Baked Scone

Just over two years ago I bought paint for the downstairs bedroom, heretofore known as the den. Less letters to type, you know. I thought I was getting some vague light brown color, something innocuous and neutral. I bought 3 gallon cans, figuring I would then drag the same color from the den, through the little hallway down there, and into the family room. Eventually I would get more, bring it up the stairs, into the foyer, the living room, the dining room, then up the next stairs, and the bigger hallway.

So far, just to keep count, I now have four open cans of paint in the den. I used primer. I am not done, since I still have to complete the process on the doors. Sand, prime, sand, paint, paint. Closet doors I will take off and drag down the last set of stairs to the basement to do en masse. Well, a mass of 4 or so at a time. Big doors I figure I am too small to take off and put back up, so I will be extremely cautious with layers of paint. Hey, I can do eyeliner. I am sure I can work around a big hinge.

After primer, I used white semi-gloss on the bottom moldings and the closet. So far I have only done brush work with the semi-gloss. I haven't gotten that on the roller yet for the inside of the closet or the doors. After playing around with the semi-gloss, I got out the white ceiling paint.

Oh, that was charming fun. I had some smart idea of buying a two-gallon bucket of ceiling paint, figuring to save a bit since I have to probably put at least two coats on every ceiling. That also sat in the garage for two years. It separated, which I expected. But when I mixed and stirred and mixed and stirred, after spending 20 minutes getting the lid off, it was like painting with milk. I figured I deserved that after waiting two years and would need to do many coats. So I got on the ladder, up and down and up and down, since no way was I going to drag around a 2-gallon bucket and risk spilling it. When I use a brush, I normally take it right from the container. After three coats, I quit for the day. However, after the third go-around, I noticed that the paint had thickened to normal. It must have changed on the third round because I had stirred between each round. Yes, I let it dry between coats.

This afternoon I did round four, and then two coats on the rest of the ceiling. It might be OK. My back and neck will not.

So I opened the fourth can, the paint for the walls. I did all this prep work, all this ceiling paint and semi-gloss and primer, which I am not even done with yet, so I could get to the main event, the real paint. I tried to open the lid with a screwdriver, as I always open a can of paint.

You know those little metal lips on the can lids? Do you know that if you work hard enough at it, they will actually straighten out without the lid coming off? I have never, in 50 years of painting (my mom started me very young), seen that happen. Ever. After a few magic words for the can, I grabbed can two. I barely was able to pry that lid off.

It was blue. Eww. Baked scone is not blue. I stirred and stirred and it looked yellow. Whatever. It was paint. I think.

All excited, I grabbed a pad brush thing, and started doing the trim work just above the molding at the floor. Are you familiar with the color of baby poop? Add a little yellow to that. It is the ugliest color I have ever seen on a wall. Anyone who comes in my house is going to say, "What were you thinking?"

I am starting to understand why so many painters are alcoholics. My back aches beyond pain; my neck doesn't want to move. My shoulders are whining. I saw the Vampire on Friday for the first time since September, and he yelled at me for doing this kind of work. He didn't offer to do it for me, so I went back to it when I got home. I will see him again this coming Friday.

I think I have paint splatters on my eyeballs. When I walked 6 miles with my friend Karen this morning, she told me my hair looks to have more gray in it. I should have told her it is paint. It probably is, or at least some of it.

I am that much closer to wanting the condo. Who wants to look at walls with yellow baby poop on them?

Ketchup, catsup

That tomato-based condiment is about the only thing I didn't find in my pantry today. (I just had made a typo, and realized I had typed "panty" and I am very glad I caught that error!) I just cleaned out and washed down my pantry, and I am next going to rip up that part of the floor. Only that piece and under the stove and refrigerator are left to pull up. Now, with no segue, onto what is really on my mind.

My personality has changed. I have been reflecting on this lately. As I mentioned, I have time to reflect when working with my hands. I used to have perfect closets and drawers. Even if my rooms were messy, you could count on my closets and drawers being neat and orderly at any time. Always. Not so true any more. I still straighten them regularly, but they get a bit messy between times.

I used to be more assertive. I have become more timid, passive. I don't think this is related to the fact that I had to be downright confrontive and sometimes aggressive with people in my job in child abuse. I think something has changed inside me.

