Outside Temp: 71 F (we had a high of 100 degrees today. Amazingly, although it was hot and I complained, I guess I'm getting used to it. At 4:00pm, as I tried to work, I was sticking to my clothes and it got to 88 in the house. I'm looking forward to winter and that white stuff I'm not allowed to name.)
What I cooked today:
Eggs, eggs and more eggs: We were given a dozen eggs from our chickens from Grandma's house last night. So, this morning, I made up fried eggs for everyone. Katie and Connor both asked for 1 egg, then asked for a second about 10 minutes later. After everyone was full of fried eggs, I made up 18 hard boiled eggs. There are only about 6 left, since apparently, everyone in the house likes hard boiled eggs. Which is good, considering how many chickens we have!
Chicken and rice: Patrick was working with his dad on the new greenhouse, so he didn't make it home for dinner until after 9. Which means that I (very smart person that I am) didn't make dinner until he was actually through the door. Chicken has gotten to be an easy stand-by dinner around here.
Update:
It was hot.
I tried to work.
I got some work accomplished, but it was hard to think in the heat.
Then, around 6pm, the thunderstorm came in. But, it didn't really cool down. We still opened the windows.
I kicked the kids outside around 7:30, since it had cooled off enough, that it was (barely) cooler outside than inside.
Finally, around 10pm, it dropped below 80.
I'm not looking forward to the next few days, where it should stay in the 90's. I miss winter.
Showing posts with label Hot Weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hot Weather. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
July 23, 2012
Outside Temp: 53 F (it was in the 90's, again. Although I'm getting used to the concept that it cools off at night, which almost makes up for the heat.)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Fried Rice: I held dinner for as long as I could. Patrick was helping his parents, so we didn't end up having dinner until about 9:30ish. I think I'm going to plan on dinner at 6pm, just to throw everyone off!
Update:
With no game to play, we all slept in. Well, the kids did. I was up working, and Patrick stayed up late working, and then woke up working.
Sometime around 3:30 in the afternoon, we both decided that it was too hot to work. I laid out on the bed, under the ceiling fan, reading. He took a nap.
By 6ish, the thunderstorms came in, and it cooled off. Yea!
Ryan has school tomorrow, so we are all going to bed early tonight... by 1am. Ugh, I have got to get my family back on a schedule!
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Fried Rice: I held dinner for as long as I could. Patrick was helping his parents, so we didn't end up having dinner until about 9:30ish. I think I'm going to plan on dinner at 6pm, just to throw everyone off!
Update:
With no game to play, we all slept in. Well, the kids did. I was up working, and Patrick stayed up late working, and then woke up working.
Sometime around 3:30 in the afternoon, we both decided that it was too hot to work. I laid out on the bed, under the ceiling fan, reading. He took a nap.
By 6ish, the thunderstorms came in, and it cooled off. Yea!
Ryan has school tomorrow, so we are all going to bed early tonight... by 1am. Ugh, I have got to get my family back on a schedule!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
July 18, 2012
Outside Temp: 66 F (we had a high of 97 today, totally ugh. We managed to keep the house in the mid 80's but it still was annoying.)
What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: I must really love my family, because I managed to make both chicken and fried rice for dinner. The phrase 'slaving over a hot stove' came to mind. I'm going to break down and get a BBQ.
Update:
I really hate the heat. Just in case I hadn't mentioned that before.
To try to help keep the house a little cooler, Patrick rigged up a 'swamp cooler'. He took our box fan, attached some filter material to the front. Set the bottom of the filter material in a boot tray and poured water over the filter material. With the fan going, it would blow through the water and the air would be a little cooler. It did drop the house temperature by a few degrees, so I couldn't complain.
Of course, the boot tray had a hole in it, which means that when the water drained down the filter into the boot tray, it then drained onto the floor. But, we figured it out after about 15 minutes, when the water seemed to mysteriously disappear.
Once the temperature cooled off a little, we dismantled out 'swamp cooler', because we needed the box fan for the window. I'm expecting to rebuild it tomorrow. This heat wave is expected to last a few days, at least!
This evening, we took the kids over to Stanford to go swimming. It seems a little silly to drive 30 minutes over to Stanford, when the Belt pool is only 15 minutes away, but the Stanford pool has a diving board, and those are just plain cool. We only stayed for about an hour (ish), but the kids had a great time. Connor and Katie are getting comfortable in the deep end, and, although their swimming skills are not stellar, they can hold their own in the 10ft deep section.
They are all diving off the board, although Katie still needs to learn to dive, like hands first, instead of jump, feet first. She did a few great belly flops today, but by the end, she was almost there. Even Ryan wanted to jump off the diving board. He had a floaty ring, and, with me treading water below the board, he just jumped right off. The kid has no fear.
