Outside Temp: 19 F (woo hoo! It's getting cold! Although I'm reserving celebration, since I heard it would be back up into the 40's and 50's for the next few days)
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: I make Alton Brown's recipe for pancake mix, which is so much cheaper than Bisquick. The kids love it, and I had to make a second batch, just so I'd end up with something other than Lucky Charms for breakfast.
BBQ Chicken: Since I was gone most of the day, I'd forgotten to take anything out of the freezer. So, when I got home, I threw some chicken in the microwave to defrost, then tossed into a pan with some BBQ sauce and put into the oven for a half hour. Since I was in a rush, I didn't wait for the chicken to totally defrost and I didn't marinate in sauce like I usually do. The result was some pretty dry chicken, in a pan full of the water that should have remained in the chicken. Ugh. But it still tasted pretty good, so it all got eaten. I'll plan better next time.
Update:
The high school basketball teams were playing at 'home' today, which means Stanford, but that's still closer than the away games. There are 4 teams: Girls and Boys, JV and Varsity. The games started with Girls JV at 3, then boys JV at 4:30. The Girls Varsity started around 6 and the boys Varsity started at 7:30.
Patrick had work to do, so he gave everyone the option of going to the game or staying home. We ended up with just Allen and I at the game, which was fine, since we stayed for 3 of the 4 games, or about 4 1/2 hours. You would think that it was boring, but it was great! The teams played well and we really enjoyed having an attachment to the team, which made us cheer all that much more.
If I understand correctly, when you try out for the team, if you are good enough, you make Varsity. Otherwise, you make JV. So, there were some 11th graders on JV and there was even an 8th grader on Varsity. They also had the pep band. We figured that most (if not all) of the high school, and junior high, from Geyser was there, either to play basketball, or to play in the pep band, or to support their school. This is why we don't have school on Fridays for the winter months!
We sat next to a family that I already knew, so we were able to chat. And the concession stand was open the entire time, so we had plenty of popcorn and soda and candy. The pep band played before and after the Varsity games, including the Star Spangled Banner, which was cool. And in the practice before each game, they played current music through the speakers... which resulted in a group of 8-10 year old girls singing along with Lady Gaga's Poker Face... priceless. The only complaint would have been my sore bottom from sitting on the bleachers for 4 hours. Ugh.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 5, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (It's getting colder. It was in the 50's this morning, and was getting colder most of the day... Perhaps Montana finally realized that it's January.)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Totally bad parent. We had to rush into town to get Ryan's meds, so we had dinner in town. I brought the boys back burgers, which they thought was just awesome!
Update:
Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post. I'm sure everything with the house will work out fine, but I wasn't really prepared (although I should have been). We still need to talk to some people in town about other places to live, and the owner of this place didn't say when or if he's going to kick us out. He might realize what a good deal he has going, and just let us stay. But we are going to prepare, just in case. He did say at least 3 months, so that gives us time to find something else. Of course, there aren't that many houses around here, so we are limited in our choices. I just want to find something close enough so the kids don't have to change schools. (Oh my gosh, did I just say that! From a former homeschooling mom, I'm basing decisions on my kids public school!)
We got a call today from the pharmacy, which was supposed to be mailing out Ryan's meds, saying they had them and were waiting for us to pick them up. Since they were supposed to be here yesterday (and they were supposed to be here last week, but they had to order them), we really needed them for tonight. So, we made the trek into town on a day when we had no groceries to purchase, and no reason other than the meds to make the 40 mile drive (80 if you count there and back). Katie and Ryan came with us, and we allowed the boys to stay home. We stopped at a restaurant in town and had 1/2 of a family dinner. And then headed back. It would have been a wasted trip, but it gave Patrick and I a chance to talk about our plans for the housing situation. I'm staying positive. Not sure how, but I'm trying.
