Life is back to as close to normal as it gets around here. We got our power back after about 25 hours without it, and I immediately washed the bathroom and did the dishes. Since we have a well, we don't have water when we have no power, so it was a bathtub of water and manual flushes for us. And the "man" should be taken out of manual because neither one of them could grasp the concept of 'half a bucket held waist high and pour into the bowl'. I would hear water pouring and then "huh" and more water.
Shoeshine is back in CO and we are missing his help today while finishing the cleanup. We were smart enough to get the heavy stuff done while he was here though.
We did our grocery shopping early while we waited for the dew to dry, and saw a few amusing signs along the way. One homemade one advertised "kiddling" wood for sale- that's just embarrassing. Then there was the "glow in the dark mini golf", which at first glance seemed like a fun idea. But, mini golf usually involves kids- kids with golf clubs- kids with golf clubs in the dark? Hmm.
The one I liked best was posted outside a hall: GRANGE SUPPA.
Ayuh, this is Maine.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
We have the power!
Well, Hurricane Irene is now dying over New England, but keeps having last gasps. Some very strong gasps at that.
We prepared by picking up the yard and getting gas for the cars and the generator, making sure the rechargeable batteries were charged, and setting our solar/windup lights out in the sun on Saturday. The wind coming from the southeast meant that our porch was on the protected side of the house and we spent a lot of time out there watching the trees bend and sway. I was very happy to have the satellite dish work for most of the time, and we didn't lose power until 2:30.
All three of us happened to be in the living room when that happened, and we sat staring at the black screen, willing the TV back on. I complained that I wouldn't be able to read my book if we didn't get the power back within a couple of hours.
J said proudly, " No, we have lights, and candles, and a generator...... hey, we have a generator!"
It only took us about 10 minutes to remember that.
We prepared by picking up the yard and getting gas for the cars and the generator, making sure the rechargeable batteries were charged, and setting our solar/windup lights out in the sun on Saturday. The wind coming from the southeast meant that our porch was on the protected side of the house and we spent a lot of time out there watching the trees bend and sway. I was very happy to have the satellite dish work for most of the time, and we didn't lose power until 2:30.
All three of us happened to be in the living room when that happened, and we sat staring at the black screen, willing the TV back on. I complained that I wouldn't be able to read my book if we didn't get the power back within a couple of hours.
J said proudly, " No, we have lights, and candles, and a generator...... hey, we have a generator!"
It only took us about 10 minutes to remember that.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sweating by the Oldie
Last week I was scheduled to work 5 days, this week none! That works out very nicely since Shoeshine is coming to Maine for a friend's wedding and will be visiting for a few days. So instead of walking several miles and sweating profusely in a warehouse each day, I can choose my chores and sit down at my computer when I get too hot. And have time to visit with Shoeshine.
Much better. Less money, but still better.
One hot afternoon after we both got home from work, we moved some blocks from inside the dog yard to a garden that I have been revamping. I think it turned out pretty well- just enough for the part I wanted to wall off.
Much better. Less money, but still better.
One hot afternoon after we both got home from work, we moved some blocks from inside the dog yard to a garden that I have been revamping. I think it turned out pretty well- just enough for the part I wanted to wall off.
If you look at the right side you can see used-to-be-lovely white phlox lying on the ground. I uncharacteristically planted it right after purchasing, so we of course got a severe thunderstorm and three of the four stems snapped off. It really did look good.
I've been up for a couple of hours since I didn't sleep well, and I just ran barefoot out back to take that picture. The dew was heavy and cold, and my feet are covered with grass, since I mowed the lawn yesterday and it looks like we should be baling the results.
Ameranth has gotten to Colorado and is visiting Shoeshine in Boulder. She had a nice writeup in a local Nebraska paper last week. Now she is trying to decide how to get over the Rockies. I am pushing for getting a ride, but I fear she is thinking that would be wimping out. Bah-it's all an adventure and why not be safe about it? Silly independent children people!
J is up now- he has the day off so we will be hitting the dump and getting some more projects done today, maybe tackling the bulkhead walls that we need to rebuild before installing a door.
Last night I walked into the kitchen to see J staring at a frozen pizza on the stove and saying "I'll eat it, but this looks far beneath the quality I am used to."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Winter is coming
I've just finished reading A Dance with Dragons and I'm not happy. George R R Martin, I read each book as they were released, waiting 6 years for this last one, and I have this to say to you: A) Stop killing off the good guys- you're running out of them and B) Not everyone who appears to be killed in this book, better really be dead! (See A)
Back to reality, as my job coach said to me this morning when I went back to work after a lovely week and a half off. Not only is "winter is coming" the motto of the tragic and noble Stark family in the above mentioned book, it is the unofficial motto of Maine. It was dark all the way into work this morning. No lovely start of sunrise at 5 AM and the lightening of the sky that I have been used to. Sad face.
But we are prepared for the inevitable. We have our new oil tank, our new furnace and as of Saturday, we will have our new liner in our chimney. Oh yes, and a new bulkhead door for the cellar. We also have a new empty bank account.