Once we got home, I realized that I had forgotten to take Ryan to summer school today. Oh my goodness! Apparently, when we set up Wednesday and Friday for summer school, I had forgotten to put it on my calendar. And if the calendar doesn't remind me, I'm lost. So, I'll call his teacher tomorrow and apologize profusely. Hopefully, she will still let me bring him in on Friday, if I promise not to forget!
What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: I must really love my family, because I managed to make both chicken and fried rice for dinner. The phrase 'slaving over a hot stove' came to mind. I'm going to break down and get a BBQ.
Update:
I really hate the heat. Just in case I hadn't mentioned that before.
To try to help keep the house a little cooler, Patrick rigged up a 'swamp cooler'. He took our box fan, attached some filter material to the front. Set the bottom of the filter material in a boot tray and poured water over the filter material. With the fan going, it would blow through the water and the air would be a little cooler. It did drop the house temperature by a few degrees, so I couldn't complain.
Of course, the boot tray had a hole in it, which means that when the water drained down the filter into the boot tray, it then drained onto the floor. But, we figured it out after about 15 minutes, when the water seemed to mysteriously disappear.
Once the temperature cooled off a little, we dismantled out 'swamp cooler', because we needed the box fan for the window. I'm expecting to rebuild it tomorrow. This heat wave is expected to last a few days, at least!
This evening, we took the kids over to Stanford to go swimming. It seems a little silly to drive 30 minutes over to Stanford, when the Belt pool is only 15 minutes away, but the Stanford pool has a diving board, and those are just plain cool. We only stayed for about an hour (ish), but the kids had a great time. Connor and Katie are getting comfortable in the deep end, and, although their swimming skills are not stellar, they can hold their own in the 10ft deep section.
They are all diving off the board, although Katie still needs to learn to dive, like hands first, instead of jump, feet first. She did a few great belly flops today, but by the end, she was almost there. Even Ryan wanted to jump off the diving board. He had a floaty ring, and, with me treading water below the board, he just jumped right off. The kid has no fear.
Once we got home, I realized that I had forgotten to take Ryan to summer school today. Oh my goodness! Apparently, when we set up Wednesday and Friday for summer school, I had forgotten to put it on my calendar. And if the calendar doesn't remind me, I'm lost. So, I'll call his teacher tomorrow and apologize profusely. Hopefully, she will still let me bring him in on Friday, if I promise not to forget!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
July 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 62 F (It had a high of 97 outside today, which was fine, since we weren't home most of the day.)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: we were in town most of the day, so we ate out.
Update:
Totally busy day today!
I started the day with my 'list'. I was pretty sure we wouldn't make all the items, but I knew that if I didn't write it down, I would forget something.
We both worked for a few hours, then went into town for Ryan's lab draw. While there, we found that he had a small pinprick hole in his line. Which kind of sucks.
We called the hospital and checked in with the attending doctor. She called to UCLA, to find out the exact specifications of his line, and tried to get us set up with a repair. Of course, we've been trying to get this information for months, but it somehow fell through the cracks. It usually takes a crisis to get things worked out.
We found out the specifications, and hopefully, a repair kit is ordered and will be in soon. We hoped that if they had one in stock, we could bring him in tomorrow morning to have it repaired, but no luck. So, our doctor told us to keep an eye on it (the line) and him, to make sure he's not showing any symptoms of infection. Odds are that he has had this hole in his line for at least a few days, if not, a few weeks. And he's handling it just fine. As long as we keep the line clean and keep the pressure to a minimum.
So, our plan now, if he continues to behave and not spike a fever or anything silly, we'll go in on Monday or Tuesday for a line repair.
After all that drama, we went over to a clinic, so I could give my drug test 'donation'. Oh yea, if you call it that, people will forget that they are peeing in a cup so that they can work for you. 'I'm so generous... I've giving you a donation'. Extremely stupid term.
But, now it's done, and (assuming I pass), I will legally be able to work for the USPS. Which means that our postmistress will have another person to call when she can't make it into work because of a snow storm (or something equally annoying)..
After that, we made a few more stops (drug store, meat warehouse, bakery, another drug store, Chili's for lunch, Staples for school supplies), then went over to the theater to see Brave. Really cute movie and I enjoyed it, although, apparently I didn't read enough to understand how the bear comes into it. That kind of surprised me! And yes, I cried at the end.
We stopped for ice cream on the way home. Which is always a good thing. Ryan ate his entire cone of Wild and Reckless, which is awesome in it's own right.
The house got up to 89 degrees inside today, so you can imagine how annoyingly stuffy and hot it was when we got home. But, we just opened up the windows and let all that cool night air in, and within an hour, it was cool and comfortable. Now, if I could only do something about the bugs...
