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I can't predict when I have the time to post a new blog, but check occasionally. I'm going to try at least weekly.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Playing games? No thanks.

Song of the day: “Barrowland Ballroom” by Amy MacDonald. Love that one, so cheerful and fun, but then, I like a lot of her stuff.

So I made a list of stuff I did these past couple of days, but since I messed up the list some how everything just crisscrossed together. I don’t have a clue as to the sequence, so I am not even going to bother. I’ll just write them down at random and you’ll have to think of a proper timeline yourself.

First off, big brother has been working on the moped a lot, preparing the thing for grandpa’s use, as in attaching a hook for his backpack and welding a frame on the back where he has attached a big crate for transporting little amounts of groceries. Almost done now, and I think he is looking forward to it. Yesterday afternoon we also went to the insurance company to arrange for an insurance, so we’re now waiting for the company to confirm at which time the moped will be taken into use. Yay.

Started the morning making Pumpkin soup. It worked out absolutely grand, I tell you. I am as of now stuffed with the meal of bread and soup. I’ve gotta say that these particular home grown pumpkins work really well for soup, if I do say so myself. I’ve added a leek from the yard, basil, oregano, onion, chives, one zucchini and some other spices…oh, and cheese which makes it downright delicious.
Made enough for yesterday as well, by the way.

This morning was also spent at our storage facility (fancy words for shed, really, hah) looking for windows to put in what will soon be tenant’s little solarium. And also a terrace door for in my office. The window we took out during the summer really doesn’t suffice, so we’re putting in a door that will allow easy passage for the dogs in the evenings. That way my pack doesn’t need to barge through the rest of the pack with a lot of noise. It ‘ll be less stressful to say the least.

Yesterday afternoon, even though I was in a bit of a hurry, I put together a shelving closet for mom. What with all her fabrics for quilting and such, it really was necessary to put up something big, but what with all the preparations already seen to in the carport it took me less than an hour to set it up.

I rushed through getting changed and whatnot because we had to bring our friend back to Marbella (there was a traffic jam there, by the way) and then go past that Indian restaurant I mentioned before. They were interested in advertising…well. It was an experience, I’ll tell you that much. It almost felt as if I was back in India, really. Boy, they do like to haggle at the restaurant. Started spinning the words around, over and over, until they all agreed that I had informed them wrong. Well, they wanted me to put it before me boss, their offer that is, and I will. It is neither here nor there really, so far all they’ve cost me is time and for now, I don’t mind, but seriously. What is it with the haggling. They can bash the paper and complain about the distribution all they want; like I said, multiple times, the pricing is not up to me.

Ah well, we’ll see how that goes next Monday. I am of a mind to give them a solid scolding, and maybe I will. I don’t like playing games, and if they do, business between us is over, I’m thinking.

I think I was a bit tired yesterday, because I really wasn’t in a good mood last night when it was time for me to start writing on the book. Did manage three pages of writing to add to the six page edit from the night before (I was even more tired then, and barely civil, hah), but otherwise we have reached a bit of standstill book wise. That too will pass, sure.

I do have a rather splendid idea to make this blog thing a bit more interesting, by the way. It has been playing through my mind for quite a bit, but I still need to work out the specifics. Think Mike Rowe and his “Dirty jobs”. Awesome show, and for my blog a little less…hmmm, dirty?

Both today and yesterday tenant and I calmly walked down to my terrace where she could sit in the sun for a bit. She didn’t think she would manage (on both occasions) but she did and was glad for it afterwards. Heck, last night she even walked back.

Well, those are about it for me. Except for suddenly, I don’t really understand why, I have been involved in group mails from the office. First nothing, and now several a day. Most peculiar, in particular since a lot of them are just repeats. Hah. Ah well, big brother is impatient for us to get started so I better wrap this up.

There: all wrapped up. Hah.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Busy couple of days.

Song of the day: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. The good old days, right?

