Christmas is a time for Memories

     Well, the big day has finally arrived!  Not a minute too soon, either. Today was a nice day here in New England. We had a little bit of snow, so technically it was a "White Christmas", even though much of it was melted by noontime.  I tried to make truffles last night, but they didn't come out right-the mixture didn't solidify. But it will make a nice sauce for ice cream!  

     Anyway, I promised earlier in the week I'd discuss Christmas memories.   My most prominent memory is how big the Christmas tree was, because I was so small. In those days, we had an artificial tree. I guess it wasn't really that tall, maybe six feet.  Naturally, I remember the feeling of Christmas morning, and running downstairs to open the presents.  My mom had already been up for a couple of hours, and the turkey was already in the oven. It seems like it took longer for turkeys to cook in those days, too!

     I never truly believed in Santa Claus, though I tried to convince myself he was real.  I remember watching all those wonderful Claymation Christmas specials, especially Rudolph. I think it's neat all those programs are still on today, even though I haven't watched them in years.

     I elaborated on how wonderful it was with my grandparents and uncle visiting, so I won't repeat it here except to say it was a true special occasion, which made Christmas special.  If you're interested, my post "NOW it's time for Christmas!" can be accessed on this site.

    It seems like I always got what I wanted.  I can remember one year when I was having a crisis waiting for Christmas and opening the presents, and I got to open one before Christmas eve.  It was a box of crayons, which every kid loves. When the crayons are new and sharp, there's nothing like it.  I just remember being jealous when my sister got hers, and mine were already worn down!

     My most coveted toy was Lite Brite. I'm sure if you try you can remember the commercial.  I was so excited to get that gift! I hope I didn't drive my parents crazy asking for it.  It's in the cellar somewhere, I wonder if it still works?  Another year I wanted that hand-held game "Blip". I got that one too, my parents were always so generous and I hope I wasn't too demanding or greedy. I always got nice clothes, books, candy, stuffed animals, art supplies, etc.

      Did you get to open a present on Christmas eve? We always did, and I think it was the only way to keep us sane until Christmas morning. I'm ashamed to admit that I was shallow enough to be obsessed with the gifts, but I was. Seeing all those beautifully wrapped presents under the tree for what seemed like weeks sure drove me crazy!

     One thing I love about Christmas is revisiting the ornaments and decorations. We have some that my Dad had on his trees growing up, and then there are ornaments you make that have the year on them. My  mom used to do ceramics, and we have dozens ornaments she made and painted. They're beautiful.  It's fun to reminisce and decorate the tree.  

     I'll leave now, let's see if I can find a clip of Rudolph, and maybe the Lite-Brite ad from the 70's.  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

     

Wishing for that Christmas Feeling!

    If you're an adult reading this, chances are it's been a l-o-n-g time since you felt the true excitement of Christmas. I'm convinced you have to be a child to feel it. By "it", I mean that all-encompassing feeling that if you have to wait one more day, or even one more hour for the big day, you're going to bust!

   That's the way Christmas was for me until I was probably ten or eleven. And back in those days, it wasn't hyped as much as it is now. 

    Part of the problem of being a kid is that the time drags so slowly. A week seemed like a month and a month was more like six months. So that last week waiting for Christmas was absolute torture!! I swear I was delirious, waking up on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, thinking it was Christmas, and realizing I still had a day or two to go.

    Now I'm grown up, and even though I can distinctly remember how I felt, I wish I could truly feel the magic of Christmas again. I have an appreciation, and try to do things to be festive, like decorate and send out cards.  I hear plenty of Christmas music, whether I want to or not, and I try to do holiday baking, though in recent years I haven't followed through.

     Still, I have trouble feeling the sheer joy of the holiday.  There's just too much to do, and not enough time to do it. I tip my hat to anyone who's able to get it all done and still enjoy the season.
      It's actually quite normal for people to feel depressed, overwhelmed, and anxious during the holidays. Stress from financial worries, work, the state of the world can all make this a hard time of year. If a loved one died near Christmas, that can also put a permanent damper on the festivities.
     In my case, I feel that I can never meet my own high expectations. I have an ideal view about what Christmas should be like, and since that lofty goal is unattainable, I tend to feel a letdown before I even start. Maybe that's why I feel so much better when Christmas is over, and I have a fresh slate to work on for next year.
    My ideal Christmas has the house tastefully decorated inside and out. A real tree, and my fiber-optics.  The smell of pine, cinnamon, and baking cookies.  I will have hand made my cards and gifts for all my friends and family. Will have gotten my shopping done months in advance, to allow plenty of time for creativity and entertaining.  I think Christmas brings out the Martha Stewart in all of us. I have hundreds of magazines full of great crafts and foods I'd love to make. 
    In the perfect world, I'd feel like I made a difference, having contributed to the many worthy charities, especially those involving animals, and children in need.  There's still time for me to follow through on this one.  I'm an extremely lucky person, and it's time I shared my good fortune.
     There's actually time for me to follow up on ALL my Christmas ambitions.  It's just time for me to DO it, instead of just talking about it. So off I go, to get my sugar, flour, and other ingredients for my awesome pineapple macadamia nut fruitcake. 
     If you're feeling down this season, remember you're not alone.  Also remember the stress will be over soon, and there's light at the end of the tunnel.  If you're fortunate enough to be swept up in the pure joy of the season, be sure to share your enthusiasm with those who can appreciate it, but don't force it on those who are already having a hard time dealing with it. 
    One thing I won't forget to do is to thank God and Jesus for being alive. No matter how hard life gets, I won't ever forget what God has done for me and my family. Christmas is really about Him. 
     If you've never seen it, I recommend my favorite Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life".  It encompasses all the things I talked about in this post: the unbridled joy, the despair, and ultimately, the realization that every person put on this Earth has a purpose. And that what YOU do has an effect on everybody around you, more than you realize. It's brilliantly acted. I'm going to upload the trailer.

 I selected a short one, that didn't give away too much of the plot, in the unlikely event you haven't seen it.  Merry Christmas!
Karin

      

They Call it Christmas Season because it lasts so long!

     It's Christmastime again, and unlike last year, I'm enjoying it more. That's kind of weird, because Thanksgiving came very early this year, which made Black Friday and the official holiday season start earlier.

     Maybe it didn't seem as bad because the oldies station that used to bombard us with bad Christmas songs changed formats a few months ago. After hearing the crap they play now, I'd never complain about the Christmas music!

