January re-up.

21* and snow flurries forecasted.
Giving it no thought I had my coffee, and put away two enormous custard éclairs for breakfast, thinking nothing of their sugar content.
Well rested for'em, willingly prepared to take'em all on this morning, I was on the road.
Feeling exceptionally well I’ve been going through this routine twice a year a countless number years before this day, I was aware what’d happen. After all the expected pinching, poking, hand holding, incriminating pictures taken, then Doc'd come in and likely renew all my prescriptions.
Second best part I had to look forward to, was Ugly's easy start for this morning's adventures? As it worked out Ugly hadn’t disappointed me!
Upon my getting back. The appointment was everything I said it'd be plus a wiggly line drawing on a single sheet of paper drawn for my heart for my easily laid out personage and then kept on my toes for some passing me around in those cubicle's behind Doc's office.
Yup. It was just as I had predicted. When the techs finished having their ways with me Doc confronted me with the news. My sugar was a bit high for all the sugar I had eatened just before my check up and all my medications were simply re-upped.
One more stop before returning home found me asking questions of my drug pusher and getting good sound answers, my bringing home a better patent medication to strengthen Her Mostess’s bones.
~~~~~~~~~~
In an effort to try to bring some resemblance of manageable order with-in these four walls, I have while sorting self-destructing trash from things worthy saving, I’ve come upon a marvelous set of Popular Mechanics encyclopedias printed in the mid 1950‘s. I do believe a fair lady had been asking me of them only a-few days past. Finding them only affirms what I have wanted to build for the last fifteen years, two book cases. I swear, they’ll be built soon. BGKC.
Fernan


I hope these pictures are enjoyed. I’m afraid, my mixing them up I may only put up a couple more.

back at it

I guy may have the damnest good time in the most unusual places. Places unknown for their deeper entertainment quality. My day started with my having unwire a couple lower element water heater disconnections. Into it I gets a call from Handy. He needs ride to pick-up and have filled a prescription for his son. I asked him for a few minutes time and I’d pick him up. Illnesses get my immediate attention in my neighborhood. On down the road I asked him to remind me I having to pick-up some electrical tape on our way back passing the shop, when we’d returning via another direction. In our travels while Handy waited on son’s prescription filling I picked up a few things and more.
I don’t know how many times I looked for Frieda’s wanted grated parmesan cheese? I’ve been unable to find either an economical generic or store brand, my refusing to pay the fancy name brand price. Seeing the store manger coming my way I indicated I wanted a word with him. In all honesty I was going to get my way about the forever missing cheese matter once and for all. “Where’s the store brand grated parmesan cheese?“ I had nicely asked. He answered me with perfect Yankee diction, ”You are standing right beside it!” Right there off my right shoulder, shelves filled with varied sized packages of the grated matter under many differe nt labels. My relating this matter’s outcome with Her Mostess, she says, “You idiot!”
Humph! I had not only gotten hit from the store manager. I had also gotten the other barrel at home from my (loving?) spouse.
Making some points with the Old Lady I had seen and got a half price off after Christmas tree deal on a fir tree. So a few needles will fall. It wouldn’t be a Christmas Tree if it didn’t loose needles.
I finished up my electrical job, for the time being anyway. Came home, carried in three days firewood supply forgetting I had groceries on the back of Ugly truck. When I had remembered them, being cold out I didn’t have to worry about spoilage. The bag of oranges had ought to be well chilled for any late evening snack by time I remembered. That outdoor cold had kept my shopping fresh until I had thought to bring that box full in where it belonged.