Gawd, it’s been an incredibly busy couple of days, starting, if course, with yesterday. My job day, yay. It starter off splendidly too, seeing as my alarm didn’t work and got to snooze an extra fifteen minutes. Sleeping-wise it was rather grand, time wise…well, let’s just say I was running behind all day…or felt like I did. *sigh*

Sunday evening was spent kick boxing again, yay, and strangely enough I wasn’t even muscle sore the next morning. Seriously, it went well and I was properly exhausted when it was time to go to bed. I mean, really, isn’t being tired wonderful? It makes going to bed such a wonderful experience. Hah.

John Doe (you remember boss man’s alias, right?) called early for a change. I had just finished preparing the car, checking the yard and showering because, let’s face it, I was sweating like a race horse. Hah. So yeah, I missed the call, called back, got voice mail and half minute later John Doe called back that he was already waiting for me on the usual spot. I hate rushing, I really really do. I rather be somewhere half an hour early than have to rush, but what the heck.

Got there in half an hour, as promised and loaded up. John wasn’t feeling too well; something about a late night and an early morning, so I suggested he take a nap while he was waiting for a possible sales rep candidate. I would have offered to take the stacks of his hands and hand them over to the other distributor, but let’s face it the other guy is renown for making folk wait, and I really didn’t relish the idea of being on the road until three in the morning again.

But anyway, town was up first, meaning that we did the twenty two drop points there. While I was delivering a stack to the local indoor market there was this old lady who wanted a paper while she was stumbling through the place with her cane. I didn’t think much of it, really, but later, on my way out I saw her struggle with her three bags and cane and asked if I could maybe help her, by carrying her bags for her. I find it so stranger why people are always so surprised by such and offer, in fact the poor lady got all emotional about it. We chatted a bit while we walked, more out of necessity since I really felt a tad sad about her surprise.

She said that it was so “nice” with an extreme emphasis on nice, of course, and I asked why does that surprised her, was no one ever nice to her then? She rolled her eyes at me. Seriously, I kid you not: She. Rolled. Her. Eyes. At. Me. Hah. So I changed subject and we ended up talking about the paper.

I mean really, what do those extra 100 yards cost me except a few minutes of my time? It was no big deal, but for the lady it apparently was, and she ended up thanking me profusely saying that she was so happy I had come along. Why, this very morning she had felt downright suicidal.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have hardly ever been accused of being positive unless I make myself be that, but it just flopped out. I told: “Oh dear. There’s never any reason for suicide.” Seriously, I actually patted her shoulder. I have been spending way too much time with tenant for me to do this with a complete stranger is astounded. But I did and couldn’t help but chuckle about my unusual response on the way back to the car where I told big brother about what happened.

So it was back to the grind. The drops got made, all the bars and whatnots got visited (I’m starting to become known as the paper girl, in case you’re wondering, hah) and then I arrived at the Indian restaurant. You remember the one I mean, don’t you? The waiter and I exchange barb every time I come by, and when I tossed out his standard “Have you got a stand for me” I countered, “No. But do you want to advertise yet?” To my surprise, he and his boss started talking then, looked over the paper and said: “okay, let’s try it.”
So, I got a yes and agreed to meet them today so they could sign the contract…which is a story I will get to later on.

For the majority of our trip big brother and I tossed around with a new idea for a book, which has the potential to become fascinating to write. I mean, really. Intriguing idea, and it does speak to both our imagination concerning Mythology. We’ll see how things go, but for now the idea is constantly spinning through my mind.

So we got home at a descent time, meaning that we got a reasonable amount of sleep. My foot wasn’t excruciating, only extremely painful when we got home, (haha) and I remembered to take a painkiller so the sleep I got was deep. *blissful sigh*

This morning with did the village part of the route, and discovered that there is a snitch somewhere who is sharing our drop points. Seriously, places where no other papers were being dropped are now sporting two to three others. Fascinating. I never knew that paper distribution was so…I don’t know, espionage? Hah.