When I went to an allergist to find out if I am developing allergies, and if so, to what, she insisted I get a pneumonia vaccine. This was maybe 3 years ago? I didn't want it. I have only had pneumonia once in my life. I am not prone to lung issues. I don't ever even get sick like most people, no colds, viruses, things like that. She reminded me I had told her when I had pnemonia 25 years ago that it was really bad. It was - I was deathly sick and had to care for a 2 year old. I couldn't even stand very well, but I refused to go in the hospital. No, I didn't want to repeat that so I let her give it to me.

Then she gave me a little tiny, tiny tube of some stuff and said I might get a little weensy rash, and to use it if I got one. Oh, I got one all right. The injection site started to itch and burn within a few days. I put the stuff on it. I went through the tube, and watched the rash spread. Big time spread. At first I could have covered it with my fingertip, on a Friday. By Sunday, it was from my shoulder to my elbow, spreading hourly, itched awfully, and was quite swollen. It was fuchsia. Nice color, but not for an arm. I couldn't eat, but that didn't matter because I was so nauseated. I could barely drink enough water to avoid dehydration. I was tired, but couldn't sleep. I had a headache. My balance was off. I had a fever. Finally, on Sunday, I was concerned I wouldn't make it to Monday without being violently ill and went to the clinic my doctor owns and asked for some assistance.

They told me the rash was infected,  I had to get a steroid shot, I had to take antibiotics, I had to use ointment, and I had to take Benadryl every 4 hours. I was given a script for Compazine, which was all I really cared about by that time. I also had to put a heating pad on it, and it was hot outside.

I went to the pharmacy with my little scripts, and they told me I had to wait. I suggested they not wait too long on the Compazine, and sat down. I couldn't even browse the store. They gave me my pills, I took a Compazine in the car, and went home. (No, I never even considered asking someone to drive me.)

Within a few weeks, I lost 10 pounds. I was unable to concentrate on anything. I couldn't do emails very well, couldn't read the news online. I couldn't read books for more than a couple of minutes. I even tried watching television, without luck. I couldn't really concentrate on paying bills, but I struggled with it and got most of them out. This lasted, as extreme as it was, for a couple of months. I was just about to seriously find someone to become my conservator when it improved some, and I muddled on.

This never really went away entirely. I started making ADD jokes. I know my reaction at the time was like very severe ADD, and it was very scary. After that is when I started getting more timid, less willing to make big decisions. Sometimes I can't even handle the small ones. At times, a menu can almost make me cry. I don't want to decide what to order, sometimes. Just give me a diet drink without ice and something without cheese, OK?

So this is why, after recent reflection, I went to my doctor and asked for Adderall. He listened, understood my concerns, and gave me 10 mg of Adderall XR to take daily. I called him back yesterday and asked for an increase in the dosage, which he had told me might be necessary. He bumped me up to 20 mg daily.

I feel better able to focus. I have also been getting sleepy in the afternoons and early evening. I told my dr that I had hoped this might help with my lifelong insomnia, but he didn't think so. I am still hoping it might. I am getting more things done, and want to do them rather than forcing myself so much. I can almost see the bigger picture of my Project here in the house that I am working on now. It's hard to explain, but I have been able to only hyperfocus on small things for the last few years. 

 I went out yesterday and looked at an armoire/desk from Crate and Barrel that a couple getting married was selling so they could combine their possessions. I bought it, without having to pace around or feel overwhelmed. It's beautiful, and would be perfect in the foyer area of the condo I want to buy. Tonight I am going to look at a Craftsman dining room set a couple is selling and if I like it, I will buy it. If I move, I don't want to take either my current dining set or kitchen set. (Both the armoire and the dining set would also work fine in this house if I don't move.)

I have felt paralyzed from making some decisions and choices. I just panic, and then walk away from the decisions. Remember how I couldn't decide on the flooring to buy? I think I could go now and handle a decision like that. It used to be so easy, the decisions for a life. I hope they will be again.

Maybe one of these days I can make the plunge and decide to actually go buy the condo. I knew something was wrong when I was stalling on that decision. I found these condos almost a year ago and fell in love immediately. I could focus on details, like the heated bathroom floors, but could not look at the big picture and make an entire decision. I need to be able to make this decision, rather than be waffling around until it's too late.

Waffles are for breakfast.

 

 

Hurry and order some!

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I was browsing some Birkenstock shoes and saw this great deal. Be sure to order soon, because boots that normally sell for $169.95 are a real steal at $215.96. Birkenstock Central.