    Now the holiday music is on Magic 106, the local soft rock station. I hear it when I'm at work, so it's not constant. They seem to play a better selection, and more of the "classic" Christmas songs from the 50's and early 60's.

    Aside from the music, the shopping hype didn't seem to be as bad, or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I haven't gone Christmas shopping yet, and the big day is only 9 days away. Holy Cow! It snuck up on me again, like it always does.  I did order a couple of things online, that really is convenient. I forgot about one gift I picked up from my Mom a couple of weeks ago. 

     Shopping is one thing I love to do, but don't do much because I don't drive. I haven't been to a mall in years. I go to discount stores every so often (Ocean State Job Lot), and I love the Christmas Tree Shop! Building 19, a local chain of discount stores, used to be great. But the last time we were there, they were awful.

    Do you send Christmas cards out to friends and family? I like to, though lately it's been very limited. I found some cards I had written and addressed, but never sent. I can't use them, though, because I wrote the year on them! I'll be sure not to do that again.

    This year I actually made some of those photo cards-did it online at the Staples website. They had a half-price deal that I couldn't pass up. It was time consuming, but the end result I'm pleased with. Now I just have to wait for them to arrive, and mail them. No guarantee you'll get yours before Christmas, but all my friends know I'm always late anyway!

     This post is getting a little long, so I'll close for now. Next time I'll touch on some of my favorite gifts when I was little, and other memories.

     I haven't said anything yet about the horrendous tragedy in Connecticut. I don't want to comment except to say it's devastating. It makes you feel like there's nothing sacred in this world, and there's no place to hide. By writing this post about Christmas I didn't intend to ignore what's going on in the real world.  

     A travesty such as this, which are more and more common these days, makes stories I write seem pretty frivolous. I hope you'll still find my essays an acceptable escape from the reality that we're forced to endure.  There won't be any joy this Christmas for a lot of people. If you believe in prayer, keep on praying and try to keep the faith.

    I'm going to try and leave you with a very powerful version of "Silent Night/Seven O'clock News" by Simon & Garfunkel.  

   

Searching For that Elusive Jackpot...

     Does anybody out there waste money on scratch tickets from their state lottery?  As a rule, I don't usually ever buy them, because of the obvious-I never win anything, except a dollar or two here and there.

     That was until last week. On a whim, I bought a five dollar scratch ticket when I was cashing my check. I just "felt lucky". I won $20, and was pleased at my intuition. I figured if I was smart, I'd take the $15 profit and run.

     What should I do with my winnings? I decided to use it at Trader Joe's, so I could splurge guilt-free at some of their more expensive seasonal treats. I wasn't going to fall into a trap of throwing away what I'd won on more tickets and end up with nothing.

      A few days later, I bought a $2 scratch ticket on a whim at the 7-11.  I told the clerk to give me a winner.  How surprised I was when I actually won $40! The way they make these tickets, if you win anything, a lot of the numbers were winners. I think eight of the ten numbers were winners, but only for 5 bucks apiece. Still, I'm not complaining. Now I had another 40 bucks to put towards Christmas shopping. I waited until today to cash it in.

     Just winning a couple of times can give you a false sense of security, and you feel invincible.  It's kind of weird, but you start thinking crazy-like you might actually WIN the huge amounts of money that are underneath the non-winning numbers! It makes me sigh when I scratch off $100,000 and think of how nice it would be to win that! It's probably what makes people keep spending money on them.
      I came back to earth today when I spent five more dollars on a Bruins scratch ticket. I was fully expecting to win, but that was a foolish expectation. At least it has a second chance drawing.
     So, what would you do if you were me? At least with a scratch ticket, you know immediately whether you won or not. Half the time I bought a regular ticket like Power ball or Megabucks, I never took the time to check the numbers. Who knows, I may have an un-cashed ticket laying around somewhere. As Ed McMahon used to say, I may already be a winner!
      So what's the point of this story? Do anything in moderation, and be realistic. I think there's ways to increase your chances of winning- I read you should buy a whole roll or several in a row of the same game to increase your chances, rather than one each of a bunch of different kinds. But even then , that's no guarantee.  If you're meant to win, you'll win. If you feel lucky, go for it-who knows, maybe you'll win the big one! Good luck! But for now, I'm going to spend some of my winnings at Trader Joe's.

Adding A Gadget to Learn more about you!

   I was trying to jazz up my blog last week, while at the same time trying to learn more about my so called followers. So while visiting another blog, I came across Feedjit Live, which is tracks all visitors to your blog, where they are, and stuff like that.

   I hate to say it, but since I added it, the only one whose visited the site is me! So I disabled my browser in order that my frequent visits wouldn't show up- admittedly I was checking it more often to see if anyone else visited (do I need to get a life or what?)

    Anyway, most of the people who do read my blog get a direct e-mail of the post, so they don't actually get counted as they should. Maybe I should disable the e-mail and make everybody go to my site, or direct them to it some other way.

   Today I checked my site from my work computer (something I never do). It showed that I was visiting from Kentucky, because that's where the company is based. But my site looked different, with a darker background, and at the bottom of the Feedjit box was some Vietnamese information.  I thought maybe it was a visitor from Vietnam, so I clicked on it, and got a Vietnamese website about the history of the Vietnamese military.

     I couldn't read it, since I only know English, and a little Spanish, and I didn't have time to use Google Translate. But the website also had a Feedjit box, and they got a lot more page views than I've ever had. Oh well. I just wonder why it was there, because it's not there now.

    Maybe sometime soon I'll get visitors again. Until then, I'm feeling a little lonely! Next time, try visiting my site directly, at 

kp-lifeiswhatyoumakeit.blogspot.com. See you there!

My "Turducky" was Tur-yucky!

     For reasons unknown even to myself, I've been obsessed with trying Turducken this Thanksgiving season. In the past, I thought it was a gimmick, and I suppose I still do. But the curiosity of it got the best of me. I love turkey, chicken, and duck, so maybe, just maybe, it might taste good together.  

     When I looked to see how much they cost, I was appalled to see it was $8.99 a pound, or about 42 bucks. No thanks, I'm not that curious! Apparently, neither was anybody else, so the day after Thanksgiving, I checked again, and sure enough, they were marked down to 2.99 pound. So I thought I'd give it a try.