What I cooked today:
Nothing: we were in town most of the day, so we ate out.
Update:
Totally busy day today!
I started the day with my 'list'. I was pretty sure we wouldn't make all the items, but I knew that if I didn't write it down, I would forget something.
We both worked for a few hours, then went into town for Ryan's lab draw. While there, we found that he had a small pinprick hole in his line. Which kind of sucks.
We called the hospital and checked in with the attending doctor. She called to UCLA, to find out the exact specifications of his line, and tried to get us set up with a repair. Of course, we've been trying to get this information for months, but it somehow fell through the cracks. It usually takes a crisis to get things worked out.
We found out the specifications, and hopefully, a repair kit is ordered and will be in soon. We hoped that if they had one in stock, we could bring him in tomorrow morning to have it repaired, but no luck. So, our doctor told us to keep an eye on it (the line) and him, to make sure he's not showing any symptoms of infection. Odds are that he has had this hole in his line for at least a few days, if not, a few weeks. And he's handling it just fine. As long as we keep the line clean and keep the pressure to a minimum.
So, our plan now, if he continues to behave and not spike a fever or anything silly, we'll go in on Monday or Tuesday for a line repair.
After all that drama, we went over to a clinic, so I could give my drug test 'donation'. Oh yea, if you call it that, people will forget that they are peeing in a cup so that they can work for you. 'I'm so generous... I've giving you a donation'. Extremely stupid term.
But, now it's done, and (assuming I pass), I will legally be able to work for the USPS. Which means that our postmistress will have another person to call when she can't make it into work because of a snow storm (or something equally annoying)..
After that, we made a few more stops (drug store, meat warehouse, bakery, another drug store, Chili's for lunch, Staples for school supplies), then went over to the theater to see Brave. Really cute movie and I enjoyed it, although, apparently I didn't read enough to understand how the bear comes into it. That kind of surprised me! And yes, I cried at the end.
We stopped for ice cream on the way home. Which is always a good thing. Ryan ate his entire cone of Wild and Reckless, which is awesome in it's own right.
The house got up to 89 degrees inside today, so you can imagine how annoyingly stuffy and hot it was when we got home. But, we just opened up the windows and let all that cool night air in, and within an hour, it was cool and comfortable. Now, if I could only do something about the bugs...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
July 10, 2012
Outside Temp 57 F (but it is about 2am, so that's not too bad. It was in the 90's most of the day)
What I cooked today:
Scrambled Eggs: It was still cool, so I made breakfast. Of course, Patrick and I were both too busy to actually eat breakfast, so it went to the kids. Oh well!
Update:
We worked most of the day, so around 4-5pm, when the heat of the day was at it's hottest, we finally gave in and went out into our own personal pool in the backyard. I got some really great pictures, but Blogger doesn't want to let me upload them. I'll attempt to upload them tomorrow.
This evening, Grandma was kind enough to make us dinner, which was awesome, and not the least because I didn't have to cook it.
Grandpa also got Roosting boxes in the chicken coop, so we might have eggs soon. As far as we can tell, we have 1 rooster. Out of our 24 chickens, we only ended up with 1 rooster. It's possible that there is another one, but so far, only one is obvious. However, I guess 1 is all you really need, right?
What I cooked today:
Scrambled Eggs: It was still cool, so I made breakfast. Of course, Patrick and I were both too busy to actually eat breakfast, so it went to the kids. Oh well!
Update:
We worked most of the day, so around 4-5pm, when the heat of the day was at it's hottest, we finally gave in and went out into our own personal pool in the backyard. I got some really great pictures, but Blogger doesn't want to let me upload them. I'll attempt to upload them tomorrow.
This evening, Grandma was kind enough to make us dinner, which was awesome, and not the least because I didn't have to cook it.
Grandpa also got Roosting boxes in the chicken coop, so we might have eggs soon. As far as we can tell, we have 1 rooster. Out of our 24 chickens, we only ended up with 1 rooster. It's possible that there is another one, but so far, only one is obvious. However, I guess 1 is all you really need, right?
Monday, July 9, 2012
July 9, 2012
Outside Temp: 61 F (it was in the 90's for most of the afternoon. And, even though it was still in the high 80's in the house, it didn't feel as bad as yesterday. Maybe I'm getting used to the heat. )
What I cooked today:
Grandma made dinner tonight, so I didn't have to start my oven. Yea!! We lived on sandwiches, yogurt, hot dogs (in the microwave) and cereal... all items that don't require an oven. I think I'm going to break down and get a BBQ.
Update:
Patrick and I are both working like crazy to try to get this project finished. The client hasn't given us a deadline, but it will probably be shown later this week, so we are working around the clock until it's 'ready' (although, in my mind, it's NEVER good enough, I think we might be close). Patrick was still up at 8am, when I crawled my tail out of bed. But working in the heat is never fun.
