Our freezer died last week. Upsetting given that it's only 5 years old and a major name brand. I'm not even sure why I bought the service plan, but I did and I'm sure glad. Even more glad that the company who repaired it actually had the part on their truck - unlike the washer (same brand, purchased same time) which has been out of service now for THREE WEEKS. Those parts (round 2) are still on order and are so large that they get shipped to your home. So the wait continues.
We lost a lot of food and are cooking and eating a lot of stuff that thawed. We are having 'smorgasborg' dinners with vast selections of food to choose from. Last night it was pork chops (the kids ate those) and fish filets (me and J.).
So the freezer is pretty much empty, which is a nice refreshing change. Only ice, ice packs and Mr. Fuji. There he was, carefully in the door where he's been since we moved. And he moved here with us from our house in Hayward - lovingly carried here by one of the boys and ceremoniously placed in this freezer to rest out eternity. He is wrapped in a printed paper towel and 'sealed' with Scotch Tape - the 'flat' kind, not the glossy kind, so it doesn't brown with age.
Mr. Fuji is a balsa-wood flat 'spoon' - the kind of flat spoon shaped utensil you get when you buy a small cup of individual serving ice cream - like from the ice cream man. He has a face drawn on him with a pen - eyes, nose and small mouth. He met his untimely death in some sort of "Mousie" war. We aren't sure how he died and when we inquire, we are met with furtive glances between the boys and a sort of hushed reverence that says 'we don't speak about this tragedy'.
The kids have played 'mousie' for as long as either J. or I can remember. The 'game' involves the boys being 'mice' - complete with the high, squeaky voices to go with the characters. There's a lot of 'fighting' in Mousie-land. Wrestling. Debates. Complex rules that only B. & H. know or understand. They don't play this game with anyone else - just the two of them. It is their own invention - and we are amused that even now, in their teens, we will frequently still hear the familiar mousie-screech words between them. They still 'play' and work out stuff using 'mousie land' as the venue. It's always been a fun game to 'watch' - how two creative, bright, fun kids invented this 'other world' that only the two of them know about. And I'm glad that they have this place that is just theirs - no adults, no adult-rules, or adult 'have-to's'. Just two boys sharing an adventure.
I have on occasion inquired of the boys if it's time to let Mr. Fuji move on to the great big 'bio-bin' where he (along w/ other lawn trimmings and branches (wood)) will be ground down and burned at the Tracy bio-mass plant. They won't hear of it. He might be 'reborn' someday to fight another day. So there he sits. Alone on a shelf. Soon to be rejoined by food, juice, etc. seeking refuge in the cold, dark freezer. I think I cherish him as much as the boys - and if he ever is 'let go', I will be secretly sad. If I come across Mr. Fuji in my 80's someday, he will still bring a smile to my face. He always does.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Wireless
I have a brand-spanking-new laptop computer which is the coolest. I could so totally be blogging from the comfort of the bathroom. I'm not, but I could be. Wireless is just the coolest thing ever.
I was telling my boss about it and he said 'that sure sounds cool'. I reminded him that perhaps before he tries to jump into wireless access, he just shoot for getting off a dial-up modem and get some DSL or something. No point taking this whole internet thing too fast. He says he and his wife don't go on the web often 'cuz pages take too long to load. I say " 'ya think??' "
I was telling my boss about it and he said 'that sure sounds cool'. I reminded him that perhaps before he tries to jump into wireless access, he just shoot for getting off a dial-up modem and get some DSL or something. No point taking this whole internet thing too fast. He says he and his wife don't go on the web often 'cuz pages take too long to load. I say " 'ya think??' "
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Bulbs
In addition to the previously mentioned condiment obsession, J. is obsessed with bulbs. The kind you plant in the ground. Every year, he plants an assortment of bulbs - freesia, tulips, daffodils. Then, he waits. Patiently. Sunny days bring the hope of bulbs...and he starts his protection plan.
