Books, Latte, Wii, Motorcycles

I cleaned 4 more inches of snow from the driveway this morning. I wanted to go to Mentor, the nearest "big" city for a couple of things. My first stop was the Family Christian Bookstore cuz they have a decent "clean" restroom and my blood pressure meds make me hafta go and it was a 45 mile ride, if you get my drift. Since I was in the bookstore, I decided to browse just in case there was something I couldn't live without. On my way to the restroom I passed a rack of devotionals. One caught my eye because I recognized the author's name but wasn't sure how I knew her. Jennifer Rothschild. Sounded familiar, the devotional looked interesting, but I had to pee. I browsed the store, found some Christmas cards 50% off - great deal and they can go in the bag of cards I bought on sale after Christmas 2007! I wandered to the kids book section and found a cute cloth book for my buckaroo. Figured he could take it to church and it won't make a loud THUD when he drops it. Picked up some greeting cards that I needed. I finally wandered back to the devotional - Fresh Ground Faith. In reading the author credits, I found that Jennifer is the author of Lessons I Learned in the Dark. Bingo. Women of Faith conference 2007 in Cleveland. She was the sightless guest speaker. She has amazing insight. I bought the devotional - and will probably look for the other books she's authored.

After I had spent sufficient time (and $$) there, I moved on. I am going to CMA's Seasons of Refreshing in 2 weeks. It is a Fri night/Sat pre-season rally to prepare us for the upcoming motorcycling ministry season. I NEVER go out of town without a novel to read, and I didn't find anything intriguing at the Family Christian Bookstore (I could "pre-buy" Tony Dungy's next book, but they didn't state the release date) so I stopped at Borders (after visiting several clothing stores and finding zilch). Lo and Behold, they had in stock Tony Dungy's new book! It looks interesting and started to buy it when I spotted THE ASSOCIATE. John Grisham's new release. I dropped Dungy's book like a hot potato knowing Grisham was going home with me. I also have heard alot lately about Jodi Picoult's work so I picked up her latest novel. Did I mention that I love books??? Now all I needed was a quiet corner and a good latte and I'd be all set! Thought about Panera Bread or a nearby Starbucks, but decided to head home and patronize our newest local coffee shop. JavaNet Cafe. It is owned and operated by a good friend and I usually get samples of new things he's trying on the menu. (the lure of free food must run in the family!) John's 15 yr old son Adam was working and fixed me a Cookie Dough Mocha latte with whipped cream on top. mmmm good! I settled in a quiet corner with The Associate (I promise to TRY and not read the last chapter first!) and my java and it was good. Then John came into the cafe and we chatted a little before he told me about the Wii he had in the side room. I told him I knew absolutely nothing about video games so he asked Adam to set the game up for bowling and switch his player to a right-hander so I could play. After a few instructions from John and watching Adam demonstrate . . . .I was bowling. John has the Wii hooked up to a projector so the display is on the wall and you really feel like you are in a bowling alley. John left for his daughter's basketball game and Adam I battled it out. It came down to the 10th frame where he picked up his spare and needed 4 pins to tie with me. He got 6. I can't wait to go back for my next latte and Wii lesson!

Tomorrow is the BIG day! The International Motorcycle Show in Cleveland! I've been planning what to wear for 2 weeks now and have my clothes laid out ready to go, right down to my HD socks. It's midnight thirty here and I'm wide awake with excitement. Perhaps if I cuddle under the covers and read I'll be able to turn my brain off and get some sleep. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about the show in a later post.
Ciao for now.

SNOW DAY

Finally . . . the call came . . . . schools are closed! I was up at 5:30, checked the TV listing of closings. Checked the internet for closings. Nothing in Ashtabula County. 5 inches of new snow on the ground and a prediction for 4-8 more here in the snow belt! I was so prepared!!! During my lunch hour yesterday I hauled 2 loads of wood from the woodpile. (when I workout after work it is dark when I get home and I don't go to the woodpile after dark!) I stopped at the store for milk before coming home. I even brought a file folder of work home to work on! I was all set to stay in my jammies in front of a nice fire and watch the snow pile up! Alas, it wasn't to be. So I made coffee and sat in my quiet time chair. My quiet time was very distracted and I couldn't focus . . . I was letting my disappointment interfere with talking/listening to the BIG G. I realized this when my journaling took on a whiny tone. At 5:51 I put the journal down and listened to the stillness around me - expecting a profound message from BIG G. At 5:54 my call came . . . . stay home!!!! Thank you BIG G!

