I slept through the entire day. I remember Boy coming in to wake up Bran and Bran begging for one more hour. I remember nothing until I woke up at 8 pm. I opened up my eyes and it was dark out. I turned to see Bran sleeping beside me and I asked him (thus waking him up), “Did I sleep through Monday?” He responded with “Yes.”
I had to pee really bad so I braved the chill of the very cold room (Boy commented on it when he came to wake Bran earlier in the day) to get up, close the window and come into the living room. Right now, according to the weather site that is used for the weather report attachment of Firefox, it’s -22C (-8F) outside. This makes the temperature in the bedroom rather…crisp. It also makes it marvelous to sleep in. I adore being able to sleep in the cold. I’d winter camp if it weren’t for the snow around. It’s not that I don’t like snow, but it does make getting out of bed barefoot rather challenging.
To add to the contentment of the day, I get up and found a card on my laptop. I got a holiday card from Mush. It was really a nice thing to get up to. Mush has very lovely handwriting as well.
However, there isn’t much in the house to eat. I could bake a few potatoes, but I’m not sure that it’s what I want. I think I want some A&W. However, since it’s New Year’s Eve, that could be a challenge. I wonder if I can weasel Bran out of bed and get him and Boy to go and get me some….
That’s it. How can I write much about a day that I slept through?
Dad didn’t come up…again. He’s going to try for next weekend. I remember him phoning this morning. I remember him cancelling, but I can’t remember why, only that he wasn’t coming up. Yeah, I’m always together for remembering things when it’s 8:30 am and I didn’t get to bed until after 3 am. Needless to say, I went back to sleep.
I woke up around noon and couldn’t go back to sleep. It’s not from lack of trying either. The bedroom was nice and cold and I was snuggly warm under my blankets, but I had to pee and that particular task tends to be very insistent in the morning.
I got up, I read my comics and waited for the rest of the house to wake up. After the comics were read I poured myself a glass of Coke Zero and started doing jigsaw puzzles online. I wish we had the space and table to do a puzzle in 3D. The mousing, despite using Bran’s stationary mouse, is rather taxing on my arm.
Country Girl. Bran is going to email me his recipe (from an old country cookbook we got from his mother that I found before I had to cease making bread because the yeast smell began to bother me too much). So when he follows though with that, I’ll post it.
We had leftover soup and bread for supper. Last night I was hoping that our having been mostly vegetarian the past while and eating so many legumes that the bean soup wouldn’t have it’s usual effect of making me fart enough to deplete the ozone layer. I was wrong, oh, so very wrong. In a couple of hours I’ll be reliving last night and Bran will lament greatly.
There’s a new network starting up on January 27. It’s part of the Discovery family called “Investigation Discovery”. Click on that and get a preview of what the channel is about. I hope we get it in the packages that we have already. It’s a network/channel that’s made to order for me. I can hardly wait. Though with my luck, it’ll be only broadcasting in the USA and I’ll be s.o.l. (sucks to be me). And why, pray tell, do I think that it’d be USA only? The only place I’ve seen ads for it is on A&E.
That’s about it for excitement. I’m contemplating setting my computer aside and playing with my jewelry making toys. I haven’t decided yet.
I made bean soup today using the ham bone as my broth base. Last night Bran put some white beans in water to soak for today. I got up about 3 and put the bone on for stock with a bay leaf. After it had stewed for a while I prepared the vegetables (onion, garlic, grated carrot). I added the beans to the broth without taking the bone out. It keeps the flavour happening. After that had boiled down some (the pot was pretty full) i skimmed off the foam the beans created and then added the potato cubes, red bell pepper, and dried vegetables and some Knorr vegetable stock powder. I wasn’t sure how rich the meat stock would be and hey, flavour is flavour. Needless to say it turned out beautifully.
Bran got up about 5:30 from a nap. He had a headache and rested it away. Then he measured out flour, shortening, yeast and stuff and made 5 loaves of white bread. Now he’s waiting for the dough for an additional 5 loaves of whole wheat to rise up and get panned. The bread is very good, though I don’t care much for the smell of fresh baked bread. I’ll have some tomorrow.
Dad has decided to come up tomorrow. He’ll get cheese spread sandwiches made with homemade bread for lunch. It’s the best we can offer since we have nothing for groceries until Monday when student loan money comes in. Between Bran and I we’ve managed to feed us all pretty well. Granted there’s not been much extra (if any) but we’ve had food each day and Boy is getting a good lesson in what some children have to live with on a daily basis.