What’d come next? Chores both ends the road had to be done; the trash packed, set out; and all my mail carried in. My chair felt of so good this evening, readied for bed and wrapped in my blanky. Life had been good today.
Anybody for a mid week barn dance?

BGKC
Fernan

What time zit?

Crap! I woke up an hour and a half ago. I don't know why? So puzzling a nature call wasn't even involved. The furnace was/is going? I didn't ask this of it? The wood stove needs my attention? Yeah that's go to be it? Time to feed it as per-habit. I did that. Yeah so simple an act out of habit, I raked up the coals and did my fire cribbing thing and sat down. I wanted to lay down but was no longer sleepy. Double crapola! Maybe if I have a snack? Yeah, I open the refrigerator door. What'll I have what ain't fattening for a change. I've grown to sizes larger around the waist. Milk, cheese, ice-cream, I just naturally like dairy products. Triple crappola. I pulled out the bottom drawer and grabbed the next to the last orange. Yeah I like munching an near ice hearted orange. Can't drink the stuff but munching's okay. I sleepily look at the clock. quadrupled crap I been up to long. I'll never wake up at my regular time, rattler taking's time less than an hour away. Yeah, might as well sort, take, and lay it back down.
~~~~~~~
Old John's given me a time this morning with the get going. Only thing I didn't have to have was kick'im in the ass. While he's a wakened he's cussed stubborn to go either this way or that and I need'im to pickup and carry his end of the load.
Bless'em ain't herd a thing out of the ladies. If they have said anything its frozen in mid-air and I wont hear it until their words thaw.
~~~~~~
Back in the house I ain’t waiting for no beer o’thirty. While John hadn’t needed a stimulant for the get go this AM, now that we’re back I DO!
Way I see it, its time for a Coffee Royal or two to wrap my aching fingers around while also warming my gullet at the same time. I wonder if they’s such a thing as electric gloves?
~~~~~~~~
Spent some of the afternoon working on out going mail. Boring! Some was Frieda’s Hostile entry forms. Then there was Frieda’s long over do malfunctioning first free senior citizen cell phone return. The Farm bureau dues needed shipment. Plus more such fun to occupy my time. Busy fingers are not near as cold stiff if kept occupied.
Afternoon chores were just as cold as the morning ones. To do them required Ugly’s participation taking me down the road. Ugly started near flawlessly. Then I let it warm up bit over a few moments time so’s it didn’t take a notion to stall just out of the driveway. On Getting back the ladies were gathered quietly about the water fountain, perhaps whispering things they didn‘t want me to hear. Suspicious I tried sneaking up on them, only one of them saw me coming the bunch this side the fountain moved away not quite taking their secret with them. My finding the fountain empty I surmised either one of them had drinkened all the water or it had froze for some ultra earthly reason.
Taking the side access panel out with my Ugly’s dash carried handy dandy screwdriver, I immediately saw the trouble. Unless my eyes deceived I think I left out a very important light bulb and its codependent socket. So it was a quick trip to the shop for socket for my Ugly carried light bulb. Off my barn’s shelf I brought out Frieda’s hair driver and commenced to blow dry the freshest of air under the fountain bowls. It only took a few moments to have the water running again. That’ll teach them for drinking it dry…at least until next time. So good to be home, warmth only an opened and closed door away, I simply forgot to grab an arm full of wood on the way in, Once I was in I wasn’t going back outside. BGKC.
Fernan