So, now that I've had coffee and am wide awake . . . . what to do??? Clean out the fireplace and get it ready for a nice fire . . . maybe do some baking . . . work on the afghan for my little buckaroo . . . . clean the bathroom . . . . dust and sweep my bedroom . . .clean out a closet . . . oh, and there's always the folder of work - some requisitons to enter via the internet and a spreadsheet of uniform invoices that needs updated. Too many choices. I think I'll have another cup of coffee and settle under a blanket with my novel until I can decide - aftr all, it's not yet 6:30 a.m. and I have all day.

Ciao

Monday (yawn)

I am tired with a capital T. My boss had surgery last week and things in a school district's financial office just can't stop when the boss isn't there. Employees expect their paychecks and vendors expect to be paid for their goods and services. That means that all of us are picking up his slack, fielding questions and tackling things that he should be answering and doing. It wouldn't be bad if his daily rate salary was being divyied up among the lowly.

OK enough whining. The good thing is I forced myself to go to the gym and pound out a couple of miles on the treadmill. That is a GREAT stress reducer!!!! I hit the ab bench for 100 crunches and did a few squats. I'll pay for those tomorrow with burning quads.

The even better news is the weather forecast! Not the cold weather . . . that's not news . . . . it's supposed to be cold here this time of year. No, a good ole snow storm is brewing on the horizon, getting me pumped for a snow day Wednesday! Tomorrow I plan on dragging a load or two of wood from the wood pile behind the garage (I use a plastic sled - works great!) and stacking it in the wood ring on my front porch in preparation! Then I can stay in my jammies all day Wednesday and watch it snow!!!!! I love living in NE Ohio (and working for the school district!).

Time for jammies and a little reading before I head off to dreamland.

Ciao.

Dreaming . . .

With winter keeping us in its grasp for another 2 months, my mind as been going on "vacation" to tropical places where the sun warms white sandy beaches and the crashing of waves soothes the spirit. If only my body could follow the mind . . . I have 4 vacation days I need to use by April 2 and desparately wish I could take a cruise or head to Vegas - someplace I've never been before.

The International motorcycle show will be in Cleveland next weekend! I can't wait! Although it will probably only serve to depress me further seeing all the shiny new bikes and motorcycle paraphanalia and knowing it is still winter. I need to remember to wear my motorcyclegirlwear t-shirt and get a discount on any purchases I make at their booth. It's a pink v-neck and says, "silly boys, motorcycles are for girls" AND it was signed by Ami James last year at a motorcycle rally. You know, AMI JAMES ! . . . of Miami Ink fame?? That's it!!!! I'll go to Miami and let him tattoo me! That's another dream . . .

Ciao for now.

Morning Person

It is 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. My goal was to stay in bed until 8. Obviously that didn't happen. I forgot to turn the alarm off last night so it blasted at 5:30. I snuggled back under the covers and at 6:30 my cell phone "dinged" with a text message "R u up?" from a friend that works swing shift and is in his "midnight" part of the shift rotation. He was just getting home from his 12 hr shift. When I called him he said he thought I'd be sleeping in today. Is this passive aggressive behavior? The truth is I am a morning person. It is the most peaceful time of my days.

I got my "package" from my "butterfly" mom - it came postage due! There are some very nice items in my package. I would feel selfish keeping them all to myself so I plan to "re-gift" some of them. I'm sure that's what Mom would want - to know that her middle child is unselfish and shares the "wealth". Coffee is done and smelling good. It was 45 degrees yesterday and today's high will be 15. better bundle up to go out and get the paper.

Ciao everyone.