But anyway, picking up our friend from Marbella I went past the Indian restaurant to deal with the contract thing. Turns out it was closed, so I decided to return later on while grandpa and I went to pick up his moped. They were open for lunch this time, but…yes, you so saw that one coming, didn’t you?…the boss wasn’t in, and wouldn’t be in until after seven. So now I’ve said I would be back on Monday. Ah well, luckily I already have a steady job, because with the sales stuff, things just continue to go wrong.

Now, I didn’t arrive home until after two in the afternoon, and I am expecting a call so I’m going to wrap this up and hopefully head into the yard for a bit before it is time for me to head for the doctor. Seriously, I am of a mind to just “forget” about my appointment and feign ignorance if I get called on it. Hah.

So I've got some dogs to hug, stuff to write and maybe something to build yet. Seeya.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The little stuff that make it fun.

Song of the day: “Bubbly” by Colbie Calliat. Such a cute little song, and it does cross my mind every now and then.

So I’m going to keep this as short as possible because I still got a load of stuff to do and very little time to do it in.
Temperatures have been dropping rapidly these past few weeks, meaning that during the nights the mercury is going as low 13 degrees. Seriously, I’m cocooning as of yesterday, meaning that I take a second blanket to roll myself in before I crawl under the winter blanket and the dogs. Hah.

Writing has been going rather splendidly these past couple of days. I have crossed the minimum amount of words and am now working on wrapping the story up within the next 5 to 7000 words. It should work, seeing as that allows me at least thirty pages or so to do it in. Added a total of ten pages, so, YAY!

Though admittedly it is rather cool this past week (with even a bit of rain the other day) the days are wonderfully sunny, if not incredibly windy, so heading into the yard is an absolute pleasure. The dogs love it too, but it is a clear sign that old Bommel is close to nearing his end, poor fella. He rather goes inside where it is warm and he can find a soft spot to snooze, instead hobbling after me. It makes me sad to think that soon he won’t be there anymore…so I better not think of it. Some things in life are the way they are, and as such, I should accept them.

Though yesterday we enjoyed more of the pumpkin soup, I made tomato zucchini soup this morning, because we went through that two-gallon pan as if it were water. Got the same amount now, and even though big brother doesn’t like tomato soup all that much (I know, I told him he was insane too) we did finish half a gallon already. Hah. But I used the tomatoes we’d frozen this summer, along with a bag of sliced zucchini and it worked out well. Yay.

Yesterday was mostly spent working on small jobs in the carport. First up was my office chair, which needed new fabric over the seat and backrest. Worked out well, if I do say so myself, considering it looks like new now.

Next came my boots. First my fancy heeled ones, which I really should have available for when I need to go to an appointment or some such. Then came my Sancho boots. They’re of real sturdy leather (old cowboy boots design) and snake leather. I don’t know whether it is fake or not, but I love those boots…and somehow the dogs got hold of them a year or two ago. As it turns out, we had a batch of leather with matching colors, so I managed to sow in new patches wherever the dogs wrecked them. Sure, they don’t look like the original anymore, but at least it is no longer as noticeable as the ragged-chewed upon leather. Hah

After some mild gardening, meaning we jerked out some weeds, gathered peppers, tomatoes and a couple of mini pumpkins, and checked if anything needed water. It was wonderful, and I took some gorgeous pictures of the view before we headed back up to the carport to finish our chores.
Once done with the closet in the carport, it was dark and we went to the house for our daily session behind the computer.
Seriously, that went really well, and I sure hope I can set my mind to it again today, because let’s face it, I wanna finish this story so I can start on the next. I’ve got three ideas tumbling through my head and I really need to write them down soon. Hah.

Okay, one page and something extra. I was a good girl in keeping my promise of a short post, eh?
I’m heading out. Gotta work tomorrow so I’ll be back ‘round Wednesday at the latest…I know, who cares, right?