We did accomplish more today than we did yesterday, so we might be getting used to the heat.
Grandpa brought our lawn mower back down this morning, and he and Allen mowed and weed-whacked the backyard. Boy, did it need it! But, I felt bad with them out there, on the mower, in 90+ heat. Allen was wrapped up in a soaking wet towel, which he said helped with the pollen and grass that was floating around him as he mowed. I think it also helped with the heat and the sun, since he didn't end up getting burned!
The local post office had need of a 'Relief' person, to help out when the postmistress can't make it into work. So, as you can expect, I applied for the position. I know, for those who know me, and my comments on the government, you may be surprised at this move. But, the post office is kind of important in our little town, and I really wanted to help out our community.
So, today, I got in my e-mail box, my request for background check and drug test. Ahh, the joys of applying for a federal position. The paperwork for the background check went fine, but for the drug test, the 'system' couldn't find a location close to me for me to drop off my 'sample'. I called their 800 number, and the (very nice) woman in customer service asked me:
"How far away is Sioux Falls, ND?"
I laughed and said: "Pretty far. It's in another state. Probably about 8-10 hours drive."
"Oh, well, that won't work. What about Fargo, SD?"
"Uh, no."
"Hmmm, what big city are you near?"
"Great Falls."
"And what state is that in?"
(Are you kidding me?) "Montana."
"Hmmm, not there. Any other big cities near you?"
"There's Helena, but it's about 2 hours away."
"No, no clinics in Helena, that are in our network. I guess we'll have to choose an Out-Of-Network Clinic."
So, after her checking with most of the state, and a 200 mile radius of Great Falls, she decided that I would have to pick an out-of-network clinic... which is in Great Falls.
I can just imagine, if she found an 'In-Network' clinic in Butte or Missoula (about 3 hours away), I would have to go there. But, since she couldn't, I could go to Great Falls. All, just for a 'relief' position. I would use up my first 3 month's paycheck on gas alone, for the drug test.
There are a few choice comments I could make here, but, I'll just be grateful that she was nice and it will all work out.
What I cooked today:
Grandma made dinner tonight, so I didn't have to start my oven. Yea!! We lived on sandwiches, yogurt, hot dogs (in the microwave) and cereal... all items that don't require an oven. I think I'm going to break down and get a BBQ.
Update:
Patrick and I are both working like crazy to try to get this project finished. The client hasn't given us a deadline, but it will probably be shown later this week, so we are working around the clock until it's 'ready' (although, in my mind, it's NEVER good enough, I think we might be close). Patrick was still up at 8am, when I crawled my tail out of bed. But working in the heat is never fun.
We did accomplish more today than we did yesterday, so we might be getting used to the heat.
Grandpa brought our lawn mower back down this morning, and he and Allen mowed and weed-whacked the backyard. Boy, did it need it! But, I felt bad with them out there, on the mower, in 90+ heat. Allen was wrapped up in a soaking wet towel, which he said helped with the pollen and grass that was floating around him as he mowed. I think it also helped with the heat and the sun, since he didn't end up getting burned!
The local post office had need of a 'Relief' person, to help out when the postmistress can't make it into work. So, as you can expect, I applied for the position. I know, for those who know me, and my comments on the government, you may be surprised at this move. But, the post office is kind of important in our little town, and I really wanted to help out our community.
So, today, I got in my e-mail box, my request for background check and drug test. Ahh, the joys of applying for a federal position. The paperwork for the background check went fine, but for the drug test, the 'system' couldn't find a location close to me for me to drop off my 'sample'. I called their 800 number, and the (very nice) woman in customer service asked me:
"How far away is Sioux Falls, ND?"
I laughed and said: "Pretty far. It's in another state. Probably about 8-10 hours drive."
"Oh, well, that won't work. What about Fargo, SD?"
"Uh, no."
"Hmmm, what big city are you near?"
"Great Falls."
"And what state is that in?"
(Are you kidding me?) "Montana."
"Hmmm, not there. Any other big cities near you?"
"There's Helena, but it's about 2 hours away."
"No, no clinics in Helena, that are in our network. I guess we'll have to choose an Out-Of-Network Clinic."
So, after her checking with most of the state, and a 200 mile radius of Great Falls, she decided that I would have to pick an out-of-network clinic... which is in Great Falls.
I can just imagine, if she found an 'In-Network' clinic in Butte or Missoula (about 3 hours away), I would have to go there. But, since she couldn't, I could go to Great Falls. All, just for a 'relief' position. I would use up my first 3 month's paycheck on gas alone, for the drug test.