We looked over the place in town we wanted to talk to the owners about renting. Apparently, the family has been using the house as storage for furniture and other stuff. The place looks bad from the outside, but the roof looks intact and the windows aren't broken. A coat of paint on the outside, and some pruning of the bushes and plants would make a ton of difference. It's probably smaller than where we are now, but that's not really a problem. There should be a 1/2 basement, which we could use for the boys bedrooms, maybe. And I'm not sure how the electrical and plumbing are on the inside. We're going to try to talk to the owner this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. Patrick is looking at it like an episode of 'This Old House', just drooling over the idea of fixing up this house that is probably 80 years old. I just want a roof over our heads, and perhaps working indoor plumbing. Electricity would be great, which would give me a working stove and a washer and dryer. Oh, and maybe we might need some form of heat. But I'm not going to be greedy... :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 56 F (Are you kidding me? Are we in summer here? I wore a t-shirt today, and I wasn't cold! What the hell?)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
What I cooked today:
STEAK! - mmm, red meat. beef. awesome. See yesterday's post to see the pics of the awesome meat I got in town yesterday. I love steak. :)
Update:
Tonight, we talked with the owner of the house we are renting. When we picked this place, it was for sale, and we were hoping to make enough on the house in CA to be able to buy it. It's priced really low. Then we got here, and found out that there are a few problems with it. Like, some electrical doesn't work and some plumbing needs to be fixed. Just a few little, minor problems. But problems that make you wonder if you really want to buy something that you know is already broken. How much would it cost us to fix the things that are wrong?
Then we sold the house in CA for a LOT less than we were hoping, and there goes the money we were hoping to use to buy the place. So, we couldn't buy it, even if we wanted to. But we are still paying rent, and we are obviously paying for utilities (which during the winter could be adding up). So, the guy is still getting a pretty good deal from us. The place is still for sale, but no one seems all that interested.
So, he calls tonight and we tell him that we can't buy it. He seemed a little irritated (which is fair), since he thought we were going to be buying as soon as the other place sold. We asked if he wanted us to leave, and he said no. But, he might be coming back in a few months, and if he does, then he'd like us to leave then.
Oh crap. I hate moving. No, I mean I really hate moving. We haven't unpacked about 1/2 of our stuff (like books and china and misc stuff), which is sitting in boxes in the garage. So, in all honesty, it won't be that big of a deal. And perhaps this is a good thing, since I know that we would sit in this house for years and not move forward, if we had the option. We can't really fix anything, because who wants to spend the money fixing something when it's not yours. And there's always that fear that you'll make it worse, which would be fine if it was your place, but you don't want to break someone else's house.
So, I'm going to start talking to the ladies around here. I know of one place that hasn't been lived in for at least 10 years. It may not be livable right now, but it might have potential. And someone else might know of some other place that might work. We're not really picky, and we aren't afraid of a little hard work. It's just a little rough since we are getting settled in and we really, really like the town and the people around here. I guess I'll start thinking about re-packing anything that didn't really need to get unpacked in the first place. And we were smart enough not to throw away all the boxes.
Wish me luck! I really, really don't want to have to go live in the Grandparents' basement. (and they really, really don't want us there, either!)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
January 3, 2012
Outside Temp: 46 F (it was over 50 most of the day... but very windy. Like tornado's gonna take the house windy. )
What I cooked today:
Nothing. We ended up in town for supper, and then went to get the kids and Grandma had made an awesome pot of chicken and rice soup. So warm and cozy.
Update:
We ended up finally going into town to get Ryan's boots switched out. The guys at the pro-shop were so nice. They remembered us, and had no problem swapping his boots. Since they are a season rental, they just had to switch the number in the book and re-adjust his skis. No money, no stress, easy.
We then found Cascade Wholesale Meats in town. We had talked to a local restaurant, which has really good steaks, about where they got their meat. They sent us to Cascade. The place was wonderful! They had a price list, that was comparable to sale prices at any supermarket. And we could pick and choose what we wanted.
The guy looked like he was fresh out of a movie. A little on the larger side, a little older, and wearing the blood smeared apron. He was sitting behind a large desk, smoking a cigarette. Really friendly, and really helpful, letting us know how to get the best deals, based on what we wanted. He let us know where the product came from and how long they'd been in business. Of course, Patrick and I could have stayed chatting with him for hours, but they were closing and we had to get down to business.