Also, Molly had her monthly shot today and again the Valium worked. No seizure! So we celebrated and went to the pet supply store. Baby was with us and they had a great time. I bought two new bags of pup corn and they tried to finish them off before I even got home.

The shot was done outside again. Luckily, the temperature was around freezing but the sun was out with no wind.

 

 

 

 

 

Teach Me

It's easy to wax philosophical while sitting on the floor of a coat closet, slowly prying up the flooring with a screwdriver. There really isn't much else to do with a brain while staring at the floor, dusty coats flapping in my face.

I realized most of my help is coming from 2200 miles away. How does that happen? Someone is giving me good advice. Someone who knows what he is doing and can explain it to me.

You have heard the adage that goes something like this: Give a man fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime?

I think I am learning to fish. So to speak. I already know how to cast a flyrod. I didn't realize how complicated this simple remodeling was going to get. I am going to have to pull off all the closet doors, replace the fitting at the bottom on some, pull up my railing that is bolted to the floor in the foyer, and I am trying to get out of having to remove 60 hinges on the cupboard doors. Actually there are only 58, but I rounded up.

My obsessive part of my personality is freaking out. Do I paint the ceiling first? The walls? The moldings? Do I paint the new toe moldings before I install them or after? How do I manage to only have to pull that monster stove out only once when I have to remove flooring, install new flooring, and paint behind and around it? How will I paint the ceiling without getting any drips at all on anything? Is it worthwhile to countersink - or whatever you call it -the finishing nails on the new toe moldings? And the most preplexing so far for me, how do I get the faucet off the laundry tub so I can replace both? I remember trying to do that a few years ago and not having any luck.

I have two college degrees. Almost 2 master degrees, but I didn't turn in the thesis on the first. When I did the second, I started from scratch, since it was a different field. I also took a year of law and accounting, and a year of computer classes. I am used to being taught. I am used to learning by book, by spoken word.

I am working with my hands, not my brain. This is fairly new to me, although I can whip up a wardrobe on a sewing machine, if I am in the mood. I can knit, I can crochet. I can do landscaping. But this house remodeling stuff, it's all new to me. I used to paint inside my house, and did it often. Then I sort of stopped. I am so out of practice.

Maybe I should have gone ahead and gone to law school and earned enough to pay someone to do this. But I have to admit, for all the crabbing I do, for all the pain pills I pop, for all my whining, I am enjoying the learning aspect of it. All the scabs and the smashed knuckles are from the school of hard knocks, and I want to do the work all by myself.

I just need some education. I hope I can pass this course.

 

 

Demystification

This would be written in pee yellow, but it would be too hard to read.

I finally have concrete evidence as to how Wiz gets urine underneath her kitty litter pan.

I have had guesses, and thoughts on the idea, but mostly I am getting rags and cleaning it up. This is a female; she is supposed to squat to pee and not get it all over the place.

Baby wanted to go outside while I was ripping up the linoleum by the front door, so I got up, crabby, and went to the door to let her out. The litter pan is right inside the door that leads to the dog run.

I looked down and saw a stream of urine coming out of the pan, at least 6 inches off the floor. The pan has a top on it, and a door. The flappy door was up, but I still couldn't really see any cat. She had to be standing to pee, and she honestly thought her aim was good, because I then heard her trying to bury it.

Sorry, cat, you can't bury pee in the pan when it's all on the throw rug outside the pan. I regret that I did not have a camera in my hand at the time.

I think even the dogs were laughing.

Hey, doc

My daughter was supposed to go with me to see my internist yesterday so she could meet him. She still hasn't followed up on getting the tests she needs, but I was upset with her after asking her to watch my dogs for one night, maybe two, so I didn't remind her of the doctor visit. She can find a new doctor of her own, or go meet him when she feels like it.

Some day this child of mine is going to have a dog, or a child, or even her current cat, and is going to want to go away and need someone responsible to watch them and  keep them happy while she is gone, so she doesn't need to ruin her vacation time worrying about her babies. I hope she keeps that thought in mind next time I ask for help. I had to cancel all thought of going out of town this week. Molly's shot is due Friday, and while she was overdosed last time and can probably go a few extra days, she is a vulnerable dog who is more vulnerable at this time of the month than any other, and I just don't feel the child was likely to give Molly the extra loving care she needs right now.

I could have had a very nice Valentine's Day treat, just one day late.

Child does not know that the reason I asked twice regarding her work days this week was because I wanted to bake her some Valentine cookies and take them to her at work. I envisioned heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting and red sprinkles.

