Petunia rambles on and on….

And temptation’s name today is Kohl’s.

It all started innocently enough. A co-worker was looking at the Sunday paper at work, and at the Kohl’s flyer. “Oooh,” she says, “I have that!” and I asked her what she had. It was a FoodSaver machine, designed to seal leftovers for freezing in air-tight packages that keep the food longer, better. I’ve seen the devices, wondered about them, but never knew anyone who had one and used it. The last thing I need is another household appliance that takes up space and doesn’t get used on a regular basis.  Space-wise, stuff needs to really earn it’s keep around here.

So I questioned someone with first-hand experience with this kitchen goodie and she said that she loves hers, uses it all the time, it definitely keeps freezer burn off the food. Now this lady is someone who knows her way around a kitchen, someone who’s opinion means something. Paul was off today, so I called him, asked him to get on internet and check prices on Amazon, here at Sam’s Club, Wal-mart and such. The sale at Kohl’s was the best price, we discussed the benefits of having one of these machines and decided to go to Kohl’s this evening and get one.

And we did. And got a small supply of the bags, but I’m told that Sam’s Club also carries them, so I’ll look at their prices next time I’m up there. But I was reminded by husband not to start cooking up family-sized portions of everything, just to try it out, as we have no freezer space here. I was going to put on a big stock pot full of home-made soup – this cold weather made it seem like such a good idea and I would have taken several packages of frozen ground beef, Italian sausage and veggies out of the freezer. Good so far. However, once I added everything else and the tomato sauce and the water, I’d have ended up with a finished product taking up much more space than the goods I took out. We are aware that we need to eat out of the freezer for a while. So Pop brings out a box of Krispy Crème damn doughnuts – his great plan for freeing up space in the freezer and causing my ass to get wider, all in one move!

And I bought a sheep.

Before you even ask, I’ll tell you.  No, I didn’t need a sheep. I didn’t need yet another sheep toy. Yes, it will take up space and serve no useful purpose. I bought it anyway. So there.

And I bought a pair of earrings.

No, I did not need another pair of earrings. Thanks for asking. But most of what I have is yellow-gold colored, and I liked these silver/white-gold colored ones.

And I got two books for the boys who will be here to visit on Saturday.

AND I got a coupon for $30 of “Kohl’s Cash” that’s good next week, insuring that I’ll come again back and get something else! They know me.

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest – and this would work for me if I didn’t have to work 5 days a week. Up early today to get the last cup of coffee out of the pot. Husband had been up before the Crack of Dawn to be at work by 7am. He had several cups here and took a thermos with him. So I staggered to the pot, got the last cup, booted up the computer and sat to read the news, catch up on family and friends on Facebook, finalize plans, in my mind at least, for the day, try to become more fully awake so I wasn’t such a danger to myself.

I thought I had the day under control when I went out to the kitchen to put my cup in the sink. Day started downhill that early! I looked into the sink luckily before placing my cup there. I saw movement. Still groggy, I jumped back, shook my head, looked in again. Uh, there’s a damn mouse in my kitchen sink, trying vainly to get out, jumping up, sliding back.

Now Husband and I have had this Mouse Discussion many times before and a few times already this year. “There are mice in the house!” she says. “It always happens this time of year; they’re coming in out of the cold.”  Uh, when I make the first statement, I don’t want an explanation of why it happens. I’m not gonna commission a government study about it, either. I already know why it happens. I want them out of here!! They are filthy, they know where my pantry closet is and know what’s stored there. They chew holes in everything, do lots of damage. they have healthy digestive systems causing them to shit everywhere. They chew into cake mix boxes but do seem to leave alone the cans of Las Palmas Red Chile Sauce. So, clearly, despite repeated requests on the part of the wife, the husband still hasn’t gotten rid of the mouse and here’s the proof.

This is not what I need to see, first thing in the morning, with only one cup of coffee in me! It was about the time that I took the 3rd photo that I realized that this is not a happy, healthy mouse. Maybe it was exhausted from a full night of trying to get out of my sink. Maybe it’s a geriatric mouse, on it’s last legs. Maybe there’s some truth to being literally scared to death. While I stood there watching, getting madder at husband for doing such a piss-poor job at exterminating, trying to figure out how to get this “guest” out without getting bit, how to use the sink to prepare dinner with it’s present occupant not able to leave under it’s own power. I generally have a cover over the sink to prevent odd things from going down into the disposal. It’s a really good one that Pop installed for me, and will grind up damn near anything. Sadly, I admit to giving serious thought to pushing him down into the disposal with some kitchen utensil and turning it on. But I couldn’t do it. I pondered on, and then noticed that it’s eyes were closing – taking a nap? It’s not moving. I tapped on the sink. Nothing. Sure enough, the damn thing died right there! I picked him up with tongs and he was escorted out to the trash.

Then I bleached the entire kitchen.

Then I started a load of laundry.

Then I started dinner. Cubed chicken breasts into the crock pot, 2 cans of cranberry sauce, a tsp. of chicken base, a handful of minced onions, a pinch of dried orange peel, and a half cup of water. Stir. Add lid. Leave.

Hit my hairdresser’s shop by 11am. She is a wizard, colored my hair, gave me a great cut, left the front long and wedged the back up real short! Put in beautiful highlights, waxed my eyebrows and all in a little over 2 hours. She is not only a wizard – she’s a good friend and has turquoise feathers in her hair. How cool is that?

