My world according to Pooh

It's almost here, it's almost here!

No, not the stuff I ordered from amazon.com & walmart.com. No, not Ed McMahon with my multi-million dollar check. And no, not the new year. I am patiently awaiting the return of my sanity and I'm pretty sure its arrival is right around the corner.

I've been doing some work on myself and my outlook on current situations is not as bleak as they once were. Simple task, you say. Sure. For some. Yet for the rest of us, it takes a little more effort to get back to that happy place we all have somewhere inside us.

With a little help from surprising places, I suspect I will not feel so crazed and out of sorts, any day now. Winnie the Pooh (one of the surprising places) came around to remind me of how simple life really is. He & I, like many, many others, have been friends since I was but a child. And with the remake of the classic movie released this year, I was able to rekindle our relationship, so-to-speak.

"I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. 
"No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way."
winnie the pooh

I Think I Am In Love!

I have gone and put my foot in it. Dammit!

Like so many others, I have gone online to look for friendship, companionship, and if I played my cards right, love. I guess I should not be surprised that I found what I was looking for. But the problem, if not already obvious, is that I already have someone to love. My dilemma now: what to do with these two.

Do I introduce them to each other? Frightening.
Do I keep the old and forget the new? Possible, but what would I be giving up? The possibilities of new found love are too enticing to just throw away.
Do I get rid of the old? No. Definitely not. We have years together already and what, I am just supposed to throw him out on the street?

What to do? What to do? I thought writing it out would help to clear things up but I am still quite confused on which path to take.


Here, the current love of my life:

Keeping warm in the office

His oh, so special, weird eye

He & his sister, Bo, were eleven when I adopted them from the humane society.

A better view of the weird eye. I was told from an infection he probably had in his youth.

He is now about 17 years old and his sissy died this past February (2011).

Here, my new found love:

She is a four year old girl weighing in at just over eleven pounds. I love a nice sturdy cat. Not fat. Just able to hold their own when puppies come over.

http://www.wihumane.org/animals/animal.aspx?id=5844243

Oh what a pickle!

Prudent and Un-Personalized or Rebelliously Recognizable?

I need new plates. My favorite (and only) license plate, the one given to me when I officially claimed to be a Wisconsinite many, many moons ago, reads: Everyone's Favorite Hottie. Yup. That is what the state issued to me. How did they know? Who told them? I have no idea but I drove around with EFH in my plates for the last ten years.

Now it is time for a new plate. My mother told me back in high school that I should never get a personalized license plate because people would always know where I was. Paranoia, you ask? No. Just a small town mom who now lived in the big city and was cautious of too much attention, thus becoming a victim of crime or other misdeeds.

So, it never crossed my mind. Having an automatic issue plate was what one did. But now, I wonder. Should I throw caution to the wind and let everyone know that NUMBER ONE BEAR FAN is at Pic N' Save? Should I be a rebel and say that CHICAGO LOVER is at Home Depot? Or should I keep my dealings clandestine? Should I not stray from mom's advice and just be another 678KLH in miscellaneous parking lots?

Hmmm...... what to do, what to do?
The time is here. Within the next week (or so) I will be paying Wisconsin Fee Trust (?) either $75 dollars to be anonymous or $90 to be super special and recognizable.

Food, glorious food. Hot sausage and mustard!

I cannot stop eating. Period.

And although I do not eat hot sausage, mustard and I are friends. But more than mustard, I like carbs. What woman doesn't?

And this love has gotten me to where I am now. Carbs and a little loneliness and a dab of depression. And maybe a wee bit of woe.

Now that I have lost some depression & woe, I have to lose the poundage. Exactly 16 pounds. Day one of my quest begins tomorrow. Seriously, tomorrow. Not the figurative "tomorrow."

While I do not believe in diets, only changing eating habits, when I rise tomorrow, I will begin to make a conscious effort at each and every meal to make smart choices.


Did I fail to mention that I am trying a fiber & calcium supplement to help ward off hunger? Not diet pills. 

I slept

For 4 hours, I slept. I was visited by more of the sleep deprivation symptoms first. But for 4 hours, my eyes were closed and my body was still.