Patrick's parents wanted us to get some steaks, so we found that we could get a better price by getting the entire Sirloin Butt and have them cut it for us, than to get individual steaks. So, they took the 15 pound sirloin butt, trimmed off the excess fat (which they ground up with some trimmings into ground beef), and cut it up into individual 8oz steaks. They also took the chuck and ground it up and packaged it into 1 and 1 1/2 pound packages for the parents and us. I also picked up a couple ham hocks for soup (I'm excited about this one). I think I have enough meat to last at least a few weeks, and it was so reasonably priced!
The guy let us hang out in the cutting room while they worked. The room was so clean! I wasn't sure what I was expecting, perhaps something out of the The Jungle with lots of blood and guts on the floor, but it was pristine! It even smelled good. Not bleachy or overly sanitized, and not rancid or bad. Just like good meat. The guys were so efficient, which I would expect, but there is something nice about watching an artist just make it look easy. We walked out of there with about 40 pounds of meat, and a big smile on our face. We will eat good tomorrow night! I almost took pictures, but I wasn't sure if they'd let me.
I shared a little less than 1/2 of it with the parents, so this is what I came home with (minus the ham hocks, which I forgot to take a picture of).
We took the price list home with us, so we can plan better next time. They said it works best if we call ahead of time, and they can have it ready for us. Patrick wants to try the salami, and I wanted to try the ribs. It also seems that the prices change weekly, so I'll see if the prices stay so reasonable.
There is another place in town 'Discount Meats' that we might try next month. But this place will be pretty hard to beat! :)
What I cooked today:
Nothing. We ended up in town for supper, and then went to get the kids and Grandma had made an awesome pot of chicken and rice soup. So warm and cozy.
Update:
We ended up finally going into town to get Ryan's boots switched out. The guys at the pro-shop were so nice. They remembered us, and had no problem swapping his boots. Since they are a season rental, they just had to switch the number in the book and re-adjust his skis. No money, no stress, easy.
We then found Cascade Wholesale Meats in town. We had talked to a local restaurant, which has really good steaks, about where they got their meat. They sent us to Cascade. The place was wonderful! They had a price list, that was comparable to sale prices at any supermarket. And we could pick and choose what we wanted.
The guy looked like he was fresh out of a movie. A little on the larger side, a little older, and wearing the blood smeared apron. He was sitting behind a large desk, smoking a cigarette. Really friendly, and really helpful, letting us know how to get the best deals, based on what we wanted. He let us know where the product came from and how long they'd been in business. Of course, Patrick and I could have stayed chatting with him for hours, but they were closing and we had to get down to business.
Patrick's parents wanted us to get some steaks, so we found that we could get a better price by getting the entire Sirloin Butt and have them cut it for us, than to get individual steaks. So, they took the 15 pound sirloin butt, trimmed off the excess fat (which they ground up with some trimmings into ground beef), and cut it up into individual 8oz steaks. They also took the chuck and ground it up and packaged it into 1 and 1 1/2 pound packages for the parents and us. I also picked up a couple ham hocks for soup (I'm excited about this one). I think I have enough meat to last at least a few weeks, and it was so reasonably priced!
The guy let us hang out in the cutting room while they worked. The room was so clean! I wasn't sure what I was expecting, perhaps something out of the The Jungle with lots of blood and guts on the floor, but it was pristine! It even smelled good. Not bleachy or overly sanitized, and not rancid or bad. Just like good meat. The guys were so efficient, which I would expect, but there is something nice about watching an artist just make it look easy. We walked out of there with about 40 pounds of meat, and a big smile on our face. We will eat good tomorrow night! I almost took pictures, but I wasn't sure if they'd let me.
I shared a little less than 1/2 of it with the parents, so this is what I came home with (minus the ham hocks, which I forgot to take a picture of).
We took the price list home with us, so we can plan better next time. They said it works best if we call ahead of time, and they can have it ready for us. Patrick wants to try the salami, and I wanted to try the ribs. It also seems that the prices change weekly, so I'll see if the prices stay so reasonable.
