Ah Sigh…..It’s Snowing AGAIN!

This morning when I first got up the sun was peeking through the clouds…..very pretty sky with some blue, orange/red and white streaky clouds…..and snowing at the same time.  I was so hoping that the blue sky would take over but that was not to be!  It and all traces of sun are gone and now it’s snowing a lot and sticking to the ground, roads, railings, roofs, deck…..with temps hovering around zero.

With any luck this will stop soon and the sun will pop out again, like it did yesterday.  I could handle it if that happens, even all week.  I just really do not want to have to shovel my driveway anymore this year.

Caution….the picture contains a scene of violence!

some hot pokers may have been more appropriate weapons…..

 

Back into work today for a little while.  Training went good yesterday….at least for me, not sure about Chris though….she probably went home and drank a bottle of wine!!  Pretty straight forward stuff though, so I think I’ve got it but good to go in again today and do the whole process on my own just to make sure.  I will tell the girl at the other office, that does all the accounting now, to take it easy on me….

With ALL my earnings from work I’m going to buy my bike!  I’m hoping that the place, that has been suggested to me by two biking officianados, can get me set up with a used/traded in one.  I am not spending a small fortune on one…..they can go well up over a $1,000 if you’re really into it.  I was thinking more like a few hundred.  Thought I might do that today, but we’ll see.  Maybe seen it’s still snowing they’ll have a sale!!??

Brenda and I have been trying to get together for over a week.  We have a few things that we want to do, including lunch.  Both so busy….how does that happen when you’re retired for goodness sakes!

L.

Why You Should Always Do Your Dishes…..

Because someone could call you at 9AM and say they’re in your neighbourhood and thought they’d drop by!!

I usually always do my dishes after dinner…..sometimes not right after dinner but definitely before I go to bed…..Saturday I didn’t do that!!  I was tired and there was only a casserole dish (which needed soaking anyway….really it did!), a couple of plates and some cutlery.  No big deal…I’d do them in the morning while waiting for the coffee.   I slept in a bit yesterday morning too.  I was enjoying my coffee and a couple of games of solitaire when I got the phone call…….scramble, scramble, scramble!

How on earth do people get up, get out the door AND have had their breakfast by 9?  When I worked of course that was the daily routine, but not now.   In half an hour I managed to get dressed, do those damn dishes, make the bed, wipe down the bathroom counter and sink and make another pot of coffee.  Maybe I need a phone call like that everyday!

It was a nice visit….my BIL and SIL were babysitting their granddaughter and we’re up and about early so thought they’d go have breakfast and still had a couple of hours to kill before meeting my nephew for the drop-off.

I can’t say I did too much for the rest of the day.  Got dinner ready early so we could just finish it when we were ready to eat…..it was Oscar day!  I have not seen one single solitary movie that was up for an award.  Movies just aren’t my thing…..at least in the theatre.  I have a really hard time sitting still for that long.  I enjoy them at home where I can do something else while I’m watching it (usually ironing!) or pause it and get up and move around.  I enjoy watching the Academy Awards for the dresses…..and this year for the comments.  It was good and the end…..oh well.

Saturday was a busy day.  My son and grandkids came over early.  He got the old Mustang going and the truck battery recharged.  Took both for a spin around the cul de sac.  The kids and I did some yard clean up…..we got rid of all those branches that had fallen off the big tree.  Did a bit of raking, sweeping and general tidying.  It still looks like a mess…..that winter mess that you can’t really do too much about but it definitely looks better than it did.  And it was fun!  I really would have thought all my hard work (??) at the gym would have paid off in the ache and pain department but not so for this kind of work…..I think it’s the bending and stooping over that gets me.  Another couple of weeks though and I’m hoping I’ll be able to get out there more and get those muscles used to it.  This will be the 4th spring/summer that I’ll be doing this job, by myself…..hard to believe.  It’s just such a slow process when there is just you (grandkids helping doesn’t count) but I now set realistic goals for myself for what I can get accomplished…..not like that first summer when it was driving me crazy because everything wasn’t getting done NOW!!  I’m getting there…..

We did get some snow but not the big storm they were predicting…..really it just sort of “slushed”.  Just enough to lightly cover everything and then melt again like it did the other day.  This kind of snow I can handle.