Day 4 or 5

I have been awake a very long time. Friday night I went to sleep at 10pm and was up at midnight. It is now Saturday just past midnight. STILL AWAKE.

Whyyyyyyy?

I close my eyes and nothing. I do some breathing & relaxation techniques and nothing. I take melatonin and nothing. Not happy at all.

Oh Dear 2011

As of today, the first day out... deer one is in the bag. That's all I know right now. No details. Just that there is a doe waiting to be transported from Steven's Point.

Can't wait for details!

Irresponsible behavior

Here I go again.

I am is so tired. I have been irresponsible with my health and now I am entering day three (or is it four?) with 4 hours of sleep. Two hours Friday night and two hours Thursday night. What follows next will not be pretty. It will include but may not be limited to headaches (√ on my way to grab ibuprofen), hallucinations (√ hold on, I've got to answer the vacuum or else it'll just keep bugging me), memory loss (nope), decreased reaction time (√ my elbow is feeling better now - does anyone know why they call it a funny bone?), bloodshot eyes (nope), irritability (too soon to tell, there's no one here to be irritable with... except that dang-nabbit vacuum), tremors (nope), memory loss (nope... but that sounds vaguely familiar).

Catering at Kohler

I am is so tired!

Last night’s event was at the American Club in Kohler. I’ve never seen inside the KDC – very cool. I picked two favorite bathrooms. One was a square, tiled tub; a killer to clean but sooo cool. The other was a column; it was like an episode of Dr. Who… like once you stepped in, you would be teleported to another time and place. Oh, and there was the “flipside” shower that I was told cleaned your flipside but actually was a handheld shower head that flipped.  Interesting.

Full moon fiasco

October's full moon: ouch. Two accidents that led two people that I love to the hospital. Luckily, they were both able to walk away from their incidents.

As I only know of one first-hand, that is all I will detail here. So...

Al, on his BMX bike, took a curve too fast, hit the curb and landed on both hands. The right is injured, swollen but should be back to normal soon. The left hand, unfortunately, took the brunt of the fall. Maybe I should say, "fortunately" considering he's right-handed. His thumb was dislocated, which could have been an easy fix but, the ligaments were stretched beyond repair. It is sort of like he has a dangling thumb. Because of this, surgery is required and is scheduled for this coming Monday, October 17, 2011. Right now, he is wrapped up (looks like a cast but isn't) and medicated. We go in to see the hand surgeon on Friday.

He was quite the trooper in the emergency room last night. I could see him swallowing the pain. But mom got a little queasy. When the doctor gave him a numbing shot directly into the wound, then stirred the needle around while still in the vein, I had to excuse myself because I thought I would vomit. Seriously. I am no fan of needles, but they have never made me queasy. Just the sight of it happening to Al, well... I am glad that part is over and I don't know what I'm gonna do come Monday. Eek!

Thank you, Tevin, for being there for him last night and any other time he will/has need(ed) you.
And well wishes to all that have suffered during this phase of October's moon.

BB

Yahoo's effort at free stuff

How funny:

In my most recent post, I rejoiced in the wonderfulness of finding Free Stuff. Well, not a week later Yahoo Finance shows even more opportunities for Free Stuff. Mind you, most of the offers listed in the article are not necessarily for me but, there is a way to get free chocolate. Free Chocolate. FREE CHOCOLATE!

For that alone, the writer is worth their weight in gold. The article was originally posted on September 28, 2011 but the offers are year-round. Sadly, as wonderful as it is to find another source for Free Stuff, I was disappointed that there were not more offers for ladies strappy sandals, high heeled suede boots in black, grey, burgundy, and camel, free dinners at local Italian or Mexican restaurants, plane tickets to New Orleans, New York or South America, golf lessons or all inclusive stays at 5-star resorts in the Mediterranean. Again I say, I guess in the end, you still have to pay quite a bit for certain comforts.

