Because It's About Time For Another Cat Photo

How We Are Kickin' Off the Season

I am going to see The Maine State Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker tonight.

And Lew did this yesterday:

The artsy "noir" effect:

Dad 281: The Cataract Regimen

(A day later than usual, but here's Dad's post. Enjoy!  ~  Tracy)

Derf Here! Enjoying a fairly warm day for November 27th. Not sunny but quite warm. Lew went out to hang some lights wearing a jacket and cap and ended up perspiring. On November 27th. No snow here but the ski slopes are open with natural and man-made snow.

We sure did have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving as Spouse and I went to Glen and Deb's. We had a great meal and Spouse made it through the 2-hour visit with no problems. A real nice day.

We are getting ready for a very busy few weeks. Tomorrow starts eye drops for Spouse as we get ready for her cataract surgery. Tuesday we have to be in Portland at 7:30 A.M. The left eye will be done. Then a couple follow-up visits. In another two weeks we will go through the same routine for the right eye. We have high hopes. Keep the prayers coming.

Josh's football coach has nominated him for the Gaziano Trophy. That is the trophy for a defensive player. It's great just to see his name on the list. Congratulations, Josh!

I'm at the end of the page. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lew and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We went to Matt & Emily's for dinner, and we stopped at Pastor Dave and Laura's for "second dessert" on our way home.

Please check in tomorrow for Derf's weekly post!

I leave you with this photo, which I have titled "Relish Tray by Lew."

Warm and Cozy

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I would like to express my gratitude for a material possession. (That's okay, right?) And that material possession is....

The space heater.

Actually, I have two: one in my office at work, and one in my home "office" (a.k.a. the back room upstairs).

The heat has not been functioning properly at work this week, so my little space heater has been working hard. Yesterday morning our office was so cold that my office-mate turned on my heater before I even got there. She has her own space heater, but she wanted to get the room warmed up as much as possible. I am thankful for my caring office-mate! (The heat got fixed today.)

There is no heat in our back room upstairs here at home, so I rely on my space heater to keep me warm when I work on my computer or read at my desk. It is keeping me toasty as I type this!

I am thankful for more than just my space heaters, of course. Life is a gift and I am blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Long Day, Short Week

Long day at work today.

But it's also a short week at work!

I'm glad I stayed a little later tonight to get caught up on some projects. I do work tomorrow, but then I have four days off for Thanksgiving weekend. It's good to stay caught up so I can really enjoy my time off.

And, oh....

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

(PostScript: I know that I repeated a lot of what I wrote yesterday. Please forgive me. I'm tired! And I'm really looking forward to the long weekend!)

Monday Update

Lew and Matt won their fantasy football game again this week! It was a close one, but their quarterback – Carson Palmer – really came through for them.

I have five books left in my 2015 Reading Challenge. I just started reading Gone With the Wind – a book that my mother loves.

It's a short work week because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. I even have Friday off!

Tomorrow is my sister Debbie's birthday. Next year her birthday will actually fall on Thanksgiving, but I'm thankful for her every day.

Dreaming a Little Dream

I want a fairy godmother like Cinderella had.

She would whip up clothing for me every single day.

Then I would never have to do laundry again.

A full-time maid would be okay, too, but she would not be nearly as fun.

A Picture Is Worth One Foreign Word

Lest anyone believe that I speak Spanish (see yesterday's post), I need to set the record clear: Yes, I did take four years of Spanish (two in high school, two in college), but I am by no means able to read nor speak Spanish.

So how did I figure out how to "fix" Dad's TV yesterday?

Answer: I recognized the Setup icon! I was then able to switch the language back to English.

For those of you that are still wondering, the Setup icon looks like this – or a variation of it, depending on the device or application:

So the next time you have inadvertently changed the language on your device, revert to your pre-K days.... Just look at the pictures!

Dad 280: Muy Bueno

(When setting up a new device – for example, a TV – it helps if you don't change the onscreen menu to a foreign language. Hopefully another household member – for example, a daughter – is able to reset it to English. Setting up the device is easy after that. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A real cloud-covered fall day we experienced today. Very cool also. Fall is here and that means winter is on its way. Oh, joy! We are ready!

 

It is granddaughter Kelsey's birthday today. Happy Birthday to you, Kelsey!