Today I’m off to work….and maybe again tomorrow too.  Taking on the daily balancing and deposits this time.  I’ll be the relief/back up for someone.

Winter Isn’t Over Yet!!

More snow on the way…..ah sigh.

The highs are supposed to be up around 7-8C (40-45F) but down below freezing at night.  So the good thing is that the snow will come only at night and disappear very quickly during the day.

Another busy week went by….work, dentist appointments and I can’t even remember what else.  I keep saying busy is good but I’m not so sure about being this busy.

When I’m not busy…..like yesterday morning….I end up sitting on the computer playing solitaire.  Then I get mad at myself when I’ve wasted all morning….then I think, “well, it’s OK because I AM retired”….then I worry about getting into a bad habit of doing this every morning, which I don’t want to do.  It’s been almost two years (WOW!) and my routine is all shot to hell.  At least through the winter it has been.  So maybe it is OK???  Oh well, I’ll get this figured out eventually…..I keep saying that but……  I know it will be different come summer when I can get outside…..there will be a lot to do.  There is now if it would just warm up enough and stay sunny enough to dry everything out at bit.  I could get out there and hack away at my broken bushes, get rid of the branches that fell off one of the trees and get back to work on my walkway that didn’t get finished last fall.  This is something to look forward too.

Yesterday Bev and I had a good day….we spent most of it together.  First pedicures, then dinner and an evening of Trump TV….just for the entertainment…and a game of cards.  Lots of fun.

Today I really have to make up for wasted time on the computer.  Mostly laundry!  I don’t understand why I can’t keep on top of it.  There is only me, other than towels that both my daughter and I use, there isn’t that much.  Which is maybe the problem.  Instead of just doing it once or twice a week like I used to when there were my clothes AND Ken’s, I end up waiting until the basket is full.  I think I’m being economical/enviro friendly etc. by making sure I have full loads but then, because I iron everything, it all piles up because I don’t have time to do it all.  Before, back in the day, I would only ever do a load that I could finish, including the ironing.  That meant I had a lot of dirty laundry hanging around but not baskets full of clean stuff that I had to deal with.

LOL…..this is how my head works often these days.  I don’t “stress” over this stuff because it’s not stuff to stress over, but I do kind of get mad at myself for not staying focused.

I’m working all day, or most of the day, on Monday.  The office gal quit a couple of weeks ago and the owners wife is doing all the daily paper work and bank stuff.  She’s going on vacation (Hawaii…..lucky lady!!) for a couple of weeks, so she’s going to train me so I can  go in a couple of days during those weeks to relieve the girl that is taking over because she is also an outside sales person and is on the road a couple of times a week.  This is all good for me.

Well…..just a lot of babble today!  Babbling, which sounds much better than whining, is good.

L.

Work Day

I think I’ll make Thursdays the day I work each week.  That said the special little project I’m working on is just about done….so may not have too many more Thursdays left.  But I could get called in to drive any day of the week…..

I quite enjoy going in one day a week and working in the office, which consists of 3 desks.  It’s small and comfortable and the two other ladies that work in there are great.  And one of the best parts is I get to have lunch with my son.  There’s a couple of great little cafes and delis close by…..Indian – the best butter chicken ever….the Ukrainian deli – perogies that are so yummy.  That’s were we’re getting lunch from today except this time I’m trying the cabbage rolls.

Bev and I went for a nice walk down at an are called Colony Farms.  There are lots of great trails and marshes.  Birds galore.  There are also community gardens down there.  It was too mucky to walk around them but once we dry out for a few days it’s great to wander around and see what people are planting.  Some of the little plots are pretty elaborate with small sheds and lean-tos, some are veggie only, others are a combo of veg and flowers, which are beautiful come summer.

the sun peaking through the clouds and the glorious tree skeletons makes for great pics that are pretty much black and white at this time of year.

Last night Bev came for dinner and cards.  Made French onion soup, which was good and deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches.  Should have taken some pics but forgot.  I used the last of my turkey stock for the base.  I think it’s the best thing, even better than beef stock.  It’s a little sweet, which goes great with the carmelized onions.  To top the soup off I used Emmenthal, swiss and this carmelized onion cheese I found…..it was a really good combo.