I must go now. I have a date with someone who posted on craigslist that is giving away chairs. Yes for free. But here’s the kicker… they match the ones Lenny repurposed from his old storage unit. Pretty cool, huh? So, there will now be a complete set of cushioned chairs on which we will SIT AROUND A FIRE!                   :~)

Free stuff

So, craigslist and I have become weekend buddies. I pay him a visit and he tells me where to go for FREE stuff. We used to be friends many years ago when I was getting back on my feet and needed appliances Desperately. It has been nice rekindling our relationship. Now that I'm back in the mood for good finds, my treasures are racking up quite nicely.

As of today craigslist has awarded me with the following: firewood. Numbers 2 & 3 were found on my own. 4 was all Lenny. 5 was a combined effort and 6. Well, there really isn't a 6.

1. Firewood. "But wait, Angela. I thought you lived in an apartment. What in the bleep are you going to do with firewood?" you ask. Well, I'm gonna make a fire... in Lenny's backyard. As a previous post mentioned, I dug me hole in which I plan to have me a fire. It would be rude of me to invite others to sit around it with me seeing as the property does not belong to me, but... well, I am nothing if not hospitable. So, let's sit around a fire!

2. Giant Spool. You know the kind: made of wood planks used to wind cables, etc. for commercial/ industrial use. Perfect for a table to, all at once now, "Sit around a fire." Very good. Unfortunately for those without a cup holder in their camping chair, my butt has become accustomed to sitting on said Giant Spool. I may have to find another table.

3. Fu-chaise. Some of you (those of you who helped me move it, especially) are  familiar with my "sofa-ton". It is a futon made with a non-removable, spring form, upholstered cushion; picture an upholstered mattress. It looks, feels and acts like a sofa, nothing like the futons you had in college. But come night time, when opened, it gives you the support of a mattress ('cause of the springs and cushioning). Back to the Fu-chaise: it is a futon with an all wooden frame, twin-sized and sits about 6" from the ground. In it's upright position, it looks like a (very low) chaise lounger. It was so funky-cool, I couldn't pass it up. The owners (also the owner of the Giant Spool) just bought their first house and were giving away all their furniture that looked too collegiate. Those are my words... you should have seen what I left behind. Pretty decent stuff for the 18 - 22 year old male.
Which brings us to why I picked it up in the first place. I was right in thinking Al would love to have it. (I was right.)

4. Fireside Chairs. Lenny was able to free some dead weight from his previous landlord's basement. Tenants often leave behind things in storage units, apartments, etc. when moving on to the next chapter in their lives. Well, this tenant did not want to continue living with two office-like chairs. Kind of early '90s contemporary. Metal arms and legs. Faux-leather upholstery. Mostly weather proof, totally comfortable.

5. River Rocks. The end. Seriously, that is a story better told while we, once more with feeling, "sit around a fire." Good job, guys!

6. Water. No, just kidding. The water department came and installed a new meter so Lenny can be charged just as much as anyone else to do the three "sh"s each day. Time Warner is also receiving their fair share. I guess in the end, you still have to pay quite a bit for creature comforts. But I still have fun finding ways around it.

Fire, beer can chicken, cherry Coke and white wine

The end of  the day. Yay. Candle is burning and I'm in bed.

Lenny was very pleased with the fire pit. What I expected was for him to put his mark on it. What I got was, as he pulled a chair over to the pit, "Do you think it's too big?" Job well done. Again, I must pat myself on the back.  Not because Lenny approved. No, just because I'm awesome.

I laughed at his comment. As I pulled the giant spool over, I replied, "Nope." I put the 2nd chair on the other side of the spool so that we could eventually use it as the fireside table it was meant to be. Except, I sat on the spool instead. Sitting in that 2nd chair seemed so formal somehow.

For the next minute or so, we enjoyed the idea of a fire. But the reality was that I was parched and all I had to drink was white wine, the chicken (who was destined to have a beer  can shoved up his bum) still needed to thaw and we were supposed to take a walk around the park tonight.

I got out of my stunning cut-off sweatpants-with-boots ensemble and he prepped the bird & threw him in the oven. Then we headed to Target to pick up a few things and do some wishful-shopping. We bought bottled water, cherry Coke and wished we bought lights for the deck, birthday presents for the girls, lights for the themed Christmas tree, and a small flat screen tv for the master bedroom.