There is another place in town 'Discount Meats' that we might try next month. But this place will be pretty hard to beat! :)
Monday, January 2, 2012
January 2, 2012
Outside Temp: 48 F (it's back to being warm. I've decided that it's going to stay warm until everyone is back home from their travels for the holidays. Then it can get cold and snowy again, without putting anyone in danger. Isn't my way of thinking nice?)
What I cooked today:
French Toast: Katie finally got her french toast this morning. She's been asking for at least the last 3 days for french toast for breakfast and I've been putting her off. Of course, making french toast made me realize that I only had one loaf of bread left in the freezer. I should be heading into town sometime this week to get Ryan's boots resolved, so hopefully, I'll remember to get more. Until then, I guess it's pancakes.
Split Pea Soup: I had a ham bone left from Christmas, so I figured this was as good a time as any to make split pea soup. I got a couple of 5 pound bags of lentils a few months ago, so I have plenty of peas. I even have both green and yellow, although I decided just to make green today. The soup turned out fine, but there was still a bunch of fat left on the bone. The fat probably made the soup taste better, but it also meant that you had to be careful or else you ended up with a big bite of fat... ewww. I think I'll just try bacon ends next time...
Update:
It's the last day of Christmas vacation. We all have to wake up tomorrow morning before 7am and the kids need to actually go to school. I think that going back after this break is harder than even going back after summer. We've only been out for 10 days, but those days have been so filled with going places and doing things that the kids haven't really had time to just sit and veg. Of course, we've been skiing 3 times, and they've all spent plenty of time playing their new games and we've had more 'family game' time than we've ever had in the past. But none of that makes up for how awful tomorrow morning is going to be.
To be perfectly honest, I can't complain. I just have to get them up and onto the bus and then I could, in theory, go back to bed. But I've also been taking some time off from all my responsibilities, and the laundry is piling up and the floors need to be vacuumed and swept. So, I've spent most of today lying in bed reading, not wanting to start back in the real world tomorrow. I know, pretty lazy, but relaxing just the same.
What I cooked today:
French Toast: Katie finally got her french toast this morning. She's been asking for at least the last 3 days for french toast for breakfast and I've been putting her off. Of course, making french toast made me realize that I only had one loaf of bread left in the freezer. I should be heading into town sometime this week to get Ryan's boots resolved, so hopefully, I'll remember to get more. Until then, I guess it's pancakes.
Split Pea Soup: I had a ham bone left from Christmas, so I figured this was as good a time as any to make split pea soup. I got a couple of 5 pound bags of lentils a few months ago, so I have plenty of peas. I even have both green and yellow, although I decided just to make green today. The soup turned out fine, but there was still a bunch of fat left on the bone. The fat probably made the soup taste better, but it also meant that you had to be careful or else you ended up with a big bite of fat... ewww. I think I'll just try bacon ends next time...
Update:
It's the last day of Christmas vacation. We all have to wake up tomorrow morning before 7am and the kids need to actually go to school. I think that going back after this break is harder than even going back after summer. We've only been out for 10 days, but those days have been so filled with going places and doing things that the kids haven't really had time to just sit and veg. Of course, we've been skiing 3 times, and they've all spent plenty of time playing their new games and we've had more 'family game' time than we've ever had in the past. But none of that makes up for how awful tomorrow morning is going to be.
To be perfectly honest, I can't complain. I just have to get them up and onto the bus and then I could, in theory, go back to bed. But I've also been taking some time off from all my responsibilities, and the laundry is piling up and the floors need to be vacuumed and swept. So, I've spent most of today lying in bed reading, not wanting to start back in the real world tomorrow. I know, pretty lazy, but relaxing just the same.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 25 F (still a little chilly, but the wind wasn't too bad today...)
What I cooked today:
Albondigas Soup: Patrick actually made this one. He found a recipe on AllRecipes.com a few years ago, and he really enjoyed this one. He makes the meatballs and cooks them in the oven, even though the recipe calls for just dropping the raw meatballs into the soup. If you just drop them in, it makes the soup really, really greasy. The only problem with Patrick making food is that he likes to analyze the food while we eat it. After every bite is the question of 'Do you like it? What do you like? Do you like the vegetables? Do you like the spices? I used ... blah, blah, blah'. I really appreciate him making dinner, but the questions get a little old. Either that, or I'm just cranky tonight.