There are a few choice comments I could make here, but, I'll just be grateful that she was nice and it will all work out.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
July 8, 2012
Outside Temp: 64 F (it was in the 90's, again. But this time, I forgot to close my windows, so my house was in the high 80's... all stinking day! At least it cools off at night!)
What I cooked today:
Oh yea, like I would cook when it's sooo hot out! (to be honest, I did throw a pizza in the oven around 10pm, just to relieve my guilt complex for not feeding the kids)
Update:
I hate the heat. No, really, I really, really hate the heat. Just in case you didn't already hear me complaining from wherever you live (yes, I complain loud enough so you can hear me 1200 miles away).
This morning, I was up at 4am (which is insane), to take my mom to the airport. We had such an awesome time, I was sad to see her go. Her flight left Great Falls around 6am, so we were out of town around 4:20, and into the airport parking lot at a few minutes after 5am. Since Great Falls is so small, she was checked in, bags checked and boarding pass in hand by about 5:08. Just enough time to chat for a few more minutes, before she went through security and into parts of the airport I am not cool enough to go.
So, now it was 5:26am, and I was in Great Falls. Hmmm, I decided to get my weekly shopping done, which brought me over to the Smiths. Only to find that they didn't open until 6am. Lovely. I sat in the parking lot, with my book, for the next 15 minutes, waiting for the store to open. I can't remember a time I have ever done that.
But, it did mean that by 7:45am, I was back home, unloading my car, with all my chores for the day completed. Which means, there was nothing stopping me from crawling back into bed and going back to sleep.
Around 11:45, I realized that as cool and nice as the house had been at 8am, I forgot to close up the windows, and it was now in the mid 80's, and rising. Ugh.
The next few hours saw me whining, complaining, whimpering, begging, and pleading for some relief from the heat. And it wasn't even that hot! I was short tempered with the kids, and I was not a fun person to be around. Not that I cared.
Finally, around 8-9pm, it cooled off outside. Of course, the house is still in the low 80's, even with every window open, and fans blowing the cool outside air into the house. Oh, how I miss my central air conditioning.
I feel a small measure of guilt, complaining about my 92 degree weather, when half of the country is in the triple digits and there are fires and stuff like that. But, boy, do I hate the heat.
What I cooked today:
Oh yea, like I would cook when it's sooo hot out! (to be honest, I did throw a pizza in the oven around 10pm, just to relieve my guilt complex for not feeding the kids)
Update:
I hate the heat. No, really, I really, really hate the heat. Just in case you didn't already hear me complaining from wherever you live (yes, I complain loud enough so you can hear me 1200 miles away).
This morning, I was up at 4am (which is insane), to take my mom to the airport. We had such an awesome time, I was sad to see her go. Her flight left Great Falls around 6am, so we were out of town around 4:20, and into the airport parking lot at a few minutes after 5am. Since Great Falls is so small, she was checked in, bags checked and boarding pass in hand by about 5:08. Just enough time to chat for a few more minutes, before she went through security and into parts of the airport I am not cool enough to go.
So, now it was 5:26am, and I was in Great Falls. Hmmm, I decided to get my weekly shopping done, which brought me over to the Smiths. Only to find that they didn't open until 6am. Lovely. I sat in the parking lot, with my book, for the next 15 minutes, waiting for the store to open. I can't remember a time I have ever done that.
But, it did mean that by 7:45am, I was back home, unloading my car, with all my chores for the day completed. Which means, there was nothing stopping me from crawling back into bed and going back to sleep.
Around 11:45, I realized that as cool and nice as the house had been at 8am, I forgot to close up the windows, and it was now in the mid 80's, and rising. Ugh.
The next few hours saw me whining, complaining, whimpering, begging, and pleading for some relief from the heat. And it wasn't even that hot! I was short tempered with the kids, and I was not a fun person to be around. Not that I cared.
Finally, around 8-9pm, it cooled off outside. Of course, the house is still in the low 80's, even with every window open, and fans blowing the cool outside air into the house. Oh, how I miss my central air conditioning.
I feel a small measure of guilt, complaining about my 92 degree weather, when half of the country is in the triple digits and there are fires and stuff like that. But, boy, do I hate the heat.
Monday, June 25, 2012
June 25, 2012
Outside Temp: 68 F (it was in the 80's today, but no wind and really humid so it kind of sucked.)
What I cooked today:
Mexican Lasagna: I didn't want to cook. I didn't want to turn on the oven. I didn't want to stand over a hot stove. However, love for my family made me suffer and make something. On top of that, I really, really didn't want to make burgers again. This was super easy, just ground beef with tomatoes and taco seasoning. Then corn tortillas on the bottom, beef stuff, more tortillas, salsa and cheese. Into the oven for 20(ish) minutes. Patrick raved about it. I used leftover salsa from Chili's (which Patrick loves), but the kids said it was a little spicy. I can see now that I have to learn to make my own salsa, just so that I can make it in such a way that the kids will eat it.