To keep the gardner from mowing over the daffodils in the front yard, he puts wood stakes around the leaves so the mower can't get near them. He goes out almost everyday to 'tend' to his bulbs - see what else has come up, how close they are to blooming. He treasures them - and I love them, too. They are a welcome sign that winter is abating and Spring will soon be here. Spring is my favorite season - green and fresh and everything's new. We were married in the spring.
Chloe is our 10 month old wire-hair miniature dachshund. She was a 45th birthday present to me. From me, though with J's blessing. She is quite possibly the cutest dog on the planet. And she knows it. She has all of us wrapped around her little finger. We deny her nothing. She is just too cute to say 'no' to (unless she piddles on the floor). She is busy, busy all the time. She never stops - until she collapses from exhaustion wherever she lands - sometimes in the middle of the floor, sometimes curled up in her blanket. When she's awake, she's on the go. Busy girl. She and her 'sister' Dani (4 year old not-so-minature dachshund who's blind) are on the go and keep each other moving non-stop.
She ate one of J's tulip blossoms a couple days ago. J. was displeased. He set out to protect the other tulip in the back - used all the lawn chairs and chaise lounges to block off the other close-to-blooming tulip to keep Chloe from getting to it. He emailed me to say 'YOUR dog is on my double-s&^* list today'. I called and he told me she'd gotten through his extensive barricade and ate the 2nd tulip. The 2nd of only two tulips in the backyard that have actually bloomed. And we're not expecting any more back there. Freesia possibly, yes. But no more tulips.
We haven't been all that successful with the bulb thing - we don't have dozens. We have a few of each that actually come up and fewer than that which actually bloom. So every blossom is very, very precious. And Chloe ate them. J. is not happy.
J. gave me a big bouquet of tulips for Valentine's day - they are my favorite cut flower. We are keeping them away from Chloe by leaving them on the kitchen table. She's too little to get up there - and of course, we don't allow dogs on the table, so even if she could get up there, THAT would be a BIG NO. The flowers are pretty and require no security measures to protect them. Which is a relief 'cuz we need to sit in the chairs around the table -not use them for security fencing.
I'd be really mad at her, too - but I can't blame her for liking tulips. I understand. I don't eat them - but I love them. And she does too - just in a different way.
To keep the gardner from mowing over the daffodils in the front yard, he puts wood stakes around the leaves so the mower can't get near them. He goes out almost everyday to 'tend' to his bulbs - see what else has come up, how close they are to blooming. He treasures them - and I love them, too. They are a welcome sign that winter is abating and Spring will soon be here. Spring is my favorite season - green and fresh and everything's new. We were married in the spring.
Chloe is our 10 month old wire-hair miniature dachshund. She was a 45th birthday present to me. From me, though with J's blessing. She is quite possibly the cutest dog on the planet. And she knows it. She has all of us wrapped around her little finger. We deny her nothing. She is just too cute to say 'no' to (unless she piddles on the floor). She is busy, busy all the time. She never stops - until she collapses from exhaustion wherever she lands - sometimes in the middle of the floor, sometimes curled up in her blanket. When she's awake, she's on the go. Busy girl. She and her 'sister' Dani (4 year old not-so-minature dachshund who's blind) are on the go and keep each other moving non-stop.
She ate one of J's tulip blossoms a couple days ago. J. was displeased. He set out to protect the other tulip in the back - used all the lawn chairs and chaise lounges to block off the other close-to-blooming tulip to keep Chloe from getting to it. He emailed me to say 'YOUR dog is on my double-s&^* list today'. I called and he told me she'd gotten through his extensive barricade and ate the 2nd tulip. The 2nd of only two tulips in the backyard that have actually bloomed. And we're not expecting any more back there. Freesia possibly, yes. But no more tulips.
We haven't been all that successful with the bulb thing - we don't have dozens. We have a few of each that actually come up and fewer than that which actually bloom. So every blossom is very, very precious. And Chloe ate them. J. is not happy.
J. gave me a big bouquet of tulips for Valentine's day - they are my favorite cut flower. We are keeping them away from Chloe by leaving them on the kitchen table. She's too little to get up there - and of course, we don't allow dogs on the table, so even if she could get up there, THAT would be a BIG NO. The flowers are pretty and require no security measures to protect them. Which is a relief 'cuz we need to sit in the chairs around the table -not use them for security fencing.
