Outside Temp: 46 F (still feels like fall around here... snow is almost totally gone and with the exception of the wind, it's just beautiful outside... now that I've said that, it's going to snow.)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Potatoes: I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I pulled out some chicken and decided I would make chicken. But I didn't want to make the same old Chinese chicken that I usually make. So, I flipped through a couple recipe books and came up with something. I rubbed the chicken with some Greek seasoning, then seared it in my cast iron skillet. Then I took some potatoes and carrots and put them in a pot. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet, and added some stock and flour to the skillet and whisked them together. Then I poured the stock over the potatoes and cooked them for a few minutes. I threw the vegetables into a casserole dish, with the chicken on top. Then I baked it for about 30 minutes. I had a little too many potatoes, so the ones that were not in fluid were a little stiff, but otherwise, it turned out great. I think next time, I'll toss the veggies in some seasoning before cooking them, and I'll add a little more stock.
Update:
We still have Ryan in a toddler bed. I know. I know. It's time to move him up to a twin. But his room is really small, and a twin bed will fill it up. So, we've been putting it off.
Well, we've almost run out of time. About 2 days ago, I sat on the edge of his bed to hook up his TPN, and I heard the unmistakable crack of splitting wood. It wasn't totally broken, but it was sure thinking about it. I mentioned it to Patrick, but he didn't really understand. So, last night, he sat on the edge (as we do almost every night) to hook up his TPN. And then there was a really significant 'crack'. I got some zip ties and tried to stabilize the cracking wood. He slept just fine last night, although he was almost falling off the bed when I got him this morning.
So, this afternoon, Connor was playing with Ryan in his room on the XBox, and we hear the really loud 'crack', followed by a 'thump'. A few curse words later and we realized that the wood was almost totally useless. No, wait. There is always duct tape!
I grabbed my trusty roll of silver perfection and went to work on the bed. The side rails are now covered in duct tape and it seems pretty stable. I've warned everyone in the house that Ryan is the only one who can use his bed. I figure it's limit is somewhere in the 75 lb range, which means that anyone else sitting on the bed will make it break. I'm betting that we can hold out for a few more weeks, maybe even until Christmas. But, maybe not. Perhaps it's time for a trip into town with Grandpa's truck.
Showing posts with label House Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Projects. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
November 11, 2012
Outside Temp: 24 F (We were down to -10 last night and it was up into the 30's today, just beautiful. Then the winds came back...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Tater Tots: I really wanted to use up the rest of my ground beef, before it went bad. So, I subjected my family to a nice dinner of tater tots and burgers. I threw in some corn, to add some color, and Ryan went crazy for it. He probably had 3 servings! Woo hoo!
Update:
We started the day under the house.
Patrick got up around 8:30, and there was no water. Ugh. Frozen pipes? Crap.
I went outside and checked the breaker for the water pump. It seemed to be okay. So, I sent my beloved husband outside and under the house, to figure out what was wrong. We have been working on the skirt to the house, and the cover to the under-house access was not on completely. It was at an angle, which would allow multiple rodents and small mammals (such as cats and raccoons and bunnies) to find shelter under our house. No, this was not on purpose.
As a result, the under-house area, where the plug for the heat tape (which is designed to keep the pipes warm), was completely covered in snow. Apparently, a 8 inch opening can let a lot of snow into an area.
We scraped out all the snow, and the heat tape was totally cold. So, I flipped that breaker, and the heat tape seemed to come back to life and started warming the pipes. Patrick climbed into the crawl space, brought a small space heater into the area, and I closed the hole with a piece of plywood (so he wouldn't freeze too badly). Have I mentioned the spiders yet? I hate spiders.
While underneath the house, Patrick tried to get the water pump working. It was cold as ice and would not turn on. We flipped the breaker again, to no avail. By this point, we were getting a little nervous, so Patrick called the expert, his dad. When I went to get the phone for him, I noticed that the power was a little funky. It was kind of flickering. But, it seemed to stop, so he called up to Grandpa's house, and I went back to check on the breakers.
The breakers all seemed fine, but, as I walked back into the house, I noticed that some lights were off. The microwave was on, but Ryan's room, the computer area and my bedroom was off. Of course, my bedroom is where the phone is plugged in, so Patrick's phone call was cut off pretty quick.
I went back outside (have I mentioned that there is about a foot of snow out the back door in the area where the breaker panel is located? That means I have to trudge through this snow, every time I want to flip the breakers. Ugh, of course, my boots are only 9 inches high, so the snow goes into my boots every stinking step. ), and looked at the panel again. I held my breath and tried to flip the main breaker. It had no problem flipping back and forth, but nothing changed. We grabbed the cell phone, to re-call Grandpa. He said he would come down and rescue us.
Patrick asked me to re-check the breaker, and re-flip the main breaker. So, I headed back out into the snow, and re-flipped the main breaker. Amazingly, it worked this time. All the power came back on and we were back to just having no water.
So, now I'm lying on the floor of my bathroom, talking to Patrick through a register on the floor. He is directly below me, under the house. And suddenly, the water starts flowing in the sink. It lasted for about 10 seconds, then shut off. But, since water came out immediately, that usually means that it's a pump problem, not a frozen pipe problem.
He spent the next few minutes flipping the power back and forth on the pump. We remember having this problem last year, and the pump needs to be about 3/4 of the way to 'ON', but not all the way. After another 10 minutes or so, the pump came back to life, and we had water. Woo hoo!
Patrick crawled back out of the hole, and grabbed some foam insulation to cover it up completely (no more visitors under the house with this hole... other holes maybe, but not this one. The water was still working as Grandpa walked around the corner to save us.
Although there was a fair amount of cursing the house for the hour or so that we spent fixing this water problem, we were kind of proud of ourselves for getting it fixed. And I was exceedingly grateful to be able to get Ryan showered and to get laundry done today. Oh, and the bathroom is useful as well!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Tater Tots: I really wanted to use up the rest of my ground beef, before it went bad. So, I subjected my family to a nice dinner of tater tots and burgers. I threw in some corn, to add some color, and Ryan went crazy for it. He probably had 3 servings! Woo hoo!
Update:
We started the day under the house.
Patrick got up around 8:30, and there was no water. Ugh. Frozen pipes? Crap.
I went outside and checked the breaker for the water pump. It seemed to be okay. So, I sent my beloved husband outside and under the house, to figure out what was wrong. We have been working on the skirt to the house, and the cover to the under-house access was not on completely. It was at an angle, which would allow multiple rodents and small mammals (such as cats and raccoons and bunnies) to find shelter under our house. No, this was not on purpose.
As a result, the under-house area, where the plug for the heat tape (which is designed to keep the pipes warm), was completely covered in snow. Apparently, a 8 inch opening can let a lot of snow into an area.
We scraped out all the snow, and the heat tape was totally cold. So, I flipped that breaker, and the heat tape seemed to come back to life and started warming the pipes. Patrick climbed into the crawl space, brought a small space heater into the area, and I closed the hole with a piece of plywood (so he wouldn't freeze too badly). Have I mentioned the spiders yet? I hate spiders.
While underneath the house, Patrick tried to get the water pump working. It was cold as ice and would not turn on. We flipped the breaker again, to no avail. By this point, we were getting a little nervous, so Patrick called the expert, his dad. When I went to get the phone for him, I noticed that the power was a little funky. It was kind of flickering. But, it seemed to stop, so he called up to Grandpa's house, and I went back to check on the breakers.
The breakers all seemed fine, but, as I walked back into the house, I noticed that some lights were off. The microwave was on, but Ryan's room, the computer area and my bedroom was off. Of course, my bedroom is where the phone is plugged in, so Patrick's phone call was cut off pretty quick.
I went back outside (have I mentioned that there is about a foot of snow out the back door in the area where the breaker panel is located? That means I have to trudge through this snow, every time I want to flip the breakers. Ugh, of course, my boots are only 9 inches high, so the snow goes into my boots every stinking step. ), and looked at the panel again. I held my breath and tried to flip the main breaker. It had no problem flipping back and forth, but nothing changed. We grabbed the cell phone, to re-call Grandpa. He said he would come down and rescue us.
Patrick asked me to re-check the breaker, and re-flip the main breaker. So, I headed back out into the snow, and re-flipped the main breaker. Amazingly, it worked this time. All the power came back on and we were back to just having no water.
So, now I'm lying on the floor of my bathroom, talking to Patrick through a register on the floor. He is directly below me, under the house. And suddenly, the water starts flowing in the sink. It lasted for about 10 seconds, then shut off. But, since water came out immediately, that usually means that it's a pump problem, not a frozen pipe problem.
He spent the next few minutes flipping the power back and forth on the pump. We remember having this problem last year, and the pump needs to be about 3/4 of the way to 'ON', but not all the way. After another 10 minutes or so, the pump came back to life, and we had water. Woo hoo!
Patrick crawled back out of the hole, and grabbed some foam insulation to cover it up completely (no more visitors under the house with this hole... other holes maybe, but not this one. The water was still working as Grandpa walked around the corner to save us.
Although there was a fair amount of cursing the house for the hour or so that we spent fixing this water problem, we were kind of proud of ourselves for getting it fixed. And I was exceedingly grateful to be able to get Ryan showered and to get laundry done today. Oh, and the bathroom is useful as well!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
November 10, 2012
Outside Temp: 3 F (yes, 3, as in single digits, almost 0... hehehe)
What I cooked today:
Pasta e Figole: I found a recipe for soup with ground beef. I picked up some ground beef at the grocery store, but I didn't seal and freeze it, like I normally do. As a result, the meat is turning brown and needs to be eaten. So, we're having ground beef every night until it's gone (which should be tomorrow night). Katie wanted chili, Patrick wanted soup. I compromised with this beef soup, with kidney beans, tomatoes, and macaroni. Yummy!
Update:
When I said I couldn't get my car out of the driveway, this is why.
No, my car isn't a VW beetle, it's not normally that tall. I admit, I could have shoveled the snow, and it wasn't as bad on the van, but the roads weren't plowed and there was no way I was going to waste that much energy. This picture was taken on Friday morning.
I did go out this morning and shovel snow, but I stopped after doing the walkway. I knew that we weren't going anywhere, and maybe by tomorrow, the snow will have started melting. Of course, with 3 degree temperatures, I'm not expecting much to occur before tomorrow morning. We'll see how much effort I want to put into moving my cars. I may have to substitute on Monday, so I might need a car by then...
