...the gathering storm

summer rainstorms are unusual here in NorCal...
especially in Mudville...



around 1 PM, & the clouds are moving in fast...
this view was taken only a few minutes before the last picture in this post...



as opposed to the Midwest, South or East...
our rare summer rains, even with thunder & lightning...
come with cool winds & little humidity...



here's the view to the West only minutes after the second shot...
notice how much closer the low dark cloud is...
the weather report had a "warning" for thunder storms...
and even some snow accumulation over the highest passes...
so by the time these clouds get over the mountains...
it should be spectacular...

if we get measurable rain here in the valley...
it will be quite an unusual happening...

...it's official...

...I am becoming my grandmother...

I'm even starting to resemble her...
[I have her jowls as well as her middle name...]

however, in this case, I'm referring to her shopping habits...

having lived through the Depression of the 1930's...
she always waited for the weekly newspaper ads to come out...
before deciding on her menu/shopping list for the week...

since times have gotten tougher...
I have found myself being more careful...

I've been to Wallyworld, Costco & FFL...
but I haven't yet made it to Winco...
[a Winn-Dixie company perhaps ?
for those of you in the southeastern US...]



the weekly grocery circulars come out on Tuesday...
and I have been able to score some good deals...
[that I don't have to drive 10 miles for...]
just by reading these flyer's...

there is just one of me...
I don't buy as much as a family would...
& I'm usually looking for meat, produce or dairy...
[with an occasional speciality item catching my eye...]

and I'm sure that prices this good [or better]...
might be scored at Wallyworld, FFL or Winco...
at any given time...

but those stores don't send me weekly ads...

if you live in Mudville or the environs...
these prices caught my eye this week...



I've already been here to score :

Foster Farm's chicken breast[skin on, bone in]
$.97 per lb !!

MaxPak[3 lbs or more] ground chuck or beef...
$ 1.49 per lb...

they also have FF leg/thigh quarters $1.97 per lb...



these guys have FF whole chickens...$.49 per lb...
[limit 4]



the good deal here is bottled water...
3 cases for $9.99 plus crv...
[regular price, $3.97 per case + crv...


over all, the S&M whole chix at $.49 p/lb ...
[SM has them for $.76 p/lb...]

and the SM chicken breast [$.97 p/lb] & ground chuck [$1.49 p/lb]
[which were flying off the shelves when I was there...]

are the low price winners this week...

if you can take advantage of these prices, enjoy...
I know that I will...

[postscript...
I bought gas in Mudville today at a car wash...
I only needed about 6 gal, but I needed the car washed...
as I was driving MzYBee to Ahnoldtown today...
so I paid $2.79...I've seen as low as $2.65 elsewhere here in town...
in Ahnoldtown, the lowest was $2.99 & I saw even higher...

how does the price of gas go up that much in about 35 miles ?

up in the mountains, along 80, you expect to pay more...
but here, in the valley ?
it's enough to make you...]

...dry as a bone

I like my car...
a 2003 Honda Accord Coupe V6 automatic with leather & moon roof...

when I realized that it would probably be my last chance...
to have a nice car, for sure, my last new one...
[I've had 3... and believe me... I've also had some real junkers too...]
I got as many of my heart's desires, "on it" as I could afford...
got the shortest lease period I could afford...
and borrowed against my inheritance to pay it off at lease end...

it's 100% mine... & with luck, it will last the rest of my life...


[mine is a pale gold...this one is silver...]

I haven't been sorry...

it gets good mileage [28 city, 32 highway]
is fun to drive [V6], handles well...
has high safety ratings and has been very reliable...
but then, that's WHY I bought another Accord...
AND... why I've been a stickler about regular services...

last May, I shelled out BIG BUCKS for new tires & a new battery...
so you might imagine my chagrin when yesterday...
around 6:30 PM as I went out to get in it & go home from the church...
it wouldn't start... not a click or a whine...NADA...

so I opened the hood to see if I could spot any obvious problem...
[unhooked hose, etc...] nothing...



so I called AAA...

after the nice lady in AZ[better there than in India...]
assured me that my membership did show on their computer as renewed...
[I had JUST done it an hour before, online...]
and that the card I had, exp.7/31/09, was OK to use...
because the computer showed the renewal...[WHEW...]

then, after inquiring if I was alone & then, in a safe place...
she told me that the driver would be 10-15 minutes...
I had no sooner hung-up with her...
than my phone rang...

an automated message told me that "the updated arrival time"...
was 15-20 minutes... I hung up, only to get a voicemail from them...
"the re-updated arrival time is 20-30 minutes"...
at this point, about 5 minutes after the original call...
the AAA guy pulled into the church parking lot...



