Hurry Up And Wait

 I came home early this morning from my BSF group meeting because the heating and air conditioning man was coming today for the annual winter furnace check.  They said they'd be here after 12:30.  As I typ this it is 4:00 and still no phone call or appearance by the guy.  As sure as I would get supper going shortly he would show up.  I hope the Old Man can hold off his hunger for another hour or so in hopes they will be here.

It's almost a waste - they come every fall and spring to check. But needless to say, we have had the furnace going for over a month now, and the same with the spring with the air conditioning.  I'm just glad this is included in our maintenance plan, so I won't have to write a big check today. 

Guess I'll go back to my recliner and wait for him to show up.  

P.S.  I'm frustrated about this, but at the same time I am thankful that we have a fairly new furnace that is working well right now while others have furnaces that aren't.   Nuff said. 

Cyber Monday Review

 I did some shopping yesterday on Cyber Monday, but it was for something that I needed - a wall charger for my Fit Bit.  I got a good deal on it, and it will be delivered tomorrow.  Can't ask for much more than that.  

Cold Kentucky Rain

 I was quoting the Elvis song, Kentucky Rain.  For the past two hours we have been having a cold Kentucky rain.  I know this because I made a few trips out to the big garbage can in preparation for garbage day tomorrow.  As I type this, the Old Man is wrapped up in his Snuggie watching football and reading.  As soon as I post this, I think I will get my Snuggie on and get in my chair and read and watch football, too.   Supper is fairly easy tonight - leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner.  So I just have to time it all right with heating up things on the stove, in the oven and microwave.  The Old Man wasn't thrilled with this menu choice, but I reminded him that we paid for the big meal and didn't want to waste it.  Nuff said.  

Black Friday Review

 Yes, I was one of the millions out shopping yesterday on Black Friday.  But it was for things that we needed.  I went to Tractor Supply to get Marge a bag of feed, and got two nice shirts for me and The Old Man which were half off, along with a Christmas ornament (Santa riding a chicken), which was also on sale.  Then I went across the road to Harbor Freight and stocked up on AA and AAA batteries, which were also half off.  I also ended up getting something for my Favorite Cousin and her husband for Christmas, which was also half off.  And other than ordering a couple of presents on Amazon yesterday, that was the extent of my Black Friday shopping.  

Luckily, those two stores were no more crowded than on any other day.  But there was one frustrating thing I had to deal with - there was only one cashier working at both stores.  You'd think they would have had at least two check-out lanes open, given it being Black Friday.  But other than that, my Black Friday shopping was uneventful.  

Thanksgiving Review

 The Old Man and I had a great Thanksgiving.  We watched the traditional Macy's parade and the dog show, and watched football.  Our dinner courtesy of Cracker Barrel was great. We were too full for pumpkin pie, but we will have a slice with some egg nog this afternoon.

Getting back to the football games yesterday, the highlight was the halftime performance by Dolly Parton at the Dallas Cowboys game.  All I can say is it was awesome.  I wish they would have had her perform at the Super Bowl halftime.  

Thanksgiving Eve

 It's Thanksgiving Eve, and I'm positive women (and some men) everywhere are working on their Thanksgiving Dinner this afternoon.  

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving Eve dinner was almost as good as Thanksgiving Dinner.  Grandma would be too busy getting things ready for Thanksgiving Dinner, and on Thanksgiving Eve, my mom and dad would stop on their way home from work at Eddie's Seafood House and bring home their awesome fish and fries for us for Wednesday night supper.   Back then, we didn't get fast food every other day like a lot of us do today - a trip to Eddie's or even McDonald's was few and far between.  So it was a special occasion.

Once again, Cracker Barrel is fixing our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, so I have no excuse not to cook tonight.  But it's still early - give me an hour or two to come up with an excuse.  

Update On The Old Man

The Old Man had his annual check-up today with his cardiologist.  We were thrilled when the doctor said to keep on doing what he's been doing and he would see him in a year!

I am so thankful that he has such competent, wise and caring doctors.   

Here We Go Again

 Once again, it seems that we have another Chex cereal shortage.  I had intended to buy three boxes of Chex cereal at the grocery yesterday to go in my popular Chex Mix, but the only flavors they had in stock were Corn Chex and Cinnamon Chex.  They didn't even have any store brand versions, either.  I will keep checking, and will try a couple other stores in hopes of finding what I need.  You would think that General Mills would step up production on the cereal in the fall since their Chex Mix is so popular.  

Stay tuned. 

Flashback Friday

That time back in the day when I got to see the Weiner Mobile.  

Great News

 Things have been crazy here at The Compound, with the oven being out of commission, and other things going on.  But I want to give some good news for a change.  

We got a call two nights ago that my Alabama Cousin's cancer is gone!  There was no sign of the tumor when they did a scan on Sunday!!! If we would have done a cartwheel, the Old Man and I surely would have done one to celebrate.  We can't thank everyone enough for praying for him for the past few months. 

The Black Cloud Is Back

 It's not been a good weekend, Faithful Readers.  