This is out backyard. It was really bright when I took the picture, so you can't see much detail. But it was covered in snow. Totally covered. The kids played outside a little today, and we did make it over to church (Grandpa came and picked us up in his truck), but otherwise, it was another relaxing day at home.
The storm was a little slower than I expected. I thought it would be done by this morning, and yet it was still snowing this afternoon. We are keeping the house warm (enough), although with my bedroom door closed, it's probably in the 50's in there. That's why we invented electric mattress pads!
On a totally unrelated note, my (totally wonderful) husband put the final fixes on my dishwasher on Thursday night. Which means that I have a working dishwasher, for the first time in over a year. The old dishwasher only worked every 3-4 days. I was able to do 3 loads of dishes in one day! And I'm re-teaching the kids the art of putting things into the dishwasher immediately, instead of just tossing them into the sink. Since you can start the dishwasher as soon as it gets full, or even once a day (to make sure the milk in the glasses doesn't get ucky), we can actually have clean glasses and silverware every day! Woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Pasta e Figole: I found a recipe for soup with ground beef. I picked up some ground beef at the grocery store, but I didn't seal and freeze it, like I normally do. As a result, the meat is turning brown and needs to be eaten. So, we're having ground beef every night until it's gone (which should be tomorrow night). Katie wanted chili, Patrick wanted soup. I compromised with this beef soup, with kidney beans, tomatoes, and macaroni. Yummy!
Update:
When I said I couldn't get my car out of the driveway, this is why.
No, my car isn't a VW beetle, it's not normally that tall. I admit, I could have shoveled the snow, and it wasn't as bad on the van, but the roads weren't plowed and there was no way I was going to waste that much energy. This picture was taken on Friday morning.
I did go out this morning and shovel snow, but I stopped after doing the walkway. I knew that we weren't going anywhere, and maybe by tomorrow, the snow will have started melting. Of course, with 3 degree temperatures, I'm not expecting much to occur before tomorrow morning. We'll see how much effort I want to put into moving my cars. I may have to substitute on Monday, so I might need a car by then...
This is out backyard. It was really bright when I took the picture, so you can't see much detail. But it was covered in snow. Totally covered. The kids played outside a little today, and we did make it over to church (Grandpa came and picked us up in his truck), but otherwise, it was another relaxing day at home.
The storm was a little slower than I expected. I thought it would be done by this morning, and yet it was still snowing this afternoon. We are keeping the house warm (enough), although with my bedroom door closed, it's probably in the 50's in there. That's why we invented electric mattress pads!
On a totally unrelated note, my (totally wonderful) husband put the final fixes on my dishwasher on Thursday night. Which means that I have a working dishwasher, for the first time in over a year. The old dishwasher only worked every 3-4 days. I was able to do 3 loads of dishes in one day! And I'm re-teaching the kids the art of putting things into the dishwasher immediately, instead of just tossing them into the sink. Since you can start the dishwasher as soon as it gets full, or even once a day (to make sure the milk in the glasses doesn't get ucky), we can actually have clean glasses and silverware every day! Woo hoo!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
November 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 52 F (beautiful day, again. A little breezy and chilly at times, but perfect for getting projects done before the snow!)
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken Soup with Orzo: Patrick loves this soup and with it being a little chilly, and him working so hard outside, I thought I'd spoil him with soup. Ahhh, it seems that winter is starting to think about showing up.
Update:
My husband and his father are totally awesome!
First, they installed the dishwasher that has been sitting in my front room for almost 2 weeks. Of course, it was missing a part, but everything else is hooked up and it seems to run (or will as soon as we hook up the water). Now, the kids have a new box to play in!
Second, they fixed the plumbing in my second bathroom, again. They looked around under the house about a month ago, trying to get it to work. Today, they brought down the laser level and shimmied up the plumbing line, so that the water in that bathroom actually drains correctly! Woo hoo! A second toilet! You have no idea how annoying it is with a family of 6 and one toilet.
Then, they put on the skirt to the house. About a month ago, when they were working on the plumbing, they removed the skirt in the front of the house. We found that it was the original plywood, and had no (and I mean no) insulation. So, they picked up some insulation, and new plywood boards. Today, after completing the other 2 projects, they put the skirt back up. It actually looks much better and hopefully, the insulation will make a difference when the snows hit.
Woo hoo! The big housing projects are done! And, I managed to get another 5 loads of laundry done. It just wouldn't be a Sunday unless there were multiple loads of laundry to complete.
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken Soup with Orzo: Patrick loves this soup and with it being a little chilly, and him working so hard outside, I thought I'd spoil him with soup. Ahhh, it seems that winter is starting to think about showing up.
Update:
My husband and his father are totally awesome!
First, they installed the dishwasher that has been sitting in my front room for almost 2 weeks. Of course, it was missing a part, but everything else is hooked up and it seems to run (or will as soon as we hook up the water). Now, the kids have a new box to play in!
Second, they fixed the plumbing in my second bathroom, again. They looked around under the house about a month ago, trying to get it to work. Today, they brought down the laser level and shimmied up the plumbing line, so that the water in that bathroom actually drains correctly! Woo hoo! A second toilet! You have no idea how annoying it is with a family of 6 and one toilet.
Then, they put on the skirt to the house. About a month ago, when they were working on the plumbing, they removed the skirt in the front of the house. We found that it was the original plywood, and had no (and I mean no) insulation. So, they picked up some insulation, and new plywood boards. Today, after completing the other 2 projects, they put the skirt back up. It actually looks much better and hopefully, the insulation will make a difference when the snows hit.
Woo hoo! The big housing projects are done! And, I managed to get another 5 loads of laundry done. It just wouldn't be a Sunday unless there were multiple loads of laundry to complete.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
October 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 52 F (yes, 52... it's almost hot outside! )
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I spoiled the kids with pancakes this morning. I haven't made pancakes in a while, so I thought I'd break out the skillet. Of course, as usual I didn't make enough, so I didn't get any. But perhaps that is a good thing, since it keeps me from drowning my food in syrup.
Papa Murphy's Pizza: We debated while in town today, whether or not to get pizza. By 6pm, we decided that I didn't want to deal with making something for dinner, so we ended up with pizza. We now have tons of leftover pizza.. I guess it wasn't such a good idea.
Update:
Ahhh, a nice Sunday with no requirements.
I made sure the boys got their homework done early, then we headed into town. We needed to get Halloween costumes for everyone, so we brought Katie and Ryan with us (Allen gave us his list, and Connor didn't really care). Ryan had so much fun in the costume store, that we had a hard time getting him out.
I was glad that we got our weekly shopping done, but it meant that we missed the benefit and auction for a member of our community. There were plenty of things I was looking forward to 'bidding' on! I heard that it was a great success, and the food was wonderful! The Grandparents brought us back some leftovers (which will be awesome for lunch tomorrow), and a yummy cake for dessert!
Somehow, the weekend is over. I'm not quite sure where it went, but I think we got a few things accomplished. I still have a dishwasher sitting in my front room, waiting to get installed. I also have plywood in my garage, waiting to replace the skirt on my house. I think this next week will have a little better weather, and perhaps I can get my husband to finish some of the 'house projects' before the next snow hits!
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I spoiled the kids with pancakes this morning. I haven't made pancakes in a while, so I thought I'd break out the skillet. Of course, as usual I didn't make enough, so I didn't get any. But perhaps that is a good thing, since it keeps me from drowning my food in syrup.
Papa Murphy's Pizza: We debated while in town today, whether or not to get pizza. By 6pm, we decided that I didn't want to deal with making something for dinner, so we ended up with pizza. We now have tons of leftover pizza.. I guess it wasn't such a good idea.
Update:
Ahhh, a nice Sunday with no requirements.
I made sure the boys got their homework done early, then we headed into town. We needed to get Halloween costumes for everyone, so we brought Katie and Ryan with us (Allen gave us his list, and Connor didn't really care). Ryan had so much fun in the costume store, that we had a hard time getting him out.
I was glad that we got our weekly shopping done, but it meant that we missed the benefit and auction for a member of our community. There were plenty of things I was looking forward to 'bidding' on! I heard that it was a great success, and the food was wonderful! The Grandparents brought us back some leftovers (which will be awesome for lunch tomorrow), and a yummy cake for dessert!
Somehow, the weekend is over. I'm not quite sure where it went, but I think we got a few things accomplished. I still have a dishwasher sitting in my front room, waiting to get installed. I also have plywood in my garage, waiting to replace the skirt on my house. I think this next week will have a little better weather, and perhaps I can get my husband to finish some of the 'house projects' before the next snow hits!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
October 21, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (it was 20 degrees this morning, and got up to 61! Almost no wind and absolutely beautiful!)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Grandma cooked dinner for us, so I didn't have to cook! Woo hoo!
Update:
We spent most of the day at the grandparents house, helping to build the greenhouse. The concrete is ready, and this was one of the first days with no wind or rain or snow.
We got the rafters up (all 10 of them) and it looks great. I can't wait to see it with the panels on!
I also got a chance to do some housekeeping. I have a closet, that I just kind of tossed stuff into when we moved in (a year ago!). It's been mostly useless. So, I decided today that my one project for the day was to clean out the closet. (I had bought a stockpile of toilet paper online this week, and the four boxes were filling up my entryway).
In the closet, I found: 3 old laptops (that don't turn on), 2 briefcases, a tub full of electronic parts, 5 hard drives (which may just have some old pictures or something important on them), an old ceramic candle holder (which I intended to give as a Christmas present about 3 years ago), a coffee maker (I think it came with the house) and a box of linens (ahhh, that's where all my hand towels are!).
I now have a cleared out closet, with shelves (the shelves were in the closet, just waiting to be put together), and nice boxes for all my stuff. I have plenty of space for my stockpile, although I did keep the old laptops. Not really sure why...
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Grandma cooked dinner for us, so I didn't have to cook! Woo hoo!
Update:
We spent most of the day at the grandparents house, helping to build the greenhouse. The concrete is ready, and this was one of the first days with no wind or rain or snow.
We got the rafters up (all 10 of them) and it looks great. I can't wait to see it with the panels on!
I also got a chance to do some housekeeping. I have a closet, that I just kind of tossed stuff into when we moved in (a year ago!). It's been mostly useless. So, I decided today that my one project for the day was to clean out the closet. (I had bought a stockpile of toilet paper online this week, and the four boxes were filling up my entryway).
In the closet, I found: 3 old laptops (that don't turn on), 2 briefcases, a tub full of electronic parts, 5 hard drives (which may just have some old pictures or something important on them), an old ceramic candle holder (which I intended to give as a Christmas present about 3 years ago), a coffee maker (I think it came with the house) and a box of linens (ahhh, that's where all my hand towels are!).