Update:
We were going to bring the kids into town today to finally get Allen and Ryan's boots fixed. Ryan needs bigger boots and Allen just needs his insole stretched or something like that. But, since we didn't even get moving until about noon, and Patrick had work to get done, we decided that I would go into town alone and get my weekly shopping done and we would try to get the boots fixed tomorrow.
So, I headed into town and picked up my paper and ate lunch while I scanned over the sales and comics. I came across this gem and had to share...
The moral of the story... Be happy with the crappy partner you have...
I ended up at 5 different stores today, but I think I've got enough to get through at least the next week or so. I only got 4 gallons of milk, so that will be the only reason I'll need to go back to the store. I also talked myself into getting 2 papers, because there was a $1.00 coupon off All Detergent, which I really like, so if I use both $1.00 coupons, I'm only paying the extra $0.50 per paper for ALL the coupons in there. I used one coupon tonight, and I'll probably use the other the next time I'm in town. There's a sale at Walgreens for $3.99.. hehehe.
I also used my Albertsons Gas Rewards today. Gas prices were actually $2.99 a gallon, which is beyond awesome. But then I could use my $0.20 off per gallon, to bring the price per gallon down to:
Woo Hoo! Of course, I only needed about 6 gallons, since I had the Aveo and I wasn't on empty, but who cares! I love a good price.
Not too bad for the first day of the year. I didn't do any dishes or laundry, but there's apparently a pile of clean laundry sitting on the couch just waiting patiently for me. And my grand plans for a chore schedule have yet to materialize. Perhaps tomorrow... :)
What I cooked today:
Albondigas Soup: Patrick actually made this one. He found a recipe on AllRecipes.com a few years ago, and he really enjoyed this one. He makes the meatballs and cooks them in the oven, even though the recipe calls for just dropping the raw meatballs into the soup. If you just drop them in, it makes the soup really, really greasy. The only problem with Patrick making food is that he likes to analyze the food while we eat it. After every bite is the question of 'Do you like it? What do you like? Do you like the vegetables? Do you like the spices? I used ... blah, blah, blah'. I really appreciate him making dinner, but the questions get a little old. Either that, or I'm just cranky tonight.
Update:
We were going to bring the kids into town today to finally get Allen and Ryan's boots fixed. Ryan needs bigger boots and Allen just needs his insole stretched or something like that. But, since we didn't even get moving until about noon, and Patrick had work to get done, we decided that I would go into town alone and get my weekly shopping done and we would try to get the boots fixed tomorrow.
So, I headed into town and picked up my paper and ate lunch while I scanned over the sales and comics. I came across this gem and had to share...
The moral of the story... Be happy with the crappy partner you have...
I ended up at 5 different stores today, but I think I've got enough to get through at least the next week or so. I only got 4 gallons of milk, so that will be the only reason I'll need to go back to the store. I also talked myself into getting 2 papers, because there was a $1.00 coupon off All Detergent, which I really like, so if I use both $1.00 coupons, I'm only paying the extra $0.50 per paper for ALL the coupons in there. I used one coupon tonight, and I'll probably use the other the next time I'm in town. There's a sale at Walgreens for $3.99.. hehehe.
I also used my Albertsons Gas Rewards today. Gas prices were actually $2.99 a gallon, which is beyond awesome. But then I could use my $0.20 off per gallon, to bring the price per gallon down to:
Woo Hoo! Of course, I only needed about 6 gallons, since I had the Aveo and I wasn't on empty, but who cares! I love a good price.