    I cooked my turducken following the directions on the packaging. I discovered the ingredients, and wasn't thrilled to see the stuffing had sausage in it, and "jambalaya" spices. I'm not a fan of hot and spicy to start with, much less with my poultry.

     While it was cooking, I put myself out making squash, mashed potatoes, hand-frenched green beans, and corn bread. I also made some plain stuffing to heat outside the bird, to eat instead of the sausage stuffing.  It ended up dry, even though it was in a foil pouch. I was originally going to make green bean casserole with the french-fried onions and cream of mushroom soup, but by then I didn't care, and worried the tastes might clash.

     The turducken did smell good while it was cooking. I basted it a couple of times. When it was done, I was surprised at the abundance of pan drippings for a boneless roast. True, I did add water while it was cooking. I probably should have used an oven cooking bag.  
    I made the gravy, and considering it was more sausage smelling than turkey smelling, it tasted pretty good, and wasn't greasy. As I look back, it was the best part of the bird.
    I was disappointed in the turducken, luckily it wasn't my Thanksgiving meal.  The turkey and chicken meat was OK, but the amount of duck was paltry, and the texture was mushy. 
     But at least I tried it! Now I won't be curious about it anymore, or feel I'm missing out.  I think I may try to make my own version of this oddity, and it will be much easier than actually putting one of these things together.  The answer?
1. Cook a turkey breast, a large chicken, and a duck, all stuffed, at the same time.  Don't use sausage in the stuffing.
2. Make a gravy out of the drippings.
3. Serve some of each with all the trimmings.
4. Put some of each meat on your fork, dipped in gravy.
5. Whatever that tastes like is what a real turducken should be!
Have YOU ever tried turducken? What did you think?
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the holiday season!

     

I'm becoming gadget savvy!

   You heard it right, I'm becoming gadget savvy. What does that mean, exactly? Well, about ten years later, I have an MP3 player! I bought a couple of MP3 players at 75% off probably two or three years ago. 

     I'm not sure what inspired me, I think I came across the dusty packages a couple of weeks ago when I was cleaning up (looking for something else). I thought it would be fun to have a gadget that held all my favorite songs, was more portable and less clunky than a "Walkman" cassette or CD player.

     I did a Google search on how to load songs onto MP3, and it's surprisingly easy to do. I had quite a few CDs on my laptop (my excitement from last year, learning how to "rip" cds and then "burn" them onto discs).  All I had to do was plug the new MP3 into the laptop, turn on the media player, hit the "sync" button, a few more clicks and voila! Music to wait for the bus by! 

     This MP3 also came with a speaker. I just need some batteries and then I can try it out. 

      I had a three dollar credit for Amazon MP3 music for filling out a preference form, so I was able to buy three songs that I didn't have: "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield, "Come Dancing" by the Kinks, and "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. 

     I can see how people got into downloading songs back in the day--It's neat!!  I've been a little paranoid about downloading music (free music) after seeing stories about college kids being sued for massive amounts of money.  But lucky for me, there's a lot of affordable music out there.  Whole albums can be had for 6-8 dollars, and there's lots of classic rock I've yet to acquire in a format other than vinyl. (For the record, pardon the pun, I still love vinyl albums the best, skips and all).

     I bought a 99 song collection of classical tunes. Granted, I rarely listen to classical music unless I'm in a waiting room, or sometimes at work. But the bargain hunter in me couldn't resist paying only $1.99 for so much music! Now I just have to find the time to sample the music. I know I'll recognize a lot of it. The only down side is my laptop is running a little slower.  

     The other gadget I've been using a lot these days is my Kindle.  I will always favor a real book that I can pick up and turn the pages on. The digital reader is convenient as far as being able to store many books in a minimal amount of space, and adjust the size of the font.

     My Kindle is the basic one. I wish it was back lit, so I could see the screen in low light. I assume the newer ones have this feature.  The Kindle Fire looks neato, with a color screen, access to apps and video/audio content. But I don't really need one, maybe when the price comes down.  

     I use my Kindle more for games than reading. I guess I already mentioned this recently. Since then I bought "Majong Word". The tiles have letters on them, and you make words and get points, and as you use the tiles, new ones are revealed. It's a fun game. I bought "Scrabble" too, but it's hard to play on the Kindle. Again, I prefer the real scrabble game to a computer replica. I try to play only while I'm waiting for the bus or while my food is cooking. 

     There's plenty of other gadgets I'd love to have, and it's amazing how many wonderful inventions are coming out all the time.  I'll keep you posted when I get my first tablet or smart phone!

     

     

It's That Time Again...Winter!I

     It's hard to believe, but winter is just around the corner! The unofficial start for me is the first day of Eastern Standard Time. I still don't like it, but I'm trying my hardest to embrace the things I don't enjoy but can't change.

     I must say it wasn't that bad this time around.  When I got up today, I actually had forgotten about turning the clock back. More often now, the clocks turn themselves backwards and forwards. Since the TV and my cell phone both did, I didn't even realize I stole an extra hour of sleep without actually sleeping (too) late! I was delighted.

     The payback came later when it was dark before 5:00. I think the best way to deal with it is just to avoid being around a clock when it gets dark. Tonight I was outside at dusk, raking leaves and sweeping the driveway of stones that came down during last week's hurricane.  It seemed like 6:00, but when I went back inside it was only 5:00, so I gained an hour of time. I used it to bake a cake.  If I'm smart, I'll make the most of my extra time, because it only lasts for a day or two and then things go back to normal.

     In a way, I'm excited at the kickoff to the holiday season, if only because the sooner it starts, the sooner it will end, and it will be springtime again!  My pet peeve is having the holidays pushed on me before I'm ready. I'm happy to have Halloween over and done with, and I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Then, Christmas will be here before we know it. December always goes quick.

     The only thing that will louse up my plan for a quick winter is the weather. Last year New England was blessed with an non-existent winter, something I will be forever grateful for after the previous year, which was all snow and ice. I won't even complain about the cold if we can avoid freezing rain and sleet.

     I hope where ever you are, may it be Bermuda, the Ukraine or even Qatar( a place I never even heard of until I started this blog), the next few months will be easy for you. Happy November!

     Here I'll leave you with a picture of a wonderful sunset from 2010. It's easier to see them when the leaves are off the trees.  Hopefully, I'll get many more wonderful sunsets this season.

     Grammy, I hope turning the clock back is more tolerable for you up in Heaven!! Thinking of you always, but especially on this day, that we always dealt with together. Miss you!