I now have a cleared out closet, with shelves (the shelves were in the closet, just waiting to be put together), and nice boxes for all my stuff. I have plenty of space for my stockpile, although I did keep the old laptops. Not really sure why...
Saturday, October 20, 2012
October 20, 2012
Outside Temp: 36 F (it was in the 60's, but started cooling off once the sun went down. I'm expecting freezing tonight.)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Macs & Cheese: Katie stayed up with Grandma and Grandpa, so I made a dinner just for the guys. Burgers seemed like a great option. Of course, it would have been better if I had any cheese left over for the burgers, but I just suggested that they put the macs & cheese ON the burgers... They declined.
Update:
So, tonight is kind of a momentous post.
This is my 366th post (which makes sense, because this was a leap year). I started my blog exactly 1 year ago (10/21/11).
In this year, I have had over 9400 views of my blog, which sounds like a whole lot. Of course, if you break it down by the number of posts, it comes out to about 25 views per day. I am actually stunned, and perhaps a little humbled, that I still receive between 10-15 posts per day, on almost every post. I still can't imagine that my life is interesting enough to justify a few moments out of your day, to read my little post on my life, but I am deeply grateful that you have kept me going.
There have been more than a few nights, where I didn't really want to post anything. Either I couldn't come up with anything even mildly interesting to write, or I was so dog tired that I had to drag my body out of bed, to type a few lines. But, I am a little proud of myself in that I can say I haven't missed a day!
This blog has been useful for me as well. When we got a notice from Ryan's medical insurance, questioning a bill, I could look back at the 'date of service' on my blog, and explain exactly what happened that day (2-3 months ago). I actually have a place where pictures are stored, so I can find them easily. I proved I was right in a 'discussion' with my husband when he said that we kept the chicks in our bedroom for 3-4 weeks, and I said it was only a few days. It was 3 to be exact, which I could find easily when I looked back at the blog posts.
In a small way, it's a problem, since when I try 'small talk' with friends whom I haven't seen in a while, they already know everything going on in my life, so I find I'm repeating things they already know. But, when you take into account that I'm in Montana, and I have friends who are 1200 miles away, it's more common that I'm not going to be physically seeing a lot of my friends for a while. The blog has let me keep in touch in a way that I wouldn't do otherwise.
I also know that some people can just read my blurb on Facebook (which I post every day, with the link to that day's blog entry), and not click on the link, but still keep up to date with our lives.
So, to all those people who have either come into my life, or stayed in my life, in a small way because of the blog, thank you for being part of my life!! If nothing else, knowing that you are out there helps me to feed my family each day, if for no other reason than because I hate to write that I didn't cook anything today!!
Now, that being said, we had a basketball game today. I was able to get about 6 seconds of video with Allen actually playing. Amazingly, the video is better than the pictures I took, which seems typical.
They won their game, which makes them 2-0 for the season so far. Considering that there are only 8 games in the season, before the tournaments, they are doing pretty good!
After the game, we rushed back for church, and made it with at least 4 minutes to spare.
Patrick went into town with Grandpa and picked up my new dishwasher. We talked with our landlord and he agreed that having a dishwasher that only works every 3rd day is just not right. Not to mention the possibility that there was some electrical problem (and the image of the house burning down), we have 6 people and we make dinner (almost) every night. Doing dishes by hand each night has gotten old. It was kind of fun in the beginning, like roughing it. Now, it's just annoying. So, we ordered the dishwasher last week, and picked it up today. Now, I have to live through the wait time while it's sitting in my family room, waiting for my husband to hook it up. I'm praying on tomorrow, but I'm expecting mid next week.
Allen and I spent a lot of time talking about his upcoming presentation on Socrates. His history teacher has them doing a power point presentation instead of the standard test. That means that instead of being grades on grammar and spelling and punctuation (which he kind of sucks at), he gets graded on what he actually knows. Which seems like something that Socrates would have approved of!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Macs & Cheese: Katie stayed up with Grandma and Grandpa, so I made a dinner just for the guys. Burgers seemed like a great option. Of course, it would have been better if I had any cheese left over for the burgers, but I just suggested that they put the macs & cheese ON the burgers... They declined.
Update:
So, tonight is kind of a momentous post.
This is my 366th post (which makes sense, because this was a leap year). I started my blog exactly 1 year ago (10/21/11).
In this year, I have had over 9400 views of my blog, which sounds like a whole lot. Of course, if you break it down by the number of posts, it comes out to about 25 views per day. I am actually stunned, and perhaps a little humbled, that I still receive between 10-15 posts per day, on almost every post. I still can't imagine that my life is interesting enough to justify a few moments out of your day, to read my little post on my life, but I am deeply grateful that you have kept me going.
There have been more than a few nights, where I didn't really want to post anything. Either I couldn't come up with anything even mildly interesting to write, or I was so dog tired that I had to drag my body out of bed, to type a few lines. But, I am a little proud of myself in that I can say I haven't missed a day!
This blog has been useful for me as well. When we got a notice from Ryan's medical insurance, questioning a bill, I could look back at the 'date of service' on my blog, and explain exactly what happened that day (2-3 months ago). I actually have a place where pictures are stored, so I can find them easily. I proved I was right in a 'discussion' with my husband when he said that we kept the chicks in our bedroom for 3-4 weeks, and I said it was only a few days. It was 3 to be exact, which I could find easily when I looked back at the blog posts.
In a small way, it's a problem, since when I try 'small talk' with friends whom I haven't seen in a while, they already know everything going on in my life, so I find I'm repeating things they already know. But, when you take into account that I'm in Montana, and I have friends who are 1200 miles away, it's more common that I'm not going to be physically seeing a lot of my friends for a while. The blog has let me keep in touch in a way that I wouldn't do otherwise.
I also know that some people can just read my blurb on Facebook (which I post every day, with the link to that day's blog entry), and not click on the link, but still keep up to date with our lives.
So, to all those people who have either come into my life, or stayed in my life, in a small way because of the blog, thank you for being part of my life!! If nothing else, knowing that you are out there helps me to feed my family each day, if for no other reason than because I hate to write that I didn't cook anything today!!
Now, that being said, we had a basketball game today. I was able to get about 6 seconds of video with Allen actually playing. Amazingly, the video is better than the pictures I took, which seems typical.
They won their game, which makes them 2-0 for the season so far. Considering that there are only 8 games in the season, before the tournaments, they are doing pretty good!
After the game, we rushed back for church, and made it with at least 4 minutes to spare.
Patrick went into town with Grandpa and picked up my new dishwasher. We talked with our landlord and he agreed that having a dishwasher that only works every 3rd day is just not right. Not to mention the possibility that there was some electrical problem (and the image of the house burning down), we have 6 people and we make dinner (almost) every night. Doing dishes by hand each night has gotten old. It was kind of fun in the beginning, like roughing it. Now, it's just annoying. So, we ordered the dishwasher last week, and picked it up today. Now, I have to live through the wait time while it's sitting in my family room, waiting for my husband to hook it up. I'm praying on tomorrow, but I'm expecting mid next week.
Allen and I spent a lot of time talking about his upcoming presentation on Socrates. His history teacher has them doing a power point presentation instead of the standard test. That means that instead of being grades on grammar and spelling and punctuation (which he kind of sucks at), he gets graded on what he actually knows. Which seems like something that Socrates would have approved of!
Monday, October 1, 2012
October 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 71 F (It seems a little strange to have it so warm at night, but I'm sure it will cool off by the morning!)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Potato Salad: I thought I'd attempt to re-create the potato salad I made this weekend. Patrick and I went through my large bowl of potato salad by Sunday afternoon, so (to use up the rest of the hard boiled eggs) I made some more. We had it with dinner, and still have plenty left for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
If you have been following the blog for a while, you know that we have problems with our electrical and our plumbing. About a month after we got here, we noticed that one of the bathrooms backed up, bad enough to make it unusable. Which means for the last 8-9 months, we have had our family of 6 with one bathroom. Okay, tolerable.
Also, as soon as we moved in, the electrical in about 1/4 of the house went out, and we couldn't figure out how to fix it. That area included my master bathroom and my dining area. So, we've had electrical cords running from my bedroom into the bathroom with a lamp on top of the cabinet for the last year. Since the lamp is up high, we usually would leave it on at night, in case the kids needed to use the restroom (since the switch didn't work). We also have a lamp on my kitchen table, to use at night for dinner (since there was no light above the table).
So, today, my fabulous men decided to work on our house. They went under the house, checked the plumbing line, removed the toilet to snake around, added shims to raise the pipe so it was level and voila, the bathroom now seems to be working!
Then, just for kicks and grins, they looked into the electrical. They found a wire that was cut in one of the outbuildings, and it was shorting out that breaker. They did something and (again) voila, we now have lights!
They have plans to fix some insulation issues with the skirt of the house, so that it might be a little less freezing during the winter. But, right now I'm just so stinking happy to have my light switches work and my bathroom toilet flush!
Of course, the kids are so used to using our bathroom, they really don't want to use the normal one. Katie's complaint is that there were bugs in the shower. Well, since it hasn't been used in a year, I would expect bugs. But, I've promised that we'll clean the shower before she has to use it.
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Potato Salad: I thought I'd attempt to re-create the potato salad I made this weekend. Patrick and I went through my large bowl of potato salad by Sunday afternoon, so (to use up the rest of the hard boiled eggs) I made some more. We had it with dinner, and still have plenty left for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
My husband and father in law are so stinking awesome!
If you have been following the blog for a while, you know that we have problems with our electrical and our plumbing. About a month after we got here, we noticed that one of the bathrooms backed up, bad enough to make it unusable. Which means for the last 8-9 months, we have had our family of 6 with one bathroom. Okay, tolerable.
Also, as soon as we moved in, the electrical in about 1/4 of the house went out, and we couldn't figure out how to fix it. That area included my master bathroom and my dining area. So, we've had electrical cords running from my bedroom into the bathroom with a lamp on top of the cabinet for the last year. Since the lamp is up high, we usually would leave it on at night, in case the kids needed to use the restroom (since the switch didn't work). We also have a lamp on my kitchen table, to use at night for dinner (since there was no light above the table).
So, today, my fabulous men decided to work on our house. They went under the house, checked the plumbing line, removed the toilet to snake around, added shims to raise the pipe so it was level and voila, the bathroom now seems to be working!
Then, just for kicks and grins, they looked into the electrical. They found a wire that was cut in one of the outbuildings, and it was shorting out that breaker. They did something and (again) voila, we now have lights!
