Lazy Sunday & the L.L.L.B.

We received another half inch of snow last night. It seemed kind of a waste to pull out the snow blower except that I have so much ground to cover. I again did the side walk all the way up the block as well as part of the alley.

It's a cold crisp Sunday and everything is beautiful and wintery out. We are enjoying a lazy day around the house. Susan still wants to leave the Christmas decorations up for another week. I'm okay with that because it lends to my lazy Sunday. After the first of the year however, the Christmas lights need to be extinguished, lest the magic be dragged on into the new year and thereby diminished.

On Friday night I was going to pull out my cross country skis and tour the park. At about 6:30, I went out to my car to get my gloves and startled a Low Life Loser Bastidge trying to steal Susan's car. I heard something going on when I opened the door to go out and by the time I got to the driveway, the Low Life Loser Bastidge was high tailing it out of the area. I only saw his back so the only description I have is that he had a shaved head, wore an olive green colored coat, (it might have been something like an Army Jacket) and he could run really fast. I tried chasing him but in my cross country boots, I made it to the end of the driveway before I fell on my ass and the L.L.L.B. was already across the street and heading around the corner. Did I mention that he could run fast?

He had somehow unlocked the driver side door and was trying to pry the club off the steering wheel. There was no damage to the door so he got in with a master key or a slim jim or some such similar device.

I am a believer in Karma and so I know that this is going to come back and haunt this Effer. But I can't figure out what I have done in my past to merit Karma coming down on us in this way. Then again, if I sat down and really thought about it, I could come up with reasons.

The Low Life Loser Bastidge did a little damage to the steering wheel, peeling some of the rubber from around the rim. Susan went out and bought another steering wheel at the local wrecking yard yesterday so I am going to go out and try to figure out how to replace it.

In the meantime, this is the first of three days off. I am enjoying the time off immensely. There is football to watch and hot cider to drink and steering wheels to replace. I guess I had better get to it.

We GotZ Da Wint'a!

I grew up with a mother who always made it clear that there are certain thing you do not do in order to be thoughtful of your neighbors. It involves the 9:00 rule.

Basically, you do not do ANYTHING outside your house before 9:00 A.M. You do not show up at your best friends door on Saturday morning before 9:00 A.M. You do not call ANYONE on the phone before 9:00 A.M. You do not mow your lawn before 9:00 A.M..

And so, I felt guilt at 6:00 A.M. this morning when I fired up the snow blower to remove the night's droppings.

Ah, there she is. The Craftsman 26 inch Snow Devil Model 2400. Built just before the turn of the century, this machine offers the latest in 1999 snow removal technology. It comes to life with the push of a button with its electric starter. It has six forward speeds and two in reverse. The articulating swivel shoot allows for precise target delivery and placement of removed snow. I've added high performance spark plugs and a super high reflective 10,000 candle Halogen headlight to augment the quiet chaos the 5.0 H.P. Tecumseh engine can exact on the driveway.

I went all the way down the side walk on both sides of my corner. My next project is to figure out how to remove the snow while wearing my cross-country skis. I love this weather!

Back to the Real World

I got up at 5:00 A.M. to find that it had snowed about 3 inches over the night. It was snowing when we went to bed. The question I needed answered was how much.

Since it was still the crack of Oh-Dawn:30, I used my Super Shovel rather than break out the Snow Blower. That means I only did a rudimentary job of shoveling and I'll save the major clean up for tonight. Plus, it's still snowing so my area will require a good re-shoveling.

Now I'm at work and I have lots to do.

First, make coffee. Next, turn on all my equipment. After that, get a cup of coffee and then shovel the front walk a bit. It's still snowing as I mentioned so it won't do much good by the time everyone else starts showing up.

Then, delete the 500 junk e-mail messages I got over the past four days. Geez!!, there is a lot of crap out there. Is anyone really making money doing that?!

Well, after four fabulous Holiday filled days off, it's time to return to the Real World now.

Merry Christmas

It is just after four in the afternoon on what has been a great Christmas Day. We stayed in by ourselves, kept to ourselves and burned up former pieces of the house. Above you can see part of a post that was part of our wheel chair ramp.

Even though we have lived here for over three years, this is our first Christmas here at the house. We have always gone to Iowa to be with Susan's family. This year, we stayed put. I know Susan misses seeing her family but it was probably good that we stayed home considering the weather that has been pounding on the mid-west. Lots of ice storms, although I haven't heard any horror stories from Susan's sister.

We still have a dinner to eat at my sisters tonight and then it is back to the real world tomorrow. Fortunately, it's only for three days and then the weekend hits us again and more time off for New Years.