Destined to be COLD

I'm beginning to think being cold is my destiny this winter. I kept a positive attitude when my furnace stopped in the middle of the night - 2 nights in a row - when we were having the coldest temperatures of the decade. I mentioned in yesterday's post that I drove in a snowstorm last night. That snowstorm left 6-8 inches of snow in my drive, on my deck and on my patio. (some areas were deeper depending on the wind) Sooooo, before church this morning, I fired up the beast and cleand the driveway and patio, then shoveled the deck (I need to be able to get to my gas grill). I traveled snowcovered and slippery roads to get to church only to sit in a freezing cold facility. I wore jeans, an undershirt, a warm sweater, wigwam socks, warm boots, my leather coat, scarf around my neck and I froze. On my way to the jeep after church I fell on my butt in the parking lot. Nothing hurt at the time except my pride. I couldn't get warm all day. DS called before I left for church and invited me to lunch at Lakeway after my church service - (cheryl, last time I was ther jerri was on her hands and knees scrubbing baseboards!) I sat there and froze. After lunch I came home and got under the warmest blanket I own trying to get warm. After resting under the blanket my wrist is hurting from trying to break my fall this morning. I'll see how it is tomorrow - may have to get it checked out. It is evening now and I am still a little chilled. made a pot of chocolate velvet (decaf) coffee hoping that I can warm up from the inside out.

OK, enough whining . . . accepting my destiny doesn't mean I can dream about a caribbean vacation, right?

Ciao everyone

Big freeze part II

Guess who didn't have heat again this a.m.????? That's right. Only this morning it was down to 57 degrees which means I was really cozy under 3 blankets cuz the furnace quit earlier than it did Thursday night . . . or maybe it was colder last night . . . . either way, I was pretty cozy. Unitl 6:15 that is. I immediately went into survivor mode - warm robe, fire, hot coffee, warm fuzzy socks and slippers. DS had to be in Mayfield by 8:30, so I didn't bother him. I waited until 8:30 and called the expert. DSIL - dear son-in-law. DD was working (dear daughter) and he had daddy day care duty for my little buckaroo. I'd thought ahead on this knowing my little buckaroo didnt' need to be out in sub-zero tempeartures.So I made this proposal: "I have a fire going and I'm fine. I have a 10:00 hair appointment. How about I come to your house after my appointment - about 11:30 - and stay with my little buckaroo while you come look at my furnace?" He said that sounded like a wonderful plan. And so it was to be.

DSIL spent about an hour here. Cleaning this, adjusting that, turning the other thing and deemed the problem solved. Hey, he's the expert and I believe him. (don't tell him I'm putting a 4th blanket on my bed tonight "just in case") AND, I had an unexpected playdate with my little buckaroo and my GDS MoJo (granddogson)!!!! Doesn't get much better, does it????

All is well that ends well. Teen Challenge was the perfect ending to this day! We served up sloppy joe's, biker beans (I'm queen of the beans!), macaroni salad and hard boiled eggs. There are 4 men "graduating" from the program this month. 3 of them shared their testimonies. 2 newer guys shared theirs, then our VP looked my way . . . I turned and glanced behind me to see who he was looking at. Not seeing anyone, I turned around and heard him ask, "Bonnie, is there somehthing you'd like to say?" Some how the word YES came out of my mouth and I took the floor and gave my testimony. All evening I had felt the spirit nudging me, and when Jim spoke, I couldn't ignore the nudge any longer.

Our CMA manual says you should be able to give your testimony in 2 minutes - cuz with bikers, that may be all the time they'll give you. I've been thinking about this since my ministry training. . . . Tell what your life was like before giving your life to Christ . . . . Tell how the conversion came about . . . .Tell what difference it has made in your life. I did just that and it felt so good! I then was able to affirm the men there . . . let them know how important they are to me . . . that I can't help feel connected as most of them are younger that my 2 children . . .that their lives and testimonies give me courage and strength each month and that I pray for them each morning in my talk with the BIG G.

I drove home in a snowstorm - blowing and drifting snow - using the mailboxes and street light poles as guides to keep me on the road - but I was not afraid - I felt perfect peace. Thanks God!

Ciao for now.