They have plans to fix some insulation issues with the skirt of the house, so that it might be a little less freezing during the winter. But, right now I'm just so stinking happy to have my light switches work and my bathroom toilet flush!
Of course, the kids are so used to using our bathroom, they really don't want to use the normal one. Katie's complaint is that there were bugs in the shower. Well, since it hasn't been used in a year, I would expect bugs. But, I've promised that we'll clean the shower before she has to use it.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
August 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 55 F (it was warm today, but not that hot... thank goodness!)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Grandma got Papa Murphy's pizza while we were in town, so we had pizza... I promise I'll be cooking something, anything, tomorrow night.
Update:
Our first day home. I slept in until after 11am, which was only 9 hours of sleep, so I guess that's okay.
I had to return my rental car into Great Falls, so Grandma drove with me back to town. The rental car that we drove from Seattle was a black Chrysler 200 (something, I know nothing about cars). It was a great car and I really enjoyed driving it. Mostly, Ryan loved the color. He's in a black stage, where his favorite color is black. Needless to say, when we returned it back to Great Falls, it was no longer in the driveway. Ryan was very, very unhappy with me.
"Where is my black car?" was his first question when he looked in the drive way. Then, he proceeded to hit the front of my yellow car with his fist and exclaim, "I want my black car."
I see that we will have to end up with a black car soon.
While we were gone, Patrick and Grandpa had to get the new Greenhouse out of the semi-trailer.
That means that Patrick got to play with the forklift.
I wasn't there, so I didn't get any pictures, but Patrick said it was fun! I caught this picture while they were driving the forklift back down to the local service shop down by the highway.
What I cooked today:
Nothing... Grandma got Papa Murphy's pizza while we were in town, so we had pizza... I promise I'll be cooking something, anything, tomorrow night.
Update:
Our first day home. I slept in until after 11am, which was only 9 hours of sleep, so I guess that's okay.
I had to return my rental car into Great Falls, so Grandma drove with me back to town. The rental car that we drove from Seattle was a black Chrysler 200 (something, I know nothing about cars). It was a great car and I really enjoyed driving it. Mostly, Ryan loved the color. He's in a black stage, where his favorite color is black. Needless to say, when we returned it back to Great Falls, it was no longer in the driveway. Ryan was very, very unhappy with me.
"Where is my black car?" was his first question when he looked in the drive way. Then, he proceeded to hit the front of my yellow car with his fist and exclaim, "I want my black car."
I see that we will have to end up with a black car soon.
While we were gone, Patrick and Grandpa had to get the new Greenhouse out of the semi-trailer.
That means that Patrick got to play with the forklift.
I wasn't there, so I didn't get any pictures, but Patrick said it was fun! I caught this picture while they were driving the forklift back down to the local service shop down by the highway.
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!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
June 30, 2012
Outside Temp: 64 F (it was in the 80's again today. But, it cooled off this evening and it's beautiful!)
What I cooked today:
Burritos: The funny thing about the late evenings, is that dinner time sneaks up on me. So, sometime around 9pm, I realized that it was time for dinner. I wanted to try a recipe, but it called for about an hour of cooking time, and I didn't want to wait that long. So, I just made up some ground beef with taco seasoning, and heated up some tortillas and beans. Instant dinner!
Update:
So, first off, I'm kind of 'home maintenance' challenged. I never learned all those little tricks that apparently, everyone else knows.
I was complaining about my backed up shower today, at the post office, and my postmistress explained to me how to clear it. Patrick and I were under the impression that it was a problem with the main line (which it still may be), but we noticed that we could run the water in the sinks and the toilet without problem. It was only the shower.
So, I was told that I just needed to take some baking soda, vinegar and boiling water, and put them all down the drain. Oh yea, like that's going to work. So, I boiled some water in my tea kettle, and scooped out about 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 1 cup of white vinegar.
I tried to drop the baking soda down first, but it got stuck in the drain, so it spilled out into the shower. Then, I poured vinegar over the soda. Oh, how fun! I love the reaction between these two (and I really wanted to turn it into a science experiment, but the kids were all sleeping, so I let it pass). Last, I used the boiling water to 'push' the fizzing vinegar/soda mixture down the drain. I totally expected it to just sit there, and slowly drain, like it has been doing. But, it worked! Suddenly, the entire fizzy mixture started running down the drain and it was clearing! It took about a minute for the clog to clear, and then I could run water down the drain and it would actually go down!
Woo hoo!
The best part, is that it was essentially free! I didn't have to call anyone (or wait for a male member of my family to fix it for me). There is still probably a problem with the main line, but for now, we can use the shower and not wait 20 minutes for the water from a 4 minute shower to drain.
What I cooked today:
Burritos: The funny thing about the late evenings, is that dinner time sneaks up on me. So, sometime around 9pm, I realized that it was time for dinner. I wanted to try a recipe, but it called for about an hour of cooking time, and I didn't want to wait that long. So, I just made up some ground beef with taco seasoning, and heated up some tortillas and beans. Instant dinner!
Update:
So, first off, I'm kind of 'home maintenance' challenged. I never learned all those little tricks that apparently, everyone else knows.
I was complaining about my backed up shower today, at the post office, and my postmistress explained to me how to clear it. Patrick and I were under the impression that it was a problem with the main line (which it still may be), but we noticed that we could run the water in the sinks and the toilet without problem. It was only the shower.
So, I was told that I just needed to take some baking soda, vinegar and boiling water, and put them all down the drain. Oh yea, like that's going to work. So, I boiled some water in my tea kettle, and scooped out about 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 1 cup of white vinegar.
I tried to drop the baking soda down first, but it got stuck in the drain, so it spilled out into the shower. Then, I poured vinegar over the soda. Oh, how fun! I love the reaction between these two (and I really wanted to turn it into a science experiment, but the kids were all sleeping, so I let it pass). Last, I used the boiling water to 'push' the fizzing vinegar/soda mixture down the drain. I totally expected it to just sit there, and slowly drain, like it has been doing. But, it worked! Suddenly, the entire fizzy mixture started running down the drain and it was clearing! It took about a minute for the clog to clear, and then I could run water down the drain and it would actually go down!
Woo hoo!
The best part, is that it was essentially free! I didn't have to call anyone (or wait for a male member of my family to fix it for me). There is still probably a problem with the main line, but for now, we can use the shower and not wait 20 minutes for the water from a 4 minute shower to drain.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
June 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 58 F (it was in the high 80's again today. But it didn't bother us much. Cooled off nicely tonight)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Tater Tots: We didn't even start dinner until after 9pm, since we had other stuff we were doing. So, I went with the old standby, which worked out fine. Boy, does everyone love tater tots in my family!
Update:
A nice relaxing day. Nothing really to do (okay, so we had to work a little, but we found out our 'deadline' got pushed until Monday, so we felt a little less pressure).
With the Supreme Court stuff going on today, we had lots of discussion. And for those who know us, you know that discussions around our house become entire family affairs. So, we spent a few hours discussing the Health Care law with the kids, and asked their opinions on both the law, and the decision. Of course, their opinions are close to our own (as I would expect, since we're the ones who are teaching them). But, I love that they didn't have too much problem understanding the process and how it affects up. They also had some great insights on consequences of the law.
This evening, Allen and Katie played with some of the neighborhood kids, which was awesome. It also gave me a chance to chat, which I always love. Of course, it meant that we weren't home for dinner until after 9pm, but it was still light out, so it doesn't really matter.
We are also still having problems with our septic tank. The shower is backing up, so, we thought we would try snaking the tank past the break that we already know about. Which involves lifting the lid on the septic tank. Ewwwww. Totally gross.
We tried snaking the main line, and, while we found a few narrowings, we're not sure if we helped the situation. I think it's time to attempt to dig up the line and try to fix it. Ugh, I really don't want to do this. But, I guess it's all part of the experience!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Tater Tots: We didn't even start dinner until after 9pm, since we had other stuff we were doing. So, I went with the old standby, which worked out fine. Boy, does everyone love tater tots in my family!
Update:
A nice relaxing day. Nothing really to do (okay, so we had to work a little, but we found out our 'deadline' got pushed until Monday, so we felt a little less pressure).
With the Supreme Court stuff going on today, we had lots of discussion. And for those who know us, you know that discussions around our house become entire family affairs. So, we spent a few hours discussing the Health Care law with the kids, and asked their opinions on both the law, and the decision. Of course, their opinions are close to our own (as I would expect, since we're the ones who are teaching them). But, I love that they didn't have too much problem understanding the process and how it affects up. They also had some great insights on consequences of the law.
This evening, Allen and Katie played with some of the neighborhood kids, which was awesome. It also gave me a chance to chat, which I always love. Of course, it meant that we weren't home for dinner until after 9pm, but it was still light out, so it doesn't really matter.
We are also still having problems with our septic tank. The shower is backing up, so, we thought we would try snaking the tank past the break that we already know about. Which involves lifting the lid on the septic tank. Ewwwww. Totally gross.
We tried snaking the main line, and, while we found a few narrowings, we're not sure if we helped the situation. I think it's time to attempt to dig up the line and try to fix it. Ugh, I really don't want to do this. But, I guess it's all part of the experience!
Friday, May 18, 2012
May 18, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (it rained and hailed and then clear then rain then clear... I love the changes in weather!)
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I had some steak in the freezer from December, so I thought I'd try a beef stew to use it up. I think the potatoes and carrots and onions and celery tasted great. Not so much for the steak, but who cares. It was protein and it made the rest of the stew taste good. I'm just glad it's been used up!
Biscuits: I usually make biscuits with buttermilk, but I didn't have any, so I used regular milk. Just for future reference, use buttermilk or don't make them. Not nearly as good as usual!
Update:
The chicks are still alive. I know that was a big concern, but I think the rest of the birds are okay. They all came when we brought them scratch grain and none of them looked sickly. I'm hoping that yesterday's events were a one-time thing.
I didn't have to substitute today, which means that I got to stay in my PJs for an extra few hours. heheheh.
I did get a lot of work done during the beautiful rain storm this morning. And, I got to spend an hour or so chatting at the post office (which I haven't had a chance to do in a while!)
The elementary school had a Books for Bikes contest. Each student got an entry into the raffle for each chapter they read for the semester. And, as you may know, Connor reads a lot. I'm not sure exactly the numbers involved, but the story I was told is that there were about 300-400 entries into the raffle. And, about 150 of them were Connor's. He read about 8-10 books this semester (about 3 months). So, guess who won a bike this afternoon??