Customer Service Costs Money!

     All I wanted was a cut up chicken for supper. I had to work today, and I'm tired. Too much trouble to thaw out the whole chickens I have in the freezer. Let's just go to Whole Food and buy a fresh one? They're on sale, only 99 cents a pound.

     When I got to the butcher chop at Whole Food, there was a cooler bin full of the sale price chickens, and some that were already cut up, for $1.49 lb.  I assume the added cost was for the convenience of being pre-cut, but thought I had nothing to lose by asking the clerk if it would cost more to cut my chicken up.  I handed it to him, and he asked how I wanted it cut, then gave it to the meat cutter and he asked me more questions. I wanted six pieces, with the wing attached to the breast.

     The next thing I know, I get a bundle of chicken, I look at the price per pound, and it's $1.49! So, I tell the both of them, "I specifically asked if this would cost more if you cut it. I asked for a reason- I can't afford it if it's $1.49 a pound, I only have so much cash on me. You'll have to take it back. Sorry you had to cut it up for nothing."  "Oh, that's no problem." he said, as he took it back.

     What ever happened to customer service? This was their opportunity to give me the price break because they didn't answer my question, and I made an assumption based on their non-response.  They don't charge more to cut it up when it's not on sale.  Why charge more if it's on sale? 

      They don't call it "Whole Paycheck" for nothing. Come to think of it, there have many times recently when the meat counter clerk at this store put a higher price on the meat, and I was lucky to catch the mistake. There must be a lot of people who pay no attention to the price per pound, and pay the wrong amount and never know the difference. Maybe those people can afford it. I can't, and even if I was rich, this carelessness or intentional rip-off tactics aren't acceptable. True, you shouldn't HAVE TO watch these people like hawks. But you do. And when you show them the mistake, they don't even apologize.

    So, even though I was tired, I picked out a better chicken, brought it home, cut it myself, and saved 3-4 dollars.  It's cooking now, and it smells great! Moral of story? Do it yourself, even if it's a pain in the neck.

     Speaking of necks, I decided to go to even more trouble to cook the innards for Cindy. There were extra livers and hearts in there! And don't ask me how, but my whole chicken appeared to be missing a wing!!! I don't know how it could've happened, but I noticed it while I was cutting the legs. I don't think you can lose a wing-tip while cutting up the chicken, it has to go somewhere. But I only found one! I may never figure that one out, unless my chicken was related to the one-armed man on "The Fugitive"!  I'll be more careful next time!

     My Dad plans on complaining to the manager soon. He didn't go in the store, he waited in the car with the dog. 

    Have a great remainder of the weekend!

Lots of Thoughts this Weekend

     Well, another weekend down the drain. Here in New England, it was a beautiful; sunny and warm. Here's how it went for me.

      I went shopping yesterday, and bought a 20 lb bag of regular birdseed, and another feeder. It turns out the new feeder was designed for the thistle seed, and the old one was for regular seed. No wonder the birds were eating it like it was going out of style! So I transferred the thistle seed into the new feeder and filled old one with the new seed. Now the birds have more options, though they aren't picky! I took a short movie I'll try to upload. I'm still disappointed the goldfinches never came, but there have been doves, mockingbirds and cardinals visiting daily. I love watching the birds. They barely even fly away anymore. Maybe someday I'll try to get one to land in my hand.

     I also got a neat all stainless rake, with an adjustable slide that narrows and widens the tines of the rake. I love it, and it was only $5.50!

cute little birdie waiting for his turn!

A sparrow in the old pear tree

This is the old feeder with the wide openings, so the birds have been pigging out on the thistle seed!

One of the few bright trees in my neighborhood

A vine climbing up my old pine tree

      I had a real scare with my computer this weekend, I even considered a post entitled "If I throw my laptop out the window, be sure to let it crash!" For some reason, I wasn't able to access my documents. It said they couldn't be open because my "side by side configuration" was messed up. I don't know how or why it happened. I tried a system restore to no avail, and did some research online and it said to download some Microsoft application. By this time I was sceptical, but thank the Lord it worked! Now I have to get back to work on my writing assignments.

     Halloween is coming, and as much as I don't care for it, I wasted far too much time watching stupid "Friday the 13th" movies yesterday! What was I thinking? They were so stupid they were funny.  I put in for Halloween off this year, so I won't have to worry about a costume!

     I finally got around to buying new memory cards for my cameras, so I've been busy taking pictures of the fall foliage, what little there is of it.  Hopefully, I'll post some  of the better ones soon.  See a few photos of the birds and trees above!

   There might be good news about the Chinese restaurant I was lamenting the loss of recently. The staff is trying to get it back up and running again. To learn more about "South Pacific", which I think was one of the first Chinese restaurants in Newton, Google it. I guess they have a memory page on Facebook, but I haven't seen it.

     Well, gotta go, the weekend's over! Enjoy the coming week!

     

My Desk is a Time Capsule!

     Today I spent about a half hour going through my desk. My desk is basically useless as practical piece of furniture. As a time capsule, it's perfect, and that's what it is!

     I hope you're curious as to what I found in my wonderful roll top. First, a little history. I paid $800.00 for my desk back in the 80's. Maybe it was 1984 or '85.  I was in high school, and I made about $30 a week working in the school library. We saw the desks one day window shopping in Newton Centre. I don't remember the details, I just remember when they were delivered. My Dad got one, too.  As it turned out, they weren't overly sturdy, with a couple of the drawer fronts falling apart within a couple of years. But I still love my desk, even though I never even pull down the top!
      Getting back to what I found.  The are lots of nice collectibles, mainly Dover Publications books of clip art, old advertising, animal and holiday postcards, and stuff like that. Neat stuff. I was smart to put them in the desk to protect them.  
      There was a container full of cancelled stamps. Back in the 90's, I had a fun hobby of making little magnets out of my cancelled stamps. I had a lot of pen pals at the time, so I got lots of mail from all over the country and the world. I even asked my pen pals to send me their unwanted stamps. In addition to the magnets, I used the stamps for decoupage on boxes, and gave them as gifts. Fun!
      I found a tin lunchbox that was housing lots of photos from the 90's as well. I was delighted to see three nice shots of my kitties Blackie and Bootsie. They weren't exactly friends, but on the day the photos were taken, they sat and posed for me on a kitchen chair.  Most of the other photos were of my iris', and the front yard.
      Are you dozing off yet with this story? I guess the point is, desks are kind of like the junk drawer everybody has in the kitchen. Lots of neat stuff too good to throw out, but not really anything you need, or use everyday.  Like my high school diploma, for example.
The reason I was ransacking my desk in the first place was because I needed my diploma for proof of graduation, to send to the certification board.  I found the cap I wore on graduation day, but not the diploma. Oh well. 
     I called my Alma mater and inquired if they had proof of my graduation in 1986. Lucky for me, they have my transcripts. I was surprised that they keep records for 60 years! For $3.00, they'll send my records directly to the certification board. I e-mailed them to make sure transcripts were acceptable, and they are. I should be getting this done this week.
     More discoveries: My Rubik's cube, circa 1981. I never got very far with mine; I was only smart enough to solve one side at a time.  Now I can't even do that, and I don't want to waste my time re-learning.
  I found two boxes full of comic strips I collected from the newspaper in the 80's. "Robotman" was a great strip back then, before it became "Monty". I have some of them in scrapbooks, but now if I feel inspired, I can continue the job.
   Am I the only one with a time-capsule desk? I must say I love all the stuff I found. But I just might re-organize my stuff to make room for my contemporary stuff!