The carousal in this picture is an actually working Merry-Go-Round with a couple music selections.

I’m up

4:00 AM and I’m awake. The stove needs tending. But I lay here listening to the varied sounds around me, the house. The nature call I thought I felt I might not have been the first. Frieda’s moving around sounds as if she’s already relieving one of Nature’s necessities. I don’t want to move until I’m sure the way’s clear for my visiting the facilities.
Unable to hold off any longer I listen all the harder and I hear still more sounds, but this is it, I gotta go. Only first, oh yeah, Frieda’s gone back to bed and is talking to the cat. And its when ya got to go, lfore and aft the stove’s internal hearth. On either side the coals I laid a fitting chunk of wood also fore’n’aft. Over these pieces I added (cribbed) four more assorted pieces over/across the first two, and closed the door.
Laying back down the house seems even quieter. Everyone else supposedly asleep there are/were more sounds I hadn’t heard like we’ve a thunder storm ragging over head outdoors. My curiosity getting the better of me, I’m already awake I get up; and, turning try the front door light on I looking out the front door, only all the lexon panes are frosted, mean frosted, over. I can’t see anything and I wasn’t going to open that door for curiosity’s sake and a cold blast of winter air. A look outside will have to wait until dawn. Laid down a couple moments later here come the fat assed cat (Della). Interestingly enough the cat come to us already named Della, which just so happens to ve the same as Frieda’s only surviving and younger sister. Continued laying quietly straining to listen for more sounds; only, I there were any, they were just drowned out by the stoves stack fan coming on to circulate the stove’s generated hat about the house.
Any more performances that might have been heard in the dark drowned out for sure there was no sense staying awake; only, sleep wasn’t coming easily. What the heck, I got up and wrote these ridiculous dark of the night impressions with my keyboard on my computer. I’ve noticed two things. One of them I’ve about worn the word “only” out in my even more ridiculous mid-night worded ramblings, and secondly, I finally find myself sleepy and wanting to lay back down. Good’en Night. ZZZZZZZZZZ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having laid back down, I’ve the TV on to drown out all the ga-jillians of crickets having taken over my hearing. The only thing on the tellee at this hour was a T&A flick with a decent sound track. It was better’en listening than all the emotional and/or horrorific bloody offerings to suffer. And then while laying there It come to mind I was to look at Frieda’s breathing apparatus a couple days ago. Well, all wasn’t lost I managed to fix her sewing machine. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
(an addendum) Those Z’s cam over my listening to Donkey arguing with Shrek as they were about to rescue pretty Princess Fiona.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Officially waking up late, I had slept hard. I mean I must have put everything into it. I woke so late it been long gone past breakfast. Had I been on the once upon a time time-clock working world. Even from here it were a catch-up time for a spell even for laziness. (sigh)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So cold here this morning when I went out to the chores, I was alright here. However, when I wanted Ugly to wake up and take me down the road, the mechanical beast denied me its cooperation. I turned over well for three tries and that was that. Bringing out the heavy charger on Ugly’s innards I carried firewood into the house. I took time enough to bring two/three days supply. Trying Ugly agin it was a no go. Rather than contaminate the crankcase oil with gasoline washing down the cylinder walls I call Ray it pick me up the van had started and we did his chores together including loading the Polaris ranger high with firewood. Back home I swapped in a smaller battery charger for the big one on Ugly. The idea keep the battery warn for more starting power tomorrow. Another help the weather’s supposed to warm some tomorrow. Right now it is just so long as Ugly starts Tuesday next for my bi-annual checkup and Frieda’s cold if it isn’t better by then.
Frieda sounding worse all the time starting to talk with a tart’s sounding huskier voice. Gosh I had to do something before she got well enough to start anything I couldn’t finish. I called one of Frieda’s girl friends. I got one of her son’s and he sent his brother over to run me into the Crossroads.
Sheesh! I wish when we get sick we could mean or say what it actually is we may want or need. Frieda had told me she wanted “Day Quill” for her throat and “Vicks” for her nose. Picking up bread and milk, seeing the pharmacist I asked him about Frieda’s nose swabbing medication choice. It was just as bad as I had thought it have been, he recommended Neosporin cream on a swab run up her nose. Already having some of that on his recommendation that need was taken care of. As for the Day Quill my checking the cough medication stock shelves the product was offered in three price ranges: Night Quill‘s, The retailer’s brand, and finally an off brand name the least expensive of all three. This product I loaded up on with two giant economy sizes. Reading the label free booze content, Frieda wont need a designated driver for taking this stuff any time soon. Her fun meal? Chicken noodle soup and crackers.
What good did I accomplish if any today? I slowed down one of the basement drafts coming up stairs. I witnessed the furnace working on its own. Good idea. I must remember to adjust thermostat accordingly for continued kicking’s the dungeon’s firey
dragon.

Anything worthwhile accomplished today? If dressing, undressing and redressing without mommy’s help for the cold accounts for anything I did alright today. BGKC.
Fernan

12-31-o9 Last Yrs Mistake

It was a quiet evening to say the least. Frieda and I sharing our company in near total silence became to much. While I played with the new cable box and remote Frieda read her book. The TV a near total bore even with hundreds of channels to choose I finally settled into one of them wilderness offerings. Inspired, I interrupted her reading, and asked, “Do you remember some of our camping trips, hikes, camp fires, smoked vittles, my way of getting into my sleeping bag.”
Looking at me, I had finally gotten her attention, and she asked me, “How was that, Dear?”
Knowing better, I told her, “I woke you up first.”
I got one dirty look, she silently threw her TV comforter to one side, got up and went to bed. So much for cheerful companionship. Herr Clink went to bed without me. Falling off to sleep alone I don’t remember bringing in the new year. While I should have known better, the devil made me say it.
Thankfully all was forgiven before sun up, my warming rolls and fixing coffee.
After all it is a New Year…..
Be exstreamly Good, Kind, and Careful.
Fernan

Up late, feeling lazy.