First, she (Child, not Molly) tried to demand holiday pay. Last I knew, neither Wednesday or Thursday are holidays. Then she told me she was off work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and had to work Thursday, plus she had school on Wednesday evening. I see no conflict here at all. She got whiney and rude. She really started pushing on the money aspect.

Oh, is she planning to pay me when she has children and wants me to babysit? I think not. She owes me a lot of money, and I reduce her debt a little when she sits. Otherwise, I would never, ever see any reduction in the debt. She should be pleased to be able to reduce her debt to me. I would personally be happy to reduce debt, if I had any.

First thing yesterday morning the gyn nurse called to tell me that the ultrasound showed a 7 mm cyst in my left breast, but it appears to be benign and we are going to ignore it at this time. I was not disappointed that I do not have to have another cyst aspiration right now. I might need it next year, or the cyst may go away on its own. So I studied well and passed the yearly breast exams.

Then I went to the internist, alone, as usual. I inherited a very high propensity for outrageous cholesterol levels. Diet doesn't do much for me. Exercise helps a little, but I need statins. I don't like to take them, but I guess I should be grateful that I am the only member of my family who can produce a cholesterol level below 300 without medication. My current level is 172, I think. I have this unusually high level of the good kind, over 100, and the way the doctor explains it to me, I have scrubbing bubbles in my veins. So isn't that good enough so I don't have to take the statins and have blood tests every 3 months? Apparently not. Currently I take Vytorin. I didn't like Zocor and would go off it now and then, and my levels would go way up. I am not unhappy with Vytorin, so far.

Other than that, my blood was perfect. Good. On to the weird stuff. We talked about the molds. He said I was allergic to them and had an allergic reaction. Well, duh. I guess I don't need to worry about it. The rash, well, he agreed, it does resemble poison ivy, but is clearly an allergic dermatitis. Well, duh, again. I asked him how an allergic dermatitis manages to spread. He said it gets into the system - and I asked how we treat a systemic infection. He gave me a prescription for a tube of some cream or another, and said if it doesn't clear up in a few days - I said yes, Medrol. I have some in case I get poison ivy really bad.

Medrol is a cortisone preparation. It's given in a dose pak, starting with I think 5 tablets a day and going down by 1 a day until they are gone. He surprised me by cautioning me against prednisone (cortisone) unless I really need it. He said, "Prednisone can make people insane."

OK. But my dog takes it every day. If she doesn't, she will die.

I went through my drawer of poison ivy and rash creams and ointments and grabbed the newest one. It seems to be working.

The lump in my calf is what I thought it was, a vein issue. It's not a problem, doesn't need any intervention, but I don't like lumps after having had cancer twice, so I wanted him to check it out. It took me two years to get around to asking about it, so it's a good thing it was nothing to be concerned about.

It seems I am good for another 10,000 miles. I still don't like taking statins, but it beats a heart attack from gunked up veins. I always get a picture in my head of peanut butter in a garden hose.

I also told him that I have trouble concentrating, I can't focus well, and I can't hold a conversation thread for two sentences. I reminded him that I had that awful reaction to the pneumonia vaccine and was not even able to read for two months. I couldn't pay my bills, use the computer, or even watch television. I tried almost an hour of TV and gave up. I had what felt like a very severe case of ADD for two months. I lost 10 pounds very fast, was nauseous to a high degree, had a rash to beat all rashes, and was miserable. It never really totally went away. I said that I have had focus problems all my life, but felt that it was worse than it used to be. I can hyperfocus, so I can get an A in almost any class and am an excellent employee, but can't seem to do it in any other aspect of my life. It is probably why I have to set a timer to work on The Project or I will walk away from it.

I asked him to write Adderall for me, in a low dose, to see if it helps me at all. He agreed, after mentioning all the other brand names of ADD medications. So I am trying it, starting today. In a way, I hope it doesn't help.

That's really cold

Thursday night it's going to be 12 below zero in Calgary. That's really cold. However, if Child will watch the babies for me, I will be there on Wednesday. Go figure. Shouldn't I be going to Miami instead? You would think so.

The Project is coming along very slowly. My hands are weaker and less useful than I thought. It has been suggested to me by someone who knows these things that I should be suing the State of Michigan, my former employer, for ruining my hands during the commission of my job. I know I should be doing it, but it sort of seems wrong, you know?