After dinner, I talked Patrick into fixing the back door. If you go back to my first post (or second, but somewhere in the beginning), we got a pellet stove, and had to install a door to put the stove into (it's one of those window things, but we didn't have a window to put it in). Well, since the winter (that wasn't) is (mostly) over, I figured it was time to put the pellet stove away for the summer.
Of course, to put the old door back in place, it is necessary to find the hardware. Hmmm, I wonder where the hardware would have gone. It would have been way too easy to put the hardware in a bag and tape it to the door. Or, perhaps to put it on the shelf next to the door.
30 minutes later, I found it, in a bag, in a closet, next to some boxes that still have not been unpacked. Oh yea, that was really smart.
Having a back door is great. After it was all put on (and yes, it fit and still latched correctly and was square and all that), Patrick and I sat out on the back porch, eating ice cream (the Schwanns guy came by last night... woo hoo) and watching the sunset. Then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees as soon as the sun was down. Time to go back inside...
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I had some steak in the freezer from December, so I thought I'd try a beef stew to use it up. I think the potatoes and carrots and onions and celery tasted great. Not so much for the steak, but who cares. It was protein and it made the rest of the stew taste good. I'm just glad it's been used up!
Biscuits: I usually make biscuits with buttermilk, but I didn't have any, so I used regular milk. Just for future reference, use buttermilk or don't make them. Not nearly as good as usual!
Update:
The chicks are still alive. I know that was a big concern, but I think the rest of the birds are okay. They all came when we brought them scratch grain and none of them looked sickly. I'm hoping that yesterday's events were a one-time thing.
I didn't have to substitute today, which means that I got to stay in my PJs for an extra few hours. heheheh.
I did get a lot of work done during the beautiful rain storm this morning. And, I got to spend an hour or so chatting at the post office (which I haven't had a chance to do in a while!)
The elementary school had a Books for Bikes contest. Each student got an entry into the raffle for each chapter they read for the semester. And, as you may know, Connor reads a lot. I'm not sure exactly the numbers involved, but the story I was told is that there were about 300-400 entries into the raffle. And, about 150 of them were Connor's. He read about 8-10 books this semester (about 3 months). So, guess who won a bike this afternoon??
The winner got a helmet and a gift certificate for $125 to be used towards the purchase of a new bike (and any accessories). How totally awesome is that? He said he would ride up to the Grandparent's house with Allen this summer. THANK YOU SO MUCH to the Mason Lodge in Hobson!! I'm not sure when we'll head over to Lewistown to pick up his prize, but I'm sure it will be soon!
After dinner, I talked Patrick into fixing the back door. If you go back to my first post (or second, but somewhere in the beginning), we got a pellet stove, and had to install a door to put the stove into (it's one of those window things, but we didn't have a window to put it in). Well, since the winter (that wasn't) is (mostly) over, I figured it was time to put the pellet stove away for the summer.
Of course, to put the old door back in place, it is necessary to find the hardware. Hmmm, I wonder where the hardware would have gone. It would have been way too easy to put the hardware in a bag and tape it to the door. Or, perhaps to put it on the shelf next to the door.
30 minutes later, I found it, in a bag, in a closet, next to some boxes that still have not been unpacked. Oh yea, that was really smart.
Having a back door is great. After it was all put on (and yes, it fit and still latched correctly and was square and all that), Patrick and I sat out on the back porch, eating ice cream (the Schwanns guy came by last night... woo hoo) and watching the sunset. Then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees as soon as the sun was down. Time to go back inside...
Saturday, April 28, 2012
April 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (The storm tapered off sometime this morning, and we haven't gotten any rain or snow for most of the day, with the exception of a little hail and light rain before 10am... Not really sure what to expect with tomorrow)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Noodle Soup: I figured it was kind of chilly, and hot chicken soup is always a good choice. I made up a few loafs of Grandma's artisan bread and threw together the things for soup. We didn't have any more stars or little noodles, so I used egg noodles, which worked just fine. The soup turned out great and really hit the spot!
Update:
Yes, the chicks are still alive. Amazingly! I admit that when we left last night, I wasn't so sure they'd survive the night. The 6 birds who have been outside were given a dog house, with pine shavings, that was big enough for their water and food. Then, we used boards and old shingles to put a 'lean-to' across the front, so they could leave if they had to, but they would be protected from the elements.
Apparently, they did just fine! We came back down this morning, and they were walking around in their dog house, eating and pooping, just like normal. I guess the 25 degrees last night didn't hurt them too much!
We also left the heat lamps off the other 22 birds, who are still inside. Their room got into the low 50's last night, but they also survived. We read that the birds need to be exposed to the cold to make them grow their feathers. So, I guess we've been baby-ing them for the last week or two. The inside birds look like they've grown up overnight, and, once this storm is passed, I think we'll start moving them outside.
We stayed up at the Grandparents' house last night, since our place had no running water. And, with our family, no running water means no toilet, which is just not acceptable. The kids liked it up there, since the Internet is faster and the kids could play on-line games AND watch Netflix on the TV... at the same time! Amazing. I think that our line from the road to our house is old, and it limits the bandwidth for our network.
So, this morning, Patrick and I came back home, and he went under the house to check out the water pump. He flipped the breaker, and it sounded like it went back on, then off. So, he flipped it again. Same thing happened. The third time, he slowly flipped it off, then back on again. As he flipped it up, he heard the pump engage. Then, as he reached the top, it flipped off. Lovely. Apparently, it only works when the breaker is in the 3/4 position. Ugh, one more issue with the house. Oh well. Now, at least we know!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Noodle Soup: I figured it was kind of chilly, and hot chicken soup is always a good choice. I made up a few loafs of Grandma's artisan bread and threw together the things for soup. We didn't have any more stars or little noodles, so I used egg noodles, which worked just fine. The soup turned out great and really hit the spot!
Update:
Yes, the chicks are still alive. Amazingly! I admit that when we left last night, I wasn't so sure they'd survive the night. The 6 birds who have been outside were given a dog house, with pine shavings, that was big enough for their water and food. Then, we used boards and old shingles to put a 'lean-to' across the front, so they could leave if they had to, but they would be protected from the elements.
Apparently, they did just fine! We came back down this morning, and they were walking around in their dog house, eating and pooping, just like normal. I guess the 25 degrees last night didn't hurt them too much!
We also left the heat lamps off the other 22 birds, who are still inside. Their room got into the low 50's last night, but they also survived. We read that the birds need to be exposed to the cold to make them grow their feathers. So, I guess we've been baby-ing them for the last week or two. The inside birds look like they've grown up overnight, and, once this storm is passed, I think we'll start moving them outside.
We stayed up at the Grandparents' house last night, since our place had no running water. And, with our family, no running water means no toilet, which is just not acceptable. The kids liked it up there, since the Internet is faster and the kids could play on-line games AND watch Netflix on the TV... at the same time! Amazing. I think that our line from the road to our house is old, and it limits the bandwidth for our network.
So, this morning, Patrick and I came back home, and he went under the house to check out the water pump. He flipped the breaker, and it sounded like it went back on, then off. So, he flipped it again. Same thing happened. The third time, he slowly flipped it off, then back on again. As he flipped it up, he heard the pump engage. Then, as he reached the top, it flipped off. Lovely. Apparently, it only works when the breaker is in the 3/4 position. Ugh, one more issue with the house. Oh well. Now, at least we know!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
March 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 29 F (foggy all day... stayed in the 30's most of the day)
What I cooked today:
Blueberry Muffins: I had a boxed mix for muffins, so I made them up today. Yummm!
Soup: Not sure exactly what to call this one. Ground beef (yes, I drained off the fat), onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, green beans and pearl barley. Then we added some beef broth, rosemary and oregano. We let it simmer for about a hour and half. We had to keep adding more water, since the barley absorbed a lot of it. It turned out great, very, very hearty. Katie asked if I just tossed everything in the fridge... maybe...
Update:
Today was a pretty lazy day.
We had church at 1pm, which means that somewhere around noon, we had to kick everyone off computers, wake up Patrick and start getting Ryan ready.
After church, Patrick and Allen went up to help the grandparents, and Katie went with them. So, Connor and Ryan were home alone.
And, since I couldn't justify spending the entire day reading trashy romance novels or playing computer games, I decided to clean up the front entry to the house. I've decided that the most awesome thing in the world is a mud room. But, since we don't have one, and we haven't bought the house so I can't go making structural changes (yet), I had to do with what we had.
I used some old wood 2x4 blocks and an extra shelf (that I haven't put up on any walls yet), to create a shelf area for boots and shoes. Then I used those cool 3M hooks to put more hooks on the walls. Then I stole a cloth bin out of Katie's room for gloves and scarves and hats. I used another box for snow pants (the ones with bib overalls got hung up).
Now, I actually have some room to walk in the front door, without tripping over crap. I'm hoping that it will stay somewhat picked up for at least 10 hours.
What I cooked today:
Blueberry Muffins: I had a boxed mix for muffins, so I made them up today. Yummm!
Soup: Not sure exactly what to call this one. Ground beef (yes, I drained off the fat), onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, green beans and pearl barley. Then we added some beef broth, rosemary and oregano. We let it simmer for about a hour and half. We had to keep adding more water, since the barley absorbed a lot of it. It turned out great, very, very hearty. Katie asked if I just tossed everything in the fridge... maybe...
Update:
Today was a pretty lazy day.
We had church at 1pm, which means that somewhere around noon, we had to kick everyone off computers, wake up Patrick and start getting Ryan ready.
After church, Patrick and Allen went up to help the grandparents, and Katie went with them. So, Connor and Ryan were home alone.
And, since I couldn't justify spending the entire day reading trashy romance novels or playing computer games, I decided to clean up the front entry to the house. I've decided that the most awesome thing in the world is a mud room. But, since we don't have one, and we haven't bought the house so I can't go making structural changes (yet), I had to do with what we had.
I used some old wood 2x4 blocks and an extra shelf (that I haven't put up on any walls yet), to create a shelf area for boots and shoes. Then I used those cool 3M hooks to put more hooks on the walls. Then I stole a cloth bin out of Katie's room for gloves and scarves and hats. I used another box for snow pants (the ones with bib overalls got hung up).
Now, I actually have some room to walk in the front door, without tripping over crap. I'm hoping that it will stay somewhat picked up for at least 10 hours.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
January 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (still windy, but not as windy as earlier this week!)