 

Heard some good news today for grandson Josh. He made All-Conference first team as a defensive end in football. Congratulations, Josh! Good job!

 

I received a new 9-inch television yesterday from Amazon. (I wanted a little television on the nightstand by my bed.) I have it hooked up but have not been able to get it set up properly. I cannot receive the channels I should get by the numbers. I'll get Lew or Tracy to set it up for me. At least I hope so.

 

Spouse is still exercising a little and seems to be doing all right. We must get her working more time each day on her arm and walking. At our age this is easier said than done. Must do, though! Please keep Spouse in your prayers. Thanks.

 

It is now time to fix dinner. That means I'm done writing. Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

The Leggings Experiment

Now that I am a working girl again, I have to revamp my wardrobe a bit.

Some of the gals that I work with wear long tunics/jerseys over leggings, so I decided I to get some leggings myself.

I looked on Amazon and ended up ordering six pairs... all black. (I guess you could say I wasn't sure what kind to get.)

When the leggings arrived, I took them all out of the packages and threw the packaging away.

I realized later that some of the leggings did not list the brand name on them.

My initial thought was, "How am I supposed to evaluate which ones I like best if I don't even know which ones are which?"

But then I had an "Aha!" moment....

Because the leggings all had different percentage labels on them (different percentages of cotton, spandex, etc.), I could click through my Amazon order online and figure out which brand was which.

One more reason I enjoy Internet shopping!

(Postscript: I have worn all six pairs. I like all but one.)

Lighting

"Red Pants Tuesday" today.

I decided to wear a top that had some red in it as well – a tie-dye pattern.

At home, the red in the shirt matched the red in the pants.

At work, the two reds looked very different.

I guess my "home lighting" is not the same as my "work lighting."

I will have to keep this in mind for future wardrobe decisions!

Some Updates

Lew and Matt are making a comeback in the church fantasy football league. Their team is now 4-6. I hope their winning trend continues!

My new computer gave me more headaches over the weekend. Lew even brought the box in so that we could pack the machine back up and return it to the store. But I decided to give it one more try from scratch – along with doing some extra troubleshooting – and everything seems to be working okay at the moment. (I do believe the problem was more with Windows 10 than with the machine itself.) I hope I have solved the major problems, because I do enjoy using the computer.

There are just over six weeks left in 2015 and I have six books to finish for my 2015 Reading Challenge. I've got two books going right now. I think I'm going to make it.

Fifteen years ago today my sister Debbie gave birth to a 10 pound, 4-ounce baby boy. Happy Birthday to you, Zack!

Rockin' Grampa's Sunglasses

A Decision

After working for 50 years, Lew has decided to retire at the end of 2015.

He gave his employer notice today so that the company would have plenty of time to find a new hire.

And me? I have started a mental list of all the chores I want him to do around the house! (He does most of them already anyway.)

Congratulations, Lew!

Dad 279: Eye See

(One page works for me! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another lousy fall day in the Northeast. It is now raining. That is how the day will end. Rain and darkness at 4:00 PM.

 

I am trying to keep you all up to date while using only one page each week. My proofreader and editor like it that way.

 

Well, football season is over for Josh and Zack. They lost the second playoff game. One team playing for the Western Maine championship was defeated by Josh's team early in the year. It was another successful season. Now we wait for baseball and lacrosse.

 

Spouse and I went to see the eye doctor and we now have the dates for cataract removal. December 1st for the left eye and then the 15th for the right eye. The weeks will be busy as we go for the follow-ups. We know all will go well.

 

We are getting back to Spouse's exercises. Perhaps not as fast as we should. We must do more in the exercise area. Keep your thoughts and prayers coming as we try to improve Spouse's health and get her seeing again. Thanks.

 

That's it, sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Sayonara, Laptop.... Maybe

Lew's buddy Dick always takes us out for breakfast on Veterans Day.  (Thank you for your service, Lew!)  I enjoyed my hot chocolate, scrambled eggs, and pumpkin muffin.

Lew and I went to the mall after breakfast to get my ring checked. (See yesterday's post.)

We then went into Best Buy to look at laptops. I wanted to get an idea of what was available. I wasn't planning on purchasing anything today.

I purchased something today.

