Project Complete :)

I completed my big project at work yesterday!  I e-mailed Version 2.0 of my spreadsheet to my colleagues that need to use it.

I already have determined some cosmetic changes that I'd like to make, but I am waiting for more feedback before sending out Version 2.1.  The calculations already work properly, which is really the most important part.

Maybe I will get another Excel project soon. I had great fun with this one!

Dad 373: Go, Red Teams!

(As for this evening's weather, the day has ended like it started. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another cloudy, cool morning in the area. Yesterday was cloudy all day and the temperature never really warmed up.

Our thoughts and prayers are definitely with those suffering the results of Hurricane Harvey. Hard to imagine what they are going through.

School started today for all students in town, so we are preparing for the football season which starts Friday night. Cheering on Zack and his friends. GO, RED STORM!

Well, sister Deb left yesterday for her trip back to Florida via Pittsburgh and Indy. Confirmed by phone last evening she made Pittsburgh and will leave for Indy on Friday. (Drive carefully!)

The Red Sox stumbled a bit and went from a five-game lead in the loss column to only two. As of now they have climbed back to lead by four in the loss column. GO, RED SOX!

That's all, folks!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

And One to Grow On

Today is my sister Kim's birthday!

I would make fun of her age, but I am older than she is.
So I'll refrain.
😏

I do wish she lived closer so we could celebrate with her.
If she has a cake, I hope she eats a piece for me.

Happy Birthday, Kim!

Definitely Not a Car Race

Yesterday there was an Ironman Triathlon held in our area.

The running route included a section of the Eastern Trail that crosses the road we live on. The participants had to cross our street twice — over and then back.

On our way home from church yesterday, Lew and I became painfully aware of the Triathlon....

After turning onto our road from Route 1, it is just under two miles to our house. (I think it's 1.7 miles.)  It took us one hour to travel that distance.

One. Hour.

Ugh.

Still recovering....

Lew's Logbook: Impulse Buying

(Lew writes today. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

Normally I’m not an impulse buyer but yesterday they got me.

Who’s “they?”

"They" are the people who study buying habits and do product placement in order to induce impulse buying.

I went to Sam’s Club to look for a book that I wanted (they had it, yeah). As I entered the store there was a huge display of Serta pillow sets. I thought, “I could use a couple of new pillows,” so I grabbed them. Going a little further I saw a display for dish towels. I thought, “We’ve been using the same towels for years,” and I picked up a package. When I got home I realized that I had done some serious impulse buying (didn’t really spend very much).

I can understand why people who are proficient at marketing and product placement are paid good money. It’s because they are so good at taking ours. 😏

Project Update

My mind has been distracted all week with the project I was assigned last Friday. (See my post, I Get a Project.)

I worked on the project quite a bit on Monday.

Tuesday morning I showed my preliminary efforts to my supervisor. After we met I made some additional changes.

Tuesday night I hardly slept at all. I couldn't stop thinking about ideas to make my spreadsheet work even better.

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning, I immediately started implementing all of my new ideas. My supervisor had set up a late-afternoon conference call with some other colleagues to introduce my spreadsheet, so I was working under a deadline of sorts. When she came in my office midday, I threw my arms over my monitors and said, "Don't look yet!" (She laughed.)

I had something ready for the conference call, after which I began adding even more enhancements to the spreadsheet. I was at work until after 7PM, but I was able to send out a revised version.

Then today... oh, today... more and more ideas going through my head.... But I couldn't do anything with my ideas because I had to get caught up on some of my regular work.

Tomorrow, however, is a new day. I can hardly wait to get back to my project!

I really am a crazy person!

Dad 372: Summer Summing-Up Signs

(Another indication that summer is coming to a close: We are watching the Little League World Series! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful day here in the Northeast after some boomers last night. All part of the experts' predictions. Predicted weather for the next week will not require the air conditioner as the humidity will be in a comfortable zone.

 

Almost to the active part of "summer / fall" as football season and back-to-school is happening. Bring it on! We are ready!

 

Not much else going on, but I am getting a little more cleaning done each day. I could possibly complete my cleaning within the next couple years. (Maybe not!)

 

Sister Deb is about ready to head back to Florida via Indy next Tuesday. Not the official end of summer, but close.

 

Stay tuned for more news!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

Tuckered Out

I've had a busy couple days, so I'm taking the easy way out for today's blog post.

Below are a couple more photos from last night.

Hanging out in my hammock sounds like a wonderful idea to me, too!

Who is in Tia's hammock?