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I know, this doesn't sound all that great, but they are totally awesome! Patrick's mom gave us a Tupperware container full of mix, which you can put in the fridge and use whenever you're ready. Needless to say, I used up the entire container this morning to make about 2 dozen mini-muffins. The kids went spastic over how great they are! I'd forgotten how great this recipe is, simply because you can mix up the batter, and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Then you can use only what you want at that time. Of course, in my house, I'm sure we'll use up all the batter in one sitting!
Walnut Chicken: Still can't seem to get any snow peas, and I seem to buy fresh mushrooms, just to let them sit and get gross in my fridge. But I can still make the sauce and throw some walnuts in... everyone loved it. I even used up about 2 lbs of chicken that have been sitting in my freezer since before we moved... at least 6 months. Probably closer to 9. Couldn't tell... it turned out great. I guess soy sauce and sherry will do that to chicken. I even made some fried rice to go with the chicken. By the time dinner was over, we were totally full.
Update:
Okay, so we had the guy from the septic draining company come over today to resolve our septic problem. We lifted the lid yesterday, and it looked pretty full. But, the guy said that, although it was about 90% full, it was not the cause of our problems. He did pump it, which caused the scent to blow a few blocks away, all the way to the church. Our neighbors just love us!
He found a blockage about 3 feet from the septic tank, back up the main line. Once he cleared that, he tried to continue snaking up the line. But found that the pipe is damaged. Of course, that means that the entire pipe would need to be replaced. He said the 'break' was kind of like a jagged edge, grabbing hold of any 'thing' that goes past, and probably causing the blockage. My favorite part was that it was probably just toilet paper causing the blockage. The toilet paper could get caught on that 'edge' and start causing the block. So.... we can use the septic, as long as we don't use too much toilet paper. Oh, yea, that's going to be awesome!
On a much lighter note, Allen got to read the first and second readings in church today. He practiced for about an hour, and seemed really ready. Up until the moment he was up there at the lectern. Suddenly, he seemed really, really nervous. While during practice, he was reading nice and slow, once he got up there, he sped up and read much faster. He only stumbled over one or two moments. I was so proud!! We are going to talk to the people at the church about setting up a schedule where we can read. That way, Patrick, Allen and I can take turns. I love this church!!
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I know, this doesn't sound all that great, but they are totally awesome! Patrick's mom gave us a Tupperware container full of mix, which you can put in the fridge and use whenever you're ready. Needless to say, I used up the entire container this morning to make about 2 dozen mini-muffins. The kids went spastic over how great they are! I'd forgotten how great this recipe is, simply because you can mix up the batter, and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Then you can use only what you want at that time. Of course, in my house, I'm sure we'll use up all the batter in one sitting!
Walnut Chicken: Still can't seem to get any snow peas, and I seem to buy fresh mushrooms, just to let them sit and get gross in my fridge. But I can still make the sauce and throw some walnuts in... everyone loved it. I even used up about 2 lbs of chicken that have been sitting in my freezer since before we moved... at least 6 months. Probably closer to 9. Couldn't tell... it turned out great. I guess soy sauce and sherry will do that to chicken. I even made some fried rice to go with the chicken. By the time dinner was over, we were totally full.
Update:
This is my 100th post! I haven't miss a day since I started back in October. And I've had over 2500 views of my blog. You are all totally awesome!!
Okay, so we had the guy from the septic draining company come over today to resolve our septic problem. We lifted the lid yesterday, and it looked pretty full. But, the guy said that, although it was about 90% full, it was not the cause of our problems. He did pump it, which caused the scent to blow a few blocks away, all the way to the church. Our neighbors just love us!
He found a blockage about 3 feet from the septic tank, back up the main line. Once he cleared that, he tried to continue snaking up the line. But found that the pipe is damaged. Of course, that means that the entire pipe would need to be replaced. He said the 'break' was kind of like a jagged edge, grabbing hold of any 'thing' that goes past, and probably causing the blockage. My favorite part was that it was probably just toilet paper causing the blockage. The toilet paper could get caught on that 'edge' and start causing the block. So.... we can use the septic, as long as we don't use too much toilet paper. Oh, yea, that's going to be awesome!
On a much lighter note, Allen got to read the first and second readings in church today. He practiced for about an hour, and seemed really ready. Up until the moment he was up there at the lectern. Suddenly, he seemed really, really nervous. While during practice, he was reading nice and slow, once he got up there, he sped up and read much faster. He only stumbled over one or two moments. I was so proud!! We are going to talk to the people at the church about setting up a schedule where we can read. That way, Patrick, Allen and I can take turns. I love this church!!
Friday, January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (still a little windy, but at least I'm pretty sure the house won't fall down)
What I cooked today:
Pitas: I'm trying to figure out exactly how to make pitas. We found a recipe, along with pictures describing each stage, that I tried today. About 1/2 of the pitas came out fine. The other half were either too thin, making them crispy like chips, or too thick, making them not rise in the middle. I guess I'll just have to keep trying. The good news is that they taste good!
Pancakes and Bacon: Spoiled family of mine had bacon and pancakes this morning. My buttermilk will expire in a few days, and I wanted to make sure I used it all up before it goes bad. And bacon is always a wonderful treat, since I hate dealing with the grease and mess.
Spaghetti Sauce: I didn't want to get caught coming home this evening and having to figure out what to make for dinner. Once we got home, I just had to put on the pot of water for the pasta and about 15 minutes later, we sat down to a wonderful dinner!
Update:
As you can probably tell from the amount of cooking I did today, I was in the kitchen from the time I woke up until we left for Stanford. But it was worth it! A great breakfast, a great dinner and I even had extra pitas to send up to Grandma's house!
Patrick, Allen and I went into Stanford today, to run some errands. The boys got their hair cut at the local barber shop, we got some checks deposited at the bank there, and we finished up some business stuff with the lawyer.
Allen got his hair cut first. Once he was done, we asked if they could fit Patrick in. The barber (totally awesome guy) said he had sometime right after, but he could work on Patrick about 30 minutes later. So we headed over to the local deli for some lunch. Just after our food arrived, the (again totally awesome) lady who works there came over with her cell phone.
"Since we are a full service community here, I wanted to let you know the barber shop called to let you know that he's ready for you."
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? So stinking awesome.
Of course, the barber shop is across the street from the deli. And he knew we were headed over there. But still! Who gets that kind of service anywhere else!
After the men were all cleaned, we headed back to the school for the basketball game. Of course, Allen spent more time hanging out with the kids than watching the game. And Patrick was chatting with one of our neighbors at the concession stand, about the latest issues with the house. Oh well, I enjoyed the company of the ladies I was seated around, and cheered for the team. We got a little testy over some calls the referees made, but I guess that's just how things go.
I've been around enough that when Patrick (finally) chose to join me, I could point out who was whom, and which parents belonged with which student. Okay, I couldn't name them all, but I could probably do about 1/2. Not too bad! I should have it down by the end of the year!
The septic draining guy is coming out tomorrow (THANK GOODNESS!). Of course, he's supposed to be here right around the time we're at church, so I'm not sure how we're going to deal with that. I just can't wait to take a 10 minute shower again (I actually set the timer today, and by 5 minutes, I had barely put conditioner on my hair... I finally shut off the water at about 8 minutes. And I felt guilty the whole time.) Oh, and having toilets that actually flush. And being able to do the dishes, and the laundry (the parents are kind enough to let us use their laundry for the last 2 days). Ok, I really don't want to do either the laundry or the dishes, but I kind of miss being able to. Ugh, did I really just say that!
What I cooked today:
Pitas: I'm trying to figure out exactly how to make pitas. We found a recipe, along with pictures describing each stage, that I tried today. About 1/2 of the pitas came out fine. The other half were either too thin, making them crispy like chips, or too thick, making them not rise in the middle. I guess I'll just have to keep trying. The good news is that they taste good!
Pancakes and Bacon: Spoiled family of mine had bacon and pancakes this morning. My buttermilk will expire in a few days, and I wanted to make sure I used it all up before it goes bad. And bacon is always a wonderful treat, since I hate dealing with the grease and mess.
Spaghetti Sauce: I didn't want to get caught coming home this evening and having to figure out what to make for dinner. Once we got home, I just had to put on the pot of water for the pasta and about 15 minutes later, we sat down to a wonderful dinner!
Update:
As you can probably tell from the amount of cooking I did today, I was in the kitchen from the time I woke up until we left for Stanford. But it was worth it! A great breakfast, a great dinner and I even had extra pitas to send up to Grandma's house!
Patrick, Allen and I went into Stanford today, to run some errands. The boys got their hair cut at the local barber shop, we got some checks deposited at the bank there, and we finished up some business stuff with the lawyer.
Allen got his hair cut first. Once he was done, we asked if they could fit Patrick in. The barber (totally awesome guy) said he had sometime right after, but he could work on Patrick about 30 minutes later. So we headed over to the local deli for some lunch. Just after our food arrived, the (again totally awesome) lady who works there came over with her cell phone.
"Since we are a full service community here, I wanted to let you know the barber shop called to let you know that he's ready for you."
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? So stinking awesome.
Of course, the barber shop is across the street from the deli. And he knew we were headed over there. But still! Who gets that kind of service anywhere else!
After the men were all cleaned, we headed back to the school for the basketball game. Of course, Allen spent more time hanging out with the kids than watching the game. And Patrick was chatting with one of our neighbors at the concession stand, about the latest issues with the house. Oh well, I enjoyed the company of the ladies I was seated around, and cheered for the team. We got a little testy over some calls the referees made, but I guess that's just how things go.
I've been around enough that when Patrick (finally) chose to join me, I could point out who was whom, and which parents belonged with which student. Okay, I couldn't name them all, but I could probably do about 1/2. Not too bad! I should have it down by the end of the year!
The septic draining guy is coming out tomorrow (THANK GOODNESS!). Of course, he's supposed to be here right around the time we're at church, so I'm not sure how we're going to deal with that. I just can't wait to take a 10 minute shower again (I actually set the timer today, and by 5 minutes, I had barely put conditioner on my hair... I finally shut off the water at about 8 minutes. And I felt guilty the whole time.) Oh, and having toilets that actually flush. And being able to do the dishes, and the laundry (the parents are kind enough to let us use their laundry for the last 2 days). Ok, I really don't want to do either the laundry or the dishes, but I kind of miss being able to. Ugh, did I really just say that!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
January 26, 2012
Outside Temp: 32 F (the wind has died down, a little. Of course, the car door almost got pulled off when I opened the door, but at least I'm not worried about the house blowing away.)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Somehow, on those days I go into town, I really feel absolutely no desire to make dinner. But, of course, the family still wants to eat. Greedy people. We used the ground beef from Cascade Meats, for burgers for the first time. Patrick was amazed at how good it tasted. Who knew there was a such a difference in beef?