Late sunrise:
I can’t believe what I did. Woke up right on time. Thought I could just lay there for a moment or two. What the…..! When I reopened my eyes the clock hands had moved reading like it were an hour and a quarter later. Ho boy, I sprang to my feet, laid my hand on the stove, and thought, “Oh shucks! I‘ve got to build a new fire.” luckily that was not the case. I sneakily rearranged the coals so there’d be a couple chunks wood flanking those coals and laid more firewood over them, cribbed like. Then went about my other duties, one of them starting my laundry. (Frieda unable to negotiate the basement stairs any more the laundry is little enough I can do for her evening up all she he done for me over the years.) Getting back to my favorite sitting place, the computer warmed up, I checked the weather. Gonna be nice today and I’ve already missed some of it. Oh well such is my wintered life in Shorthorn country.
Having gotten my act together I’d fed the cats and walked out to the Ford McDigger to see if one of them promotional free, will it start a new Chevy, key in the McDigger’s ignition lock. I tried it, looking right, I stuck in the ignition, IT fit halfway! Oh what the heck, I gave it a turn and the Ford wanted to start. Hmm, a little hand filling upon my part I shall make it fit even better and it’ll become on of them ultra fancy spare Ford tractor keys.
I brought more firewood into the house, so that chore’s done.

While I was carrying the firewood, good old Sweetheart was right outside the door still campaigning the better side of my good nature to let her in the house. One problem. we’ve another cat in the house and Frieda and I aren’t interested in any feline dominance wars. I mean there’s only so much of me to go around and can take.

This cat Sweetheart was born only feet from where I’m seated. Once close to Winter’s ending days, some Spring weeks later she wanted out, so we let her go. Attentive to Frieda all Summer long we let her back into the house that same Fall. Winter’s entertainment we let her out again when Spring rolled around. That fall she wasn’t any to anxious to come in. While we were disappointed we respected her wishes. We left her out. By and By my brother’s home had become rodent infested. He had mice running everywhere daylight as well after dark. He needed help. I suggested he needed my Sweetheart and I’d let her help if he provided her with room and board. A deal was struck. I coaxed her into my arms and tucker her away in a traveling case. Oh lawd, the objections. She howled and screamed as if I was about to introduce her to her own bloody murder. Introductions all around I turner her loose in my brother’s house. Not at all happy with me abandoning her in another’s home. She split and nobody saw her for three days. However she took her task seriously as well as straight to heart. She had been dropped into a warmly housed smorgasbord of meaty mice delicacies. Over time I was forgiven. When Spring rolled around my brother about to set her free outdoors, at his place, I thought that a bad idea. She’d have to fight for her life and place in the new cat community. I brought her back home. She’s been here ever since. She’s the top cat down to the barn and is a stickler for being well mannered. My eyes have seen her cuff an ill manner kitten onto the straight and narrow. Sweetheart has always been a real hoot to watch?! A deided one of a kind
What the devil, close enough to the hour, I had lunch before going onto the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later:
In just before dark, I’d had a good afternoon. Not a wildly successful one but I’m comfortable with it. I assisted in assembling a new hay feeder ring. Then I assisted in feeding five bales hay into four yards. Off and on during the afternoon I round filled my new key. When I had finished it wasn’t pretty but trying it needing a couple more strokes with a flat file it went/was home. I packaged up Ray’s trash and he put it out. We were good. Ray had even brought me a bag of cat food in his day’s travels going out purchasing that hay ring earlier. He also brought home some salt some ready for feeding most for mixing. That’ll be taken care of in a few days. Taking Tom home I got him to assist me fueling the 4020. It is much easier if there’s two of us. One in pouring position the other individual handing the cans up to the first one. That done we tried the new key in the McDigger. Stubborn at first it finally started with that key.
On my way home seeing Juan’s cars in his drive I stopped to see if it’d be a good night Frieda may see their indoor holiday decorations. Learned Jeanie has been sick and she never completed her decorations. Juan suggested next year. That was alright with me, my not wanting to press us upon such a nice lady, cause she sure want to entertain. That activity she didn’t need.
So we’ll be in for the night keeping the fire going and my checking out leftovers. Leftovers? I had ‘sgetti and meat balls. Had fresh (frozen) summer’s raspberries over ice-cream. Been a while since I’d had Ice-cream, my favorite desert of all kinds, well except for apple pie, maybe except for lemon-meringue pie, well maybe not leaving out mince-meat pie, perhaps my likings leans towards butterscotch pudding, and let me not forget lime gelatin laced with fruit-cocktail.
And another one of these:

Latest word on Daughter’s silence. She’d drowned her cell phone in a cup of coffee. There’s simply got to be better stirring stick than a cell phone.
It be getting late already and thinking I might better go to sleep earlier so’s to bring my sleep patterns back on track. I’m committed to starting tomorrow earlier. Can’t help it. If I were paid by the yawn, I’d be a rich man. BGKC.
Fernan

I hate day’s like this

I was busy, busy, busy all day and still feel as if I haven’t accomplished a thing. The day went something like this. Turning the computer on for a weather report, ultimately drifted over to the three places where primarily lurk, comment, and most easily get into trouble. The first thing coming to mind was upon one bragger’s cleaning the ashes out of his store. This struck home, having three buckets full I could easily load up and broadcast them for their sweetening effects upon some poor soil (fill).
My first thing out the door right after satisfying the bellies of a number of cats I went about moving my ash. Like I had written I had just the place for them. I did some book work, mailed a bill paying check along with Frieda’s mail-order County Library book exchange. What is it? I wanted to clean out our wood stove and it’d decided to slow burn it 6:00 AM contents. Frieda’s complaining, “I’m cold. Cover me up with another blanket.” Heavens to Mergatroid! I sleep with but one covering, the fire near going out every morning. As it cooled down it would be after lunch before I could clean out stove out and then I removed only about half a bucket full of ashes, as the other half was very much alive coals. The ash bucket so hot I had to have hand protection when that pail was only half full. It was so hot I parked that bucket on top a trivet sitting upon the stove top to radiate what heat it was expelling. Live coals left behind my putting five pieces fire wood in the stove it was only minutes and we had a good fire going again.
That stove taken care of I turned to the telephone my line becoming an outgoing complaint line. My first call was to a credit card company. I’d paid off a product purchase last August and have been charged late charges plus interest on them ever since. I had refused to pay them. Today working my way up the corporate ladder I finally found a party who’d see my complain and unfair charges as I saw them.
All what I had supposedly owed was finally stricken from the electronic books and my credit’s good name restored. I swear, if we let them, the frapping bankers will makes us all slaves to them! I had just objected for over half the afternoon mad and had politely gotten my points across. There was mentioned a boycott and a reversal in nature my taking them to small claims court. Whew, Another call down, one more to go.
My next call was to our local cable company. I wanted an explanation over their charges for what services I was supposedly getting. By the time I was all through I hadn’t saved a dime. The reverse was so, our getting fifty more channels for something like $5.00 more, plus our cable equipment will be up graded later this week at no additional cost. That last no cost to us is most irregular.
Finally all caught up with what I hadn’t forgotten or had actually remembered, I was telephoned, cauliflowered eared out, plainly tired of listening to prerecorded messages, and punching the correct corresponding number to answer a electronic generated question.
I removed myself from the house. I had an enormous amount of firewood needing brought into the house. Saving my converted vestibule to wood shed firewood stores for use during more brutal weather conditions (blizzards say). So I want to bring wood in daily avoiding having skipped it the last couple days while we’ve had such brutal winds, that would have grossly cooled the house off.
The last thing I did was feed the ladies. Then when done with them I was day done a whole half hour before sundown. Sundown came a bit later today under sunny skies. But when it did come it were like somebody had turned off the lights.
Other personal contributions to better living, around here, I had managed a bit more house keeping and some basement visits trying to get ahead of the laundry again. It was a loonnngggg day I’m not accustomed to. No shop time. No accomplishments to making the last Ollie comfortably suitable for summer’s work. Now, I wish I could remember if there was just one more thing I needed to take care of before I get into a fully charged state taking on the new year…. Oh, crap, income tax forms. Bill supported refunds to apply for, and oh yeah get the pig refueled with propane. It’s not the filling what’s going to bother me. It’s the paying for it? And, (almost forgot) subsidy reimbursements.
Oh well, it’s only 120 more days I can look forward to seeing the calves start dropping. BGKC.
Fernan