[Contrary Housewife]

42 here and warming up. Goodbye snow. Lots to do today. Fridge needs a good clear-out. Stuff's been in there all winter and I don't remember what half of it is. Shelves need cleaned. DH left a couple egg whites and hollandaise sauce from the weekend, need to use that up. Got to start laundry. It got put on hold last week due to power restrictions, and forgotten.

I can still get free eggs at the local grocery store with my rewards points, so I will do that today. I'm sure other stuff will fall into the cart, they have some good sales right now.

Ru, state quarters are easy to find in circulation. National Park quarters not so much. The dollar coins aren't in general circulation so they will be harder. I've collected most of the quarters out of pocket change, but lately with the coin shortage I haven't seen any new ones.

Pork chops and l/o cranberry sauce for dinner. It might get warm enough to put them on the grill. Spinach salad with apples and walnuts on the side.

Hope everyone's week starts well.

 

[josantoro]

Cut my own hair, saving $15 or more (I used to go to a barber, but they moved). I like it so much better short. Still snowing off and on here, but warming up gradually. So sick of the snow. I'm ready for spring. Finishing up my giant project of cutting 4", 5", and 6" charm squares and getting them organized. Then I can go on to sewing.

 

[Livin Large]

GB - Glad your water is back on and the temps are back to normal!

My power came back on at 8:30 this morning - YIPPEE!!! Our high today was 65 and full sun. Almost all the snow and ice has melted. Thank you everyone for the kind words. People that know how I live would give me some crap and look at me like I was going over the edge. But when the weather hit and I had the essentials to survive in comfort they were silent.

No busted pipes but the ice maker in the fridge and the water heater in the mother-in-law suite aren't working. I'll call that a huge win compared to what a lot of others have lost.

Hooking the batteries up to the generator didn't work as planned. I went to town yesterday and bought the last inverter I could find for $60. It is for 500 watts. not much, but it was all they had so I bought it hoping it would work, I hooked a battery up to it and a freezer and it didn't work - drew too much power. I tried it with the fridge and it did work! One battery gave me 4 hours of run time on my fridge before it died. My solar generator ran both my freezers without issue for 4 hours. It was day 4 so I knew they had to have power or they would start to thaw. I slept well last night knowing I had enough batteries to last me 3 days and they were calling for sun today and tomorrow.

I had 80 gallons of drinkable water in the garage that I never used, plus 7 gallons in the house and still had 150 gallons of collected water in the trash cans. Sunday I hauled close to 25 gallons for flushing toilets, refilling toilet tanks, heating water for dishes, refilling my Berkey filter, watering the animals, heating water to wash my hair and "take a bath". Ice and snow melting refilled the water barrels.

I know have a lot better setup than I did a week ago and know somethings that will and won't work and things to stock up on - like baby wipes for personal hygiene to "hit the hot spots" so to speak.

Worked from home today, no drive, no spend, ate leftovers.

Looking forward to taking a real shower tonight before bed.

 

[marthamfi]

glad everyone is doing better after all that weather. LL you had a good test run! is sunny here but those random clouds that come by and dump..just had a few minutes of hail. worked at two places today. still not thrilled having to split one day over two just cus they can't figure out not much work at the moment like 2 3hr days instead of one 6hr. esp when not a high hours job. have other job too but that is tomorrows to work on. that is online so no going anywhere.
2 grocery stores are having case lot sales so I want to go to one that has better one. like tubs of margarine etc which I need. tp etc
dh is happy cus he got to buy me a new cell which was a bday present ..last summer. which I hadn't picked one out but got a new samsung one. went to costco to look at it but they don't stock i there so ordered online. we had stopped earlier at 4 but the lineup nope so went to mall but that store didn't sell unlocked ones. got some kcups for dh, cheese etc and a chicken taco dinner kit for tonight. big traffic accident so he will be late from work cus only 2 ways to get home and one is blocked.
of course housework and laundry awaits. Went though the electronics and manuals ..old electronics to a friend for his maker faires. mostly mil's old stuff. alarm company called.. one that when we originally got the house alarm was a diff company a few co ago. apparently switching to alarm going over cell instead of phone lines since most don't landlines. I said what if cells don't work..we didn't have cell service in our basement for years. no reception..so who knows of course money out for that they credit $500 so will cost $80. they said can do virtual upgrade cus covid said how can you replace equipment that way...so who knows will see. said if worker has problem w cats or allergies then don't come. already have an amazon delivery guy who you have to go to the side walk cus he is scared of cats. cats don't bug anyone but can't do much w cat hair etc. so dh can look at the paperwork they sent.