Update:
We have plans for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, so I decided to make my weekly run into town today, rather than wait until this weekend.
Patrick's mom had something she needed me to pick up from downtown Great Falls. Now, Great Falls has different sections, just like any town. And the downtown area is an older area, that probably was big and new, about 50 years ago. It's not bad, just older. A few homeless people and a few kids loitering. But not bad.
So, I went to park my car about 1/2 a block from where I needed to go. And then I realized it had a parking meter. Hmmm, change. Change is necessary when you park at a parking meter. Change would be good right about now. So, I put the car into park, pulled out the keys and tossed them on the dashboard, while I went scrounging around for some loose change. There was nothing (or at least no money, lots of trash and misc crap) in the center console of the car or on the dashboard. So, I went searching in my purse. Knowing that I did this last weekend, at the game, looking for that extra quarter to get some just food from the concession stand, I wasn't surprised to find no change at the bottom of my purse. I kept searching, in pockets that I don't usually use. I felt my fingers close around a few coins, praying that they were not pennies. Ahhh, nickles. Whew.
I grabbed my purse and went up to the meter. 6 minutes per nickel. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, so I put my last 3 nickels in the meter and headed up the street.
I got the things I needed and headed back to the car about 10 minutes later. As I was walking up to the car, I patted my pockets, looking for the keys. Nothing. Hmm, maybe in my purse. So, I reached into my purse, while I shook it, hoping to hear that jangling of the keys. Nothing. As I reached the car, I looked through the front windshield. There were my keys, sitting on the dashboard, right where I'd left them.
Which made me immediately think of two different options.
Either a) Downtown isn't that bad of a place and what nice people are in Great Falls.
or b) My car looks so dirty and lame, that no one in their right mind would try to steal it.
I figure it's closer to b). See, that's why I keep my car so dirty!
As I may have mentioned before, we sometimes have problems with the house were renting. Lately, we have been having trouble with our septic system. It started back in October, when the main bathroom started backing up, with water from the sink filling up the bathtub. And the toilet stopped flushing correctly. We've been using the master bathroom for the last few months, until we finally got around to calling a plumber. (yea, I know, it's been 3 months... we are that lazy!)
So, the last day or two, the master bathroom began having the same problems. The toilet stopped flushing correctly, but would finally empty after about 10-15 minutes. And the shower would stop draining after about 5 minutes in the shower.
We finally decided it was time to call a plumber. The company we called said it sounded like the septic tank needed to be drained. So, the next question is the obvious one... where is the septic tank? And can we actually access it?
Patrick spent a few hours outside in the back yard, looking around for the septic cover. The plumbing company said they could try looking for it, but if it was buried under frozen ground, we would be out of luck. Most of the ground seemed pretty hard, but we didn't know if it was frozen, or just hard. Fortunately, the e-mail we sent to the owner had a response, giving us an area to at least look in. We finally found the tank cover, thank goodness! Unfortunately, the plumber can't come out until Saturday.
So, until then, I've warned the kids, 2-3 minute showers, laundry is being done at the parent's place, dishes are being done in a filled bucket of warm soapy water, not running the water for 30 minutes. There is no real way to stop from using the toilet, but I'm thinking of investing in a chamber pot... anyone know where I can find one? (ewwwww.... shudder....shudder)
Right now, I'm trying (really, really trying) to see this as a humbling experience. I will never take advantage of working plumbing again! And it gives us one more reason to look a little harder into a new place to stay!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: Somehow, on those days I go into town, I really feel absolutely no desire to make dinner. But, of course, the family still wants to eat. Greedy people. We used the ground beef from Cascade Meats, for burgers for the first time. Patrick was amazed at how good it tasted. Who knew there was a such a difference in beef?
Update:
We have plans for tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, so I decided to make my weekly run into town today, rather than wait until this weekend.
Patrick's mom had something she needed me to pick up from downtown Great Falls. Now, Great Falls has different sections, just like any town. And the downtown area is an older area, that probably was big and new, about 50 years ago. It's not bad, just older. A few homeless people and a few kids loitering. But not bad.
So, I went to park my car about 1/2 a block from where I needed to go. And then I realized it had a parking meter. Hmmm, change. Change is necessary when you park at a parking meter. Change would be good right about now. So, I put the car into park, pulled out the keys and tossed them on the dashboard, while I went scrounging around for some loose change. There was nothing (or at least no money, lots of trash and misc crap) in the center console of the car or on the dashboard. So, I went searching in my purse. Knowing that I did this last weekend, at the game, looking for that extra quarter to get some just food from the concession stand, I wasn't surprised to find no change at the bottom of my purse. I kept searching, in pockets that I don't usually use. I felt my fingers close around a few coins, praying that they were not pennies. Ahhh, nickles. Whew.
I grabbed my purse and went up to the meter. 6 minutes per nickel. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, so I put my last 3 nickels in the meter and headed up the street.
I got the things I needed and headed back to the car about 10 minutes later. As I was walking up to the car, I patted my pockets, looking for the keys. Nothing. Hmm, maybe in my purse. So, I reached into my purse, while I shook it, hoping to hear that jangling of the keys. Nothing. As I reached the car, I looked through the front windshield. There were my keys, sitting on the dashboard, right where I'd left them.
Which made me immediately think of two different options.
Either a) Downtown isn't that bad of a place and what nice people are in Great Falls.
or b) My car looks so dirty and lame, that no one in their right mind would try to steal it.
I figure it's closer to b). See, that's why I keep my car so dirty!
As I may have mentioned before, we sometimes have problems with the house were renting. Lately, we have been having trouble with our septic system. It started back in October, when the main bathroom started backing up, with water from the sink filling up the bathtub. And the toilet stopped flushing correctly. We've been using the master bathroom for the last few months, until we finally got around to calling a plumber. (yea, I know, it's been 3 months... we are that lazy!)
So, the last day or two, the master bathroom began having the same problems. The toilet stopped flushing correctly, but would finally empty after about 10-15 minutes. And the shower would stop draining after about 5 minutes in the shower.
We finally decided it was time to call a plumber. The company we called said it sounded like the septic tank needed to be drained. So, the next question is the obvious one... where is the septic tank? And can we actually access it?
Patrick spent a few hours outside in the back yard, looking around for the septic cover. The plumbing company said they could try looking for it, but if it was buried under frozen ground, we would be out of luck. Most of the ground seemed pretty hard, but we didn't know if it was frozen, or just hard. Fortunately, the e-mail we sent to the owner had a response, giving us an area to at least look in. We finally found the tank cover, thank goodness! Unfortunately, the plumber can't come out until Saturday.
So, until then, I've warned the kids, 2-3 minute showers, laundry is being done at the parent's place, dishes are being done in a filled bucket of warm soapy water, not running the water for 30 minutes. There is no real way to stop from using the toilet, but I'm thinking of investing in a chamber pot... anyone know where I can find one? (ewwwww.... shudder....shudder)
Right now, I'm trying (really, really trying) to see this as a humbling experience. I will never take advantage of working plumbing again! And it gives us one more reason to look a little harder into a new place to stay!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
January 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 (and WINDY!!)
What I cooked today:
Banana Bread: If you can call it that. I think I probably put in too much banana anyway, but that was insignificant compared to the other problems. First off, I forgot to grease the pan. It was a non-stick and I know better, but I thought it wouldn't make a difference. It does. Second, my temperature gauge in the oven is stuck at 450. The temp in the oven was supposed to be 350, and since I saw it so high, I turned down the temp, and opened the oven to cool it down. After a few minutes, I just prayed that it was cooking, closed the oven door and let it keep cooking, but I didn't turn the temp back up. Which means it probably tried to cook at an oven temp around 275 or 300. Needless to say, the bread was totally messed up. If you take into account the 'too much banana', it was pure mush. Even when I tried to turn the heat up and cook for an extra 15 minutes, it was dense and really, really moist. The taste wasn't bad, but it looked really ucky. I ate a few bites, but tossed most of it. I guess it was time for me to have a significant cooking fail.
Cornbread: To make me feel better about my banana bread, I made up my cornbread for dinner. I was very happy to find that it worked out just fine and tasted great. I hate to quit on a fail, so now I have a success to sleep on!
Chili: Always the best meal with cornbread, it's easy and (relatively) quick. Katie and Connor don't like it that much, but the rest of us ate enough to finish off the pot. Bummer, no leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
So, as you probably all know, we're renting the place we are living in. When we moved in here back in September, I asked Patrick directly, "How long are we going to be here?". Of course, he didn't have a clue. And I since I doubted that it would be forever, I chose to leave about 30 boxes packed in the garage. Most of those boxes contain books, china or crystal or computer 'stuff'. All things that you don't use on a daily basis. And as much as I hate packing, I couldn't see myself wasting the time unpacking, just to re-pack everything a few months later.
As a result, I never bothered to move my file cabinet inside. I can hear you saying, "but a file cabinet isn't a box or books?". I know... I know. The file cabinet got moved half way inside, but never made it as far as my desk. So, for the last few months, the 'to be filed' pile on my desk just kept growing. I have 5 of those plastic stacking file trays on my desk, trying to be mildly organized. One tray for bills, one for school work, one for the business, one for the sale of the CA house, one for medical stuff, one for coupons, one for insurance stuff, one for information that needs to be kept (but not actually used). Oh wait, that's more than 5. So, once I ran out of room in my file trays, the paperwork started migrating across the desks. Patrick and I have two 'L' shaped desks that meet in the middle, to form a 'U'. The paperwork was all the way from my side onto his side. There was no part of the desk that could be seen under all that crap. The worst part was that more than half of it was garbage that needed to just get thrown away (newspapers, used envelopes, junk mail, etc).
My 'chore' for the day was to move my file cabinet into place under my desk (it came with the desk and fits perfectly) and to clear the junk. It took me about 30 minutes just to clear the spot under my desk where the file cabinet was going to go. Then I went in search for those green hanging file folders, and the file folders. I knew I had them... somewhere.
I found the file folders (a box of about 500 multi-colored that I picked up about 3 years ago, in one of my mad 'organizing' fits). They were in the first box I looked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived. I realized quickly that the hanging file folders were not in that box. Ugh. Okay, maybe this next one. Nope. Next one? Nope. What about over here? Nope. This one? Nope. Crap.
