10 Items or Less

I was browsing the A/V room of my library today and noticed a sign with the rules for borrowing DVDs. The other times I checked out books and DVDs, I got the due date of materials from the receipt that prints from the self check out. I would guess it's the same for most libraries, but my library gives you three weeks for books and one week for A/V. I knew that I could renew the books, but I figured the movies weren't renewable.

The sign stated that you could check out up to 10 DVDs and that you could renew them twice. I'd been limiting my borrowing to what I could watch in a week, but knowing the rules changed things. I took out 10 DVDs. New videos can't be renewed so I'll have to watch "The House Bunny" before next Thursday at least.

I'm Not a PC

For the last few days, my laptop has been running unusually slow. I thought maybe I caught a virus or something, but then I noticed the stupid yellow shield that appears on the taskbar and realized that "updates" were being downloaded.

The first night, it took something like 4 hours to download the 19(!) updates. The other times weren't as long but still affected me. How many days of updates will I have to endure? I thought my computer was supposed to check for updates once a week, but I must have missed a setting or two.

Today Wasn't This Dramatic

but it could have been...

HD Headache

A few weeks ago, I decided to try my cable's DVR service. Mostly, I wanted to see how my HDTV looked in HD and be able to record more than one program at a time. It looks swell, and I like not having to make a choice between shows like My Name is Earl and Bones.

I'm still getting used to the settings and playback, but I probably won't keep the service for much longer. Tonight, when I tried to watch the two episodes of Charmed that I recorded on TNT because season one is replaying in the morning airings, I got an error message. The DVR might be dead.

I'm half-tempted to tell the cable guy who comes to "repair" it later this week to take it back and cancel my subscription.

Bugs Bugging Me

This crazy hot weather brought out all sorts of bugs around my house. Those that didn't get in include a bumblebee and a wasp. Those that did include two lightning bugs and a weird tiny hairy spider. I shooed the spider out even though he scared the bejesus out of me. The lightning bugs weren't so lucky.

The first lightning bug came in last night and bounced around with an odd clicking noise on my wood floors. I think it was trying to fly but just kept jumping a few inches off of the ground with a snap and crashing down again. I killed it because I didn't think it was long for this world anyway. I heard the same noise this afternoon and dealt with the second lightning bug in the same way.

Nigel watched the bugs but didn't do anything about them. Although following his stare made it easier to find the poor things and put them out of their miseries.

Don't Let the Sunshine In

Why is it that I love convertibles, but hate sunroofs? There's something liberating about driving in a car with no roof, but a sunroof doesn't give me that same feeling. I think sunroofs are the worst of all worlds since it only lets a little sunshine in, but somehow they let all the rain in.

The other day, I was in a car with a sunroof, sitting in the drive thru of McDonald's and the water from the gutter dripped onto my left arm. Since I was in the passenger side and unfamiliar with how to close the sunroof, I had no choice but to get dripped on. I hope the water wasn't contaminated and I didn't catch bird flu or something.

Freshly Cut Flowers

Here are some flowers from my yard that were cut because the ones that bloomed earlier and I didn't cut got eaten or otherwise destroyed by the wildlife in the area. There are three (or four) of the four (or five) different types of daffodils found around my house and two different tulips. Aren't they pretty?

Do People Want Me to Blowup?

I stopped to get gas tonight and was put in danger by two other patrons. First, there was a lady who was pumping gas with her car running. That's dangerous! Second, there was a guy who was talking on his cell phone while pumping gas. That's super dangerous! I don't care what Snopes says.

I hightailed it out of there so that I wasn't blown up.

Wing and a Prayer

When I was unloading my dishwasher I accidentally dropped my heavy Disney mug onto the top rack and broke the handle of a mug that's been in the family for a number of years.

Is it okay to throw away a religious mug? Is there some special way to dispose of it? Do I have to bury it in the backyard or smash it into little pieces?

Dans la Supermarché

I've been avoiding the grocery store and today was no exception. I meant to go, but when the rain and hail started this morning, I knew I wasn't leaving the house unless I had to.

Usually, if I have enough food to get me through the day, I just eat what's in my fridge or pantry. I'm not great about planning my meals for the week and grocery shopping for specific items.

Tomorrow, I'll have to go because I'll be out of leftovers. I could probably stretch the contents of my refrigerator and pantry for a few more days, but some fresh fruit and vegetables would be nice after a week or so of leftover ham, etc. Plus, I have to go to the bank and other stores anyway.

Changing of the Guard

A very long time ago, I was shopping at Discount Drug Mart with at least one of my sisters and we came upon the cutest coupon holder in the world. The thing has been slowly falling apart for the last few years, but I refused to part with it.

I'm sorry to report that I've just replaced it with a coupon holder that I got for free when I donated blood at last week's Bloodsucker's Buffet. I threw away the plastic covering and recycled the paper inserts, but I kept the picture of the anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables that made it so special.