I decided on an all-in-one computer. Wireless keyboard and mouse. A touch screen, even. Very slick.

I have been getting it up and running ever since we got home. There have been a couple "blips" so far. I was ready to take it back to the store more than once. But Lew encouraged me to keep at it, and I think I may have reached a happy place. I do like how it works. And I LOVE the big screen.

Still, I'm not going to load a lot of data onto it yet!

Project Ring Removal

Twice a year, during the months of May and November, I need to take my diamond ring to the jewelry store to get the setting inspected.

 

The ring needs to be off my finger for the inspection.

 

When I went in May I had trouble taking off the ring, but I eventually succeeded.

 

In anticipation of taking my ring for inspection tomorrow, I decided to get the ring off tonight in case I had trouble.

 

I had trouble.

 

I finally had to bring in the reinforcements: ice, Windex, and Lew.

 

It wasn't a pain-free process, but Lew was able to work the ring off my finger.

 

Time for my fingers to go on a diet!

May, Not Must

While stopped at a red light on my way to work this morning, I found myself behind a Crown Victoria and in front of a car driven by an impatient young woman.

We were in a right-hand turn lane.

Traffic was proceeding through the intersection, so the Crown Vic was staying put.

When the traffic had cleared a bit, the car in back of me honked.

The light remained red and the Crown Vic didn't move.

The impatient car honked again.

The Crown Vic did not move until the light turned green. (I'll never know if the C.V. driver did this just to tick off the honking driver or not, but I kind of hope so.)

I doubt the impatient young woman reads my blog, but I would refer her to the State of Maine Statute regarding Traffic Control Devices. In general, one may make a right turn on red, not must.

A rules and vocabulary lesson, all in one!

Today's Dilemma

Lew and I just got home from an early dinner out with Wayne, Sarah, and Rylie.

When I couldn't decide between the ribs and the pulled pork, the waitress suggested a combo. "That particular combo isn't listed on our menu, but you can still order it."

Dilemma solved!

Yawn....

Friday night has arrived and I am beat!

It gets dark outside so early, it's hard to be too motivated in the evenings.

I did get some reading done tonight, but now I'm ready for bed. And it's not even 8:00 yet! Good grief!

Good night to you all!

Dad 278: Playoffs

(I just ate the last of my Halloween candy. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another not-so-bad day for November. Actually our weather has been very good (warmer than expected) and doesn't look too bad for the next week. We'll take it.

 

Well, Josh's (and Zack's) team won their first playoff game. They will now play in the semi-final round. (This will be a tough game as they will play the defending state champs.) Josh has started the last three years and has made the playoffs every year, never getting by the semis. He has had a good career. Now we wait for Zack in his sophomore through senior years. Good luck this weekend in the playoffs.

 

Almost ready for winter. All things are put away and I just need to wrap up my trailer wheels and the front trailer assembly. A few tarps and bungee cords and I'm ready for anything.

 

Please keep the prayers and thoughts coming for Spouse. I must get actively involved in her exercise program. Thanks for your concern.

 

Done for the week (one page only). Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Voting Report

I voted yesterday.

There were three questions on the state ballot.

The town ballot contained only one real race - five candidates for two town council seats. (All the other candidates were running unopposed.)

So that's a total of five results that actually depended on votes received.

I was zero for five.

Hooray, me.

But I will not be discouraged....

See you at the polls next year!

Trick-or-Treat Report

Dad and Lew both purchased snack-size chocolate bars for Halloween, so we were ready for all the dressed-up munchkins to arrive at our door.

We had two kids come.

And those two kids, the daughters of Pastor Dave and Laura, didn't even bring in their trick-or-treat bags. They just came to show us their costumes! We forced candy upon them anyway.

Before you start to feel sorry for us, I guess I should admit that we didn't really expect any trick-or-treaters. We don't live in a walk-around-neighborhood, so anyone coming to our house would have to be coming on purpose.

I've been telling people that we are a "destination trick-or-treat location."

And now I get to eat the leftover candy.... Snickers.... Reese's PB cups.... Twix....

Yumbo!

Royals!

I accurately predicted Kansas City to win the World Series.

Now we must wait for Spring 2016 for baseball to start up again.  Sigh....

In the meantime we will be rooting for the Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champions!

Smile!