AHA!!!

Happy Birthday, Lew!

Today's the day! 💗

Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam came over this evening to celebrate Lew's birthday with us. 💗💗

I managed to get a couple photos of Grampa Lew with the kids. 💗💗💗 

Adam and Eli didn't want to stand still... too excited about cake!

Riding with Grampa on Great-Fred's tractor!

Lew's Logbook: Range Time

(Lew writes today. And I am #OneBlessedGal....  ~  Tracy)

Tracy and I went to the range today and she became familiar with “Adelaide.”  (Yes, she named her .38 Special.)

We had a great time and she did very well at putting her shots on paper.

Nice to have a wife who shares some of your interests. (She loves baseball and football also.)

#OneBlessedDude  💗

I Get a Project

I was given a project today at work that is going to be fun for me. It involves building an Excel spreadsheet for my colleagues to use for a specific task.

I love figuring out how to get spreadsheets to do what I need them to do. And I try to make them "slick as snot" to work with. ("Slick as snot" is a technical term that my husband often uses.)

I am truly a geek!

Ode to a Hobby

With apologies to the Everly Brothers....

Whenever I'm conscious
All I want to do is
Rea-ea-ea-ea-ead,
Read, Read, Rea-ead,
Rea-ea-ea-ea-ead,
Read, Read, Read!

Dad 371: Noisy Neighborhood News

(Dad theorizes about summer in today's post. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Great summer days are upon us. So nice!

 

A lot of activity going on close to home. The building sounds are heard loud and clear throughout the day as there are two new homes being built a few hundred feet away. Supposed to be done and have residents in them sometime this fall. Fingers are crossed.

 

It is hard to believe that the busiest weeks of summer are over. The last two weeks in July and the first two weeks in August seem to be the busy four. Schools and school activities are now starting, so people have had their vacations. Summer is basically over. Accept it!!

 

Spouse is getting along fine. We are pleased about this. Please continue your thoughts and prayers for her. Thanks.

 

Enough for now. Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Happy Pythagorean Theorem Day!

Embracing My Geekness

I am so excited for tomorrow, I can hardly stand it!

You may be asking, "What's so special about Tuesday, August 15, 2017?"

The date of 8/15/17 makes it Pythagorean Theorem* Day!

I bought a special t-shirt for the occasion, and I even got permission to wear it to work. (I work for a technical school, so it wasn't that hard a sell.)  😊

I hope that everyone is at least half as excited as I am.  I love this stuff!


*If the month and day — 8 and 15 — are the lengths of the smaller sides of a right triangle, then the two-digit year — 17 — is the length of the hypotenuse. The Theorem: The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Do the math!

Lew's Logbook: Lost Pole

(For the fish-name-challenged, "stripers" are a type of bass... I think. Enjoy Lew's post!  ~  Tracy)

My brother wanted me to take him to the tidal river by my house to do some fishing. Stripers run up into the river and, if you hit it right, you can catch a few. I checked the tides and told him what day and time to come.

The day before the event, I got my gear out and rigged up a couple of poles. We wanted to bait fish so I went to the local tackle shop and bought some clam worms ($6.50 doz – ouch).

So he comes to the house and we go down to the river. I let him use my best saltwater pole and I used a lighter rig just for kicks.

We had been fishing for about 15 minutes when my brother started to move from one place on the rocks to another. Suddenly, he said “oops” and my saltwater rod and reel went into the river.

Grrrrrr!!!!

We went home.

The tide chart said that low tide was going to be around 3:30 so I went down to the garage, put together a rope and grappling tool and waited. What could save the day was the fact that we were fishing with orange floats on our lines. When I got to the river I could see the float and I knew there was hope. After a few tries I snagged the line on the pole and was able to bring it in.

I had some success fishing that day but not the kind I expected.

The saved fishing pole.

Our Night of Culture

Late yesterday morning I got a text message from my friend Ellen. She and Paul (her husband) had two extra tickets to the Maine State Ballet performance of "Don Quixote" for last night, and would Lew and I like to join them?

We went!

Ellen's and Paul's daughter, Laura, was in the ballet. I had seen Laura dance before, but Lew had not. She dances beautifully and she was a joy to watch.

Whenever I go to a performance of any kind I think, "I want to do that!"  Unfortunately, I am a little late in trying to become a ballerina....

I will settle for being a mere spectator of this beautiful artistry.

Dad 370: Cleaning and Cookout

(I am NOT ready for winter! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The great weather continues in the Northeast. We'll take it!