The BIG freeze

BRRRRRRR When I first checked the temperature/wind chill this morning the actual temp was -11. The wind chill factor was -30. I heard on the news that temps in Alaska were warmer than in NE Ohio!

My day didn't start out as I had planned - you know snuggling under a pile of blankets knowing you didn't have any set agenda; no specific place to be at a certain time. Those kind of days are rare. Anywho - I woke up, looked at the clock and it was 5:30 (the internal alarm; that is my daily wake-up time) and thought "ahhhh, I can sleep a couple of more hours". I felt a little cold so I reached for the extra afghan I've been keeping on the bed for just such occasions. I was getting all cuddled and tucked in and had this thought, "If the air on my face is this cold, it must be time for the furnace to kick on." I waited and waited and waited - still didn't hear the furnace. My next thought was "OH S _ _ _!" I jumped out of bed, grabbed my warmest robe and headed to the thermostat. I keep it set at 68. The temp in the house was 63. I heard the motor but there was NO HEAT.

Being the independent woman I am I knew exactly what to do . . . I called my son-in-law, the family heating/cooling specialist. Honest. He's certified and everything. Got his voice mail so I left a message.

I had no choice but to go into survivor mode. I built a fire (don't they always do that on survivor?) in the fireplace. I turned the furnace off, went down to the furnace room and looked the situation over. The light bulb came on! The one in my head . . . I remembered what to do! Warning: There may be technical jargon used and understood only by us survivors.
My outtake is a PVC pipe on the front of my house with the opening pointed up. It is under the overhang and only gets snow in it when it's windy. This is the third time it happened. The first time it happened, the service person I called explained it all to me and even let me hold the bucket! He rigged it up so I could fix it my self (long as I have someone to hold the bucket) and save myself $90. What I needed to do was wiggle the coupler around so I could separate the pvc pipe in the basement and aim the open end at a bucket. Then I needed to go outside and pour hot water in the outtake pipe, melting the snow, which would drain into the bucket. I couldn't budge the coupler. My hands aren't big enough to get a grip around the pipe. So, I stoked the fire and I waited until 7:15 and called my DS. He's taller and has larger hands. With a lot of wiggling and a little jiggling he got it loose. I put the tea kettle on and he went out to melt the snow and I went down to hold the bucket. (since I am the experienced bucket holder, I couldn't see wasting my experience by going out in the sub-zero temps to do the melting). It wasn't long before the pipe was cleared and the water drained to the basement. I went up and restarted the furnace and VOILA` - I had heat. I think the coldest it got in the house was 56.

What an adventurous way to begin the day! I'm thankful for my fireplace. I have often toyed with thoughts of converting it to gas. I don't because at least once a year I need it for heat and wood burns much hotter than gas. I'm also thankful for my wood pile. I am also thankful for my DS and his strong hands.

Time for lean cuisine again. A protein shake would take the edge off my hunger but I'm not sure I can drink something so freezing cold.

Ciao, everyone.

LONG weekend!!!!

More happy dancing!!!!! I just got a call from my boss. . . . schools are closed tomorrow. The last I checked the temp was 4 with a windchill of -11. Could explain why the furnace is running non-stop. We are expecting wind chills of -25 by morning. Not sure about the lake effect snow. Still predicting 4-6 inches of snow tonight and another 4-6 inches tomorrow. I thought the lake was pretty much frozen which takes the "lake effect" away. We'll see.

What does this mean? I won't set the coffee maker to come on automatically in the morning. I can turn the alarm OFF. Since Monday is a holiday, I have a 4 day weekend! I thought ahead and brought some stuff home to work on. Spreadsheet stuff that I don't have uninterrupted time at work to get done. If I really get bored I can work on that :-( NOT!!!!

Ciao everyone!

HALLELUIAH!

Everyone! On your feet! Do the dance of joy with me!! DS just called - Got word from his mechanic . . . a new (?) engine, new timing chain, new water pump, new thermostat and a pile of chips ($$) later and his car is "running smooth". We will be there when the guy opens the shop in the morning!!! It has been a real test. In patience. In understanding. And HALLELUIAH! PRAISE THE LORD! We passed the tests!