I like the concept of putting off reality as long as you can.

Christmas Eve

I came into work today to get a bit of a head start on my week. It's great being here when nobody else is. I bet I can get twice as much stuff accomplished as when there are people here.

I just wanted to post another Currier & Ives picture of the house. We had a great snow storm on Saturday that stopped just in time for a wonderful Winter Solstice Party. I wasn't sure many people were going to show up because of the slick conditions out. But we had a really good turn out.
A Winter Solstice Party involves standing around the fire and drinking your favorite beverages. My home brew was popular as was the Hot Buttered Rum.


Tonight we are going the the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist and then over to a Prime Rib dinner with family.


The moon is just past full tonight and it looks quite lovely as it lights up the Christmas Eve sky.


Here's hoping a Merry Christmas to all.

Random Thoughts

I've been having random thoughts here and there and I guess this is as good a place as any to share them.

The Holiday Season

It's coming down to the wire for the Christmas shopping and I still have lots of consuming to do. I have a good way of making my disorganization into a well organized mess. However, I am not stressed about it.

Susan...she's pretty organized. And she's pretty stressed. I'm not sure why but I imagine that part of it has to do with the fact that we are not going to Iowa this year for Christmas. It's the first time in a long time for her. Her family is steeped in Christmas Traditions and when a routine changes on you, like not being there, and you come from a family that is steeped in Christmas Traditions, I guess I can see some sadness and stress coming into play.

It's best for me to stay out of her way and do what she tells me. NOW!

The Inconvenience of Convenience

When I first got my car with the remote door lock feature, I thought I had found Nirvana. I was never good at locking my doors. In fact, I'm still not good at it. But this made it much easier to do. Plus, you have the cool short "doop-ta-doop" horn honk to let you AND EVERYONE ELSE AROUND know that you are cool . . . . . and secure.

Along with character defects like not locking doors when I should, I also drop keys. A lot! Consequently, the remote takes a lot of abuse. Now that the car is se7en years old, the cumulative abuse is taking its toll. I have had to break out the soldering iron more than once in the last few months.

My point is, on those occasions when the remotes doesn't work, I find it very annoying to have to go through the extra effort to take the key, insert it in the lock and MANUALLY unlock the car. It's a giant inconvenience to this previously orgasmic operation and I find it very stressful.

Stay out of my way, Susan!

Winter Solstice

Since we are home for Christmas, we decided to have a Solstice gathering. Well, I decided and told Susan about it. (Perhaps that is part of her stress)

Anyway, I wanted this to be a low key affair. I haven't told a lot of people and there were no invitations...just word of mouth. Saturday is a busy night for people so if we get light attendance, we don't care. We'll have homebrew and wine and some fires burning in the yard. We're not going crazy with food and snacks and stuff. At least , I don't think we are. Susan may have other plans. Those plans are stress dependant.

Tonight involvo's (intentional mis-spelling, no reason, just thought it was funny) cleaning the house to prepare for standing around fires burning in the yard.

This concludes my thoughts. I will now return to not thinking.

Carriage Ride

Sunday was the annual Corbin Park Carriage ride. This is the fourth one since we moved in and it was definitely the best one. The conditions were perfect. There was snow on the ground. It was cold but not too cold. Lots of houses were decorated for Christmas. The only issue Susan and I had was that nobody we invited showed up except for Good Ol' Reliable Mark.

Whether we had anybody show up or not...this was one of those nights that makes me glad I live here. It's a great neighborhood.

Here are a couple of pictures.

Even More Christmas Decorating

We are finally finished with the Christmas Decorating. Just in time too cuz now we gots ta get going on our Christmas Cards. We always do custom cards because it allows us to show off our creative side. Unfortunately, our procrastinating side often gets in the way of completing our cards in a timely fashion.
You can see how fabulous the living room looks with our eight foot tree and the festive electric train protecting it from cats. So far, the cats have not seemed too interested. Stay tuned to this blog for the earliest breaking developments when the cats do become interested.

The best thing about the tree is the smell. I love that rich natural scent of pine throughout the house. It smells just like one of those little pine tree car air fresheners...with needles.

Christmas Decorating Continues

Unless Global Warming kicks in BIG TIME in the next few days (which seems unlikely) we will have a nice snowy backdrop for the Annual Corbin Park Sleigh Ride this Sunday. Snow fell last night and more is expected today and tonight. It's more of a Carriage Ride than a Sleigh Ride. But Sleigh Ride sets the Christmasy Holiday theme.