Not too bad for the first day of the year. I didn't do any dishes or laundry, but there's apparently a pile of clean laundry sitting on the couch just waiting patiently for me. And my grand plans for a chore schedule have yet to materialize. Perhaps tomorrow... :)
December 31, 2011
Outside Temp: 25 F (it's getting a little chilly... We've been so spoiled by the warm weather for the last few weeks, I forgot what colder weather felt like)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... It was one of those days where we weren't home enough to actually cook anything. I had Lucky Charms for breakfast. :)
Update:
We had planned to go into town to switch out Ryan's boots, have Allen's boots checked and do some shopping. But by the time we finished church and headed up to the parents house to chat for a few minutes, the pro shop was closed (they closed early today, around 2ish). Thank goodness I called before we left! I guess I'll do my weekly shopping tomorrow (which works because I can get the Sunday paper and the new week's coupons!)
Patrick and Grandpa were awesome enough to take our garbage to the dump today. We don't have garbage service (actually, I think we might, we just don't use it. We do the dump instead). It's been about 2-3 weeks since we last dumped the garbage, so I was getting really antsy to get it dumped. And Grandpa's dump pass expired today, so it was a good day to go! We 'store' the garbage in the garage, to keep the wild animals out (except the mice, which we catch with traps), and it's been cold enough that the smell is not a problem. It's really, really cheep to dump your own garbage, but a little bit of a pain. I figure in a few years, I can just send Allen... after all, what else is a teenager for?
I spent a little time chatting with one of the ladies from town about who owns what house around us. I think I'm going to try to go around town and take some pictures of the old houses around us. They just tore down two houses that have been here for decades. One was filled with asbestos, so it had to go. The second one, I'm not sure if it was just really old, but it was pretty narrow, about the size of a row house, maybe 15 feet across the property line. There are a few other houses that are empty. It's really kind of neat, although it seems that most of the old houses are empty and just torn down. There's not much left of the town now, probably less than 20 houses. This town used to be quite big, with a lot of businesses and people. Now, it's down to less than 20 people, and only a post office and a church and a auto shop.
Here is a picture I found of the town in 1918, over 80 years ago.
We ended up spending the day at the grandparents, watching movies, having dinner and playing yet another game of Clue. Patrick doesn't know how to let the kids win, so he wins more often than not.
Not bad for the last day of the year!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... It was one of those days where we weren't home enough to actually cook anything. I had Lucky Charms for breakfast. :)
Update:
We had planned to go into town to switch out Ryan's boots, have Allen's boots checked and do some shopping. But by the time we finished church and headed up to the parents house to chat for a few minutes, the pro shop was closed (they closed early today, around 2ish). Thank goodness I called before we left! I guess I'll do my weekly shopping tomorrow (which works because I can get the Sunday paper and the new week's coupons!)
Patrick and Grandpa were awesome enough to take our garbage to the dump today. We don't have garbage service (actually, I think we might, we just don't use it. We do the dump instead). It's been about 2-3 weeks since we last dumped the garbage, so I was getting really antsy to get it dumped. And Grandpa's dump pass expired today, so it was a good day to go! We 'store' the garbage in the garage, to keep the wild animals out (except the mice, which we catch with traps), and it's been cold enough that the smell is not a problem. It's really, really cheep to dump your own garbage, but a little bit of a pain. I figure in a few years, I can just send Allen... after all, what else is a teenager for?
I spent a little time chatting with one of the ladies from town about who owns what house around us. I think I'm going to try to go around town and take some pictures of the old houses around us. They just tore down two houses that have been here for decades. One was filled with asbestos, so it had to go. The second one, I'm not sure if it was just really old, but it was pretty narrow, about the size of a row house, maybe 15 feet across the property line. There are a few other houses that are empty. It's really kind of neat, although it seems that most of the old houses are empty and just torn down. There's not much left of the town now, probably less than 20 houses. This town used to be quite big, with a lot of businesses and people. Now, it's down to less than 20 people, and only a post office and a church and a auto shop.
Here is a picture I found of the town in 1918, over 80 years ago.
 |
| You can click on the picture to get a bigger size, but here is Raynesford, 1918. The town is actually smaller than this now. The picture at the top (that is cut off) is the school and the number of students in 1918. I'm going to ask permission to get a similar picture from the top of the hill to compare with this one. |
We ended up spending the day at the grandparents, watching movies, having dinner and playing yet another game of Clue. Patrick doesn't know how to let the kids win, so he wins more often than not.
Not bad for the last day of the year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)