I'd be really mad at her, too - but I can't blame her for liking tulips. I understand. I don't eat them - but I love them. And she does too - just in a different way.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Mondays II
It is Monday and I spent the day wanting to be anywhere but work. Mondays drag. I don't know why and haven't figured out how - but they do. D...R...A...G. I wanted to be home/go home/get home as soon as possible. Be anywhere but work. ANYWHERE. I accomplished things. But my heart wasn't in it. It was so hard to get out of bed this morning - the urge to hunker back down into the warm comforter, put a pillow over my head and go back to sleep was overwhelming. But I made myself get vertical and headed straight to the shower. Even curled my hair - which made it look like I was carefree and thrilled to be up early on a Monday vs. pulling it up and leaving it 'straight'. But nothing disguised my lack of enthusiasm for the 'working' part of my life. And EVERYONE at work felt the same way. Quietness pervaded the place. No one was cheery or happy. We were just there.
When I interviewed for this job, my soon-to-be boss and the college president worried that I would be bored. I was/am over qualified for the job and I think they worried that I would hate it and leave. I assured them that I keep busy and would look for opportunities or advise if I needed work - I'm not the kind of person to sit around doing nothing. But what I'm realizing is - I am bored. And it's not because there isn't plenty to do - there is. But it's the same stuff day after day after day. The same 'cycles' year after year. One budget phase rolls into another...and another. And I feel 'bored'. Some days fly by - but some days, like today, just crawl. And the crawling ones are the absolute worst. I hate clock watching. Hate wishing I was home to do stuff there instead of here to do what needs to be done here.
I hope I can 'snap out of it'. I don't like feeling this way. It makes a hard day so much harder to feel that overwhelming 'I don't want to be here'.
Hawaii in 4 months. I need a vacation. And I'm excited about Hawaii - but honestly, I'd love to just stay home for two weeks. I like being home. I love my house. I know Hawaii will be amazing and fun and we are all really looking forward to it - we've saved up mileage on our credit card for YEARS to be able to take this trip. And I really haven't had a 'real' vacation in a while. Used all my vacation time in the summer for the various medical procedures I had to have done. Had Christmas break 'off' but we were traveling - so I wasn't home. And I need some 'home time'. Down time. Haven't had any (besides weekends which are jammed full of activities and too short).
We have a 4 day weekend coming up and I'm thinking of turning it into a 5 day by adding a vacation day - so we'll see. The 4 days will certainly 'help' and thankfully, so far the calendar is clear. No plans. I hope it stays that way.
When I interviewed for this job, my soon-to-be boss and the college president worried that I would be bored. I was/am over qualified for the job and I think they worried that I would hate it and leave. I assured them that I keep busy and would look for opportunities or advise if I needed work - I'm not the kind of person to sit around doing nothing. But what I'm realizing is - I am bored. And it's not because there isn't plenty to do - there is. But it's the same stuff day after day after day. The same 'cycles' year after year. One budget phase rolls into another...and another. And I feel 'bored'. Some days fly by - but some days, like today, just crawl. And the crawling ones are the absolute worst. I hate clock watching. Hate wishing I was home to do stuff there instead of here to do what needs to be done here.
I hope I can 'snap out of it'. I don't like feeling this way. It makes a hard day so much harder to feel that overwhelming 'I don't want to be here'.
Hawaii in 4 months. I need a vacation. And I'm excited about Hawaii - but honestly, I'd love to just stay home for two weeks. I like being home. I love my house. I know Hawaii will be amazing and fun and we are all really looking forward to it - we've saved up mileage on our credit card for YEARS to be able to take this trip. And I really haven't had a 'real' vacation in a while. Used all my vacation time in the summer for the various medical procedures I had to have done. Had Christmas break 'off' but we were traveling - so I wasn't home. And I need some 'home time'. Down time. Haven't had any (besides weekends which are jammed full of activities and too short).