Update:
Ryan is back to his old self, asking for XBox games and watching movies (and pausing them when it gets to the kissing scene and saying 'Ooooohhhh, no kissing!').
Grandma is still in the hospital with him, so I've been able to work all day. Patrick and I will be done with this project soon (I hope!!). Until then, we spent the day inside, complaining about the heat.
It's normally quite windy here, which is great since even if it's hot, you get the wind, so it blows the hot air around and makes you believe it's cooler than it really is. But, today, there was no wind.
So, we gave up and closed up the house and turned on the portable air conditioner. You know those air conditioners that sit in the window? It's not that kind. It stands on the floor and is about 2-3 feet high. There is a tube that goes out the window.
The unit is in Ryan's room, since when he gets home, he's the least able to handle the heat. And we have this jerry-rigged Styrofoam thing in the window, to let the tube vent the hot air out. But, since the window slides left to right (not up and down), the tube is not really designed for this kind of window.
Anyway, we had the AC turned up to high, and then we closed every door in the house except that one. We added a curtain between the kitchen and the family room, to try to keep the cool air in a smaller square area. Then we turned off every light we could (but of course, there were 4 computers turned on, so I guess we still generated a large amount of heat). We denied the kids the ability to use the toaster or the microwave, out of fear that they might cause a small amount of heat. And it was still 82 degrees in the house!
Around 7pm tonight, it started cooling off outside, so we gave up our 'cool the house' routine, and opened up all the windows. Of course, 4 of the windows don't have screens, and with mosquitoes, I really didn't want to open those up. Finally, around 10pm, it's starting to cool off in the house (it's in the mid 70's now). I really hope that it cools off tonight, and then we'll start over again tomorrow! It supposed to be warm for the rest of the week. And it's only June!
What I cooked today:
Mexican Lasagna: I didn't want to cook. I didn't want to turn on the oven. I didn't want to stand over a hot stove. However, love for my family made me suffer and make something. On top of that, I really, really didn't want to make burgers again. This was super easy, just ground beef with tomatoes and taco seasoning. Then corn tortillas on the bottom, beef stuff, more tortillas, salsa and cheese. Into the oven for 20(ish) minutes. Patrick raved about it. I used leftover salsa from Chili's (which Patrick loves), but the kids said it was a little spicy. I can see now that I have to learn to make my own salsa, just so that I can make it in such a way that the kids will eat it.
Update:
Ryan is back to his old self, asking for XBox games and watching movies (and pausing them when it gets to the kissing scene and saying 'Ooooohhhh, no kissing!').
Grandma is still in the hospital with him, so I've been able to work all day. Patrick and I will be done with this project soon (I hope!!). Until then, we spent the day inside, complaining about the heat.
It's normally quite windy here, which is great since even if it's hot, you get the wind, so it blows the hot air around and makes you believe it's cooler than it really is. But, today, there was no wind.
So, we gave up and closed up the house and turned on the portable air conditioner. You know those air conditioners that sit in the window? It's not that kind. It stands on the floor and is about 2-3 feet high. There is a tube that goes out the window.
The unit is in Ryan's room, since when he gets home, he's the least able to handle the heat. And we have this jerry-rigged Styrofoam thing in the window, to let the tube vent the hot air out. But, since the window slides left to right (not up and down), the tube is not really designed for this kind of window.
Anyway, we had the AC turned up to high, and then we closed every door in the house except that one. We added a curtain between the kitchen and the family room, to try to keep the cool air in a smaller square area. Then we turned off every light we could (but of course, there were 4 computers turned on, so I guess we still generated a large amount of heat). We denied the kids the ability to use the toaster or the microwave, out of fear that they might cause a small amount of heat. And it was still 82 degrees in the house!
Around 7pm tonight, it started cooling off outside, so we gave up our 'cool the house' routine, and opened up all the windows. Of course, 4 of the windows don't have screens, and with mosquitoes, I really didn't want to open those up. Finally, around 10pm, it's starting to cool off in the house (it's in the mid 70's now). I really hope that it cools off tonight, and then we'll start over again tomorrow! It supposed to be warm for the rest of the week. And it's only June!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
Outside Temp: 62 F (it was in the high 80's today... ugh, I really miss the snow. But the good news is that it should cool back down to the 60's by Friday... )
What I cooked today:
Nothing: We had dinner up at the Grandparents' house, so I didn't have to cook... which is awesome since it means that I didn't have to heat up my house by using the oven!
Update:
Ugh, I really, really don't like it when it's warm. I know, mid 80's isn't that hot, but I still don't like it. I felt all tired and cranky all day long.