 

[Grammarbug]

It’s suppose to be 78 today. Unbelievable! I hope all the early garden seeds that I planted come up. Just glad they hadn’t already before the storm. Going to make pineapple zucchini bread today for a neighbor who is having a baby next week. Going to enjoy the sun today.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

LL, glad your preparations worked well and you learned some things for next time. In my experience you never get it 100% right, but you can make it a whole lot easier to get through the worst parts.

GB, it feels like spring is here, too. Already 45 and climbing. Supposed to get into the 60's. Snow has not completely melted in places. It is time to clean up the garden and get it ready for lettuce and other greens.

Gym day. The last few weeks it has been snow or doctor appts. Group restrictions have been lifted, so there might be more people.

Found some burger patties marked down because of sell date, we will have those on the grill tonight.

 

[Spirit Deer]

LL, don't forget you have potable water in your water heater, and in your well's pressure tank. For us, that amounts to 60 gallons for emergency use. You need white RV hoses to get it out of the tanks. Garden hoses are made with lots of bad stuff, which could make potable water nonpotable. Also, if your pressure tank is emptied and then refilled, it may airlock and not work. It's not difficult to remove the airlock, unless you don't know how. Research online for your particular model. I put our info on a recipe card inside a Ziploc and attached it to the tank so we don't have to look for it when we need it, since we rarely do and always forget the procedure between times.

Sounds like you're well prepared for emergencies. I still feel bad for those who suffered through that storm. Horrible.

 

[jettsmom]

Sunny and warm today. I should be outside, but too muddy. The dogs are tracking in mud now. Two of them are still outside laying in the sun. Yesterday I woke up with an earache and some sinus pressure. Took some meds last night, seems a little better this morning. Dgds came yesterday. It was just a bad day all around. Dogs barking all the time, dh getting mad because they are barking and he can't find his whacking stick (pool noodle we nudge them with or hit the wall, never the dogs), dgds whining about everything. No way dinner was going to be made. Dh had to go back to work, so we stopped at QuikTrip for some grilled cheese.

Today, I'll probably work on taxes. Want to get them done and out of the way. Probably do a load or two of laundry. Went out yesterday to pick up some groceries. Hardly worth it, only two items available. They still show bird seed in stock, but when they pull the order, there isn't any. Probably still in the back somewhere. Stopped at target and got a few things for Easter. Computer keyboard wasn't working yesterday. Couldn't figure what was wrong, then dh finally realized, he pulled the wrong thumb drive from the back. I'm glad it's working again. Couldn't do anything yesterday.

Not sure what we'll eat tonight. I pulled some pork steaks from the freezer yesterday, but then found out dgds were coming over. May or may not cook them tonight. Oldest dgd has been asking for pizza for a few days. She sent a text with pizza emojis. We may go pick her up and get her some pizza. We'll see what's going on. Maybe her mom will order pizza today.

 

[josantoro]

Fairly good weather earlier today, got 7000 steps in (good day for me). Snowing now. Made maple tapioca pudding. Did some work on the taxes. Got all my numbers to make sense in the self-employment schedule. Gross - expenses = net x 3 platforms, two of which sent 1099 forms.

 

[dlrcpa]

Spent a couple hours cleaning the kitchen at parents' house, then buyers walked through. They were pleased, the house really does look larger and brighter without all the clutter and windows washed, etc. Just need to take apart mom's computer and collect the cable/internet equipment to be returned on Thursday, then sign papers at lawyer 4 pm Friday. Brother has finally gotten most of his things out including food and dishes. That has always been the hold-up, needed him to move stuff out so I could clean up behind him.

 

[Grammarbug]

Finally getting out this morning to walk. Hitting the grocery store for deals and doing laundry. It was almost 80 yesterday, but windy. Today it’s going to be in the upper 60s. We have had all four seasons here in one month. Hoping that the seeds I planted before all this stuff will warm and come up. It is suppose to start raining tomorrow and last 5 days.