We are under all kinds of yukky weather advisorys and watches and warnings. Lake Effect snow warning. Wind chill advisories (It would be a shame if it were too bitter cold for the little tykes to go to school tomorrow and they cancelled, now wouldn't it?)

`Bout time to microwave my Healthy Choice frozen dinner.

Ciao.

Ooooh Ooooh ! Almost forgot . . . .

When I posted Sunday evening I forgot to mention something VERY important and exciting!!! When I cleared the driveway Friday afternoon, when I was all done, I took a minute and right there in my front yard I plopped down and made . . . . a snow angel!!!!!

C'mon. Honestly, now, when was the last time you made a snow angel???? If you have to think about it then it's been too long. There is something in the reckless abandon of the child within bursting free!!! A thrill in the coldness of the snow. A comfort in its softness. Lying there looking up at the sky, letting the snow fall on you, or watching the clouds float by, or if it's dark, seeing the stark brightness of the stars against the black winter sky. If you have lost your joy, I guarantee you will find it in making a snow angel.

Your joy will continue if you have a tea kettle on the stove waiting for you to come to your senses and come in from the cold, take off you wet clothes and warm up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate!

Ciao everyone!

Storm has passed.

The winter storm has come and gone. Leaving behind 10 inches of snow! I cleaned the driveway Friday after work (I have a BEAST of a snowblower) and again Saturday around 3:00. I kept a fire in the fireplace all day and sat and watched the snow come down. The downside to this is that my dinner plans were postponed because the county roads were slippery and dangerous. We'll try again in 2 weeks. I did go out to Wal-mart about 7:00. I decided I'd better get some groceries before the next storm blows through.

The roads are much improved and I made it to church today. I visited Beautiful Savior Lutheran church. A small faith community of about 20 people gather in a store front in Saybrook to celebrate in Word, song and spirit. This group broke away from an established church in Geneva - something about the politics. It was a good experience and I'm planning to go back next week.

Ciao!

Car sharing update!

There is light at the end of the tunnel! The word came down yesterday that the car DS took for major repair has been moved indoors to "thaw out", the parts are all received, work on the vehicle will begin Monday and should be wrapped up Wednesday. We just have to get through this weekend. DS has Tetelestai rehearsal all day today, I have dinner plans with friends to celebrate one of them turning 50!!!! Tomorrow DS has church at 9 a.m., teaching CCD at 10:15. I on the other hand would like to continue my quest to find a worship community and had planned to attend a 10:30 worship at Beautiful Savior Luthern Church. It's a long story, but it is definitely a "God thing" that I go to this church.
We are under a winter storm watch until 1a.m. Sunday, so I have all day with no vehicle to get stuff done around the house - or I could sit and read - or I could crochet - hmmmmmm. So many possibilities. I think I'll bundle up and walk out and get my newspaper, build a fire in the fireplace, have another cup of coffee and ponder (er, plan) my day.
Ciao.

Car Sharing Foundation

That's me. Car sharing foundation. Darling son's car died the Tuesday before Christmas. He had it towed to my garage where my son-in-law came and pronounced the words we were dreading: busted timing chain. After much brainstorming and weighing the options darling son (heretofor shall be referred to as DS) had it towed to a repair guy who looked at it and pronounced even worse news. Needs a whole new engine - sprokets are busted too. More brainstorming followed: along with internet searches - for a new/rebuilt engine. Our local auto recycler had one with 114,000 miles on and claimed it was a sweet running thing. Call me blonde, but it wasn't even in a car, how could they know how sweet it ran????
DS called another recycler and they could get one in 2 days that only has 80,000 miles on it and the price was the same. SOLD!
Keep in mind that all this time DS and I have been sharing the use of my 8 yr old jeep. It's taken a lot of compromise and a lot of understanding of each other's priorities and schedules. Yesterday, we drove to the next county in a borrowed pickup truck and picked up the engine - I'm earning my redneck merit badge - which was then delivered by DS to the mechanic's shop. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping it is done by Friday afternoon.
In the meantime, everytime I get a turn with the jeep the little gas pump light is on . . . so I have to stand out in the cold, put my debit card into the pump and play gas station attendant only to have DS pick the jeep up at my office the next morning.