 

Monitor heater is coming back from the shop tomorrow all tuned up for the winter. So for its return, I started my summer house cleaning by scrubbing the tile floor entrance on which the monitor is mounted. We are ready for winter with our heating units serviced.

 

Just had a small family cookout here with sister Deb and daughter Debbie's family. Josh will be heading back to Maine Maritime early Friday morning. Must get back for football. Zack starts football next Monday, so we are getting back in school mode.

 

That is about it for the day! Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

On the Job

Today's tip: Have fun at work!

Celebrating With Aunt Debbie

Today is Aunt Debbie's birthday!

Lew and I took her to the Garage BBQ down the road for a scrumptious dinner out. Aunt Debbie and I had identical meals: pulled pork with sides of cornbread and mac & cheese. I ate my entire meal, but Aunt Debbie brought enough home for her lunch tomorrow.

There is a jewelry store next to the BBQ, and we decided to bop in there after eating. The store belongs to a lovely lady who makes all of the jewelry herself. Aunt Debbie and I both bought a pair of earrings, and I almost bought a ring....

The ring would have been a "you try it on and can't get it off, so you bought it" purchase. The ring went on my finger just fine. But it did not want to come off. The ring cost $112! Uh-oh....

The store owner was more than kind to me. She didn't want me to stress about it; in fact, I think she was more concerned for me than she was about the ring! She gave me some lotion to try, and we even tried the Windex trick. No luck. I told her I live right up the road, so she told me to just bring the ring back tomorrow once I've had a chance to get it off. (My finger was a little swollen by then.)

I told my parents what happened when we got home. Mom smeared a whole mess of hand lotion on me, and within fifteen seconds I slid the ring off my finger. (Thank you, Mom!) The ring has been returned to the store. 😊

And that's how we celebrated Aunt Debbie's birthday.

Happy Birthday to you, Aunt Debbie!

The ring! (Finally off of my finger.)
I really did like the ring, but I guess it was too small. Ha ha!

My Handsome Nephews

Josh and Zack were ushers at their Aunt Jody's wedding today.

The attire was country-themed.

Don't they look handsome?!

Zack (left) and Josh.

Congratulations, Jody and Stephen!

Driving Ankle

You've heard of "tennis elbow," right? The title of this post, Driving Ankle, is about something similar.

Usually it takes me 15 to 20 minutes to drive home from work. Tonight it took me an hour and a half. (There was a major accident on the turnpike, and traffic was diverted; Route 1 was a nightmare.)

My hour and a half of driving was stop and go, stop and go, stop and go... and the "go" part was always very short.

After moving from brake to gas, brake to gas, brake to gas for an hour and a half, my right ankle was feeling kind of strange when I got out of my vehicle tonight. I think I've been able to work it out a bit, so hopefully it will be 100% soon.

Have you ever had "driving ankle?" The next time you do, you will at least know what to call it. You may thank my creativity for that! 😏

Maybe Next Time

I was drawing a blank on what to write about tonight, so I decided to figure out how the camera on my all-in-one computer works. (I've only had the computer for almost two years now.)

Instead of taking a selfie photo, I tried a selfie video. I ended up making four very, very short videos. I thought, "Hmmm... maybe I'll post one on the blog."

After I finally found where the videos were stored on my computer, I decided against posting any of them....

I looked goofy in every single one!

Dad 369: Wedding Weekend Past and Present

(Dad shares lots of news in today's post. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Oh, the enjoyment of this great summer weather!!

 

Josh has completed his three-month trip on the Training Ship "State of Maine." What a trip. Twice across the Atlantic and back. Golf in Spain. I'm sure a lot was learned from this adventure. Welcome home, Josh!! Hope to see you soon.

 

One year ago today we started our trip to Illinois for Kelsey's and Zachariah's wedding. Today we are getting ready for another wedding – with no traveling – on the same weekend as last year. Glen's sister Jody will be getting "hitched" this Saturday. Happy Anniversary to Kelsey and Zach from your Maine family!

 

Spouse seems to be progressing in the right direction. Still can use your thoughts and prayers.

 

The furnace is checked out and serviced for the winter. The monitor heater is out to be thoroughly checked out. Can fall and winter be far away? Hope so!!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Ba-na-na-NAAA!

I love bags of all kinds, so imagine how excited I was when my father gave us a banana bag!

Once the bananas are secure in the bag, the bag gets stored in the refrigerator.

The bananas stay ripe longer — plus, a cold banana is delicious!

YES! We have some bananas!