 

[dlrcpa]

Happy birthday to me. Now eligible for COVID vaccine, registered w/ the county this morning. Target sent me 5% off coupon, I think I will apply that to a grocery order for pickup. Have a Kohls $5 gift coupon to use by end of the month. Sunny and warm today, should melt the rest of the snow. Seeing cardinals everywhere, no flowers up yet though. Hubby bought some sort of beef pie so that will be supper. I plan to bake myself a pound cake. I hope everyone has a nice day.

 

[ermadunk]

Happy Birthday dircpa
Hope you are able to get the shot real soon.Hopeful i will get mine tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Happy Birthday Dlr. Hope it is a lovely one. Been hearing more birds here in the mornings, too. Yesterday was glorious, today is a bit cooler and breezy, but should get into the 40's.

Congrats to everyone getting vaccinated. Still no idea here.

Chicken, asparagus, and l/o rice for dinner. Laundry and kitchen to clean. Would be nice to get in a bit of sewing this afternoon. Got butter out yesterday so I could make shortbread cookies if time allows.

 

[josantoro]

Glad people are getting their shots! My 65th birthday isn't until late summer, not sure when I can get mine. I should consider myself lucky that I don't have medical conditions that would make me eligible before that. VT is going slowly by age groups - first 75+, then 70+, then 65+. Next phase will be medically eligible.

 

[jettsmom]

Cooler today, but sunny. Yesterday was wonderful. Didn't do much. Dh rotated his tires. Lost a lug nut. The neighbor's cat was hanging around and she must have swatted it. Found it on the other side of the driveway in the grass. I did sweep the deck. Bird seed everywhere. Youngest dog, came in and puked. All bird seed. That's why I swept. He doesn't need to be eating it. Dogs spent a lot of time out in the sun, but tracked in mud. Dh was going to put down more straw, but didn't get to it. Took oldest dgd out for a smoothie and pizza. She's been asking for pizza since Sunday. She ate the whole slice. She asked if I got the groceries. I didn't realize one of her texts was a grocery list. I'll have to look at it and see if I need to go get anything. Thinking we'll have pizza again on Friday. Maybe homemade this time.

Need to turn the dryer on for another round. Large blanket in there. Need to wash the sheets too. I'm thinking I'd better start up my arthritis exercises again. Everything hurts right now. Maybe another chiropractor appointment too. Trying to eat better and cut down on soda. It's finally back in cans and I'm able to control the amount I drink better. Yesterday, only one can. Yesterday I made pork steaks, rice and broccoli. Tonight I think will be chicken stir fry. Need to find a good stir fry sauce. I think I have a few on pinterest I was looking at.

 

[bookwormpeg]

Happy birthday dlr....
Josantoro 7000 is good.....my goal is 5000 a day....my fitbit buzzes me at ten minutes to the hour if I hadn't gotten 250 steps in that hour....I am getting pretty good about getting up and moving every hour...I know the dr. would like me to be at 10000 a day but I'm not there yet....I try to do a few more every day...somedays I do and somedays I'm running around the house at ten to midnight to get in my 5000.....
Husband took bookcase to daughters house yesterday....put the twin bed out but no one wants it so hopefully garbage men will pick up. They just came by and picked it up along with a cabinet we had to take apart to get out of room...so, husband will be happy about that....
Now I need to work on all the stuff that was under the bed, on the bed, in the corners, etc....where did it all come from???
Going to pick up 75 pairs of jeans I picked up for my shoeboxes....I really only wanted 20 pairs but the auction was going so fast I won more then I anticipated....got some Barbies that need their hair done and I did one and it's not my thing so a friend in Michigan is going take them and in return she will send me dresses that she makes for the shoeboxes...win win for both of us.
My grandson had covid. He feels good now but his test still shows positive....seems this can happen for three months....problem is his gf and her son can't come back home till he tests negative....she left town to visit her Mom and then got stuck there when storm hit.....the son has to go back to school so I guess she will come and stay at my daughters till they think it's safe for her to return to grandson's home.
The more I read, the more I think that even tho I've had the vaccine I think I better lay low till more people get theirs....they opened a mega center downtown and expect to give vaccine to thousands a day.....they are still on phase one and two....lots of sick people here that needs vaccine.......I hope you all are able to get the vaccine.
Have Cauliflower and zucchini I need to use so going have that for dinner...no idea what else....
The birds are flocking to the feeder....we kept them fed during the storm....
Hope you all have a wonderful day....