Back to reality, as my job coach said to me this morning when I went back to work after a lovely week and a half off. Not only is "winter is coming" the motto of the tragic and noble Stark family in the above mentioned book, it is the unofficial motto of Maine. It was dark all the way into work this morning. No lovely start of sunrise at 5 AM and the lightening of the sky that I have been used to. Sad face.
But we are prepared for the inevitable. We have our new oil tank, our new furnace and as of Saturday, we will have our new liner in our chimney. Oh yes, and a new bulkhead door for the cellar. We also have a new empty bank account.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
My preciousssss
Sleep.
I love sleep. Always have. Laying (lying?) down and relaxing on crisp cotton sheets in hot weather, or cuddling under flannel and a warm comforter in winter, what a great feeling.That lovely feeling of stretching out and relaxing. Mmmmm.
Then I had kids. Although they were all pretty accommodating and slept through the night by 6 weeks old, it still meant I had to get up early but that was okay, I just went to sleep earlier. No problemo.
Until I went back to work and ended up on second shift, finishing up anywhere from 11pm to 1:30 am. And had to get 4 kids up and out for the bus before 7. My firmly held belief that once I was up, I was up for good crumbled and vanished. I learned to wake children, make lunches, find homework and watch for the bus without being fully awake and falling back to sleep as soon as they were out the door. By the time just the younger two were left in high school, I was taking a prescription for fibromyalgia that helped me sleep without waking every hour or so, and I told them that they had to get themselves up and out- which they did, thank-you-very-much.
J and I worked out differences in waking methods- he liked using the radio as an alarm, and snoozing for 10 minutes. I hated the country music waking me after 2 hours of sleep. He learned to use the buzzer instead and I used my pillow to block the light. It killed him when I would sleep until 10 on his days off- it killed me when he 'tiptoed' in to get a shirt and accidentally woke me up at 8.
I recently changed meds to one that gives me a lot more energy during the day and coincidentally gives me insomnia, just at the same time that I started work again. Having to go to sleep when it's light out doesn't help. The good news is that J and I are both getting up at the same time on the days I work. The bad news is we go to bed at the same time.
J is hot. I mean, literally. It's like being in bed with a radiant heater. I'm pretty much over hot flashes, but if I get too close, I can feel my temperature rising. He takes this personally, and I don't like to hurt his feelings, but pretty soon I have to start flapping sheets and hanging my feet out the side of the bed. And that's scary- you don't have your foot out there unprotected at night- everyone knows that.
The end result is that I crave my precious sleep, nine hours is perfect, but I can make do with eight. But what's even better is when I wake up myself, no help from anyone or anything, no dreams being rudely interrupted. No kids, no dog, no man, no phone, just let me wake up on my own. We got back yesterday from a trip to RI, and I reminded J to let me sleep this morning- he agreed.
I woke up first and turning over, popped the poor man right in the nose!
Sorry, honey, you must have been too close.
I love sleep. Always have. Laying (lying?) down and relaxing on crisp cotton sheets in hot weather, or cuddling under flannel and a warm comforter in winter, what a great feeling.That lovely feeling of stretching out and relaxing. Mmmmm.
Then I had kids. Although they were all pretty accommodating and slept through the night by 6 weeks old, it still meant I had to get up early but that was okay, I just went to sleep earlier. No problemo.
Until I went back to work and ended up on second shift, finishing up anywhere from 11pm to 1:30 am. And had to get 4 kids up and out for the bus before 7. My firmly held belief that once I was up, I was up for good crumbled and vanished. I learned to wake children, make lunches, find homework and watch for the bus without being fully awake and falling back to sleep as soon as they were out the door. By the time just the younger two were left in high school, I was taking a prescription for fibromyalgia that helped me sleep without waking every hour or so, and I told them that they had to get themselves up and out- which they did, thank-you-very-much.
J and I worked out differences in waking methods- he liked using the radio as an alarm, and snoozing for 10 minutes. I hated the country music waking me after 2 hours of sleep. He learned to use the buzzer instead and I used my pillow to block the light. It killed him when I would sleep until 10 on his days off- it killed me when he 'tiptoed' in to get a shirt and accidentally woke me up at 8.
I recently changed meds to one that gives me a lot more energy during the day and coincidentally gives me insomnia, just at the same time that I started work again. Having to go to sleep when it's light out doesn't help. The good news is that J and I are both getting up at the same time on the days I work. The bad news is we go to bed at the same time.
J is hot. I mean, literally. It's like being in bed with a radiant heater. I'm pretty much over hot flashes, but if I get too close, I can feel my temperature rising. He takes this personally, and I don't like to hurt his feelings, but pretty soon I have to start flapping sheets and hanging my feet out the side of the bed. And that's scary- you don't have your foot out there unprotected at night- everyone knows that.
The end result is that I crave my precious sleep, nine hours is perfect, but I can make do with eight. But what's even better is when I wake up myself, no help from anyone or anything, no dreams being rudely interrupted. No kids, no dog, no man, no phone, just let me wake up on my own. We got back yesterday from a trip to RI, and I reminded J to let me sleep this morning- he agreed.
I woke up first and turning over, popped the poor man right in the nose!
Sorry, honey, you must have been too close.
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