It's Over

Here's the latest photo of my friend who lives in the South West. Oh how I miss him.

The holiday is over and it's back to work tomorrow. The pies, cakes, cream puffs, and chocolates have all been eaten. Time to get back to eating healthy stuff. I have my fruit, veg, and water packed for lunch and I baked oat muffins for breakfast.

Lots of frustration and disappointment these past couple of weeks. Why can't people live up to their promises or at least admit it when they can't. Is a phone call that big a deal ? Here we are with a dozen different ways to communicate instantly with others and yet it seems to be more difficult to do it.

The next three months are going to be a challenge. I have used up all my vacation time and sick time . There are no long weekends or holidays till Easter. This has never happened to me before. It wasn't that long ago that I always had leave credits to spare. Weeks and weeks of sick time and at least a few vacation days to make it through the winter.
Guess I'll have to take lots of naps to make to the new fiscal year in April.

My new washer doesn't work, it's a lemon. I may end up getting a replacement . I told the store manger's assistant, that I don't want another front loading machine. They're too finicky,too easily unbalanced. We wasted a few good hours trying to set it up so that it would remain stable Built a platform for it , no good, took it off the platform and moved it to the flatest spot on the concrete floor and adjusted the "legs " snug . It was perfectly level and straight .I checked it up and down with my level. It was solid enough,I doubt an elephant could have moved it and yet the silly thing just wouldn't continue spinning. I tried everything suggested in the manual. End result is my hands are sore from wringing out soggy clothes. Ahh, so many hours wasted on so called time saving conveniences .

Time for a shower and the Opera show. Thank goodness there are small pleasures to smooth over all the crap.

I was looking over my blog. January 16 th It will be a year I've been blogging. I don't know why I thought I started it in March 2008. Where did those three months go ?

I'm going to read the whole thing over and do a summary on anniversary day.

This Leg

What am I going to do about my left leg (and foot)? I keep injuring it over and over with my silly tripping. Not sure what I can do about it . I was in serious pain today and the stiffness is worse. The Advil didn't work at all. I decided to try some aspirin which has helped a bit.
Should I call the doctor ?
Now the entire knob on the new washer has fallen off. I have to call a service person in the morning because naturally when it happened they were already closed. Nobody in this town works past 4:30 during the week it seems. Can't get use to that.

I really need a sleeping pill tonight.

At Least The Chocolates Are On Sale

Today fool that I am I had a brief moment of optimism. Ha Ha . Everything was going smoothly The guys were making progress with the basement work The washing machine was delivered without a hitch., although they did have to remove a door. (see post below) The basement guy offered to set up the machine which is just as well, as the power cord was packed behind a panel that had to be removed with a socket wrench and a piece of Styrofoam was lodged behind that.
Yeah everything was going fine The guys left ,I had dinner, and decided to try out the washer.
Well now the electric outlet is not working and there isn't another close by . I tried using an extension cord to another plug just to try the machine ,but that didn't work. . The basement guy said he will drop by tomorrow and take a look at it. He may have broken the plug during the demo work.

I won't even bother to go into anything about work(it sucks as usual). how bitter cold it is outside and what a lousy job the city does clearing the streets of snow. I felt like I was mountain climbing on my walks to and from work.
I suppose it's good exercise.

At least the all chocolates and other Christmas items were on sale half price today.
I bought myself the biggest box of the best chocolates and a few boxes for treats for others.
Mmm so good. Lindt Swiss chocolates.

I sure hope I can do some laundry before Christmas.

I feel very very tired this evening and itchy.

Oh yeah guess what the guys found in an old cupboard under the stairs I have never used or even opened ? No not any valuable antiques . A bunch of empty liquor bottles(Jack Daniels), porno mags, and empty prescription drug bottles!

No Faith

It would be nice to think that tomorrow everything will go smoothly The washer will be delivered , set up, and working. The guy will finish the work in the basement. I will come home from work, put everything back in place and it will all be fine.

Only I know none of that is likely. I got a call this evening to confirm delivery of the washer. I was told delivery time was " between 8:30 a.m. and who knows" and I'm ninth on the list. So you know what will happen.The delivery guys will show up at 6:00p.m when it's dark, they will moan and groan about how these old houses are so narrow, they will piddle around trying to get the stupid washer downstairs, they will contemplate removing the doors (unnecessary) I won't have the proper hoses for the connections. The guy won't be able to finish the work in the the basement due to the above. The house will be a mess. I will be exhausted and not care.

Yeah I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, especially with more of the same ugly weather.
What fun.
I 'm oh so very tired this evening.

Not Much Cheaper

First before I start moaning check out SL Liew's postcard blog


Crazy isn't it that buying a new washing machine only costs slightly more than getting the old one fixed. It seems so wasteful to do it I really feel guilty .

What's the point of me using cloth bags to shop and recycling bottles, if I'm going to then chuck a not that old washing machine. I think the delivery people will take the old one away and maybe it will get fixed and sold as refurbished . It certainly isn't worth me spending the money to do it and who knows in six months it might just conk out again. Yeah O.K. I'm rationalizing trying to ease my guilt. I guess that's the old school Catholic girl in me "waste is a sin".

I remember when I was a girl ( old fogey moment here) how my mother got all the appliances and the t.v. fixed over and over. I'm sure she had the same washing machine for 25 years and the same black and white t.v. up until the 1970's . She only got a new colour t.v. because my brother bought it as a gift for her when he started working full time.

Later in life she was more well to do and got into the throw it out habit. Hole in the sock ? throw it out. Sheets worn out ? Don't do like my grandmother and cut them up and make pillow cases ,
no, throw them out.

Not that I'm a big fan of Cuba but they drive cars from the 1950's. They just keep on fixing them. And they don't have to bankrupt their country, bailing out some old dinosaur car company. When did it happen that our entire economy depends on people going out and buying crap they don't need ?

Tomorrow morning I have a meeting with my manager, which I already know isn't going to be a good meeting. It's mild out and raining and now I'm going to have a bath and listen to the opera show at 9:00 Always look forward to that on Sunday night.
My Christmas shopping is nearly done too Only have one more gift to buy. I wonder if that person would like an old washing machine ?