 

[marthamfi]

Happy Birthday Dlcpa!!🍰🎈🎉 Hope it is a good one! Glad people are getting vaccined..think they are still on the over 80 people here.

Think it is just spring fever..not quite nice enough but you see all the stuff that needs doing or the mess but you aren't really into it either. asked dh if he can go to the dump with just bags of stuff cus I want to replace bed pillows etc. there is a store like ikea that has good quality ones at a good price. plus there is garbage in the backyard, dd big bag of scrap material like really sm. good for kids crafts but then what is open for that..though just realized will ask a friend who works at preschool if she wants them. have other stuff too will see if she wants unless there is covid rules. but really stuff not touched for months or years.

I looked up how many steps in a mile/km wow you have to walk a lot! 4 to 5 miles ..some days easy but can say not doing my 10,000 though thinking about getting a cheap meter. did my online work/emails so that is done while allergies hitting ..in the 40s crocuses out. cats shedding... one wrecked dd clay art..she knows she wasn't suppose to be up there..cus told many times..this is the peeing..she is a diva. ds needs to put out another suet seed block. crows got the older bread etc for breakfast. did other library and grocery shopped w my mom yesterday..good prices ..one of the last chains that has onsite butchers. $2.99 lean ground beef..cheap here and looks extra lean, beef/pork mix..they have the smoked pork chops back but got ham steak instead. got diff ramen for ds on sale mi goreng brand 5 pack for 2.79 bbq chicken and chicken curry. this store carries a lot of things not found at other chain stores.

dd friend is so they are messing in the kitchen. laundry, housework, declutter etc. the usual list of things. ham/mac n cheese and caesar salad last night .. dh picking up pizza tonight. bank phd cus mortgage renewal due in may so made appt in march.

 

[rujerro]

Dlrcpa- Happy Birthday!!🎈🎂
CH- I'm going to the bank on the hunt for golden dollars, quarters, etc.
LL- You are smart to have foresight for when power outages and shortages occur. Don't let anyone tell you different. My family thought I was crazy for having a stockpile but when the stores were empty, we just chugged along.......They didn't say a word, although thank-you would've been in order....
Spirit Deer- I never though of siphoning water from the tank...How is it done and I'll get the hose.
Jetts- Sorry about the pup. I hope he's doing better. Homemade pizza sounds so good and I've been wanting to make the dough soon. I found a recipe and think about it all the time!

Snowing heavy and expecting 8 inches. I thought the storm was scheduled for a day later! aaarrgh..

I have hard small lumps on palms and it looks like it could be dupuyten's contracture...Oh great another autoimmune thing...It's a slow mover but when it gets bad, I'll need surgery. Then, I have a painful shoulder blade and it bothers me terrible. DS2 gave me a baseball to lean on it and I'm trying to exercise it. I asked DH if there was a lump there...Yes. Does it look like a muscle? Yes. Well, jam your thumb in it or lift it up or separate it or something. He tries. It wakes me up and it's so bothersome. ugh

I made enchiladas since DH smoked chicken and was wanting that. I'll cook chicken in tikka masala sauce and have it with naan. DS2 will eat it. DS2 wants to make a challah so I said go ahead. I bought a paperback breads book and see some recipes to try. Muffins, breads, etc......I came home late and made french bread last week. So good.

I have to get to Target for hot chocolate and enchilada sauce. They're the cheapest and have it in stock.

 

[dlrcpa]

I was thinking about LL's storm preparation. I have had some disaster training and know what I need to do. They even trained us about sectioning off small part of basement to shelter in (like tornadoes). I have a space that is suitable and currently store canned goods there -- but no can opener. Or flashlights, blankets or radio. Will work on that next week, just moving things around.
Sigh. Brother still needs moving help, I think just the remaining kitchen items. He is having a shipping container delivered to the house he is moving into, but of course did not order the thing until Monday? I recommended he buy one of those pre-fab storage sheds months ago, but of course a metal shipping container in your yard is so much more classy (not). That is where I will be today. He is staying at a motel tonight.