My boxes in my garage are stacked, about 4-5 boxes high. Most of them are somewhat labeled, but how descriptive is 'Books', or 'Office Stuff' or 'Misc Stuff from School Room'. And there is not really a lot of room in my garage (it's filled with 2 cars, a washer and dryer, 6 computers, 3 monitors, 4 non-snow tires for the van, and all those boxes). So, squeezing between the Miata and a bookshelf, I tried moving things enough to read the useless labels. Finally, I thought I saw something that might be it. But it was at the bottom of a stack, that wasn't accessible from this side of the garage. So, I went back into the house, out the back door, across the yard and into the back door to the garage. And there, under a box labeled 'Patrick Dress Shirts' (nope, don't need that here much) and another box labeled 'Wire Racks for bathroom' (I wasted a box on those?), I found a box labeled 'Old School Books, Paper, Office'. And at the bottom of that box, I found the stupid green hanging file folders. It only took an hour!
At that point, it was time to take Ryan to school, so I put off my chore until we got home, around 4pm. Then I got to work on the massive paperwork laughing at me. Two garbage bags later, and one whole file cabinet drawer filled, my pile is gone. I still have a few things on my desk, but the clutter is gone. And more importantly, I can find important documents if I need to. But really, why am I keeping old electric bills and Connor's spelling test from 9 weeks ago? I don't know, but now at least it has it's place!
The best part of the day was finding the phone number for the transplant center in Seattle (on a scratch piece of paper no less), that we were supposed to call a month ago to set up an appointment. I also found the phone numbers for business accountants (another scratch paper) that I was supposed to call 2 weeks ago. I didn't find the check for $250 we got last week (that prompted my chore in the first place), but it's probably in the car. Oh crap... tomorrow's project.
What I cooked today:
Banana Bread: If you can call it that. I think I probably put in too much banana anyway, but that was insignificant compared to the other problems. First off, I forgot to grease the pan. It was a non-stick and I know better, but I thought it wouldn't make a difference. It does. Second, my temperature gauge in the oven is stuck at 450. The temp in the oven was supposed to be 350, and since I saw it so high, I turned down the temp, and opened the oven to cool it down. After a few minutes, I just prayed that it was cooking, closed the oven door and let it keep cooking, but I didn't turn the temp back up. Which means it probably tried to cook at an oven temp around 275 or 300. Needless to say, the bread was totally messed up. If you take into account the 'too much banana', it was pure mush. Even when I tried to turn the heat up and cook for an extra 15 minutes, it was dense and really, really moist. The taste wasn't bad, but it looked really ucky. I ate a few bites, but tossed most of it. I guess it was time for me to have a significant cooking fail.
Cornbread: To make me feel better about my banana bread, I made up my cornbread for dinner. I was very happy to find that it worked out just fine and tasted great. I hate to quit on a fail, so now I have a success to sleep on!
Chili: Always the best meal with cornbread, it's easy and (relatively) quick. Katie and Connor don't like it that much, but the rest of us ate enough to finish off the pot. Bummer, no leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Update:
So, as you probably all know, we're renting the place we are living in. When we moved in here back in September, I asked Patrick directly, "How long are we going to be here?". Of course, he didn't have a clue. And I since I doubted that it would be forever, I chose to leave about 30 boxes packed in the garage. Most of those boxes contain books, china or crystal or computer 'stuff'. All things that you don't use on a daily basis. And as much as I hate packing, I couldn't see myself wasting the time unpacking, just to re-pack everything a few months later.
As a result, I never bothered to move my file cabinet inside. I can hear you saying, "but a file cabinet isn't a box or books?". I know... I know. The file cabinet got moved half way inside, but never made it as far as my desk. So, for the last few months, the 'to be filed' pile on my desk just kept growing. I have 5 of those plastic stacking file trays on my desk, trying to be mildly organized. One tray for bills, one for school work, one for the business, one for the sale of the CA house, one for medical stuff, one for coupons, one for insurance stuff, one for information that needs to be kept (but not actually used). Oh wait, that's more than 5. So, once I ran out of room in my file trays, the paperwork started migrating across the desks. Patrick and I have two 'L' shaped desks that meet in the middle, to form a 'U'. The paperwork was all the way from my side onto his side. There was no part of the desk that could be seen under all that crap. The worst part was that more than half of it was garbage that needed to just get thrown away (newspapers, used envelopes, junk mail, etc).
My 'chore' for the day was to move my file cabinet into place under my desk (it came with the desk and fits perfectly) and to clear the junk. It took me about 30 minutes just to clear the spot under my desk where the file cabinet was going to go. Then I went in search for those green hanging file folders, and the file folders. I knew I had them... somewhere.
I found the file folders (a box of about 500 multi-colored that I picked up about 3 years ago, in one of my mad 'organizing' fits). They were in the first box I looked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived. I realized quickly that the hanging file folders were not in that box. Ugh. Okay, maybe this next one. Nope. Next one? Nope. What about over here? Nope. This one? Nope. Crap.
My boxes in my garage are stacked, about 4-5 boxes high. Most of them are somewhat labeled, but how descriptive is 'Books', or 'Office Stuff' or 'Misc Stuff from School Room'. And there is not really a lot of room in my garage (it's filled with 2 cars, a washer and dryer, 6 computers, 3 monitors, 4 non-snow tires for the van, and all those boxes). So, squeezing between the Miata and a bookshelf, I tried moving things enough to read the useless labels. Finally, I thought I saw something that might be it. But it was at the bottom of a stack, that wasn't accessible from this side of the garage. So, I went back into the house, out the back door, across the yard and into the back door to the garage. And there, under a box labeled 'Patrick Dress Shirts' (nope, don't need that here much) and another box labeled 'Wire Racks for bathroom' (I wasted a box on those?), I found a box labeled 'Old School Books, Paper, Office'. And at the bottom of that box, I found the stupid green hanging file folders. It only took an hour!
At that point, it was time to take Ryan to school, so I put off my chore until we got home, around 4pm. Then I got to work on the massive paperwork laughing at me. Two garbage bags later, and one whole file cabinet drawer filled, my pile is gone. I still have a few things on my desk, but the clutter is gone. And more importantly, I can find important documents if I need to. But really, why am I keeping old electric bills and Connor's spelling test from 9 weeks ago? I don't know, but now at least it has it's place!
The best part of the day was finding the phone number for the transplant center in Seattle (on a scratch piece of paper no less), that we were supposed to call a month ago to set up an appointment. I also found the phone numbers for business accountants (another scratch paper) that I was supposed to call 2 weeks ago. I didn't find the check for $250 we got last week (that prompted my chore in the first place), but it's probably in the car. Oh crap... tomorrow's project.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
January 18, 2012
Outside Temp: -16 (high for the day was -9... low was -22)
What I cooked today:
Lasagna: I made a double batch of lasagna... one for tonight and one to throw in the freezer for another time... And what better way to freeze a batch of lasagna than in nature's own deep freeze!
According to the weather reports (which I don't actually believe), they claim that this is as cold as it's going to get. It should get up to single digits tomorrow, and back into the 20's by Saturday. Then again, they also said that it should be about -2 right now, not -16, so I'm preparing for a few more days of below 0. No big deal. :)
 |
| The frost on my bedroom window... |
Lasagna: I made a double batch of lasagna... one for tonight and one to throw in the freezer for another time... And what better way to freeze a batch of lasagna than in nature's own deep freeze!
 |
| Yes, this is a 9x13 baking dish full of lasagna, sitting on my front porch, covered in snow. |
Update:
So, winter is here. It took a little longer than I expected, but it's here. No doubt in my mind.
I opened my blinds this morning and the windows were totally frosted over. People pay good money to make a window look this awesome. It's downright pretty. The picture at the top of the post is a close up of this window. Of course, I closed those blinds up 2 seconds after taking this picture.
We knew it would happen sometime, and it finally did. We woke up this morning to frozen water pipes. Just enough water in the tank for a few flushes of the toilet, and then nothing. Not a drop. Not a dribble. Nowhere in the house. The house was actually at around 55-60 degrees, but we were using the pellet stove and the space heaters, not the central heat. Since the central heat registers are in the floor, we decided to turn it on to see if it would heat up the pipes.
After about 30 minutes, water started to flow again. So, we shut off the heat and went on with our morning. About 2 hours later, I started a load of laundry only to find that the water was gone again.
So, Patrick went outside to the access panel that leads under the house. We had purchased some heat tape (the kind that attaches to the pipes and plugs in to an outlet to keep them warm) about 2 months ago, but we never got around to actually putting it on the pipes. I guess we wanted to experience the wonders that is -22 degrees, climbing under the house in the snow and wind. Oh joy.
The hole he climbed into wasn't large enough to actually get into, just enough to get his upper body inside. We put a space heater in the hole, so he wouldn't freeze while attaching the heat tape. But his legs were sticking out the hole, so I put a blanket on them, and used some insulation to cover the hole while he worked. It took about 45 minutes to get the tape all attached. During that time, the water started flowing again (thanks to the central heat), and as of now (at -16), we still have water. And, of course, the outlet that is next to the access panel, where you are supposed to plug in the heat tape, is on the circuit that doesn't work. So, we had to run an extension cord from the enclosed porch. Fortunately, there is a gap in the door to the outside, so we could close the door with the extension cord going through the bottom (and extra towels pushed up against the base of the door to keep out the cold. I assume the heat tape is doing it's job, but we'll have to see how things look in the morning.
While working under the house, Patrick realized that the skirt that surrounds the house has lots of holes. They may be vents, I'm not sure, but they were definitely letting lots of cold air under the house. So, when the kids got home from school, he put Allen to work. They went around the house, shovelling snow around the outside to create a barrier on all those holes. So, right now, I have about a foot of snow surrounding the base of the house. It might actually be doing some good, since both Ryan and Katie's rooms seem a little less cold (I can't say warmer, since 58 degrees isn't really warm, but it's less cold than, say, 50?)
We are surviving the cold just fine. I sewed together a few pieces of fleece, with a little fluff in between, to make a pretty cozy blanket. Of course, it took me longer to remember how to use my sewing machine than the time it took to actually sew the blanket. But I did it! I figure next time I head into town, I'm picking up some more fleece and making a few more blankets. It's nice and warm and works great when you're on the computer and you want something to warm up your legs and toes.
According to the weather reports (which I don't actually believe), they claim that this is as cold as it's going to get. It should get up to single digits tomorrow, and back into the 20's by Saturday. Then again, they also said that it should be about -2 right now, not -16, so I'm preparing for a few more days of below 0. No big deal. :)
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