      

MY BLOG IS A YEAR OLD ALREADY!

     It's hard to believe, but "Life is what you make it", is a year old. The actual anniversary was yesterday, October 1st.  How much has changed in the past year, and am I a different or better person?  I'm not really sure.

     As hard as I've tried, I don't think I've made too much progress. My biggest accomplishment in the past year was to complete my certification classes for activity director.  But I'm still filling out paperwork and applications, and then it could take up to 12 weeks before I can take the test.   Once I get the certification, I won't be using it right away unless I leave my current job.  And I won't do that unless the situation is right for me.  Still, I'm happy that the process is almost complete.

       My writing class is moving right along, and I'm pleased about that because I need the college credits.  I guess I'm a little surprised about how much work my writing needs in order to be ready to submit for publication. I never had to think about my writing, I just did it. My writing is one of the few things I am satisfied with, even if it's not perfect. It turns out that my two biggest flaws as a writer are NOT using contractions, and using a passive voice, which makes for a boring piece of writing.

      I'm working on correcting these flaws by proofreading, editing, and rewriting.  It's a real effort, though.  That's one reason I like my blog, and writing in my various journals. I can just write what's on my mind without thinking too much about it.

    Getting back to the blog itself, to date I've had 1,393 page views, though many of them were me. Still, I feel lucky that I've had views from many countries, even one I've never heard of until recently- Qatar! I can't help but wonder who is reading my blog, and if they like what I'm doing. I need better "stats", and I started to set up another stat analysis page, one which is much more detailed than what I have now. I wish I had more feedback from my readers, I really don't know if I'm getting repeat "customers".

If you read this blog regularly, please send me an email or become a follower! I'd like to know more about you.

     My challenge in the coming year will be to come up with more original posts, that don't repeat what I've already said. As you know, things run in cycles, and I tend to think about the same things every year as they happen. For example, the changing seasons are on my mind again, but I already talked about that last year. So I probably won't say much about it this time around.

     What have I lost in the past year? Many wonderful friends who've passed away. But they live on in my memories.  

     We lost our oldies radio station that I complained about when they kept on playing Christmas songs starting in late October--but who knows, they may still do that. They play "contemporary hits" now.  They should call it contemporary (re-arrange the letters of "hits"; put the S at the beginning of the word!)

    Our local Chinese restaurant closed down unexpectedly, and it's forever. That made me sad that I can't go there one last time.  We also lost Friendly's, though I liked even if I never went in there. I hope another restaurant opens in it's place soon.

    Well, I guess I'd better go. I hope the next year will be a healthy and happy one for you!

     

     

     

Time Goes Faster When You're On Vacation!

     It's true, time goes by quicker when you're away from work!  I had the past eight days off, and not only did the time fly, I didn't do half of what I planned.  But then, I kind of expected that based on past vacations, and didn't pick on myself for it.

     I have no complaints because I had perfect weather! It was sunny, dry and warm almost every day. It rained on Saturday morning, but was sunny by the afternoon.  I spent quite a bit of time outdoors, and didn't sleep too late, either.

     I am also thrilled because the birds FINALLY discovered the thistle seed feeder!  I didn't actually see a male goldfinch, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one there. It's only been a couple of days, and it's still kind of hard to monitor the feeder because there's lots of leaves obscuring my view. They ate half of the seed in the feeder already.  I'll keep you posted!

     Meanwhile, I did get around to making that buttermilk chocolate cake, on Sunday. It turned into an all-day project, but a worthwhile one to be sure. More details on my other blog, "Fun with Food", when I get to it. I modified the recipe just by making a vanilla frosting for the inner layers instead of peppermint/cream cheese filling.  There were mishaps, but in the end, it was a lovely three layer cake with an awesome dark chocolate glaze.

     The highlight of the week was having lunch with my two uncles (and my Dad), and visiting my grandparents' grave site.  I'll have to go back to the cemetery because there's a beautiful fountain I want to get some photos of.  It's huge!  Whenever I go to the cemetery, which isn't often enough, I remember how peaceful and tranquil it is, and the trees and flowers are so pretty. It's a great place to take pictures if you can avoid the tombstones.  One thinks of cemeteries as a scary or depressing place, but I haven't had that experience.  Just the same, though, I won't be going after dark!

     The fun thing that happened this week was that I blew the dust off my Kindle ( I won it last December at the company Christmas party).  I learned how quick and easy it is the download a book to the Kindle from the computer. I chose free books (classics like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Mysterious Island",and a few other things I never heard of that got good reviews. I also ordered a couple of free word games. I got so addicted to " Every Word" that I was dreaming I was playing the game. I hate that! So I put the game away until further notice.  I have other stuff I probably didn't do because of my Kindle, like finishing letters to my friends, and my writing assignment. That's almost done though.

     I'm kind of sad that my vacation is over. I love my job, but I can honestly say I didn't miss being at work. I could get used to this if I ever win the lottery!  I went back to work today, and things are already back to normal.

Have a great week, and if you have time off, enjoy it! You earned it!