he was really nice and got my car started right away...
I was concerned about the battery becoming charged & holding it overnight...
since I needed to drive MzYBee to Ahnoldtown the next day...
so he contacted the AAA charger/battery test guy...
who was there in only a few minutes...

he tested my battery and it tested almost fully charged...

since I noticed that the "check engine" light was on...
I asked what might have caused the "no start"...
they said that there were several possibilities...
then asked when was the last time I had it "serviced"...
"...because that kind of battery needs it every 6 months..."

having NOT been told that when I bought the battery...
I asked what could need checking ?
they had already scraped the terminals & there was no build-up...

one of the guys mentioned that there were some minor acid marks on the top...
so one of them pulled up the top to check the water...
and the chambers were all almost empty, just some acid left...
so I went back into the office & got some water...
which one of them poured into the 6 chambers...
until the water/acid level was up to the top...
then replaced the covers...

the "check engine" light was gone...
my dash was glowing brightly, the windows went up & down quickly...
so we all went on our way...
pretty sure that the lack of water had been the problem...

I extended my drive home to 30 minutes, to re-charge the battery...

once home, I attempted to reset my clock and "code" my radio...
[when the battery was disconnected, they went off & needed to be reset...]
but the "reset" wouldn't work...and soon "locked me out"...
for too many failed attempts...

this morning, before going to Ahnoldtown, I went to Mudville Honda...
hoping they could reset it quickly...
the blinking clock was annoying & I missed my radio...
but there wasn't enough time before I had to leave...

so tomorrow, I'll take it to "Sleepy Village to the North" Honda...

early...



it needs the oil changed anyway...
and I'd like to know why they sold me a "maintenance required" battery...
that was supposedly a "Honda replacement"...
that doesn't have "Honda"printed anywhere on it...

I also seem to remember that the service manager...
told me my next lube & oil change would be free...

this should be amusing...

at least the excuses should be "entertaining"...

...food for health

in my search for tasty, healthy, quick & inexpensive meals...
I've often turned to the "meal in a salad bowl" solution...

I've blogged about my favorite Greek salad...
but this one has surpassed it on my favorites list...
and it's very easy to assemble, after the initial "prep"...



of course there's lettuce...
I prefer Romaine hearts...
and tend to buy it bagged...
since it is more economical for me than a whole head...
and there's generally a pretty good deal...
on some combination or brand...



sweet red onion is a summertime favorite of mine...
the regular onions are fine...
but the sweet ones are better..



I buy these and put them into this...



replacing the pickling liquid periodically...



I drain & rinse these...



as well as these...



add this...



and store in this container...



my favorite meat add-in is chicken breast...

I skin chicken breast[bone in or out]...
sprinkle it with Pappy's low salt rub...
seal it in a foil package...
and bake on a sheet pan at 250˚F...
for 5/6 hours...

after cooling, I fork apart the meat...
allowing the juices to be re-absorbed...
I've kept it in the 'fridge for weeks...
using it for salads, tacos, etc...
it is so juicy and flavorful...



I like this dressing, although ranch is also good...
it does need a "creamy" dressing...



and there you have it...

a delicious & healthy salad...
assembled in a flash...

enjoy ! yum !

...the office, in progress

making room for the fish tank is the "incentive"...
but this mess has hung around long enough...
and now that I'm feeling better...
it's time...



this rolling file unit is the sole remaining component...
of a wonderful German desk I used to have...
[there was a pull-out narrow "L"table, this file unit...
and a huge desk top...most of which died years ago...]

the file unit had become the repository of all the stuff...
that came out of the computer cabinet when I tried to hook up the DSL...
there's also a dead pet water fountain...
& a lot of bath redo paperwork...



pulling back...
the computer cabinet & corner bureau/file drawers are seen...



& between the desk/file drawers and the wall...
junk, trash, etc...
which will have to "go" so the computer can move over...
[the tank needs 33-34", it was 28"...]

so I took out the full[aka heavy]file drawers...
stacking them on a small table...
and moved the file cabinet shell out & over...



I laid one of the computer cabinet doors on top...
and moved all the stuff from on top of the file unit...
to the file cabinet shell top...



then I continued to remove & stack the bureau drawers...
[notice Mz SPie, "helping"....]



after removing the drawers, I removed the bureau shell...
and swept out all the trash & junk next to the wall...