By the time we got back, all thoughts of a walk and a fire were gone. All either of us cared about was the bird. Eat. Must eat. I tend to forget to do that during the day and I know Lenny sometimes doesn't get around to it during the day. So, our evening: beer can chicken, green beans, cherry Coke and Moscato.

Started with the Brewer game but after Arizona's first home run, we had to turn the channel. Ended up watching American Horror Stories on FX. Totally creepy show. Loved it. Surprised that an actual tv series could be so creepy. Can't wait til next Wednesday.

Why I Blog

I know. I know. I'm on post overload. It's just that I've been cataloging Everything regarding the house search, the good, the old and the decrepit; the money pits, the foundation fiascoes, the pool-less in-ground pools. I've told stories, I've shared pictures and Lenny & I have lamented over many a property. Now, all I want to do is share, share, share. But even I (someone who loves to tell a tale) could use an assist. Someone to show the pix that go with a story; someone to remind me of the details (the oh, so minute details that no one probably even cares about anyway).

And since a special friend of mind got me blogging in the first place (about something totally unrelated), I figured this was the perfect venue for all my lovely tales. Consider yourselves soooo lucky to be here. <insert silly smirk here>

Diggin' a hole

Beautiful weather. Perfect day for a scooter ride but the last time I was on the scooter, it was 5pm and the people in a rush to get home from the office all thought I had a bull's eye on my back. So, nix the idea of fighting with them again. In the Jeep, sure. I'll show 'em all whose boss. But on the scooter, I lose a little of my gumption.

So, what to do with all this sunshine? Dig a hole, of course!

I took my boots, my two-foot level and a shovel and headed to the backyard. A four-foot circle: big enough for lots to sit around but small enough that it doesn't take up the whole yard. Oh, I'm speaking of the soon-to-be fire pit. No sooner than I measured my fire pit-to-be that I began sweating like... something that sweats a lot.

Going in the house, I realized I didn't have anything to cooler to change into. Let's see... there's a dark tee, a ribbed turtleneck sweater and an oversized tank top. Tank top it is. Now bottoms. The jeans I wore could only be substituted by sweats or cut-off sweats. Cut-off sweats it is. Shoes. Gym shoes are in the car. The car is at the hub waiting on Lenny to get off work. Guess I'm keeping the boots on. What a sight: hot pink, over sized tank top, black drawstring sweat cut-offs, brown boots. H. O. T. Yea, baby! Luckily, I only had my shovel to impress.

Back to work. Measure. Measure. Dig. Sweat. Dig. Finish. Lovely. A hole in the ground. Beautiful. Now to make a lip around the edge for the river rocks (acquiring the river rocks is a whole 'nother post). Next, connect the rocks.

Like a jigsaw puzzle, I tried to fit each rock next to another as if they were made to be that way. I think I did pretty good. I am quite impressed with myself. Please hold while I pat myself on the back....

Ok. Done. I have worked up quite a thirst but with no refrigerator and me still not trusting the water, I have to make do with what's on hand. Either that or walk over to Target. Hmmmm..... lemme see. What we have on hand is... room temperature tonic water, room temperature Riezling, & some new white wine I bought about two months ago which is <drum roll, please> in the cooler. Some new white wine sounds pretty good to me right now. The only other cool liquids in the house are the two bottles of caramel and chocolate ice cream topping.

O. M. G. Wine is straight from the gods! Seriously, thank you Dionysus. It's all I can do not to turn the bottle up and finish it off. And, yes. I am drinking straight from the bottle. It's just easier that way until everything is unpacked. I have to re-cork this before I do some serious damage. I was gonna scooter home, but the 4 ounces of Moscato I just drank says I should wait 'til later.

Until later, then.
Ciao, for now!

House House House ! ! ! !

Unpack. Move box. Unpack. Find silverware. Run water to get the rust out. Enjoy the sunlight from the east windows... north windows... west windows... south windows. Daydream from the upstairs window that looks out into the neighbor's tree. Green, gold, burgundy, yellow... so pretty.