I got up early this morning and did my neighborhood duty of clearing the sidewalks. It was too early (Dark:30 A.M.) for me feel comfortable about firing up the snow blower so I did the job with my Super Scoop shovel. It was a light fluffy snow so removing it was easy. And I can always use the exercise.

Christmas Decorating

Now that we are finished painting Holiday Windows we can concentrate on our house for some festive finery.

We received just a skiff of snow today. Not much but enough to make things look wintery. So here is a picture of the house all dressed up. It's nothing very fancy, but we like it. It looks especially classy from across the park.

Wishbone Protocol

Susan and I bought and cooked a turkey the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We went to my sister's for Turkey and had no turkey to enjoy for ourselves. We wanted to be able to enjoy our own turkey dinner, gravy, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and finally, our own wishbone.

After a suitable drying out period, we did the wishbone tradition. The question is, who wins with a wishbone as pictured above? Both sides broke in the same place. The only difference is that one side broke into two pieces.

We are in a quandry over this and don't know who gets his or her wish.

I havn't gone so far as to search the internet for official Wishbone Wishing Rules. I wonder if there is such a place.

Good News! There is such a place. I just googled "wishbone" and came across a site called Luckymojo.com. Here is an excerpt from it.

Once the merrythought (wishbone) is dry, it is given to two people (usually children), who pull it apart until it cracks and breaks, each one making a wish while doing so. The person who gets the "long half" of the wishbone will have his or her wish "come true." If the wishbone breaks evenly, both parties get their wishes. In some families it is said that the wish will only come true if it is not revelaed to anyone. (The belief that a wish must be kept secret to ensure its fulfillment also occurs in "first star" and birthday candle wishing rituals).

So, I am declaring that both Susan and I get our wish. I'm glad I was able to clear that up.

Victory Over Skywalks

We have reached our goal. The goal was to finish all the skywalks without dying. We are done...and we are not dead.

I find however, that I am a bit sad. It seems to me that I am just starting to hit my stride as far as painting these scenes go. The early ones were stiff and distorted. Last nights images went up smoothly and I really enjoyed the process and the results.

Here are the results.

It takes Susan about five minutes per snowflake, depending on how much detail she puts in. She has various styles of flakes that are all classified in her head. Cobweb, Outside Oval, and my favorite, the Offset Axis.

I did several of these rustic cabin landscape scenes but this one is one of my best. I managed to combine the rustic cabin with my pastoral Snow Framed River scene. I added the water wheel and turned the cabin into a Mill. I especially like the tree.

This is the first of my Sleigh Ride scenes were I included a woman sitting next to the man. You can see her head and bonnet next to the guys head. I have never been very good with female characters and so I have been reluctant to paint them. But, because I'm now hitting my stride, I decided to go for it. I may even ask her out. Don't tell Susan!

I am also not very good with animals but again, I am getting better. I really need to be drawing more and working on the house less. Yeah, like that's gonna happen

Anyway, here is a stag mixed into a lovely tree landscape. I think his snout is a little out of proportion. Fortunately, you don't have to be exact in this process. Once you put the antlers on his head, it becomes clear what it's supposed

to be. At least to me.

Susan was a little miffed at me because I took up some of her space with my ski pole. I HAD to do it. The scene lost all flow without it.

Again, this is one of my better depictions of skiers. It's clean, simple and it's clear what is.

Finally, I went with some Politically Incorrect humor with a Snow Hunter and Bear. I don't think anybody will have a problem with it but one never knows. It might scare little kids.

So, another season of window painting is behind us. We did end up getting another job which I'm going to start on tonight. It's a Wine Shop downtown and it won't take very long for us to get it done.

After that, I have some friends houses I'm going to do and then we will be able to get back to the house, and the bathroom. Remeber the bathroom?

One Skywalk to Go

We have been painting Christmas Windows for 12 days now and we have one skywalk left. We will be finished after tonight . . . maybe. It's possible we have a couple more to do, due to walk by traffic.

Susan got an early start last night and had two different people ask about having their places painted. One was a home and one was a business.

I'm going to check in with the business this afternoon and see what they want done. I drove past their store this morning and they have some pretty big windows. I guess we have to wait for the people with the home to call us.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from the City Hall Skywalk.

Okay, that's my stuff that I liked. Here is some of Susan's Snowflake work.

She really puts some detail into those snowflakes. And like the real ones, there are no two exactly alike. At least there are no two alike on any particular skywalk. There are similiar ones throughout the skywalks we have done and it's possible you could win $10,000.00 if you can find them.

Then again, it's possible you could win the Lottery too.