Demolition Derby...

I have found I like tearing things apart.
I have been at it for years… off and on.. I just
don’t like having to put things together.

I use to tear things apart that my husband were suppose
to do and didn’t get around to it. So I would tear it apart and
he would have to put it together. You would think he would
have caught on and do what project I wanted done. As it is a
lot easier to put things together if you took it apart and know
where all the parts are. Well, actually I guess I did that part
well. Never know when I might have to put it together, so I would
line up the parts in a line of it being taken apart…

Also years ago, in the 1970’s my deceased husband and I ran a
scrap iron business… So it was our job to tear things apart and
smash it. We use to burn cars (before EPA) so we could remove
the copper wire under the dash. Also it helped smash the car down
to about ¼ of the size it was. Then we would load 12 to 17 (depending
on size) cars on a semi bed, and take them to Renton for scrap. At the tune
of $8 a ton, or $12 a ton if the market was good. He would really be
blasted away to learn the prices now. But then we were paying 21 cents
a gallon for gas and our house payment was $50 a month.

Anyway, during our kitchen remodel, I have had the chance to fulfill this
fun job of tearing things apart. Like walls. Not the studs, but the drywall.
One of the jobs I had was peeling the ceiling. Which started out as fun.
Like in popping bubble wrap, the fun is the peel. Large sections would come
off… but then it got to the tough parts, that didn’t scrap off so fast. Seems
when the person who put the paint and texture on years and years ago,
they used some kind of shiny paint under the texture. So we had to rough
it up after we removed the texture.

This week, as we get ready to enter to the other 2/3rds of the project, we
have more drywall that has to come down. Fun fun fun, but the King doesn’t
think that is fun. I have all of our stuff removed and put out into the garage.
Hopefully in 2 weeks we will have the other section done. Then I have to
find some place for all of our stuff. 14 totes, 3 shelves worth.

So are you into the tearing apart things, or are you into the rebuilding part?
And have you tore things apart in frustration to get your husband started in
to a project you have wanted done and he keeps postponing?

Field of Follies

We have people jumping in or making noise (like Palin) that they are going to run for the Presidential race.. While all are mouthing words they think the American’s want, no one is stepping up to the plate to what they think they
can do. They are quick to tell you what is wrong and who to blame with the Administration we have now…but where is their ideas and how they can change that. What is new about what others have not done, for generations.. And our problems are due to the past generations of Presidents. None can stand very proud.

For everyone who did a little good, also did some bad choices too. And of course, if you read this blog much, you know who I think is the blame. Congress… giving you politics 101 in the past about how Congress can pass any bill they so chose, and the President doesn’t get that right. He can over rule them, but they can come back with a majority and over rule that veto.

So here you have the field of follies, we have women,( as a gal in her 70’s) can’t believe the bimbo’s that have raised to the top. We have so many… so many intelligent woman out there, why aren’t they running. We have two who are famous and highly thought of, by the Tea Party, and they can’t even get history straight. Not that their male counterparts are much better… but these women continuous embarrass us with their shoot from the hip remarks.

It will be interesting to see what the field narrows down to. How the people who actually get to vote, who will they put in the front row of choices. Hopefully other states let all vote, as some as red as my own, want you to chose a party before you step up to vote in the primaries. Leaving those of us, of the Cafeteria Party and so called Independent voters, in the lurk, unless they want to lie as they chose one.

In the last time around, it got down and dirty, actually in the past 3 times. Hopefully the candidates stay on course of what is the issues and tell what they want to do. What they think is best for the country, and not for their party. And stop blaming the President in house, blame all the elections of the past. And come up with a plan.

Obama tried to do that in his YES, WE CAN and his WE HAVE HOPE. And a lot of us voted for that. He did do a lot of things he said he plan on doing. Maybe not like we wanted him to do it, but he did try. Any President elect can tell you, even if they are a previous Congress person, the rules change after that oath, and it isn’t quite as you think.

So good luck voters, it is going to be a rough ride thru the field of follies. And the pickings are thin.

Gut Reaction

I am sure a lot of you have seen the headline of
“TSA Orders 95-Year-Old Woman To Remove Adult Diaper During Search”
And it angered or upset you… it sure did me… after working over 17 years in
a care center (nursing home to those my age).

