Back to Normal?

Hope y'all had a great Christmas.  The kids came over Christmas Eve as usual.  We ate wings.  They seem to be very popular with everyone and we don't have to worry about the one that doesn't like beef.  We make a lot of wings and we did it in the oven since it was to cold for me to grill them.  They must still be pretty good the way they got scarfed down.  We use the Party Wings from Costco.  We made 5 packages, I am just guessing that there is about 1 lb in each.  The number of wings vary due to size.  The ladies can hold their own in matching the guys on how many get eaten.  There were only 5-6 wings left over and I got those for lunch the next day.  We really need to expand our menu and come up with something else next year.  

There was no need to call the plumber for my clogged toilet.  You Tube University solved the problem.  I checked there in case there were some other tricks I didn't know.  And of course there were multiple.  Fist off, I found out I was using the plunger wrong of all things.  It has to be angled in and then a tight seal formed and short strokes.  That way it works in both directions with a suction and pushing.  But the main thing was using Dawn dish soap of all things.  It cuts the clog down like it would grease.  About a cup and then let it sit about an hour.  Sometimes you don't even need to plunge.  I did and it cleared out really quick.  I am still amazed at the long list of things Dawn can be used for other than it's intended use.  I may make a list and post it hear but I know I would miss some.  

The hard cold snap is finally over here in my part of the woods.  No precipitation which made it more tolerable.  Just unusual cold for a longer than normal time.  That's three years in a row.  I have never seen that in all my years.  Climate change, global warming...I can't say what I really feel.  I saw the Gov of New York blaming the latest national cold wave on 'climate change'.  They use that word now instead of Global Warming to not sound even stupider than they do.  It's all part of their agenda to make life harder for all of us.  If you believe something else, I don't care, just don't bring it here and we are good.

I am heading out to clear the dead tomato plants out of the garden.  The cold finally did them in.  I cleared all the tomatoes that had any amount of red/orange color and we have more than I would have guessed.  The bushes will go over the fence for the deer to eat.  They seem to love them and any tomatoes I toss.  Sometime this week I need to make it back to my Mother's to shut of the water I dripped at her faucets outside.  The dogs will also be happy to get back out walking today.  

In case I don't post again, Y'all have a Happy New Year.  

Happy Trails

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all that come by here.  Hope Y'all have a great one.  Stay warm.

Christmas is Upon Us

I have gotten all my Christmas shopping done.  Just a couple deliveries I am waiting on.  Not a big deal.  I only shopped for 'K' this year, which is true most every year.  No special leather projects for anyone either.  The last thing on the list is getting the house squared away for our family Christmas Eve gathering.  'K' hasn't said a thing about it to me this year.  Usually we discuss the menu as I may have to cook most of it or at least the meats.  This year...crickets.  I will not ask either.  I guess I will let her surprise me.  I may regret that.  Maybe I will ask when I finish here.  I don't like those type of surprises.

I am dealing with a stopped up drain line this morning.  It's not the main drain line thankfully.  It's the toilet and it seems to be isolated.  Plunge plunge plunge....hot water hot water hot water.  Little to no movement.  I have a tool that is supposed to clean out a toilet but I can't seem to get it past the bend.  I feel nothing up to that point I just feel it scraping around the porcelain.  It needs to make one more turn.  UGH.  So my day will be dealing with that until it opens.  After that the plumber will be called.  

I am doing some minor preparations for a coming arctic front that will send temps well below freezing.  They expect several days where temps will not rise above freezing.  I have had my fill of that type weather over the last couple years.  We have had more than usual.  They don't predict any snow or ice this time thankfully.  It's hard for us Texans to function with that added to the mix.  

Where has the year gone?  It seems to have zipped by faster this year for some reason.  They always seem to flash by but this one was even faster.  This coming year I turn 70.  My Mother says I will 'officially' be old and I won't care about being old.  I thought I was old way before that.  At least my body's aches and pains tell me I'm old.  I feel cheated then.  

Happy Trails

Housebound

Things have been pretty quiet around here the last week.  Various illnesses seem to be making their rounds too.  I came down with what I think was a cold and was pretty much housebound and immobile since Wednesday.  I thought it best to stay home from church even.  Still have a lot of residual issues but feel fine.  We had to say no to the youngest Granddaughter coming for a couple days.  This has been probably one of the longest stretches we have not had her, since before Thanksgiving.  We had a family Christmas 'party' scheduled for this past Saturday.  It got cancelled due the the host's kids coming down with something.  I would not have gone anyway.  I hope to get out some this week but it seems the weather is interrupting that idea.  It's damp and foggy here and will be to start tomorrow too.  It just isn't a good thing to take the dogs out in.  Their legs are so short that they get pretty messy if there is any dampness at all on the streets.  Since they are mostly inside dogs, puppy tracks become a problem.

I hope to get over to see my Mother this week.  I haven't been in some time.  She has been down in her back and hasn't wanted visitors at all.  I think it's been almost two months since I have seen her.  Even her girl 'K' hasn't been by much since she was sick for several weeks.  We really need to get over and see how she is faring.  She has hired her house cleaner for two days to help out with things around the house.  That relieves a lot of pressure in her mind about several things.  

I won't ramble on today.  I am bereft of any thought process this last week.