I went into town today. Ryan needed his meds and I figured I'd do some shopping while I was there. And, while there, I did something totally unusual for me. Now, those who know me well, know that I hate shopping. Even more, I hate shopping for clothes. And even more than that, I've never seen the use of having more than one or two pairs of shoes. I usually wear my shoes out until they break, or have holes in them, or are simply falling apart. Then, I proceed to buy the same stinking shoes and use them up. You can usually expect me to own one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of semi-nice shoes that I can wear with a dress or skirt.
Well, since being up here, I can't find my dress shoes, so it was only my tennis shoes for the first few months. Then, the snows hit, so I bought a pair of boots. Sometime around February, I decided that I didn't want to wear my snow boots to church, with a skirt, so I broke down and bought a pair of nice boots. I'm not commenting on the current state of my snow boots, which are not useless (yet) but probably need new laces.
Today (in the heat), I was wearing my tennis shoes to town. But I was hot and wearing socks in the heat just sucks. So, I stopped by Wal-mart (yes, I'm one of those). And I actually went to the shoe section to look for something for my feet. Mostly, I wanted to get some flats to wear with my dresses. I found some simple slip on flats that work, so I picked those up. But that wasn't enough.
I looked through all the options (there were about 6 that made any sense) of sandals. The ones I liked were a little more expensive (like $25 instead of $10). Hmmm, spend $25 on sandals? That's a lot for me. But, hey, I got paid today, so I decided to spoil myself. (I can see so many people laughing right now, at the concept of a $25 pair of Wal-Mart sandals being spoiling, but you have to understand, I don't buy things for myself, and I really don't buy shoes).
As I was walking out of the shoe section, with my new sandals in hand, I saw a pair of black Keds (okay, for those not raised in the 80's, I guess they're not called Keds anymore, but they're the slip on shoes, usually white, with absolutely no support). I decided, since I was over budget anyway, why not get a set of slip-on's that weren't sandals, and weren't dressy.
Oh my goodness, me... buying 3 pairs of shoes? At one time? I think I've been taken over by aliens.
As soon as I got out to the car, I pulled off my tennis shoes and socks, and put on my new sandals. I figured by the end of the day, I would have blisters or I would regret them. Nope. I walked around all day in my new sandals, and my feet felt nice and cool. Okay, not exactly cool, it was still in the 80's. But, I felt good. Hmmm, maybe this is why women spend so much money on new shoes?
What I cooked today:
Nothing: We had dinner up at the Grandparents' house, so I didn't have to cook... which is awesome since it means that I didn't have to heat up my house by using the oven!
Update:
Ugh, I really, really don't like it when it's warm. I know, mid 80's isn't that hot, but I still don't like it. I felt all tired and cranky all day long.
I went into town today. Ryan needed his meds and I figured I'd do some shopping while I was there. And, while there, I did something totally unusual for me. Now, those who know me well, know that I hate shopping. Even more, I hate shopping for clothes. And even more than that, I've never seen the use of having more than one or two pairs of shoes. I usually wear my shoes out until they break, or have holes in them, or are simply falling apart. Then, I proceed to buy the same stinking shoes and use them up. You can usually expect me to own one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of semi-nice shoes that I can wear with a dress or skirt.
Well, since being up here, I can't find my dress shoes, so it was only my tennis shoes for the first few months. Then, the snows hit, so I bought a pair of boots. Sometime around February, I decided that I didn't want to wear my snow boots to church, with a skirt, so I broke down and bought a pair of nice boots. I'm not commenting on the current state of my snow boots, which are not useless (yet) but probably need new laces.
Today (in the heat), I was wearing my tennis shoes to town. But I was hot and wearing socks in the heat just sucks. So, I stopped by Wal-mart (yes, I'm one of those). And I actually went to the shoe section to look for something for my feet. Mostly, I wanted to get some flats to wear with my dresses. I found some simple slip on flats that work, so I picked those up. But that wasn't enough.
I looked through all the options (there were about 6 that made any sense) of sandals. The ones I liked were a little more expensive (like $25 instead of $10). Hmmm, spend $25 on sandals? That's a lot for me. But, hey, I got paid today, so I decided to spoil myself. (I can see so many people laughing right now, at the concept of a $25 pair of Wal-Mart sandals being spoiling, but you have to understand, I don't buy things for myself, and I really don't buy shoes).
As I was walking out of the shoe section, with my new sandals in hand, I saw a pair of black Keds (okay, for those not raised in the 80's, I guess they're not called Keds anymore, but they're the slip on shoes, usually white, with absolutely no support). I decided, since I was over budget anyway, why not get a set of slip-on's that weren't sandals, and weren't dressy.
Oh my goodness, me... buying 3 pairs of shoes? At one time? I think I've been taken over by aliens.