Then, slightly late, I went to the Fiber Guild meeting, spent time with friends, got to see the newly-published book from the notes of the late Elizabeth Zimmerman titled Knit One, Knit All, and it’ll have to go on the Amazon Wish List! Saw a sweater in there that I think I have to have. Love her work and have all the other books she published. (Also heard about the color work book just released by her daughter, Meg Swanson and Amy Detjen called Knitting with Two Colors. I’m sure I’ll have to get that, too. At the meeting, I worked on my socks, sat between Tammy and Barbara and we ran our mouths. Saw the amazing skirt that Jan knit. I come out of these meetings with new ideas and new energy to do more.

Arrived home to wonderful smells coming out of my crock pot. For quick, I decided to go with Turkey StoveTop Stuffing. I like the Turkey one much better than the Chicken. It seems to have a more robust flavor and has bits of cranberry in it. So to enhance the cranberry flavor in it and in the meat, I added a handful of Craisins (dried cranberries that look like raisins and do not take up my freezer space!) and cooked French Cut Green Beans and added fresh mushrooms, Chicken Base, garlic and pepper. Himself ate until he could barely move, saying he did that so I would have less leftovers to put away. Thoughtful guy, huh?

Still working on the socks, doing the gusset increases. This is simple – increase a stitch on either side of every other row until you have added 20 stitches. I should be able to accomplish this without a problem because I’ve been knitting for like 55 years now! But I have trouble. See, I don’t see. Well, I don’t see well. The problem is with my close-up vision, and it’s worse when I’m working with darker colors (I am), and fine yarn (I am) and M1 increases (rather than KF&B increases that leave little bumps that you can feel with a fingernail) (I am)  I can’t remember whether I increased on the last row and can’t see whether or not there’s a tiny increase one row down. Some knitters keep a pen and paper nearby and tally each row; I do not dependably remember to do that! I’ll keep working along until I get the right number of stitches on each sock, and then turn the heel. I’m not going to worry about it, having had few sock gusset increase inspections.

The Ravens did win today, so I guess I’ll be wearing purple to work tomorrow!

 

I’m making plans to go places, get things done, be a bit more productive, knit more, use my crock pot more, rotate what’s in the freezer and stay away from chocolate.

A visit from daughter, who will be up here attending a baby shower next week for a friend she’s had since school days. She’ll take the baby with her but I get to keep the boys. What a wonderful chore to be asked to perform! Requested a vacation day to be off the whole weekend and enjoy the visit.

A trip down south again. Have put in for more vacation time (I have about 6 weeks worth built up, so that won’t be an issue) and requested the time for after a co-worker returns from her time out, knowing I’ve got a better chance of getting the request granted for waiting until after she returns.  I did get a new GPS, one that has Lifetime Maps updating, so I might as well give it a work-out. Sadly, this one can not be programmed to make sheep noises when I go past yarn stores much to my husband’s relief.

Recently got the new Blue-Ray DVD/CD set, Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and when Himself isn’t home, and I have the house to myself, I often check out the speaker system, to see if it’s still able to play as loud as it used to. And it does. And I haven’t shattered a window yet. Or killed a bird – and that may only make sense to an ex-husband! (Love me some Bose) The CD will go in the car, 100 minutes of recording, and I hope I don’t get to one of those “well, just have a damn good cry for no damn reason, or for a reason that’s decades old” songs while I’m driving over that damn Bay Bridge.

Odd that I can easily go months without TV, but must have music in the car, and whenever I’m home alone.

Also starting to get tax paperwork in. His W-2 is here, and I got the 1099 for my allotment, and interest statements are coming in for the various accounts, IRAs and such, but my employer????? No, we all received an email that said that the W-2s might be mailed by Jan 28, but surely by Jan 31.  Hell, that’s damn FEDERAL LAW that they be mailed out in January. What’s really annoying is that our last 2011 pay period ended on 17 Dec (18-31 Dec 2011 was paid out in 2012, and thus is not included). So they’ve had all the figures for almost a month already, and it’s not like someone has to hand-type them all out like they did in 1958. Hello, load paper, push button. Get out of the way. This does not surprise me at all, though.

Hallelujah, I’m going to the hairdresser’s tomorrow. It’s been a bit longer than usual – with Christmas spending, this took a back-seat. Then, the girl that does my hair (and has for years!) works every other Sunday. Last week, she was off. Tomorrow. Finally. Color. Highlights, Cut!!   And assuming I’ll get out of there in time, I’ll go straight over to the Fiber Guild meeting and sit with the other yarnaholics for a couple of hours.

Just finished Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler and tonight I downloaded Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano. Enjoyed the first one, and will start the second one tonight – am loving the Kindle reader, but sock knitting is progressing slowly – maybe I ought to work with much heavier yarn and so, much less stitches? Paul likes warm, thick socks

We’ve been hit by a cold spell here, and it’s a hell of change from last week, from even just 2 days ago, when a sweater or light jacket was enough. Must admit that it was unseasonably warm, but the quick change from that to frigid will probably have everybody sick within a week. Some of the women in the office are sniffling, and I sure don’t want it. Going down to 23 degrees F tonight and to 18F tomorrow night.

I get weird and crazy forwards all the time (Thanks, Pete and Fred!) and often, some are worth repeating.

Damn Chocolate – and this week, in Sam’s Club, a box of 24 individual packages of Nutter Butters jumped into my cart, 4 NBs per package. I HAD to pay for them or I’d have been arrested, and well, now that they’re here…..