First of all, my Alabama Cousin had to have surgery this morning as a result of complications from his esophageal cancer.  The surgery went well, and we are hoping and praying for relief and recovery for him, and for his body healing. 

Second, the Old Man's hip was hurting bad again today.  He was really bummed, as he'd hoped to feel good enough to go to church today.  But it was meant to be.  He spent most of the day in his recliner with the heating pad.

I could go on and talk about a few more not-so-good things, but I will stop now. 

Happy Veterans Day

 TWIT and I would like to wish a very happy Veterans Day to all of those who proudly served, especially to the Old Man.  He served in the Navy during the Korean War, and was stationed at a base in Kodiak, Alaska.  

Last night, we were talking about today being Veterans Day, and he was reminiscing about his stint in the Navy, and started telling me some good stories about that time.  The funniest story was about during  arctic survival training.  They had to build shelters using limbs, brush and whatever they could find.  And they had to eat the then-named C Rations.  He added that if they could catch any edible animal or fish, they could eat it. But I digress.  He explained about the C Rations, and said his favorite was spaghetti and meatballs.  He said that each box would have the main entree, some hard crackers, a side dish of usually canned peaches, a packet of hot chocolate or instant coffee, some hard candy and a little can of jelly.  He said that one evening while they were eating, they heard a small explosion and ran to the direction of the commotion to see what was going on.  When they got to the camp site, they saw some of the Navy guys laughing. It seems one of the guys wanted to heat up his can of jelly, and it exploded.   The Old Man said that never happened again.

To the Old Man and other veterans, I thank you for your service. 

Flashback Friday

 

At our local Dollar Tree, I saw these awesome pens on the rack.  I immediately filled my basket up with a bunch of them.  Back in the day, these pens were the equivalent of the iPhones today for the kids.  Every kid wanted one of these cool multi-colored pens. You were in the upper echelon of school kids if you had one of these pens.  

I filled my basket up with a bunch of the pens to give to the members of my BSF group. When I handed them out this week at our BSF meeting, it did my heart good to hear a few of the group members say "I had this pen when I was a kid."  

Nuff said.  

ac

Summer Was Still Here

 I had one of the worst night's sleep last night in the past few months.  It was hot (yes, hot - not warm) in my bedroom, even with my ceiling fan going on high and one of my windows opened.  At one point, I got up and quietly went out on the back porch for a few minutes to cool off.  It helped a bit but as soon as I got back in bed, I was warm again.  Thank goodness it is cooler today. I am hoping for a much better night's sleep tonight. 

Stay tuned. 

Summer Is Back

 Summer is back today here in the Ville.  As I type this, it is 83 degrees here at The Compound.  That can  only mean that tomorrow it will be in the 30's or 40's.  But it sure is a beautiful sunny day today.  Although it is windy, and the leaves are sure falling to beat the band.  But I digress.  We will take any beautiful, not-cold days we can get in November.  

A Great Monday

 It has been a great Monday, faithful readers.  First of all, the Old Man was feeling better today and getting around much better.  Second, I drove up to the county clerk's office 10 minutes away and saved some money dropping off the check for the property taxes - they wanted a crazy fee if you paid online with a credit or debit card.  I was more than happy to drive up there to save some money.  It's not like I had anything to do today.  While there, I went next door to the Super Kroger and got some cheese from their cool cheese department and some fresh fruit.  Once back home, I went out to the back porch to read and enjoy this awesome 70's temps we have today. 

It was a great day.  And I am looking forward to an equally great day tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

A Good Time Was Had By All

 The Old Man's two favorite (and remaining) cousins came up from The Country aka Breckinridge County today to visit.  His Cousin Wayne and wife Joni went by Elizabethtown on the way up and picked up Wayne's sister Cathy.  We had the best time talking, reminiscing and laughing.  They brought us a late lunch/early supper from Cracker Barrel, so that was a bonus.  But the best part was just being together.  Every day we thank the Lord for their love and concern for us.  And we are already planning the next visit!

Christmas Time's A Coming

 I was coming home from a trip to the library yesterday morning, and saw the first 2023 Christmas season decorations out in a yard.  They had inflatables and lights around the roof top.  They definitely get the distinction of being #1 in decorating in our area this year.  

Good News/Not So Good News

 I spent some time this morning going over my checking account and budget, and was happy that I was able to pay off some credit cards and bills.  That happiness was short lived when I got the property tax bill this afternoon.  But it is what it is.  I am proud of myself for budgeting the property tax bill, and will pay it tomorrow and get it off of my back.  I was surprised to see that the county sheriff's office charges a 5% charge if you pay by debit or credit card.  Sorry - I will write out an old school check and mail it tomorrow.

Ohio Valley Weather Update

 It's not officially winter yet, but you can't prove it here in the Ohio Valley.  The past two mornings when I got up it was 29 degrees.  I had to break up ice yesterday on Marge's waterer and was thankful the water heater was working this morning.  I left early and on my travels I saw lots of frost on the ground.  And I also saw lots of leaves falling.  

But I still like the cooler weather, I have to say.  I just hope we don't have a repeat of what we had at Christmas last year with sub-zero temps. 

Stay tuned.