But the story is a little more than that. They didn’t have her
remove it as they were searching her, but had her daughter
take her to the bathroom to change it as it was soiled. And yes,
it was a embarrassing thing for both of them. And yes, it was stalling
the TSA’s search. But not quite like the headline had you believe.

But even with that said, it still is outrageous and where the hell is
common sense. I know, I know, those of you who were at war, know
that the enemy uses elderly, and children. I was told that by my uncle
who, while in Vietnam, was going to remove a bicycle in a parking lot… and he had a local remove the bike . Only to have said bike blow up. So yes, they use items, the old and young.

But this is not quite the same thing. Are you really going to try to convince me
that in our good old USA, that a daughter is going to wheel her 94 year old
Mother to a plane and have dynamite in her mother’s underpants? I don’t think
so. So while the OFFICIALS.. say that this was just part of the routine… we need to change that routine and have common sense rule…

We need to give the elderly the respect they deserve. Just like the elderly man
who had cancer, who went to see his son. Yet TSA made him sit down and
remove his shoes. Which he was trying to do with great effort. So much that
his daughter, who was dropping him off, tried to go over and help her father, and was refused as she didn’t have a ticket to ride a plane, so she was not allowed in that area. So she stood there for 22 minutes while he tried to put
his shoes back on…not even a TSA agent took pity on him. When his daughter requested them to help, she was told if they helped everyone they wouldn’t have time to do their job…. Too bad…
Our elderly deserve better.

Phase 1...90% done

This is with 90% of phase 1 done.. needs over head light attached... molding, and trim
around the window....

Next is phase 2... which is 2/3's of this project. and then to have the floor done. Hopefully

this is all done by August 1st.

But for this week, I get to catch up on housework that was put to the side for "go for " runs,

exchange this and that... Also to unpack some totes and fill up others... fun fun fun..

Hope your summer is going well... at least we have a few days of summer here in Idaho.

Misty

I was sleeping, you know....

Dog tired.... she thinks she is human....by the way, that is my side of the bed.

Still under Construction....

In a week, we have gone slowly but steady...

Those with long memories..(5 years back) read in my blog

how I painted my metal kitchen cabinets tangerine in hopes my husband

would hate it so bad, he would start on our remodel... as you can see it took

5 years...

So here we are, one week into the first part... the plumbing has been readusted

for the new sink... texture is done, paint is 90% done..(ran out of paint on sunday)

platform goes in this am and then the cabinets start to be installed. Hopefully if all

goes well, by the weekend we will have phase 1 done.

My Dad

Gone 17 years.... but never forgotten...

For those who wonder

For those who wonder how we are coming on the kitchen project... this is
where we were as of Wednesday

How high is the water, Mama? 12 feet and rising....

Flooding around our area...
Here an Eagle is finding a stick to sit on... This is a dock underwater... in the Sunnyside area

This is at Sandpoint beach... the statute of Liberty... water lapping over the dock

to her, which is normally a couple feet higher than the water..

Sandpoint Beach loading dock for boats, underwater...

Back out at Sunnyside... Here is Hawkins dock area... underwater...

Usually you walk on the beach area about 6 more feet before you get

to the water area.. and the dock is about 2 or more feet above water, normally

This is looking directly at the dock... you just can't see it under the water.

This is the old mail boat, a couple more feet and it could be floating again.. well,

maybe not.. but it sure could sink..

Beach front property for sale.... lol.... those little orange pots are the flower pots

that they have on two corners of their dock, which is underwater...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION...

Not the blog site, but the home site... so won't be blogging for the rest of the week..
Unless something too good to pass by happens.
We got more drywall put up... have 3 small patches to do tomorrow.. and then it
is paper and mud time.... After that, it will be some floor work, and then texture,
and after that... painting time...THEN the cabinets go in.. and moving the stove.
We thought we would be further, but thought while we have everything torn
apart, we would put in new insulation... after all the ones there were 50 years
old. So put that in and new dry wall...
So you all have a great time in the sunshine they have promised. I will be the
old lady with white hair who will be covered with white dust... Hopefully have
some picture for you next Monday of either progress... or finish job...Phase
1.