I had decided to put the file unit next to the wall...
but the only way it would fit was if I first emptied the drawers...
took out the drawers... muscled the shell up and into the spot...
turned it on its end to replace the drawers...
[which was WAY harder than it needed to be...
there were 'tracks' which were uncooperative...]
then turned it back on it's wheels...



that done, I moved it to the correct distance from the wall...
put the file cabinet shell on top of it...
replaced it's FULL drawers...
and shoved over the computer cabinet...



leaving a patch of dirty wall, trash & filthy rug...
BUT... a 35" patch of dirty wall, trash & filthy rug...



so I swept... and scrubbed...
[BTW...that's the cable hook-up coming up from the floor...]



then I had a pretty clean, 35" space...
I wish that I could afford to paint & redo the floor...
someday perhaps, but not now...
if I have time, I may TSP & paint this wall, though it needs repair...



there still is all this to sort & file/discard...
[tax returns for the last 7 years...
mortgage closing papers...]
the bureau is "going"...
it's "alder" and in good condition...
just surface grime...



the top of my music filing cabinets need to be redone...
those of you with a sharp eye will spy Mz SPie...
who knocked over a bunch of stuff getting to that perch...
I had to cat-proof before I moved on...



then there are these boxes & drawers...
to be filed or gone through...



this part on the floor in front of the book shelves...
is not as bad as it looks...
it's mostly stuff moved from the old bath...
or not put away because of other messes...

the shelves are actually organized & neat behind the mess...

[as you can see, Molly & Thomas felt right at home...]

so I have a good beginning...
and what was my reward for working so hard ?

I got to go have my teeth cleaned...
the really good news...

NO CAVITIES ! & no CO-PAY !

...postscript to "throwing in the towels"

remember these towels I decided to give away ?



it took very little time for this to happen...



Mackie cat finding himself a soft spot...



and in typical cat fashion...
he found the color that perfectly matched his eyes...



not that it did him any good...
as the towels were bagged for GW...
before they could become snagged by little claws...
and embedded with fur...



I did keep the yellow shower mat though...
this is now the favorite snoozing spot for various felines...

cats...go figure...

...good for the "sole", update

the Birkenstocks continue to work their miracles...
aligning my legs & back...
and I feel better, and stronger daily...
[Fluff has already made the definitive statement on the Birkies...
by barfing all over the Crocs... hmmmmmmmm...]

on Sunday, I climbed the steps into the church normally...
as my cranky left hip/inner thigh wasn't "weak"...
allowing me to put weight on my left leg...
without fear of falling...

I worked hard on Monday in the office...
today, I am a bit stiff & have some sore muscles...
but my hip/back & legs are not a problem...
they are actually feeling strong...

this AM, in the shower, I was able to not only lift up my left leg...
with my left foot on the 18" high bench, without much pain or weakness...
but... I could stretch out the inner thigh muscles...
by leaning into my left knee & touch my toes with my knee bent...

I haven't been able to do that for quite a while now...

I'm now strong enough to have Molly walk with me again...
there for a while I literally was afraid I'd fall my leg was so weak...

my "recovery" is tied to physical, mental, behavioral & spiritual planes...

I've come to understand that until I solve my issues, "within"...
I will be in "waiting" mode, re any "job"...

encouraged by the physical healing, I sought more "enlightenment"...
and realized that as long as I held my former school district in contempt...
I would not be able to heal & accept all of God's gifts for me...
certainly not the kind of well-paying jobs the district could offer...

not unlike a long-time relationship with grudges & "issues"...
to get past my behavioral, physical & spiritual roadblocks...
I had to let go... to truly "forgive & forget"...
only then could God open doors for me that I was keeping closed...
due to my attitudes & behavioral expectations...

I've been able to stay in a pretty peaceful & "fear-free" zone lately...
not much has disrupted my peace & "rest"...
and even when something has disrupted it...
I've been able to get centered again, quickly...

so I centered myself & focused on letting go...
of all the negative things that dealing with my former employer brought to mind...
I asked God to give me the grace to forgive them, "and forget"...
and a wonderful sense of "lightness" came over me in my peaceful place...

I've made some phone calls...
about possible openings...
all I felt free to make...
& considering how I've always "taken care of myself"...
this is a definite "departure"...

so I wait to be "ready"...
staying "rested in His peace"...
absolutely certain that as I do my part...
waiting for the door to open & working on "myself"...
truly a daunting project if He wasn't "in charge"...
doing those things He tells me to...
and letting Him do the rest...

tomorrow, as I sit waiting for MzYBee in Ahnoldtown...
I'll fill-out all the district paper-work...
make an appointment for a TB test chest x-ray...
& assemble my credentials/letters of recommendation...
and prepare to turn-in my "sub packet"...
[strange how my stomach doesn't turn at the thought anymore...]

this I have a certainty about "doing"...

the results ?

His will for me be done...

I have a long ways to go...
especially in the "inner"changes...
but at least I'm moving now...

God is good, all the time...