My dentist appointments are done for a month of so…..other than a regular cleaning/scaling next week.  Thank goodness….that is hard work keeping your mouth open for that long, especially with nothing coming out of it!!  If it was open for talking that would make it much better.  It’s my jaw that just kills me….they have “bite bars” which do help in that you don’t have to do the work to keep your mouth open but my jaws still hurt and ache for while after….apparently I have a “clicky” jaw, whatever that means.

I am really liking my new attitude of keeping the glass half full, making lemonade out of lemons etc.  Can I keep it up?  I hope so because you really do feel a lot better when you keep a positive spin on everything.  That’s not to say I’m not going to have one of those blah, pity party days, but hopefully fewer and fewer.

L.

What To Do Today??

Part of me wants to have an “in” day but it’s so nice I really think I should get out there and take advantage of it……possibly some cold weather on the way, including flurries at night!!  ARGH!

I have shopping to do too…..grocery shopping.  I really enjoy doing it when there is a purpose to it….besides have food in the house to eat…..if it’s something special or fun and exciting, then the shopping is too.  BUT….today is just regular old grocery shopping because I really have to put something in the fridge.  Yesterday was crazy…..I had yogurt for breakfast, a leftover piece of chicken for lunch…..that was all that was edible in my house.  The positive to this is that today is “seniors day” and “customer appreciation day” at Safeway….I think I qualify for at least one of those (but that begs the question why bother with the seniors thing if everybody else gets those deals too…..scratching head on that!).  If nothing else I can get 10X my airmiles or 10% off my groceries…..

Maybe I’ll phone Bev to see if she wants to go for a walk……that would be good for both of us and save me trying to fit a trip to the gym in somewhere today.  I went yesterday….rode the bike, used the treadmill….all good.  I even stopped at the produce market and bakery on the way home in my gym clothes….which I thought was pretty brave!!  Thank god it wasn’t busy in either place.

Whatever I end up doing today….as long as it’s not sitting in front of the computer or TV all day….will get something accomplished.  This is good!

L.

 

Nice Day!

Sunny, lots of blue sky and pretty mild.  Lets hope this is the beginning of Spring!  That would make me so happy.

Today is cleaning lady day but no cards at Bev’s…..she has some condo stuff happening this afternoon that is going to keep her busy.  So……I will go to the gym instead.

Our bike trip in Burgundy has been confirmed!!  Definitely need to get on that bike and peddle my butt off.  I’m hoping that if the weather stays good, I can get out and BUY a bike…a real bike.  The bikes at the gym are good for getting your legs in shape but I need a lot of practice really riding too.  That trip is 3 months away…..I can’t believe how time has just flown by.  Here is a link to the trip we’re doing….   https://www.biketours.com/france/burgundy-wine-trails/  My only issue is that the prices are quoted in Euros, but the tour company is in the US so when they charge you, they convert the Euros to US dollars, which we then have to convert to CDN dollars….a bit of a double whammy considering the US exchange right now is higher than the Euro.

A bit of a lazy weekend…..or a combo of busy and lazy I guess.  My son came over Saturday afternoon with the new tires for the Mustang.  The kiddies came too of course.  Had dinner early and when they left I plopped myself on the couch and watched TV for the rest of the evening….or watched and slept on an off.  Yesterday I didn’t feel so hot so another bit of a lazy day.  Head is stuffed….not sure if it’s just this stupid sinus thing or whether I’m getting the cold that my daughter has….it’s a nasty one too with a lot of coughing.  Anyway, I figure getting out and going to the gym always gives me a bit of burst of energy for the day….I hope so today because I could sure use it!

What’s left of my mountain view.  That house is going to be a monster!

half my view will be gone once that roof is on….ah sigh.

 

 

Off to do the tidy up before the cleaning lady gets here….she’s sick too so sending her other crew today.

L.

A Sleep In Morning!

And I needed it!  I got up after 10.  I can’t remember the last time I slept that late.

Such a busy week doing lots of things……work, taking my granddaughter to her appointment, dentists, lunches, dinner/travel planning, walks….wow!

Needless to say, I didn’t get many things done around the house that I would have liked so will have to make up for it today.

They’re building a new house a block over from me.  Tore down a little old house that I couldn’t see to begin with because of the trees.  That was one of my peek-a-boo mountain views….the nice big snowy mountains off in the distance.  Well…..that is gone!!  The house they’re building is humungus (sp??)…..the second story is already towering over the rest of the houses and they haven’t even put the roof on yet!!