Misty walking thru and inspecting...

Another wall done.

Déjà Vu,

This is a long time ago... I believe it was 1975 or 76. We bought a house that didn't have
a sink, nor water to the house. Running water meant running out to the pump shed and
use the fawcet there. So for a month, I did dishes this way. Large pan was filled with
water and then heated on the stove. (we didn't have a water heater either) and the bucket
was cold water for rinsing.

Well, here we are... 36 years later. And another kitchen, everything removed except

the stove. We are eating off of paper plates and cooking on the grill. So there is little

]dishes to wash, but still... So here I am back to washing in a pan. Plastic this time.

Here is the automatic dish drier... the dish rack on the back of the car, after being

rinsed, then sprayed rinsed, and air dry.

And in the line of how little things mean a lot....here is my first wall.

YAHOO... I have a wall..!!! 1 and half to go... (others are in phase 2 of the project.)

And then there were none....

Here they are... 4 little baby Robins... and this was Friday...



And this is Saturday... messy tenants if you ask me...

We went out on the deck this am, and there was one baby down on the table below the nest.

We sneaked up, swooped him/her up and went to put it back... when another one jumped and

flew out on the lawn. We saw another one and then another... still one left in the nest crying out

for the rest. Mom and Dad up on the garage. We tried to catch them, and put them back as

they didn't fly very well. Well, that was a disaster... so we quit... and figure nature would take

its course. Part of that nature was my cat... no, no... she didn't get them... but it wasn't for lack

of trying. Me, yelling NO, NO..get in to the house... and after a few licks of her chin, she was very

disgusted with me and went in the house. She has been outside off and on all day, we have

not gotten any surprise presents of bird bodies on the deck... So I am hoping they all 4 got

away with out any problems...

We have a new diet that works ....

We have a new diet at our home.. and it is working well. First
Off, it helps if you are remodeling your kitchen.

In our remodeling of the kitchen, we had to put our refrigerator
out in the garage. Which isn’t far but it isn’t attached to the house
either.

So now we have to go outside, open the garage door, walk in
and get what ever we plan on eating for our meal. Which means
either many trips or you play the game called, “how many things
can you stack in your arms without it falling off”. Then you walk
back to the house, up the stairs of the deck, and into the house
and try to shut the door. So far 80% of those trips, something
has been forgotten, so have to go back out again. After dinner,
you reverse this trip of stack the pile on your arms. Going down
the stairs that you can not see now, due to the pile. Go to the
garage, try to open the door with full arms, and go inside and
open refrigerator. This demands great balance. Your arms as
well as your legs as you travel back and forth. Oh, and don’t
always depend on your spouse making those trips with you,
but he will definitely help you out, by reminding you what you
forgot to bring to the house.

There are some times, where you decide if it is really worth
going out to the garage to get what ever you decided you
want to eat. Nah, I am good. Of course, if I weaken and
go out, the King will ask me to pick up something for him
too. As he had already decided it wasn’t worth his time to
get it, but being I am going out anyway… could I get him
the item of choice.

This back and forth trips, is good exercise for losing weight.
and then the times I decide it isn’t worth the trip, well that is
just one more thing I don’t eat.

These fun games get even better this weekend…As I have
had a stove and a sink only in the kitchen for a week. Oh,
yea, I have the microwave too. But this is about to change as
the sink goes out tomorrow and the stove gets disconnented
Monday.

Humm, raw food items, means veggies, and I guess paper
plates are up next.

Invitation Season

Ah, here we are in June… The invitation season…
That is when the mail comes with an invitation practical
weekly or less. Invitation to graduations, to weddings and what ever
else the summer brings.

There are several invitations types… there are the save the day
for us invite. The we are getting married, finally (that was ours 12
years ago) invite. The graduation invite that wants you there if you are
the parents or grandparents.. all else please send gifts. The please
come see our little darling get married. Or the, hey we are getting
married and want you to watch and enjoy the day with us, invite.