Making Every Minute Count

     Can you believe it's September 10th already? I can't, the time is just flying by. It has been really busy around here, and I thought I'd just write a little bit about what's on my mind this week.
     Just when I was used to seeing "Breaking Bad" every Sunday night, it's over now until next July.  I heard that one of the reasons they broke the season in two was so that the show would be eligible for two Emmy cycles, and give the writers more time to come up with a better ending.  I was expecting a more exciting cliffhanger, but it was good. At least now I don't have to plan my Sunday night around watching a TV show,and I have something to look forward to next year.  
     We hired a new per-Diem at work (in the activity dept) so now I am able to take some time off. Hooray! I have a lot of hours of PTO (paid time off) that I'm trying to use up in order to get to some older hours from the previous company. So I'll be off until next Tuesday. That's where the title of this post comes in: making every minute count.  
     Whenever I have unstructured time, I tend to waste it, and it drives me crazy.               Sure vacations are to rest, but I have so much to do, and it's the perfect time to do all the stuff I never get around to.
      Mostly I have lots of yard and housework to do, and I still have to make that buttermilk cake! I want to go shopping (for new shoes) and maybe get my hair styled differently.  Then I want to take pictures, organize my old pictures into my albums, and write letters to my patient pen pals.  Then I have appointments to make, and finish registering for my certification (If I can't find my high school transcripts in my desk, I may have to contact the school. But after 25 years, I'm not holding my breath that they still have my records.)  Anyway, I plan on making the  most of my vacation.
    This week marked the 46th anniversary of the TV show "Star Trek". That's a long time!  When I see that show, it reminds me of being young. The great sound effects and theme song, cheesy as they may be, take me right back to the early 70's, when life was much simpler.  The show is still on, and I try to watch it, but I never make it through an entire episode. I always think to myself, this was before William Shatner played crackpots, or seemed like one in real life!  I never would have known it was the anniversary if not for the "Google Doodle".
    I had a nice experience this past couple of weeks, doing something I never did before: raising butterflies!  At work, we ordered a butterfly pavilion, which is a house for the butterflies.  You send for the caterpillars, and they arrive in a plastic cup equipped with food. 
     They eat the food, grow, and then they attach themselves to the top of the container and transform into cocoons.  After about a week (during which time my boss kept on teasing me that they looked dead) they hatched! I wish someone had been there to see it, it happened on the weekend.  When I returned to work I gave them some fresh flowers, and sugar water.  
     It was fun showing them to the residents as they underwent their metamorphosis. We planned on releasing them with the residents,But since it was the weekend and I was working alone, and it was too chilly to bring people out anyway, I did it myself.  I brought them to the far parking lot where there is a nice flower bed. When I unzipped the top, three of the six painted lady butterflies flew up and out, into the trees. It made me feel good.
      Even though I don't think they were exactly suffering inside the roomy housing, I'm sure they needed their freedom. The next two butterflies were resting on the flowers, so I reached in and took them out into the flower bed. The last one flew out.  
     I had a lot of fun observing them, and watching them eat with that long curly tongue (I don't remember what it's called). I was actually getting attached to them. I few times I put my hand in, and was happy when they landed on it, so I could "bond" with them.  I felt guilty keeping them cooped up when they flew to the top, and kind of sad when I read that they only live for 2-4 weeks. We kept them for eight days.  I took some pictures but don't have them ready for this blog. They are pretty. Now I want to buy my own set for home. We'll see. 
   I'll end this post with a salute and prayer to those who died on 9/11, and their families, and all the rescue workers. No more needs to be said from me about this tragedy. Rest in Peace.
     

Reflecting during Labor Day Weekend

     It's been a long time since my last post, so I thought I better check in.  It's Labor Day weekend, and I started my three day vacation today. How gorgeous it was, sunny and dry.  It's been really busy at work, so this time off is much appreciated.

    It's easy to want to goof off, but I have so many projects I want to complete, that I'm going to have to get up early every day if I want to make any headway. Some of what I want to do: Make a buttermilk chocolate cake. I heard cakes with buttermilk are the best, and I found a nice recipe in an old Ladies Home Journal that looks really good. I got some buttermilk on sale (Kate's of Maine, they make Kate's Butter). Since they are based in Old Orchard Beach, I buy the butter whenever I can, it's yummy. This was the first time I was able to find the buttermilk, and I was looking for recipes to use it in.  I soaked my chicken parts in it, which was good, and I added some to my biscuits, which made them tangier. I have to buy some ingredients and new cake pans before I can make my cake. I'll let you know how it comes out!

     I told you about buying thistle seed to attract goldfinches to my yard. I set up the feeder the next day, and after two weeks......Nothing.  Not even the squirrels or any other birds have eaten any if this seed. I'm shocked and disappointed, and impatient.  I know the birds will come eventually, but when? I tried the feeder in four different locations after nothing happened in the first one. 

      I did see a lovely goldfinch near my workplace a couple  of days ago, and tried to get a picture. He was on top of a dried flower head. Then he flew into my parking lot.  The picture I did manage to get wasn't very good because the lighting was bad. But now my plan is to set up a feeder at the gazebo in our parking lot. Maybe the goldfinch will bring his friends, and I can get some nice pictures there to hold me over.

     Boy the Red Sox are really going down the tubes. But they did wonderful thing this week by trading Josh Beckett (and to a lesser degree, Adrian Gonzalez and his huge contract). Now if we can unload John Lackey, we'll be all set.  I really don't know who was to blame in the demise of the Sox, or if Bobby Valentine should stay or leave. I just know the games are getting harder to watch! Last night they lost 20-2!

     There's plenty more that needs to be done during this brief vacation--I'm printing up my course work from the activity director class to put in a binder. I was actually pleasantly surprised at my work-it was better than I remembered.  I also need to update my resume, just in case I need it.  I recently added stuff to my LinkedIn profile, and one of my connections wrote a nice recommendation for me. Thanks, Al!  

     I've been sending away for DVDs lately, and it's nice. I got Perry Mason season 2 part 1, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and I'm still waiting for a VHS copy of Laurel and Hardy in Sons of the Desert. It was only 99 cents. The DVDs were close to 30 bucks. There's still tons more stuff I want, and will order in time. Like Car 54, Barnaby Jones and Cannon, Hazel, and more Perry Mason! They don't make TV like they used to. I love seeing the old cars and LA in the 50's.   Buying videos online is so much more economical than going to a store!