Most of the toe moldings are off, and I have maybe half of the kitchen floor up. I need to change over to painting, because it will be slightly easier on my hands, just harder on my shoulders and back. Change up can be helpful when things ache. I don't want to drip paint on new flooring, and I can't leave the subfloor bare very long. I need to amp up the work here pretty soon. Painting should go faster than ungluing linoleum with a screwdriver.

My knuckles will heal in time and once again I will be able to walk upright, if I am lucky. The dryer is working, the cat has her pills, and Molly isn't due for a shot in maybe a week. I might go away, the big snow missed us this time, and Child is still in school.

Someday it will be spring, too.

Tomorrow I go to the doctor to see how my blood tests were and to tell him about the sinus infection I had from the mold, in case he wants to do something about that, and to show him the rash that is still on my arm, and still spreading. Does contact dermatitis spread? Poison ivy doesn't. It will be interesting to watch his face when I tell him I have been ripping up flooring and found nasty molds and things. Once he gets through upbraiding me for doing that work, he will have to deal with the rash. No one wants to look at rashes. Not even doctors. Well, my dermatologist has looked at some rashes with interest. But he does stay back a few inches more than really necessary. I haven't scratched it and it's not an open rash or anything, but it sure doesn't belong on my arm.

Oh yeah. I don't want to lose sight of the thought of spring! I miss the warm weather, the sunshine, the lack of need for coats. I want to wear sandals again. I want to walk the dogs outside again. I must be getting lazy, because I only walked 5 miles this morning, and Sunday is usually my long walk of the week.

The cat has not yet stopped screaming at night, but I think she has slowed down a little bit. The medication might actually be helping a bit with that. I hope she gains some weight, too. She is just skin and bones (hyperthyroid).

 

Code? Is that like Java? C++?

I hit a bit of a snag with the Project. The washer and dryer were delivered two days late, on Friday. They hooked up the washer and wrenched the aluminum gas line out of the dryer, kinked it all up, then told me they can't hook that up because it's aluminum. OK, the store told me they don't do copper. Copper isn't silver colored.

So I shooed them out, and proceeded to wash a king-sized comforter, two sets of sheets, and a full load of clothes while I sat on the cold cement floor and tried to get the fittings on the dryer to work. I knew the line was kinked now in three places, but I figured I could try to hook it up anyway, and then check for leaks. After that, I could get a new line and replace it once my laundry was up to date.

Life isn't always so easy, is it? After the third load of wash was done, I gave up. I refuse to be *that guy* who insists he can do it, and then ends up spending 3 times as much money plus having to pay a professional. I called the pros and said HELP!

At that point I was reminded that my house is 30 years old. The new code does not allow for that kind of flexible line anymore, and I am required by new code, if a licensed person works on it, to have a shut off valve in the same room as the appliance, not in the basement. I was good with these ideas, and we scheduled a plumber for Monday. I was told that there was a slim chance he could do the work on Monday, but likely he would give me an estimate on Monday and do the work on Tuesday. Reluctantly, I agreed to wait. The plan was for him to come Monday late morning, since I had my blood draw. I forgot to take my purse with me when I got my blood drawn and Molly got into my purse and cured herself of chapped lips with my chapstick, but that is another story.

In the meantime I had 3 loads of wet laundry, right? I figure there are several ways to humidify a house in the winter, so I hung the items all over the house. Luckily, I had no company come over. No outside clothes line in MI in winter for me, although it can be done. We just have to wait for the ice to evaporate. It's hell to hang wet clothes in 20 degrees, though, and I don't have a line outside anyway.

I bought the Fisher Paykel appliances because they are supposed to be very good, efficient, and have few moving parts to break. There is a very impressive spin cycle. It really sounds like it's ready for take off, unless I have the large comforter in there. Then it sounds like a thrasher and Molly and I hide. The problem is that it seems to overflow easily. I put in the same loads of rugs that I normally do and it leaks. My very old Maytag did not leak, and the sound was so much more soothing. I am not sure what to do about this.

The plumber came on Monday and luckily he and the dogs got along great. I didn't have to leash them and hold onto them, he was fine with them following him around and he didn't run in and out of the house, leaving doors open for escaping beagles who just want to follow the rabbit scents. The plumber chatted with me for awhile, and told me that he would have to come back to do the work. He was so nice that I didn't make an issue of the fact that he was expected late morning and came around 4 pm, which is probably why he didn't have time to do the work on Monday. He can't come today, so he will be coming on Wednesday. They aren't sure if another guy is available to assist him with feeding the lines through the floors, so I told him I need my dryer and make an excellent assistant anything. Including car mechanic, but I didn't tell him that. Small hands, you know, are great for getting that last spark plug.