Happy Trails

Been Busy

I realized I hadn't posted much in a while the other day.  Nothing much to talk about anyway.  We have been running errands here and there that even took us over to the next town (New Braunfels).  There is a meat market there we like to go to.  They had beef fajitas on sale.  By on sale, they were less than anyone else at 8.99/lb.  I just shake my head at that.  It is some of the worst meat to buy and I usually refuse to pay the price.  Either that or I have to swallow more chicken.  We checked at Costco too.  10.99/lb. is outrageous for that type meat.  Rib eyes are 10.99/lb.  I didn't think about it at the time but I can get decent sirloin for much less and is a better cut of meat and I can make fajitas from that.  We won't purchase it at those prices ever again.  If you aren't familiar with fajitas, it's flank steak.  Very course meat, not tender without much work, i.e. marinating forever, pounding it with the tenderizer or knife and trimming the tough skin off.  It was a very cheap meat until it was appropriated from the Mexican Restaurants and became very very popular.  Now we all have to pay the exorbitant rates.  But I digress.

I don't know much about Kanye West or Ye.  But why do they keep giving this guy a platform?  He is obviously in need of some help.  Or he just says stupid things to get publicity and sell more records (CD's?).  Everyone is shocked by what comes out of his mouth and everyone gets upset.  Well stop paying attention to the guy and he might go away.  I know a politician (more than one)that says some really dangerously stupid things and it usually gets glossed over.  The media never gets upset for some reason.  Then the story just quietly dies.  Take a hint, stop covering the guy.  Yes, I know he is befriended by their target and try to link them etc.

Today is the first day 'K' seems to be finally much better.  She had been in touch with her FNP and they sent her for a chest XRay finally.  It was clear surprisingly.  She had been coughing quite a bit again.  Now it seems to have finally stopped.  This has been probably 4 weeks.  It appears it is something a lot of our friends have or had too.  They don't call it anything other than a respiratory infection.  But finally she is getting some relief, along with me and the dogs.

Happy Trails

Got the Slows this Morning

Weather here has been much colder than usual for this part of Texas.  And it has lasted much longer too.  We usually get about 3 days of cold weather then it returns to normal.  Not this time.  We are entering our second week of below normal temps.  Below normal by as much as 25*.  Plus we have some strong winds along with it at times.  Today it's wet on top of that.  I really don't mind it after the Summer we had.  

The dogs hate it.  I have not walked them for a full week.  And if it doesn't dry up some they won't get their walk today either.  They are going a little stir crazy.  Every time I stand up they swarm me thinking it's time to walk.  I don't mind walking them in cold weather unless the wind is pretty sharp or it's wet.  It has been that way for a while now.  It never got above 39* yesterday which is unheard of without it being a deep into winter storm.

'K' is still down with her respiratory crud.  It kept us home from church.  Yesterday her throat started hurting again.  She's into 3 weeks of this.  Last night my throat started getting scratchy and other parts were acting like I was coming down with something.  This morning I seem to be OK except for some exception tiredness. It's amazing that I haven't caught it from her.  A lot of close friends have got this same bug too.  We are hoping this won't affect our Tgiving plans.  Son #1 and his family will be here.  Son #2 and his family have traveled to visit the in-laws in Arizona and my Mom refuses to get out even if I come get her.  So it will be a shorter than usual time too since Son #1 will have to head to the in-laws after us for an evening meal.

I slept much longer this morning by 2 hours.  Wish that was a regular thing.  I know I don't get enough sleep.  6-7 hours of fitful sleep is the usual with 5 being more common.  That's not good.  I have some serious lethargy today.

I hope all y'all have a great Thanksgiving this year.  

Happy Trails Too.

Warning Political Rant

This all my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.  

And again the elections seem confused in some states.  Why is it always the same ones?  Those that say our elections are secure, well I don't think they really believe that.  I know I have doubts, suspicions, etc.  The Republican party is mostly at fault by just standing by and letting these things happen.  Can you imagine how loud the left would be if this was going against them?  The left has the cajones to at least stand together to get what they want.  Even if it's wrong or immoral.  No I am not condoning doing things wrong to get what you want.  But doing the right thing and being united and aggressive is bound to be better than sitting on your hands while we watch the dumpster fire that our elections have become.

No, not all I voted for won.  I voted against my RINO representative and another I didn't vote at all since there was no viable alternative, he still won.  First time ever I did anything like that.  No I didn't vote for anyone on the left.  I could NEVER do that.  I have voted for the RINO's in the past to prevent a leftist from gaining office and then regretted it very often afterwards.  That won't happen ever again.  Tell me I am wasting my vote and I will tell you you wasted yours, voting for a leftist in disguise.  I have voted Republican 99% of the time, voting for the Republican platform, hoping the candidate will tow the party line.  It rarely happens.  Just look at Texas.  We have a speaker of the house who masquerades as a Republican then appoints Democrats to the committee chairmanships.  This kills the Republican stated agenda.  Yet, Republican legislators elected this guy and probably will again.  All this while our grandstanding Governor stands on the sidelines and keeps his hands clean doing photo ops yet nothing of real substance.  He stays away from the really tough decisions, i.e. the mutilation of children with gender 'dysphoria' and parents that enable this along with money hungry doctors.  His idea was to send a letter to HHS to ask them if it was child abuse.  I just can't.

Do I know all the answers.  Not a chance.  But I do know if I follow my faith in voting 100%, I shouldn't be able to get crossways with the Lord.  He will hold us accountable.  This drives EVERY vote I make.  That should explain how I think to you.

Happy Trails, regardless of how I may sound.