If it sounds like I'm whining . . . I'm not. Years ago I learned that you've got to be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goal. You don't have to like doing it, just be willing.
Ciao.

It's over

It's over. The wise guys arrived at the stable. Mine, however, had to run because I kept forgetting to move them a little closer each day. That meant it was time to un-decorate inside and out. I started outside - lights, wreaths, garland and bows - all put away. Then came the tree. As I gradually worked my way to getting the lights off, the poor thing looked sadder and sadder with each group of things coming off. It now is lying out by the road waiting for the township workers to pick it up and haul it to the compost pile. Why is it all my decorations fit nicely in the boxes and on the shelves in the basement and now I have stragglers that won't fit in any of the boxes??? And some boxes that won't fit on the desingated "Christmas" shelves and have had to apply for squatter's rights on the craft shelf?



I ran out of gumption yesterday so the Santa Clause collection (which includes a a cheesy santa on a motorcycle that plays "Born to be Wild") will go "on vacation" today. Then it's officially over. The snowman collection stays out until Spring as they are "winter" decorations (as well as the "winter" dishes"). Then it's on to winter tasks: paint the bathroom? paint the kitchen? my den closet needs some attention. There's always something to clean out in the basement. And I need to make the curtains for the garage. Got the fabric, just need to get the measurements and start sewing. Yes, you read that right. I'm putting curtains on the garage windows. My motorcycle needs privacy - actually it's a security measure. I'd feel better knowing I've done everything I can to keep her safe.

Ciao til next time.

Progress

My hands are cramping from crocheting. Yikes! I finished the first 7oz skein of yarn. Got 15 rows done. I went back to the prototpye (the one Mom made me) and it is 130 rows I think. Maybe more. If that's the case I'm more than one tenth finished! I only need 9 more boring weekends to complete this project. Yipppeeee Skippppeeeee!

I'm feeling pretty satisfied about the productivity of this Saturday . . . cleaned the bathroom (the most dreaded cleaning job), swept and mopped the kitchen and swept the hardwood floors in the rest of the house, completed the laundry (towels still in dryer waiting to be folded) and went to visit my "considerate friend" (explained in previous post). He was released from the hospital (no serious findings) and his darling daughter got him home. I left when it was time for the football games to start. I don't do televised football. Made a yummy salad for dinner and now need to see about getting my printer installed on this new computer. Then it will be jammies and some time reading.

Ciao

Finally Friday

It's finally happened. I think I am an honest to goodness Grandma now . . . . I'm sitting home on a Friday night crocheting an afghan for my grandson. The fact that I'm alternating between surfing the net and crocheting just means I'm a 21st Century Grandma! In one of her blog posts, dear daughter got me to thinking of the Grandma Blankets she and her brother and cousins cherish. Generally in the winter (we're talking snow belt winters) I get cabin fever and start a knitting/crocheting project. So I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and selected the yarn to be used for Precious Grandson's traditional 1st birthday blanket. Mom made me an afghan years ago using a unique pattern that I've always wanted to try. Her directions were very vague: sets of double crochet separated by chains, then braid the chains. I sat and examined it and think I have it figured out. I'm really excited about this. Let's see . . .today is Jan 2 . . . the 1st birthday is July 13 . . . I may have to carry the project in my saddlebags to motorcycle rallys and sit and crochet once I get there! I have no doubt I'll be able to git r done.

Now a word about my considerate friend . . . who phoned me at 1:30 a.m. saying he thought he needed to go to the hospital. He was experiencing pressure/pain in his chest, general limb weakness and numbness in his face. He said he'd call 911 but didn't want to alarm his neighbors by having an emergency squad pull in his driveway. Isn't that considerate? I got out of my flannel jammies, put on a happy face and drove across town to transport him. Long story short . . . the initial tests came back ok, but he was admitted for observation and more testing. The last I heard, he was bugging the nursing staff to get released. If he calls for a ride home, I'm gonna tell him my transport vehicle is out of service until 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. Seriously, I'm thankful for friends. I know if things were reversed, he'd do the same for me.

Ciao, til next time.