That makes me a little sad.  I’ll still have a little teeny bit of a peek-a-boo view, which is better than none at all, I guess!   There are two ways to look at this…..the glass half empty part of me is sad and annoyed that they’re building such a huge house and the glass half full part is thinking……jeez the neighborhood is really moving up in the world with yet another great big monster house being built close by.  A lot of the houses around here were built back in the early 70’s, some have definitely seen better days, others are still in good shape and well kept, but generally they’re all kind of the same sizewise and in appearance.   You always kind of hope when one goes up for sale that whoever buys it will keep it and not tear it down to build something new that doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the neighbourhood.  It kind of ruins the whole esthetic of the area……until you’re eventually left with only one or two of the old houses, who then ruin the NEW esthetic of the area.

Oh well, there is nothing I can do about it so I will not fret over it anymore…..that’s my two bits worth of whining for today.

Just have to hear back from the bike tour company to confirm our dates and that is pretty much it for trip planning…..only trains left and one hotel.  So excited about this.  Watched a bunch of youtube videos last night at my brothers of people that had done very similar tours….it looks pretty awesome!

L.

Valentine’s Day!

Even with all the “stuff” in the stores and everywhere, I truly did not even think of it this year!  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?   I guess I’ve had enough going on to keep me busy.

My day, or the better part of the morning at least, was spent at the dentist.  It was when I got there that the receptionist asked if I was doing anything special.  I looked at her a bit puzzled for a few seconds until my brain connected…..

That first Valentines Day was devastating for me….this is now the 3rd.  How can I feel kind of nothing about it…..I guess it’s just time.

I’ve been so occupied with trip planning I have gotten behind with everything around here.  I’m also going cross-eyed looking at apartment vacation rentals.  I think we’ve finally found one in Paris……it has a lovely balcony overlooking a great street which is a fun thing with your morning coffee or afternoon/evening glass of wine.  The problem is that he has this beautiful balcony filled with plants…..they look very nice but a small table and a couple of chairs would be even nicer.  I’ve sent him a message asking if it’s possible to put a chair or two out there somewhere between the plants or perhaps even moving one or two to make room.  We’ll see what he says.  If not we have another one that we’ll take, which is not quite as big but in the same area…..the only downfall of this one is that it’s on the 5th floor with NO ELEVATOR!!  I’ve been there done that with a few apartment rentals and can handle it but would be much happier if I didn’t have too.

Our weather has been crazy!  It’s like spring with snow on the ground…..temps up around 12 or 13C (55-60F) but the rain was relentless yesterday, all day and it’s supposed to be like this for days……ah sigh.

L.

Beautiful Day Yesterday

Went for a long, long walk out on the dykes around Colony Farm.  Still lots of ice and snow on the trails and the marshes.

Then went for a nice lunch (sushi) and talked trip talk…..not too much left to do now.  R & G have theirs all sorted out and Brenda and I will finish our part tomorrow.  We’ve got an extra day to use somewhere…..I allowed for 7 nights for our bike trip, but’s it’s only 6.  I think the best thing to do is to add it on to Paris.  I mean really…..how can you go wrong with an extra day there??  You can’t.

Dinner out with the kids and that was it for my day.  We checked the trail map after out walk and figured we did at least 5km.  It was certainly a good walk and traipsing on the ice and snow probably burned a few extra calories…..you tighten up your abs and legs muscle just trying to make sure you don’t take a tumble…..broken bones at this age is not a good thing.  R & B walk a mach 1 as opposed to a stroll….also good for burning calories.

Today I’m off to the dentist AGAIN.  More prep work for another crown.

L.

Another Day Of Accomplishments!

Lots done at the kids place yesterday!!  EVERYBODY contributed.  I’m going back again today.  I truly believe my DIL is on a mission this time…..maybe I’m dreaming but while the motivation is there it’s worth keeping at it.

Stayed at their place for dinner…..delicious pulled pork buns and yummy Asian salad then home to watch Saturday Night Live with Bev.  It was a bit of bomb…..not all the people that I thought would be on it were, so not sure what all the headlines were about.  Definitely some LOL stuff though.

It’s a long weekend…..Family Day on Monday.  Long weekends don’t really matter much to me anymore, being retired it’s always the weekend now!  But it’s good for the kids.

L.