We have a 4 day weekend coming up and I'm thinking of turning it into a 5 day by adding a vacation day - so we'll see. The 4 days will certainly 'help' and thankfully, so far the calendar is clear. No plans. I hope it stays that way.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Ketchup II
Today at Costco, we saw an older Inidian gentleman pay for a cup for a soda and then proceed to fill that cup UP TO THE TOP with ketchup from the ketchup pump. He put a lid on it, filled his other cup with soda and left with his cart full of items, his pilfered ketchup and his drink.
Even J. was shocked - and since he's been known to pilfer some condiments of his own from time to time (see previous post), I was relieved. I said 'if you ever go THAT far in frugalness and condiment hoarding, I'm done'. He replied 'with all the stuff I do, THAT would be the final straw?'
I won't leave him - not for condiment hoarding or the zillions of crazy, scatter-brained things he's done lately. Not for any reason. I'm staying for good. For better or worse, for richer for poorer, etc. I just hope we never reach the point in our 'old-ness' where filling a drink cup with ketchup seems like a good idea.
At least the guy filled the 2nd cup with soda instead of mustard.
Even J. was shocked - and since he's been known to pilfer some condiments of his own from time to time (see previous post), I was relieved. I said 'if you ever go THAT far in frugalness and condiment hoarding, I'm done'. He replied 'with all the stuff I do, THAT would be the final straw?'
I won't leave him - not for condiment hoarding or the zillions of crazy, scatter-brained things he's done lately. Not for any reason. I'm staying for good. For better or worse, for richer for poorer, etc. I just hope we never reach the point in our 'old-ness' where filling a drink cup with ketchup seems like a good idea.
At least the guy filled the 2nd cup with soda instead of mustard.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Friends
I don't have a lot of really close friends. Those that I do have are people I've met through various jobs I've had. My 'oldest' friend (in terms of length of relationship) is KQV. I met her at Mervyn's in Upland, CA where I worked during college. She was already living on her own, independent, a free spirit. She was aloof and stand-off-ish at first - but I wore her down. I knew we would be lifelong friends the minute I met her - and we have been. She was my closest friend EVER in my life when I was in college. We did everything together. Worked together. Attended the same college while we worked full time. Because of her, I took the 'leap' and moved out of my brother's house and into an apartment. A dump. But it was 'home' and it was just me. I never would have done that without KQV's encouragement. That's what we did for each other - encouraged, listened, protected. Her family welcomed me into their lives as one of their own - her mom is still one of the coolest people I've ever met. After college, I moved up to No. California to work in Mervyn's corporate offices. KQV stayed in So. California. By the time I'd moved, she'd met G. who became her husband. I was in her wedding. They live in LaVerne and have two daughters. We see each other whenever we can - most recently during our recent trip to Disneyland. Everytime we see each other, no matter how long it's been since our last visit, we just pick up right where we left off. No awkward silences. We always have plenty to talk about - the differences between daughters and sons is our current hot topic. We correspond by email off and on. She's my dearest friend. For my 21st birthday, she took me to a Dan Folgelberg concert - we had just seen him at another venue a few months before - but KQV got 2 tickets, told my sister-in-law to have me ready to go at 6PM on my birthday and showed up - when I saw the sign about who was appearing, I was so excited. She was so happy that I was excited - she thought I might not want to see him again. But it was an amazing concert with an amazing friend and a magical night that I still remember.
Making friends as an adult is hard. It takes a lot of effort. J. and I really don't socialize much with many people - and I wonder lately why that is? I mean, we're nice people. We're both fun and pleasant to be around. But we don't have a lot of friends we hang out with. I don't get that and lately it bothers me. Why don't we have people we hang out with regularly? We have 'friends' - people we've met through the kids or through church. But these aren't people we see consistently. Now I'm the first to admit that I just like being home - it's where I most want to be. So 'going out' and hanging doesn't really interest me. And maybe that's it - I'm just not all that social. But I wish I was sometimes. I wish we had zillions of friends we did things with and went places with.