Ah, the please send gifts invite. They are the ones where you aren’t
really wanted there, as they don’t want to have to pay extra for the
meal they are catering… or you are a friend of Mom’s or Dad’s and
they asked me to send you an invite.

Some come early enough that you can write it on the calendar and
be well prepared for the day, if in fact you have decide to attend. BUT
then a week before, comes another invitation… for the same day.
(Does Ms. Manners have a time limit on invite, or is it first invite is
the one you have to go to?) We have one such coming up this week
end. So the King and I have decided (actually I decided) to split it. He
takes the wedding(he is closer to the groom), and I take the
birthday/graduation party They are two hours apart but on each side
of the county. So not doable for both of us. Not and be fair to each.

So are you ready for the season? Do you have a standard gift?
Weddings for us is x-large towels. Graduations is money, (it is the
right size, color, loved by all and etc.)

And what do you do when you accepted one invite and another one
comes along much later on the same day?

Reality Shows

We, as a nation, give too much time to media reality shows.
Pimplike for Bachelorette or Bachelor and the Kardashian family..
What is with that? Let’s rub it into the faces of the poor, the people
who are losing their homes, see how rich and spoiled we are?
My ring is more than what your home is worth, that you are losing?
Kardashians and the list goes on of the rich and famous. Then you have the rich and fallen who are in a rich rehab. No wonder other countries have such a poor ideal of who we are. And it is your fault. Not mine as I can't get the channels and wouldn't watch if I did.
So how do I know about them, the ads for these shows. I did watch the first Bachelor. What a bunch of cow manure that was. The whole thing was a set up first off… and then the women being degraded fighting over this guy.
I lasted only 3 shows. I don’t even want to go to the (fill in the city)
Housewives show. When they tell what they are about, I wonder, how
can one waste time on such stuff…

The only Reality shows we liked were the doctor shows of surgery and etc.
Some of the nature shows… then heard some of that is a set up. And of
course the King likes anything to do with hunting and fishing. Those are the
type we like.

The closest to entertaining reality shows is the American Idol, Sharks,
and America has Talent. At least those are contest and the public gets
to vote on two of them. And kind of, on the 3rd one, as we chose to buy
the product that the inventors are trying to get financial backing.

French doors or why I am not blogging much...

Progress on the French door project....

HELP, SOME ONE PUNCHED A HOLE IN MY WALL!!!!




With the old door gone above and the new door hole punched in at the end of the day...
it is a start....



At the end of the second day... we have French doors....
doors closed......

Doors open with screen doors shut

The white outside matches the house...
and the wood color matches... well, will match my new kitchen when it is done...

And below is looking from outside on the deck... still have step to replace and the

window to the left will be gone by tomorrow... Then all the fill in for that hole and

the one to the left of the door.

baby Robins in progress

Looks like every one is asleep.....

Opps... one woke up... they have feathers mostly now... and Mom and Dad hover over even more than before...
Can't wait for solo flights...

It has to be hard on Mom and Dad too, as we are making a lot of noise putting in doors

and taking out a window...

and then there was 4

As you can see... Momma Robin is still here, getting worms for her little ones...

It looks like there is 4 now... in case you think I am handling them or the nest, I am

not... I just point the camera down towards inside the nest, while Mom is out worm hunting...

My pansies... are doing well... in different places... but this is my favorite.

As you can see, I am having too much fun out side... so not much for blogging except

some pictures...

And tomorrow, my French doors are coming... and I should have a huge hole in my

wall, tomorrow night ready for Friday installation... I am so excited...

Next week it is the job of storing all my stuff in the cabinets, so we can take the

1940's metal cabinets out and in comes the wood ones...

So party on, with the summer, and yard work... will up date next week.. with pictures.

The Field is full of holes....

I really feel sorry for the Republicans… So many jumping in
and out of the field of dreams called the Presidential race.
How many are there anyway? I lost count as they come in
and run out of the view.

But there isn’t anyone that is a serious runner. Maybe Mitt
might be in for the long run. But he as been there before and
didn’t work out well for him.

By from the Cafeteria Party point of view, there is no one out
there. How are we going to walk up the aisle of offers if it is all
cotton candy… all sweet and no substance. Personally I am on a diet…
and all of this is nothing on the table.