So we’re fed…well, I’m having another bowl of soup and the boys are having some of the fresh out of the oven bread. Bran is one heck of a baker.
Encouraged by yesterday’s progress (having a shower) today I did dishes…twice. I washed last night’s dishes. Then after a supper of leftovers (cold ham, mixed veg and potato patties), I did dishes again. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this encourages Bran to make his wonderful bread since we can’t afford to buy any right now.
I got my picture ID for my driver’s license this afternoon. It looks ok. I mean, I’m fat, I look fat, but it’s not as bad as some pictures of me.
I called Dad and put his visit off until Monday. That’s when we’re supposed to get sunshine. It’s also the day that student loans come in and we can afford to buy lunch stuff.
I’m thinking of having a cheese spread or peanut butter sandwich. I’m not sure if I will or not though.
I’ve been sleeping much better since I was able to get the window open in the bedroom. Bran ends up a bit chilly, and my feet get a bit cold, but dang! It’s so much better than tossing and sweating all night. I even had the fan going last night. It doesn’t hurt that it’s not that cold. Sure it’s below freezing, but it’s not as cold as winter can be. I sleep so much better when it’s chilly in the room.
Speaking of sleeping, I got up before 3 pm today. In fact, I was up around 1 pm. That was when I started the first round of dishes. I’ve not had a nap either. I’ve been awake nearly 8 solid hours. How’s that for progress?
That’s right. I’m a clean human bean. I had a shower about 1/2 hour ago. While I was in the shower, Bran made me some lovely Tetley white tea with raspberry (there are actually dehydrated raspberry bits in the bags). It’s marvelous! However, it is not decaf, so don’t drink it at night if you are adversely affected by caffeine.
In 15 minutes the two episodes of The First 48 that got screwed up. I’m losing a Cold Case Files episode that I’d recorded, but that’s ok, they’re secondary in importance and it’ll be repeated again sometime.
I want to have my banner centred, but I can’t do that. I think it would look significantly better if it were centred. Drat.
Yesterday was a lost cause. I think I was awake for about 3 hours before I needed to sleep again. Then I laid down for 5 more hours. I got up for a few more hours and then went back to bed and got up at 3 pm. I’m approaching feeling rested.
Hmmm…how long does one have to stay awake to be considered having been up. I figure that if one can make it from the bed, to the bathroom and then to the couch and stay awake for 1/2 hour, then one has been awake an adequate amount of time. But hey, that’s just me. I prefer sleeping.
I want cheese cake. I want cheese cake a whole lot.
Dad didn’t come up again today. He didn’t sleep well last night and he didn’t want to take the chance of falling asleep on the road. So Bran put the ham in the oven, I peeled potatoes and prepped the cauliflour and that’s what we had for supper. It’s a good thing because we were getting extremely low on things to eat as a family. I hate being poor. I think that Bran’s going to be baking bread tomorrow, or possibly some bannock so that we have something to make sandwiches with.
Supper was yummy. The ham bone will be used to make soup. I’m not sure I want Bran’s pea soup though. It’s not that it’s not a tasty soup, it is. But I think I want bean soup this round. I think that’s what is going to be made this time.
Tonight is murder and mayhem night and for some stupid reason the DVD recorder turned off part way through a program. I’m going to have to try again later. Boooo!
That reminds me. I read A Christmas Carol on the 25th. Scrooge’s love is named Bell (no “e”) not Alice ( as it is in the Sim movie) and the book has her having reproduced like a bunny not working with the poor. I watched the movie that night. Now that I’ve read the book again, compared it to the movie and then nattered on about it to Bran, I should remember what happened in the book. The movie took great sections of Dickens’s writing and plonked it into the screenplay making it one of the best. However, one of the most endearing parts, the interaction between the maid and Scrooge after his reclamation is totally wonderful but doesn’t happen in the book at all. “A shilling? What for!?” “Can’t you guess what it’s for?”"To keep me mouth shut?”
I love that scene. The next is the totally gobsmacked look on the face of the actor who plays Cratchet. It’s one of the best I’ve seen.
That’s about it. I’m going to go and shower. I’ve been neglecting myself of late and I shouldn’t do that. Not only is it a bad example to Boy but it’s giving into the depression when I could easily not.
That’s what my day is, upside down. I went to bed at 8 am and was gotten up at 6 by Boy who wanted ideas about what to have for supper. Bran ended up making scrambled eggs with parmisan cheese and rice.