I have another really good friend - J. I met J. through my former corporate job. She was someone I'd often heard about - always positive comments and usually with a 'she's something' added somewhere in the conversation. I never really knew what people meant by that. J. was offered a job in our department and our boss introduced her to us by taking all of us to lunch and J. was there. We had no idea WHY J. was there and our boss didn't say or do a whole lot make that any clearer during the lunch. And we were a hard group to infiltrate but J. did it - and before too long, I realized that J. was an old soul and a wonderful person. When I've needed a friend in recent years, she's who I turn to. And she's always there. I miss seeing her everyday. We used to go down and get coffee together everyday and kibbitz about our day, our family, etc. She was my rock when my mother was dying. She's listened when I've ranted about things. When I got laid off, she was the first person I called and she rushed right down to my office. Stayed with me and helped me pack. She knew before I did that there was life after that company and she encouraged me through interviews and soul-searching - all which led me to where I am now. She has 2 kids and the most amazing husband - and I say that NOT implying that I covet hers and don't adore mine - but her hubby is so right for her - he is an 'old soul' and one of the kindest men I've ever met. She is the kind of friend you treasure and are grateful for - REALLY grateful. Because I know that even though we lead very different lives and don't see each other often, she is there for me. And I am there for her. If anything ever happened and I need someone to help me, J. would be the first person I'd call and I know without a doubt that she'd be there. And I'd do the same for her. She's a rare find and I treasure her. And I know she reads my blog (she's one of the few I've shared the address with) - so Hi, J. and thanks for being such a good friend. I'm glad you're in my life - now get your butt over to my house sometime to say 'Hi', OK??
Making friends as an adult is hard. It takes a lot of effort. J. and I really don't socialize much with many people - and I wonder lately why that is? I mean, we're nice people. We're both fun and pleasant to be around. But we don't have a lot of friends we hang out with. I don't get that and lately it bothers me. Why don't we have people we hang out with regularly? We have 'friends' - people we've met through the kids or through church. But these aren't people we see consistently. Now I'm the first to admit that I just like being home - it's where I most want to be. So 'going out' and hanging doesn't really interest me. And maybe that's it - I'm just not all that social. But I wish I was sometimes. I wish we had zillions of friends we did things with and went places with.
I have another really good friend - J. I met J. through my former corporate job. She was someone I'd often heard about - always positive comments and usually with a 'she's something' added somewhere in the conversation. I never really knew what people meant by that. J. was offered a job in our department and our boss introduced her to us by taking all of us to lunch and J. was there. We had no idea WHY J. was there and our boss didn't say or do a whole lot make that any clearer during the lunch. And we were a hard group to infiltrate but J. did it - and before too long, I realized that J. was an old soul and a wonderful person. When I've needed a friend in recent years, she's who I turn to. And she's always there. I miss seeing her everyday. We used to go down and get coffee together everyday and kibbitz about our day, our family, etc. She was my rock when my mother was dying. She's listened when I've ranted about things. When I got laid off, she was the first person I called and she rushed right down to my office. Stayed with me and helped me pack. She knew before I did that there was life after that company and she encouraged me through interviews and soul-searching - all which led me to where I am now. She has 2 kids and the most amazing husband - and I say that NOT implying that I covet hers and don't adore mine - but her hubby is so right for her - he is an 'old soul' and one of the kindest men I've ever met. She is the kind of friend you treasure and are grateful for - REALLY grateful. Because I know that even though we lead very different lives and don't see each other often, she is there for me. And I am there for her. If anything ever happened and I need someone to help me, J. would be the first person I'd call and I know without a doubt that she'd be there. And I'd do the same for her. She's a rare find and I treasure her. And I know she reads my blog (she's one of the few I've shared the address with) - so Hi, J. and thanks for being such a good friend. I'm glad you're in my life - now get your butt over to my house sometime to say 'Hi', OK??
H.