See how it says 'coupons' on the right side? And the slightly racial onion? The eggplant with the birthday cake? Miss Grape? The artistic apple? I'll miss you guys!

Bland, blue, boring and with ads on the reverse. I might sew some patches or appliques on it to jazz it up. My shopping experience will never be the same.

Earth Week

Earth Day isn't until Wednesday, but today is the first day of Earth Week, which I learned about from the Target ad in today's newspaper.

I consider myself pretty green, but I plan on recycling an old hard drive, some techno-trash and most of the boxes in my basement that I don't need. I'll try to think of other ways to reduce, reuse and recycle stuff as the week goes on.

Move Over

I sat next to this woman today who didn't understand that when you're sitting next to someone at a concert, sporting event or movie, your body should stay within your own seating area. This went way beyond taking the arm rest because her legs drifted over the invisible line that shouldn't be crossed. I think she intruded into my space because she was older, possibly foreign and kept falling asleep. Next time stay home lady!

Doling Out My Time

People assume I have a lot of free time, but I've been busy for the last 6 weeks. Maybe I've been busy because people know that I'm more available, like I can take phone calls during the day or meet for lunch? Researching, going to the library, going to job fairs, etc. has taken up a bunch of time. But I have been watching movies, too. Of course, I've been baking and shockingly! cooking more.

The bulk of my time has been with my house and the clutter contained within it. You might think that my house is all spic and and span, but things actually got worse before they got better. Truthfully, some of the projects were years in the making. However, my piles are getting smaller.

Up, Up and Away

My mom periodically gives me stuff from her house that I left when I moved out. I'm surprised she didn't give me this mug sooner. Perhaps it was in the way back of a kitchen cabinet. Or maybe she liked it and used it? I used it today when I drank my cup of Kona.

This was a keepsake from the parent-sponsored Prom-to-Dawn (or afterprom to those not from Lorain). The thing I remember most about the Prom-to-Dawn was that we had to wear the same clothes we wore to the Prom. Odd rule, but I guess the P's had their reasons. Like they're lame!

Pizza!

Yes, I know I just posted a review of Dewey's on my other blog, but I think this picture deserves another post on the web. Delicious!

Tea, no Coffee

I had a cup of coffee last night, but I'm not gonna drink another cup until after I give blood on Wednesday. I don't know why I deprive myself since it never seems to make a difference when they try to make me bleed.

I had two cups of tea this morning and tomorrow I'll drink herbal instead of the caffeinated stuff I drank today. I didn't take an aspirin on Monday because I didn't have any in the house, but I did take two flaxseed oil pills, which apparently can thin blood. But will it help my veins?

Shredding

I spent what seemed like hours destroying documents today. Part of the stack was actually confidential papers that I wouldn't want identity thieves to get their hands on, but most was stuff that didn't need to be cut into little pieces before I recycled it. Did I really have to shred a receipt for something that I paid cash? Or my Plain Dealer bill?

Food for Thoughts

I came home from Easter dinner with a lot of leftovers. My fridge was already full of of food and drinks and is now completely stuffed! Maybe I should have a midnight snack to free up some space.

101

Believe it or not, this is the hundred and first post of my daily blog. I haven't lost my way yet.

High On You

Since today was the last Friday to take advantage of Lenten fish frys (fries?), I went to Saints Constantine & Helen's for their all-you-can-eat whitefish. The non-all-you-can-eat choices were walleye (which was ginormous), fried butterfly shrimp and baked scrod. The dinners came with fries or rice, coleslaw and a roll. If I hadn't gotten the "all the fish you wish" special, I would have added some clam chowder, mac n' cheese or a Greek salad to my dinner... or maybe a spinach pie, too. I did take home a piece of Baklava, which was actually a hard choice because they had four other desserts that looked yummy.

The whitefish was really good and not your run-of-the-mill church fish fry stock. It had an herbed and/or spiced breading and was good and crunchy. I was impressed with the condiment selection as well: ketchup, lemon, malt vinegar, hot sauce and tartar sauce. The place wasn't too crowded, and I had a seat near the fish refills and entertainment, which was three guys playing Greek music and non-Greek music sung in Greek. The only bad part of the night was having to make conversation with a nosy and chatty doctor, who thought I was either Greek or Jewish. Wrong on both counts guy!

Burning Heart

Remember all that coffee I got for Christmas? I'm happy to report that I've gotten through a pound of Kona, 2 pounds of Eight O'Clock Bean 50% decaf, half a pound of Vermont's finest and a few individual bags of flavored and plain stuff. I gave away half a pound of hazelnut that I didn't care for, but the recipients liked. And I just cracked open another Kona package.

Although I've been tempted, I haven't bought any coffee to brew at home. I did get some more coffee gifts when my mom was cleaning out her pantry, however. I don't think I'll get any for Easter, but you never know.