Did you notice my new title banner? I made it (puffs chest out past sticky-outy belly) at Cool Text. I’m going to add links to the stuff I use here to make things look extra special.
There’s really not much to add to this. I’m still wanting to sleep. Bran would like it if I made coffee but my tennis elbow is very active and it hurts. I got to the point that I’m using his old stationary mouse (trackball) so that I can have my arm in a comfortable position and not use my wrist which stresses the tendons creating even more soreness.
I wonder how much later I have to stay awake in order to have fulfilled a day’s obligation of being awake…
I found this on my favourite book maker (not a bet taker, a real maker of books – check out her site for a special and very unique gift for someone special).
Last night at about 8:30 or so, the DSL went out whic means that the television channels and internet disappeared. It also means that the final two episodes of The first 48 that were on last night were not recorded. Why did this disaster occur? Bran moved the router box provided by SaskTel out of Boy’s room and into the hallway. Alas, the little wall set up came off the wall. It was only glued there. Had they been smart and screwed it down as well then we wouldn’t have had that problem. So instead of doing an entry for this blog, I was watching movies on my computer. It wasn’t so bad. I got more crosswords done.
Merry Christmas eve to all those out there who celebrate such things. Dad may or may not be coming up tomorrow. It depends on the weather. It’s warmed up some which means the frost will be coming up through the highway (for those not familiar with this phenomenon, be happy because it’s disasterously slippery) and some snow is also expected making travel somewhat treacherous.
We’ve been cleaning the house up, getting rid of stuff that we don’t want or need. I just went through a pile of personal papers and I was ruthless, RUTHLESS I say! Yes, there is no Ruth here. Though her story along with the woman who is my namesake and I’m proud to be named after such a strong woman is in a couple of books on Bran’s book shelves. Anyway, I got rid of a shitpile of stuff. I also found things I’d forgotten I had, like embroidery patterns of Celtic knots and flowers, my Effectiveness Training certificate (though I’m not sure that it’d be helpful), and old recipes. I threw out piles of old Tamara’s House stuff that was not only out of date, but was redundant in the extreme. I also got rid of old web site crap that I didn’t need/want anymore. Some went into recycling, some went into the shred box because it’s too personal. I found an old paper that I got 94% on. Too bad it didn’t count for much.
I’m having major issues about the Masters thing. It’s all complicated, but I’m having problems with the whole selling my ability to succeed in the program. I also have to find another prof to write a recommendation for me since one hasn’t replied for whatever reason he hasn’t replied for. Maybe I should also hit up the woman prof I had…she knows I can put out quality work. Anyway, I’m of very mixed mind about this whole thing. If I don’t apply then I won’t have failed, but I’ll also not have succeeded.
Bran cleaned up the aquarium last night. Boy pointed out where food was rotting rather than being eaten, so Bran sucked out the rotty bits, removed plants that had some kind of stringy algae on them, rearranged the Anubis plants and rocks and stuff, cleaned out the filter and added water. Damn! That thing is looking quite lovely and clear and stuff. The weird thing was the Siamese Algae Eater. It’s a fish that I don’t think has a swim bladder for it to maintain negative buoyancy. Anyway, it was swimming into the flow of the filter return. It looked like a salmon swimming upstream…well, except for the fact that it’s smaller, not a salmon and it wasn’t moving forward, just maintaining its position. Weird.
Right now I’m watching the Scary Movie installments that we own. I know, they’re rather immature and it’s not their season, but I like them, they’re funny and (two blonds, one who’s Pamala Anderson, screams “Turn it off!” “I can’t!” “It’s backwards!” “What do I do?!” “I don’t know!” – Who can resist that?) Later today, probably sometime tonight I’ll watch Scrooge starring Alistaire Sim and I’ll read A Christmas Carol and then promptly forget what Scrooge’s former girlfriend ended up doing, working for the poor or getting married and having a zillion kids and being every so happy. Don’t tell me. I want to find out on my own.
I finished making the bed socks last night. I lost and found my tapestry needle that enabled me to sort of do the Kitchener stitch to close them up. They’re a bit too big. I suppose I could unravel them, reknit them and make them smaller, or else I could find someone who has size 9 feet and give the socks to them. I’m undecided. That reminds me, I have to get a picture of the cardigan and sock things so I can put them up here and Ravelry to show that I’m actually doing the knitting thing.
Boy’s cooking me breakfast (a couple of compressed chicken parts pucks) and it’ll be ready soon. I have blogs to catch up on because of last night’s DSL fiasco.
