are commercial kits out there so that you don't have to go through any nonsense to keep your Keurig running like new - information that would, you know, be USEFUL to include in the Keurig User Manual (just saying Keurig...)

How many times can I say Keurig in one paragraph?

At any rate, while I was enjoying that one cup of coffee that required The Husband to move mountains to produce, I noticed a new email notification letting me know that there was a new comment on one of my posts.  As you can imagine, if you blog, it made me smile...comments always make me smile.  Until I opened it.  Then I had to laugh out loud.  And then, I got a creepy little shiver.

(I re-typed it in order to make sure the links were removed).

Pawan Sharma has left a new comment on your post "HAPPY NEW YEAR! And, apparently, I work with disg...":

This is a better than average read for me, That You Must concede are outstanding amongst other bloggers I saw.  A debt of gratitude is in order for posting this useful article.

Visit us today for coffee machine repair service.

Aside from the over the top flattery designed to make me dearly want to click the link, what made me shiver?  The fact that the spam link said COFFEE MACHINE REPAIR.  

What?  Is my Keurig now announcing to the whole internet that it is tired of my eternal coffee making demands, thus opening the door to this kind of spam?  

March 12, 2018

It takes a village...and they actually like it, even if they pretend they don't

As some of you may have heard - we had snow today.  More snow than was expected.  Yes, those of you that live in the Great White North may laugh - but down here more than an inch or so IS a big deal.

Needless to say, Man-Child's school closed...after he'd already driven all the way in - of course.  And I found myself headed home around 11:00 am - what can I say?  I'm from Texas; I don't "do" snow and ice.

This evening as Man-Child was getting ready to eat dinner he received a text informing him that his school was on a two hour delay tomorrow.  I personally think they will eventually call it - because we are currently under a black ice advisory tomorrow.  About two minutes after Man-Child announced the delay a co-worker/friend sent me the following:



And this is what comes from working with people for years upon years - we find ourselves on the lookout for our co-worker/friend's kids - because they are near and dear to our hearts as we've all watched our children grow up.  And yes, there is nothing wrong with having more eyes and ears looking out for our nearest and dearest. 

March 6, 2018

Not to be a whiner BUT...A complaint or two...

Without going into a lot of detail, a new person has been hired.  The problem?  This person should have more than a basic level of working knowledge of Word - but less than an intermediate level of working knowledge.

It has become quite apparent that this person has the very basic level of working knowledge of Word.  And also does not seem to be very confident or sure of the knowledge a person in this position should have.

Why this irritates me.  This person has a degree and should have all the aforementioned knowledge but because of the degree this person was not subject to a proficiency test prior to hiring.  Because this person was exempt from such a test we are now stuck with them.  At least until their incompetence becomes clear to management or until they decide they are too overwhelmed and quit - both scenarios are unlikely due to many different factors.

Another reason this irritates?  Because if I were this incompetent I would have been gone years ago.

My second nit...

Yet another car of ours has been recalled due to defective airbags.

WHY?!  But that isn't the kernel of the problem.  Today I called the local dealership to make an appointment to have this issue resolved.  I wanted to schedule an appointment for Saturday because the car in question is Man-Child's...who is currently working two counties away; which equates to about an hour from the house.

I was informed that "they don't do those types of repairs on Saturday."  Because "Saturday's are our busiest days...and those repairs take at least 120 minutes" (and why are they giving me the time in minutes?  To make me feel better about being without a car for two hours?).

Again, Man-Child works an hour away.  And he's a teacher.  AND he's a new teacher that has been on the job for only a few weeks.  So he can't, as they so helpfully suggested, "adjust" his work schedule.

So basically this car company has installed defective equipment and the affiliated dealership doesn't want to accommodate those that have been affected.  Oh sure, they'll fix it...but on their terms.

Seriously?

March 4, 2018

All because I needed to dust that ceiling fan today...

The ceiling fan in the living room is on a semi-vaulted part of the ceiling - so I asked The Husband, since he was in chore-doing kind of mood this afternoon, if he would bring in the ladder so I could dust that fan.

He obliged and even held the ladder as I climbed up with an old pillowcase to capture all that dust.  Everything went like clockwork until one particularly large dust bunny escaped from the pillowcase and drifted into the glass covering the light kit.

As I gingerly reached into the glass to toss that offending dust bunny back into the pillowcase the entire light kit and glass covering fell into my hand.  I panicked for a minute - I had no idea what to do.  The Husband certainly couldn't climb the ladder with me on it - but I couldn't let go of the whole, tangled mess without it crashing onto the floor.

Once my brain unlocked itself, I realized I could unscrew the glass covering and hand it down and the actual light kit part could dangle freely until The Husband could put this unholy mess back together.

Until we got to the "put this unholy mess back together" part.

For whatever reason, we could not get that thing back together again - and the more I looked at the whole contraption the more convinced I became that the previous owner (it should be noted that I am still angry with those people over the whole blackberry bush fiasco) had done some kind of rigging on this fan - because nothing about putting this back together was normal.  And they probably did it in order to put in the stupid light bulbs that s-l-o-w-l-y brighten that are EVERYWHERE in this house; the same ones I have been replacing left and right because I hate them with a passion (because when I want light, I want it NOW not five minutes from now!)almost, but not as much as I hate that damn blackberry bush; but it's close...so very close.

Eventually, it became clear that a run to Home Depot was in order *sigh*.  I was in the middle of making two pound cakes; so that was my first priority.  I waited for the cakes to finish baking, made the glaze; glazed them and then headed back into town - for the THIRD time today.  Much to my consternation, The Husband declined to come with me.  He felt that I understood the dilemma well enough.  I also thought I had a thorough understanding of the dilemma...

Upon arriving at Home Depot I located an employee that could help me.  I explained the dilemma, as I understood it.  He grasped my problem immediately and told me that I didn't need a new light kit.  He said all I needed was a longer "neck" and some washers.  He explained the procedure and sent me on my way with all the knowledge and equipment that I would need to fix the problem.

When I got home and imparted all the knowledge the Home Depot man had shared - it became quite apparent that I did NOT have a complete grasp on the initial issue - because not one of the items I purchased was able to fix the problem. *sigh*  And THAT was why I had wanted The Husband to come with me - what the hell do I know about ceiling fans?!

I may have uttered one or more expletives while exclaiming that I would NOT be making another run into town today.

And this is why three hours after I began the very simple task of dusting the fan - that stupid light kit is currently hanging on by a wing and a prayer - and possibly some electrical tape.  And I might also be searching for an entire new fan and light kit - because this one needs to be set on fire...now.