     Well, I better go..I still have my writing assignment to complete- my story about my two cats Bigfoot and Willamina. It's supposed to be 2-3,000 words, but I'm having a bit of writer's block. My assignment is late so I have to get moving!!

     I hope you are able to have time off this Labor Day weekend, and take care!

Another Typical Week Down the Drain

     I'm relaxing for a little while after working this weekend. I find myself writing a blog post most Sunday nights, after a few days of story ideas simmering in my head.  There's a lot going on, so this post is kind of a hodgepodge of thoughts and news.

     First of all, I'm glad the weather has cooled off. It was just too sticky, and it was bringing me down. I actually had to wear a sweatshirt this morning when I went to catch the bus. It's a reminder that summer will be over soon, and I'll be complaining about the cold!

     I went shopping the other day, and boy, was it fun. I guess most women like to shop, but I don't get out too often. When I do, it seems like I want to buy everything I see!  Of course, I like bargains; I don't want to buy overpriced items. We went to the Ocean State Job Lot, which is a discount store that has really expanded it's chain in the past few years. We went to the newest location in Waltham, MA. It was great! I had a limited amount of time, so I didn't look at everything. But the selection seems to be much better than the store in Dedham, MA.

     I bought a 20 pound bag of thistle seed, to try and attract those goldfinches I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I haven't seen them for awhile now.  A little research on the web revealed that goldfinches don't migrate for the winter. I didn't know that. I also didn't know that the bright plumage is only during the summer months. 

      I sure hope the feeder does the trick. I will never forget the first time we went to Maine in 1990, and we were looking for our rental. While driving up a side street, there was a feeder with dozens of goldfinches on it. I have never seen anything like it.  I wish I had gotten a picture of it!

     Hmm, what else did I get? A set of sheets, that I didn't like (not soft enough). Nobody seems to sell flannel sheets anymore.  I got really lucky with some quality socks. They are Nautica brand, soft, stretchy and I think they're a closeout, because they don't sell them at Marshall's anymore.

So, I stocked up on them, they were only $5.99 for a 3 pack. I might even go back and buy the rest of them, just to be safe!  

     My mom came across an unusual item: coffee that's ready to microwave, in one of those microwave cups like the Campbell's "soup to go". They were only 75 cents, so I bought one. Haven't tried it yet. I've been in a quandary lately over coffee, because the latest cost-cutting measure at work is for the employees not to be allowed to have any of the coffee that's in the lobby. I hate to say that I feel deprived, but I do sometimes. Usually I have my coffee cart that I use to distribute coffee to residents in their rooms. But there was a change, and now my co-worker is doing the job, and there will only be one cart. So there won't be enough coffee for me to sneak a cup. Guess I'll be picking some up at 7-11 on the way into work, or else brew my own pot.

      Sorry to hear of the passing of Johnny Pesky, who you probably know was with the Boston Red Sox for decades. What a sweet, humble man he was. I never knew just how talented he was until this week, watching the tributes to him on TV. I'm sure if you Google his name, you'll find more information, if you are interested.

      Only three more episodes of "Breaking Bad" before it goes on hiatus again-boy does time fly. Looking forward to watching it later tonight.

     I'm cooking a turkey tonight, one that I defrosted that was a Christmas gift from my company.  It smells good, and it's nice to be able to use the oven without overheating the house.  

      I updated my LinkedIn account this week, but I still have more to do. There are lots of jobs out there. I still have to update my appearance (translation: I need a makeover, as my boss keeps gently reminding me). I also have to update my resume, and get the national exam for my certification done as quickly as possible.  I would really prefer to stay where I am: I never realize how lucky I am to have a job close to home until I talk to somebody who commutes and has to spend 20-30 hours a week sitting in traffic. No thank you! I'll deal with the little annoyances I have now, and bide my time.  I can afford to be selective in where I go.

     Until next week, take care, and appreciate all the little things that are going right!

Karin

Happy Birthday, Tricia, wherever you are!

     Today is my best friend's birthday.  I haven't seen her since 1996, but I still remember her birthday.  Her name was Patricia, and she was the first best friend I ever had.

     I met her in Junior High, otherwise known as "The Hellhole".  Does anybody have happy memories of Junior High?  I have very few memories of Jr. high worth remembering, but she is one of them.

    We were in the same Spanish class in the eighth grade.  As I think back, we didn't actually become real friends until the 9th grade, our first year of high school. As it turned out, we were in the same home room, and became good friends.   My high school memories are mostly about her, and the fun we had at the library, in homeroom, and free blocks sitting outside talking.  We didn't have many classes together, ironically.

    We were both quiet, shy people, but came out of our shells together.  Around her, I could be myself.  She understood me, and I understood her. We both loved the Celtics, and she didn't mind listening to me rave about my latest passion, the Bruins. We both had our difficulties at times with the popular crowd, and we bonded by making fun of ourselves, and how unfashionable we were. I confided in how mortified I was at having to wear my sister's hand me downs, and how my peers laughed at and made fun of me because I did not wear designer jeans or Nike sneakers.

      It's hard to believe how much damage that type of negativity can hurt a sensitive person. It doesn't bother me now because I think it made me stronger, but at the time, having a friend like Patricia who accepted me as I was made all the difference.

    Tricia was extremely intelligent, but she didn't flaunt it. She got straight A's in all her subjects.  She was a math whiz, and also was in the singing clubs at school.  She had a great sense of humor.

     After high school, I saw her twice. Once, in 1991, we met for Chinese food, and then walked all the way back to my house, and she met my cats.  The second time she and our mutual friend went out to eat, and before they left we took pictures in my driveway. 

Previously, Tricia had gone to college, and was very successful. She moved to Washington DC, and I think she still lives there.  Since she's African-American, I wish I could talk to her and find out how she felt about Obama being our first black president.  We were never diligent about writing, and we lost touch.  

    I haven't found her on Facebook, though since I'm not a member, she may be out there somewhere. 

   Wherever you are, Patricia, you are the best! I will never forget you!!

Love,

Karin

     

Enough already with this humidity!

     I don't know about you, but I hate hot humid weather. I can't stand being sticky and sweaty. Yuck.  I understand it's summer and I shouldn't complain, but enough is enough!

     It wouldn't be so bad if the weather men didn't take such delight in telling us how it's going to be 95 degrees with a 72 dew point, and we're going to have an official heatwave! They LOVE hot sticky weather and think everyone else should, too. They also have an air-conditioned studio to work in all day. Not all of us are that lucky, and some people can't tolerate too much air conditioning.