The Moment of Truth

I got a call the other day from a collections agency. I've been ignoring calls from this agency but not because I owe an outrageous sum. Rather, I know I don't have any outstanding debts that would have been sent to collections. Since the call had woken me up without leaving a message, I decided to be proactive. When I did call them back, the woman verified too much of my information and told me that I owed $28.30 for services rendered on July 20, 1999.

Seriously? That's the reason this agency has been calling incessantly? A nearly 10 year old bill for under $30? How desperate is the original business for cash? I'm guessing that original debtor recently sold an enormous amount of tiny debts that weren't worth their collecting to an agency that would handle the collections.

The thing about this "debt" is that I don't think it exists. On the date in question, I wouldn't have incurred the debt suggested. And how much do I want to explore its veracity when the debt isn't legally collectible? They are supposed to send me a detailed accounting, which may guilt me into paying it, but for now I'll bide my time.

I Can't Hold Back

I paid off my "small" student loan today. I still have the big one and other debt, but it's good to be rid of a monthly bill that has plagued me for 10 years!

Caught in the Game

Last night I watched the weather forecast for the week and as a result, I spent all day worrying about snow. It was raining when I left my house this morning, and the rain became snow around 11 AM. It was a wintry mix of the two for the rest of the day. Overall it wasn't bad, but since I wasn't at my house I kept thinking about my drive home.

I was determined to be on the road by 8 PM and actually made it to my car at 8:45. The usual 45 minute drive took about 10 minutes longer. I saw only one accident on my way, but it was a doozy. A car had spun around and was facing the wrong way and was smashed against the meridian. A fire truck, at least one ambulance and two police cars were on the scene.

I have a feeling I'm going to be housebound Tuesday. They were predicting lots of snow, but so far there is only an inch or so on the ground.

Eye of the Tiger

Cats are funny in their likes and dislikes. Aloysius's favorite food was cheese and Chamois's favorite was canned corn.

Nigel has an affinity for Italian food. He loves tomato sauce. Since onions are bad for cats, I have to be careful about giving him people food in general and tomato sauce in particular. I try not to give him anything other than a little milk (he likes cereal milk) and a tiny bit of tuna, but I give him some tomato-based foodstuffs on occasion because he likes it so much.

This picture is not an example of me indulging him but of him helping himself to crumbs left in a pizza box. He scratched his head on the lid a bit before climbing onto the lid and licking the liner in the bottom of the box. The whole thing was pretty amusing, and now I know better than to leave an empty pizza box within his reach.

The Search is Over

How can I convince you that what you see is real?

Every Christmas I look for little silver decorating balls to use on my sugar cookies and every year I fail to find them. Admittedly, I've never searched very hard, but I have checked Williams Sonoma, Target, multiple grocery stores, etc. I'm not sure if Sur la Table carries them since I'm there so infrequently. But, I'm happy to report that they've been located for me by my Tia at Mary's Sweet Shop in Lorain.

The dragees, which is their proper name, come in three sizes and shown is the middle size, which is #4. I might get some with a smaller diameter closer to Christmas, but I don't think I have use for larger ones. The multi-color ones are a bonus since I was only looking for the silver ones.

Picture This

I've decided that I need to add more pictures to this blog. At the beginning of the year, I was pretty good at posting a picture every week or so, but I've gotten out of the habit. Part of the reason is the short life of my camera battery, which prohibits spontaneous pictures since I have to charge one or both of the batteries before I can take any shots.

I bought a new battery a few weeks ago, but decided to return it once I saw how cheap digital cameras are nowadays. It seemed kind of silly to buy a battery for $40 when a camera with a display screen bigger than 1" x 1" is less than twice as much. Seriously, that's how big the display screen is on my camera. I'd take a picture of it and post it here if I could.

Taxes

I finally finished the last of my taxes today, which was my state return. Right before I signed off on it, I realized that I made the mistake of paying taxes on my state and local income tax refunds. It wasn't a huge change, but it must have increased my refund by a few dollars.

I have to go back and check my returns for the last few years to see if I've made this mistake in past years. I also need to figure out whether it's worth it to amend the old returns. I blame the online system. Or I guess I could blame it on the rain.

no foolin'

I ordered pizza online for the first time today. I wasn't at home and was ordering with someone who hates Giovanni's (blasphemy, I know!) so we picked Marco's Pizza. I was always suspicious of the whole thing, but when I called the store to see if they delivered to the house and to place an order if they did, the conversation went something like this.

Dee: Do you deliver to ___
Marco's employee: Yes.
Dee: I'd like to place a delivery order, then.
M's ee: Could you hold?

2nd Marco's employee: Can I get your phone number?
Dee: 440-___-____
2nd ee: Name?
Dee: Lee
2nd ee: What?
Dee: Lee
2nd ee: What?
Dee: Lee, L as in Larry
2nd ee: Larry?
Dee: No. You know what? I'll try ordering online.

And I did! And it worked! By the way, if you're thinking about ordering from Marco's you should totally get the cheesy bread.