As a result, I still don't have the dryer hooked up. I have 7 days from delivery to decide if I want to keep these appliances, and that means I will have 2 days to use them together to decide. I can have a leaky washer here, but if I move to the condo, it will be on a suspended floor without a drain, not on a slab, a step down, with a drain. Floods would be possible there.

I asked about the line to the stove regarding code, and he said that already has the correct pipe, and I do recall that there is a shut off valve right behind it.

My nephew was an electrician before he went into his current field, and he and I had a chat about 220 lines. He said if I don't have one to the house, forget it. It won't be worth the cost, even if he does the work. I think he is right, and I don't think I have one. I have a vague, 30-year-old recollection of refusing to pay for a 220 line when I only wanted gas appliances, and chose to put my money into a larger access pipe for water, in order to avoid any loss in water pressure. That suggestion was made by my dad, and I have never regretted it. The builder didn't even offer the upgrade, but was willing to provide and agreed it was a wise decision.

So if I get a new stove, it will be gas. I am OK with that, and am not even positive I will buy one.

I will have to decide over the next week. While I wasn't willing to do much work in the laundry room while waiting for the dryer work to be done, I did start ripping up the kitchen floor today. Yuck. But I will have to decide, once I pull that big double stove out, if I want to put it back or get a new one, and a microwave, since it's all one piece. As old as it is, I still kind of like it. It's one of the biggest, hardest projects I ever did alone, dragging that huge thing off the front porch myself, getting it installed, almost getting fried, and dragging out the old one. At the time, I was about 90 lbs, and you might recall I am only 5' tall. Child assisted with keeping me from being fried. She was, hm, 5 years old.

The toe moldings are not in good shape, I found out, and after I get through ripping them out (not a job I would recommend for someone with carpal tunnel issues) I will have to learn to use a miter box and replace them.

In the meantime, it has been over a week since I ordered the special thyroid pills for Wiz, the 19-year-old cat. I called again yesterday, and was told they aren't positive they were actually ordered. I expected a call today, but it's 2:30 pm and I haven't heard a word.

According to the Yellow Pages in Yahoo, there are a multitude of vets within 5 miles of my home. I may be checking some of them out.

 

A Pearl of Wisdom

I haven't done one of these in a long time~!

Do not drop a bar of soap down your garbage disposal.

Don't ask.

 

 

Are you lost?

If you are in the Detroit area for the Superbowl, and you think you are lost, look at your hand.

You are just below the thumb.

 

 

 

Thanks, AOL

While I was writing that entry, my phone rang. It said it was from an 888 number, and I thought it could be the delivery guys, so I answered it. No, oh no. It was AOL. They wanted to know about my internet connection.

I told the very young man that my internet connection had been just fine, but now that I answered the phone I was going to be kicked offline because of the kind of router I have and that I had been writing something and would now lose it.

He was young enough and probably new enough on the job to be embarrassed. He asked me if I have dial up or high speed internet service, and then I realized what the call was about. I told him that I have high speed, that I am happy with what I have, and have everything I need, except what I just wrote.

He thanked me and told me if I need anything to go to Keyword: High Speed Internet. I said thanks and hung up.

Life after snits

I tried to remember what I did before when I had to pick out flooring. Well, let's see. Neither apartment required my input as the flooring was old in the first one and while the second one was new, I didn't get to pick anything. Our first house had new, very dark wood flooring in it - the old kind that required that I drag the kitchen table and chairs out every week, scrub the floor, and wax it. Anyone else remember waxing floors? Waiting for it to dry? Chasing the cat and dog away so they didn't leave footprints on a floor just washed and waxed?

Then we moved to this house. I let my ex pick out the linoleum because I couldn't. I had it replaced in 1991, and I had a friend who is a decorator do it because - I couldn't. I finally ended up back and forth many times between stores and finally told the salesman that I hated all flooring, that I am really a guy, I just want someone to make the decisions and hand it to me and I will install it. He laughed. I didn't. I told him not to let me out of the store until I made a decision. He did well, I have to admit, since I left with about half of the flooring I need. I will go back for the rest once I get 20 boxes of linoleum out of my car. That salesman was, of course, the Mr Nice Guy who was too busy on the phone originally. I could have saved myself hours of driving around if he could have just finished that call in less than half an hour.