H. is a unique soul. Incredibly clever, funny, talented. Can mimic anything. Does impressions all the time. Used to sing opera in the shower every morning when he thought we weren't listening (we were - he's good!) He tackles life with gusto and always, ALWAYS finds a way to make the most mundane task fun. He walks around the house with a prop pretty much constantly. Swords (fake of course), mop handles, brooms. Anything he can get his hands on. Twirling, tossing, dropping, swinging. Scary for those of us in close proximity. But the kid has flair - I give him that. When he was a baby, he didn't smile much. One of my favorite pictures of him is when he was around 2 - his little lower lip in a bit of a pout, holding a toy apple in his hand, staring at the camera stoicly. That's H. - basically saying 'sitting still to get my picture taken is NOT what I want to be doing - so proceed and get it over with'. He is a contemplative, sweet soul with a gift for fun.
One Saturday, I took H. to work with me. He likes going to work with me. He helps stamp the incoming mail, stamp other things I need stamped (I'm pretty sure he thinks that's what I do all day - stamp things). One Saturday, I had some adding machine rolls that needed to be tossed. They didn't fit our machines and were too old to be returned. I wanted to recycle the paper instead of just tossing the whole roll in the trash. So I gave the rolls to H. and said 'here's the recycling bin - unroll all the paper on the roll and put it in the bin'. His eyes lit up at the thought.
Now, my expectation was that he would (as I would) put the roll on a pen or pencil and sit in a chair and unroll it. Not H. Within a minute, I heard him giggling. The building my office is in is a square with offices all around the outer walls and cubicles in the center. An aisle goes around the entire building in a square. H. was (gently) kicking the rolls on the floor, around the corners and all around the building, unwinding them as they rolled. Before too long, the aisles had streams and streams of paper unrolled on the floor - and H. was having a ball. When all the rolls were undone, he then trotted around the building picking up the paper in great heaps - almost like snow - and stuffed it into the recycle bin. This process continued for quite some time - and he loved every minute of it. Sometimes I'd hear a light 'thud' and he'd say 'no damage' and I'd remind him to not kick so hard the rolls were hitting the walls. He kicked, unrolled, gathered and stuffed for a good part of the morning while I finished what I needed to do.
His perspective is: if you've got to do it, make it fun. He applies that philosophy to most things in his life. I just asked him to please take the dogs out back (we're having some house training issues with Chloe) and he replied with a cheery 'OK'. And he did - but not before he grabbed a mop handle and carried it through the family room like a drum major as he led the dogs out back. He's a character, our H. Wouldn't trade him for a gazillion dollars.
One Saturday, I took H. to work with me. He likes going to work with me. He helps stamp the incoming mail, stamp other things I need stamped (I'm pretty sure he thinks that's what I do all day - stamp things). One Saturday, I had some adding machine rolls that needed to be tossed. They didn't fit our machines and were too old to be returned. I wanted to recycle the paper instead of just tossing the whole roll in the trash. So I gave the rolls to H. and said 'here's the recycling bin - unroll all the paper on the roll and put it in the bin'. His eyes lit up at the thought.
Now, my expectation was that he would (as I would) put the roll on a pen or pencil and sit in a chair and unroll it. Not H. Within a minute, I heard him giggling. The building my office is in is a square with offices all around the outer walls and cubicles in the center. An aisle goes around the entire building in a square. H. was (gently) kicking the rolls on the floor, around the corners and all around the building, unwinding them as they rolled. Before too long, the aisles had streams and streams of paper unrolled on the floor - and H. was having a ball. When all the rolls were undone, he then trotted around the building picking up the paper in great heaps - almost like snow - and stuffed it into the recycle bin. This process continued for quite some time - and he loved every minute of it. Sometimes I'd hear a light 'thud' and he'd say 'no damage' and I'd remind him to not kick so hard the rolls were hitting the walls. He kicked, unrolled, gathered and stuffed for a good part of the morning while I finished what I needed to do.
His perspective is: if you've got to do it, make it fun. He applies that philosophy to most things in his life. I just asked him to please take the dogs out back (we're having some house training issues with Chloe) and he replied with a cheery 'OK'. And he did - but not before he grabbed a mop handle and carried it through the family room like a drum major as he led the dogs out back. He's a character, our H. Wouldn't trade him for a gazillion dollars.
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Tales of Helpers
Our cleaning lady D. is here today - she wears earbuds and chats on the phone while she works. She is the third cleaning 'person(s)'...