As soon as I got out to the car, I pulled off my tennis shoes and socks, and put on my new sandals. I figured by the end of the day, I would have blisters or I would regret them. Nope. I walked around all day in my new sandals, and my feet felt nice and cool. Okay, not exactly cool, it was still in the 80's. But, I felt good. Hmmm, maybe this is why women spend so much money on new shoes?
Monday, May 14, 2012
May 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 53 F (My outside thermometer today had a high of 92.. but it's in the sun, so that might be a little high. All I know is that I miss the snow. )
What I cooked today:
Chicken with Fried Rice: I was hearing some complaints that I need to cook more than just burgers and pasta and soup (although my soup can be quite unique at times). 'They' were right... I've been pretty lazy lately, not making a list, not preparing, and just choosing the easy way out. So, since school is almost out, and I should have some more free time, I'm getting back into cooking. Tonight, it was chicken with broccoli (Patrick doesn't let me mix them together, so I steam the broccoli and cook the chicken with some sherry and soy sauce). I even made up some fried rice to go with the regular white rice. I've come to realize that 2 cups of rice is never enough for my family any more. I think I'll go with 3 cups next time. And the 3 chicken breasts wasn't enough either. But perhaps it was more about the good food.
Update:
So, yesterday I worked on the web site, and had a rough time. By the time I sat down to do my blog, I had a massive headache and I just wanted to crawl under my covers and pass out. Which is pretty much what I did. But before passing out, I asked my totally awesome husband to solve my programming problem for me. I'm not even sure if I explained anything to him, I just said, "Honey... please fix it.". And then I fell asleep.
This morning, at 6:58am (2 minutes before my alarm goes off), he woke me up and said, "Okay, honey. It works.".
He stayed up all night, and I must say, it works perfectly. I am always amazed at him. He is so stinking good at what he does.
So, I was able to get up and get the kids ready for school, while he fell asleep.
Of course, he woke up by 11:45, since his new game (Guild Wars 2, if you were interested) had a Beta Event this afternoon from noon to 7pm. Oh my goodness, you'd never have guessed that he only had 4 hours of sleep.
I was able to show the web site today, and so far, the reviews have been good. Hopefully, it will be 'live' in a few more days. I'm a little nervous about actually showing it to people, since all I can see is how it doesn't look exactly as I pictured it in my mind. But, since they don't have anything right now, I guess something is better than nothing, right? And I still have plenty of time to fix it up and make it better.
Also, Allen made a birdhouse and donated it to the auction last week. Of course, Grandma had to bid on it (because she's just that awesome). I think it turned out great, so I've asked Allen to make me one next year...
What I cooked today:
Chicken with Fried Rice: I was hearing some complaints that I need to cook more than just burgers and pasta and soup (although my soup can be quite unique at times). 'They' were right... I've been pretty lazy lately, not making a list, not preparing, and just choosing the easy way out. So, since school is almost out, and I should have some more free time, I'm getting back into cooking. Tonight, it was chicken with broccoli (Patrick doesn't let me mix them together, so I steam the broccoli and cook the chicken with some sherry and soy sauce). I even made up some fried rice to go with the regular white rice. I've come to realize that 2 cups of rice is never enough for my family any more. I think I'll go with 3 cups next time. And the 3 chicken breasts wasn't enough either. But perhaps it was more about the good food.
Update:
So, yesterday I worked on the web site, and had a rough time. By the time I sat down to do my blog, I had a massive headache and I just wanted to crawl under my covers and pass out. Which is pretty much what I did. But before passing out, I asked my totally awesome husband to solve my programming problem for me. I'm not even sure if I explained anything to him, I just said, "Honey... please fix it.". And then I fell asleep.
This morning, at 6:58am (2 minutes before my alarm goes off), he woke me up and said, "Okay, honey. It works.".
He stayed up all night, and I must say, it works perfectly. I am always amazed at him. He is so stinking good at what he does.
So, I was able to get up and get the kids ready for school, while he fell asleep.
Of course, he woke up by 11:45, since his new game (Guild Wars 2, if you were interested) had a Beta Event this afternoon from noon to 7pm. Oh my goodness, you'd never have guessed that he only had 4 hours of sleep.
I was able to show the web site today, and so far, the reviews have been good. Hopefully, it will be 'live' in a few more days. I'm a little nervous about actually showing it to people, since all I can see is how it doesn't look exactly as I pictured it in my mind. But, since they don't have anything right now, I guess something is better than nothing, right? And I still have plenty of time to fix it up and make it better.
Also, Allen made a birdhouse and donated it to the auction last week. Of course, Grandma had to bid on it (because she's just that awesome). I think it turned out great, so I've asked Allen to make me one next year...
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