Then yesterday child and I went out again. Second time this week. We had gone either Monday or Tuesday also, and didn't finish our shopping. I told her that under no circumstances were we to let me go home without paint, and that I wanted to get it before dark. That was a problem with the flooring - the colors looked all wrong to me in artificial light. I had even tried to return to the independent paint store earlier this week, but they closed at 5:30 pm and I got there at 5:45 pm. Blame traffic. I did.

So we went to the bank first. Then to Secretary of State. Only Michigan has Secy State - every other state in the union has DMV. I have no idea why. Child was one day past risking a ticket for expired plates, but was lucky. After that, we had to return to Restorration Hardware and return the very expensive duvet cover she bought. She washed it, and it looked so crappy that she took it back. I agree with her on that one, since she followed the directions. That done, we stopped in to see her friend who works in the mall.

By this time my feet were getting sore. I was also doing the driving. She just had to go to Linens and Things to get the bedding set that she and I had looked at earlier in the week. I had tossed a phone book in the car the other day so I could look up independent flooring companies if necessary, and I am so glad it was there. LNT was not where I thought it was and she had no idea, so in about 5 miles there would have been blood shed. We got there about an hour before dark, and I reminded her of the only thing that was important to me. Several hundred dollars and over an hour later, it was dark and she had some bedding but told me we had to go to another LNT about 10 miles away.

We went to the second LNT and got more of her bedding. They still didn't have the pieces she wanted so she wanted to return to the first one. They didn't have what she thought they had. She decided maybe the set I had picked out was better, but they didn't have the pieces she wanted, so we had to back to the second one.

On the way to the other LNT, which was on the way to Home Depot where I could get paint but was not happy about it, she started to waver about the bedding set she bought. She decided maybe the one I picked out was better. I had a small snit and declared that we were going to go to HD first and get my paint. She started to whine that she had to work the rest of the week, double shifts, and needed her bedding now. This was true, but I had to sit home and wait for the washer and dryer delivery, plus I needed her help with paint decisions. She is the artist, and besides, I had the car keys and was doing the driving. I told her to think about the bedding while we picked out paint.

She showed me very carefully that the color I wanted would not work. She was right, which is why I wanted her there. I suggested a slightly lighter color for the laundry room than the kitchen. She loved that idea and we bought paint. Oddly enough, the guy behind me bought the same color (out of how many hundreds?) as the kitchen paint. The lady next to me wanted the store to "lighten" the color of the paint she bought the day before. And how were they going to do that?

We went back to  the first LNT to get the rest of the bedding. I think that is the right order, but we went four times. 10 miles each way. My gas. I decided we were having dinner at Fuddrucker's, which she agreed to. I also told her she was buying me a beer. She acquiesced, but once we got there I decided I didn't want one.

After dinner, we had to stop at CVS so she could get some makeup. By this time, the dogs had been home alone for 8 hours. Molly takes prednisone. When Molly has to pee, she really has to pee. She is now used to me usually being home within 3 hours. Molly knows she is not to pee on the floor.

I found 3 spots of pee on my BED. Maybe once a year or less Molly pees on my bed. I think I finally figured out why she does it. I always assumed it was a dominance thing, maybe a dog outside she saw, and she needed to mark. Now I think it's because she knows she isn't supposed to pee in the house on the floor. I think she gets so desperate that she pees on the bed. Does that make sense?

Have you ever tried to change the mattress pad alone? Mine are waterproof, and I have two. The part that goes along the edges is very soft elastic. I usually end up with one foot holding one corner of the pad and my body draped along the edge of the bed trying to get the second corner to stay without the first popping up. I think the fastest I have ever done it is 20 minutes. I made child help me and it took us about 20 seconds.

However, I was unable to wash the bedding because the delivery guy woke me up yesterday at 7:15 am to tell me they lost my dryer. I had gone to bed at 3 am and was not happy. I did not reschedule. He asked me if they could bring it the next morning, and I told him I had scheduled it on Wednesday because I was going to be in the hospital Thursday morning. I was too, I had that ultrasound this morning.

I called them today, and they are hopefully bringing the washer and dryer tomorrow, although they haven't found the dryer yet. It got lost coming from Chicago. I just don't get that. Don't they use some sort of tracking system? I have over two weeks of laundry here.

Luckily, I have several sets of bedding. I have experience with pets. And children.