    I guess the best way to deal with it is to try not to think about it too much, but it's hard to forget when you stick to the furniture, and you're constantly wiping off the sweat. People that like enjoy type of weather I just don't understand.

     Let's just say I'm looking forward to cooler weather. In the meantime, I'm going to have a Popsicle!

Stay cool!

They Could Rename "Breaking Bad" "Breaking Sad"

     As you probably know, I am a fan of "Breaking Bad". I have written more about it recently not just because it interests me, but because whenever I do, my page views spike up significantly. I'm hoping that new people will read my regular blog posts as a result.

    Anyway, we are already halfway through the stupid "half-season" of eight episodes. The premiere was very exciting, and the subsequent episodes were kind of weird. The most recent one, entitled "fifty-one" which signified the main character's birthday, was the most depressing yet. 

     As good a show as this is, I hate it when they focus on the crumbling marriages of the main characters.  It makes me uncomfortable to watch, even if it's not real. Yes, it's just sad.  I wish the writers would concentrate on the investigation, or the conflict between the drug manufacturers.  I don't like watching "relationships", especially when the people are intentionally hurting each other. From what I've been reading on the other blogs, most of the other fans don't like it either. 

     People are speculating about the big showdown that is inevitable between Walt and Skyler, if they are capable of killing each other.  Hopefully it won't come to that. I'm just sick of watching the wife moping around. I don't envy the actress who plays her, but she is convincing. It must be hard to play a character that everyone loves to hate.

      One reason this show has me hooked is because it's the biggest adrenaline rush I get all week. Just when you think things may turn out OK, the crap hits the fan. 

     Let's hope next week's episode is a real nail biter! This past one just made me cringe. If you watched it, what do YOU think?

Thoughts to Ponder While Listening to the Crickets Chirping

     I just finished my weekend at work, and now it's time to relax for a little while.  Sometimes I don't have enough "material" for an entire blog essay, so it's fun to just write about a bunch of things. Andy Rooney called it  "Pieces of my Mind", local Boston journalist Mike Barnicle called it "I was just thinking".  I have thoughts to ponder while listening to the crickets chirping!  I just love to listen to the crickets at night. You know it means that summer is winding down.

      My vegetable garden is not up to par this year.  I just never gave it the attention it deserved.  We never even planted tomatoes because we wanted to rest the soil. We planned on cutting down some trees that we "temporarily" put in our old garden spot 12 years ago! Another summer passes and I never got it done. It's a big job, maybe we'll get to it before winter. It's on my to-do list.  

     But getting back to the current garden, all I planted was basil and four varieties of peppers. They are just getting buds on them this week.  I also had a zucchini plant, but I waited too long to plant, and even though it blossomed, I doubt it will do much.  The bean seeds I planted never even sprouted, and I have never had trouble growing those before. Oh well.

      I mentioned my free time "problem" now that my class is over.  I have actually been spending a lot less time on my computer.  I have spent more time working on creating movies from my photos. It's fun, but tedious.

The other thing I've been looking at online is the job sites, just to see if there are any activity director positions open in my area, and to help a co-worker find a job closer to home.  I found out I have to go to Woburn or Boston to take my national exam after I apply for the certification, which I will do soon. I feel very impatient, but it takes a few weeks to get the ball rolling. It took four months to get my certificate from the first part of the class.  

     Meanwhile, I have my writing class called "Breaking into Print", by the Long Ridge Writer's Group. I had started the class at the turn of the century, and it came in real handy to finish it now. It's a lot better the second time around. Instead of a correspondence course by mail, you can submit the lessons online, and contact your instructor via e-mail.  It's so much faster! My next assignment is 2,000-3,000 words, and it's going to be about my cats Bigfoot and Willamina and how they met and fell in love (don't laugh, it's true- you'll have to wait until my article is in your favorite magazine- wouldn't that be cool?!)  My instructor is a best selling author, and I'm lucky that she really likes my work so far, and has been supportive.

     The most exciting thing going on this week in my yard are the discovery of goldfinches!! They aren't actually in the yard, they have been on the sidewalk, eating seeds among the Queen Anne's Lace, and other weed flowers, those ones that are cornflower blue.  How beautiful they are, especially the males!! I have seen them as I walk to the bus stop, they obviously do fly away as I approach.  I have to recharge my camera batteries, and try to get some pictures. I tried to get some shots from the other side of the street, but the camera would not focus well. Sometimes a movie is better because birds tend to move around a lot, and by the time you get ready to hit the shutter, it has flown away. My plan is to get some thistle seed, and set up three or four feeders, and maybe one of those remote motion-sensor cameras to capture them on film.   I would love to get a fountain/ birdbath too! 

     I was kind of disappointed in last week's episode of Breaking Bad.  It just wasn't plausible to me. I realize that they have to get back into manufacturing drugs in order to advance the plot, but if Mr. White is reasonably intelligent, he would count his blessings and move to Canada or something. He's already cheated death, and if they had ended the series with the cliffhanger from October, it would have been OK if we knew he was going to go straight. 

     Of course, the reason he needs the money is because his dingbat wife gave it all to her ex-boss, who I accurately predicted was still alive after all. But since they own the car wash, why can't they just run a legitimate business and we can still be on the edge of our seats wondering when Hank, the brother- in-law, would catch on? 

     The other thing that didn't seem to be in character was Mike, and the restraint he showed in not killing Walt and Jessie in the previous episode, and the woman they introduced in last week's episode. Sure, I'm glad he didn't kill them, but someone as trigger happy as him who had incentive to put these people away just didn't seem to be in character. But what do I know?

     Then there's Jessie. He was never known for his brain, but if he already checked his rumba for the ricin cigarette, why does he so readily accept finding it there? 

     Overall, I didn't like last week's episode because there were too many new characters, one who kills himself at the start of the episode, and another that gets shot, and then Mike has to kill the guy that shot him. I felt like I should take a shower after the show, just kind of creepy.

     Tonight's episode wasn't that great, either.  I don't much care for Skyler, but her sister Marie is even more annoying. The less seen of them, the better.  Walt and his partners decided to start cooking their product in houses that are being fumigated, which was kind of original (I give credit to the writers, I could never think this stuff up.)
However, the cost of doing business is high, and you know Mike and Walt are clashing big time until one of them is eliminated.  
    Well, have a great week!