So many new things to learn - want to or not.

And the days keep going by – been keeping busy cleaning the Alfa, cooking, knitting [have three of the five panels done] and going into town and to the doctor.

Bill’s allergies just aren’t responding to the allergy shots. He’s good for a couple of days then they are back in force. So doctor changed the shots – this last time he got three – fast and slow acting. That was a couple of days ago. He was fine until yesterday evening – then again runny nose, eyes and sneezing. Seems a little better this morning but is still snuffing and sneezing and rubbing his eyes. Was it because he spent a lot of time outside yesterday? Spent some time in the Alfa when I was stirring up dust? Or is it the Air Wick air fresheners I’d put in the house? I took all but one freshener out and that one was upstairs and he spent a lot of time last evening upstairs working on the computer. So this morning took that one out too.

Speaking of the Alfa – all I have left to clean is the window and blinds above the sink and to oil all the wood then it is done. Well except for putting all the curtains back up. We'll wait until some minor repairs are done inside to put them back up.

Oh yah. I found my glasses – they were on the headboard shelf of the bed. I NEVER put them there – well I never did before! Took me half the day to find them.

We got a summary of the bill from going to the doctor in Arizona from our insurance company. I was looking it over and saw “2% sequestration reduction” it was 84 cents! What the heck? So I looked it up: “Those cuts won't be evident right away. The reductions in Medicare doctor rates will begin with services provided on or after April 1 even though the sequestration order is issued on March 1, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The cut is capped at 2% for payments made for services provided by physicians and hospitals, as well as monthly payments to Medicare private insurers and Part D prescription drug plans.”  He went to the doctor April 12^th. Learn something new every day.

Also learned about lumens when buying replacement lights for our ceiling fan. Whole new language.  In case your curious – I still don’t understand it.

Lightbulb Watt-to-Lumen Conversion Guide
“We all know how much light a 60-watt bulb will produce. But the brightness of new CFL and LED lightbulbs are measured in lumens, not watts, so here's a chart to help you do the conversion.

How Much Light Do I Need?
Incandescent Bulbs WATTS	Minimum Light Output LUMENS
40	450
60	800
75	>1,100
100	1,600
150	2,600

More info: Lightbulb brightness in general is measured in lumens (not watts). Light bulb manufacturers include this information and the equivalent wattage right on the packaging. Common terms are "soft white 60," "warm light 60," and "60 watt replacement."
It is so nice to have a government that wants to take care of us in everything we do. NOT – I hate the new light bulbs – they are ugly.

In the last few days I’ve baked a from scratch banana bread, two layer cakes, roasted a chicken [delicious] and fixed an oven roast with potatoes and carrots. So I’ve satisfied my cooking fix for a while. Tuna sandwiches for dinner tonight.

Going to watch the Champions League championship game this afternoon and then the Nationwide Race – Kyle has the pole. And tomorrow the Indy 500 and the Cup race. So won’t be getting a lot of anything else done.

At least here the weather is perfect. Low humidity, high 70s and no rain until Tuesday. 

One of those days -

Ever wake up in the morning and just know it is going to be “one of those” days?

My first thoughts on waking up were of what I’d been dreaming about – false teeth made from soft pink rubbery plastic. And finally selling one of the trucks but being paid in goats and pigs. And just as I got up Bill came back to bed – he’d been up for a couple of hours. His reason for going back to bed…it’s too cold out there. Um – turn up the heater.

Today should be the last of our cold weather – supposed to warm up to the high 70s then in the 80s tomorrow. But the warm weather brings rain – severe rain.

Went outside to check on the corn, threw some over the rail and scared a couple squirrels – did you know they can jump straight up in the air about four feet and move forward at the same time.

Here is a terrible picture – taken through a dirty window and fence of Bitchy out eating.

this is Bitchy - see her blind eye.

Spilled my coffee as I took it out of the microwave – all over the stove top and my newly scrubbed floor. Cleaned the coffee pot yesterday – it was taking an hour to make coffee and grumbling all the while. Works so much better now. Amazing how much ick can accumulate in it from the water.

Worked in the Alfa some yesterday – I’m beginning to rethink “giving it a good cleaning” before putting it back in storage. Doesn’t sound fun any more but I’ve gone so far I need to finish it. 

[all the rugs, curtains, bedding, slip covers are in the house all nice and clean waiting to be put back - can't put them back on dirty floors or window blinds.] I did get the refrigerator completely cleaned and disinfected and put back together yesterday and the bed room all done except for oiling the wood. Probably will go out there and get at it again after I post this. We’ll want to put the slide back in tonight before the storms hit again. The high winds knock all kinds of crap off the trees it’s parked under.

I can’t find my glasses this morning…can’t imagine where I left them last night. Right now I’m using a pair of computer glasses that must be 15 years old. Things look a little fuzzy around the edges.

We watched Barcelona lose the Spanish league soccer championship over the weekend and Kyle wreck his car just after the start of the All Star Race so didn’t have much hope for the Indiana Pacers playing the Heat. Boy did they surprise everyone – Very good game. Now if they can do as well today too.

More signs of spring around the house. 

Baked "real" banana bread yesterday - from scratch instead of from a box. Both Bill and our friend Tom were watching me make it. I hate an audience when I'm cooking - so of course I made a mess. Instead of creaming the shortening and sugar with a spoon I stuck the electric beater in the bowl. Boy is low speed ever fast...sugar and Crisco all over the place. Had to scoop it up and put it back in the bowl. So of course after I added the eggs Bill asked me if I wanted help - I DON'T THINK SO! Finally got it made and in the oven. Turned out good.  Tonight I'm going to try roasting a chicken - haven't done that in years. Using a recipe I got from a cooking show - Everyday Italian. Sounded good - lots of orange, lemon and garlic. Hum...unless things go better the rest of the day maybe I should wait. I need to find my glasses!

Cold sunny day

The sun is actually out today, but it is cold – got below 40 last night. At least it didn’t snow.

Went into town [Columbus] yesterday morning after Bill got his second allergy shot – last night and so far today he feels Great. Thank goodness – hope it lasts a long time. Ate breakfast and picked up our new Sam’s Club card – talk about a horrible picture half my head is cut off. Then to Wal*Mart and home. Didn’t do any work – just vegged out the rest of the day watching NASCAR and knitting. Kyle won the truck race. Led all but 4 of the laps.
Did see a couple of little squirrels eating the corn on the cob out front. So now I feel better about buying all the corn.
Today is an important soccer game – for the league championship in Spain. So we’ll watch that and tonight is the NASCAR All-Star race.
Kind of nice for a couple of days not to do anything more strenuous than climbing the stairs.

The deer are back

A cold rainy day today with temps dropping to 38 tonight with rain or maybe SNOW!? Although right now the sun is out - temperature never got above 50 today.

One of the ears of squirrel corn is gone – didn’t see who ate it but…And this morning I saw two deer out back happily munching away. One of them was “bitchy” – so named because she is always running the other deer off. How do I know it is her? She’s been coming around for several years – she has one blind eye so she is easy to recognize.
I was going to paint the trim in Bill's bathroom this morning [the trim I was supposed to paint last year] but managed to talk myself out of it – just too damp today. So I ended up scrubbing the kitchen floor and the cabinets. Now I wish I’d painted – cleaning is just way to much exercise.
The banana bread I made yesterday turned out okay but the kind I make from scratch is better – but the box is so much easier. But none of it compares to the bread we buy when in San Blas Mexico – it is the Best.

Going to watch the Pacers game on TV later – hope they play better than the other night. While they are playing I'll put my feet up and knit.