Weblog 292
September 18, 2011~ 12:00 am
Two good things-- the weather has become fall-like with chilly nights in the 40's and days in the 60's, and my heavy load at work, including a marathon this past week performing two job functions, has finally come to a close. I've reached the finish line. Yippie!!
I broke through the ribbon! And next week, though facing a pile of work still waiting, it'll only be my own stack, and therefore enjoyable to dig into with gusto. It sometimes happens that all the snarled-up business comes at the very same time. And..... we had a billing program computer update that shut down the system for a whole day, not the 2 to 3 hours promised, and an unusual situation at work which prompted a look at an entire year of appointments, all of this coinciding with our closing for the previous month. Then I filled in for a co-worker on vacation. (Chalk up 21 1/2 hours of overtime in the last 3 weeks. LOL!!) I'm glad that 3 week mad dash is OVER.
No movies Saturday evening. Wayne wasn't feeling well, and frankly, I'm still recuperating the constant barrage of extra assignments. What was really NEAT though, was having Holly and Gary and the grandkids bring my mother's vanity to my house on Friday. Kay had it in her bedroom after we moved mum to Assisted Living 2 years ago, but she needed the space for a new desk in her room. (Kay's very much the 'school girl' now!) So I now have a much beloved piece of my childhood home and memories.... but it's not in my bedroom. No. That would be too conventional. LOL!!! It's in my LIVING ROOM.
Wayne thinks it looks like a 'time portal' (and I keep wishing I'd see a glimpse of my dad, smiling and waving out at me.) Maybe I have. Did you notice the orb in the picture?
It's truly lovely. It's an early 1940's Art Deco solid walnut 'Waterfall' design, and I found a round brass seal inside the top drawer that says, "Tri-Bond III Furniture". I know mum worked as a salesgirl at the 'Joseph Hornes' department store and paid for it in installments so she could have a bedroom suite for her first apartment as a married lady. Here it is in a closer view.
That top right side drawer is where the I found the seal. (Can't believe I never saw that before) especially since it was my FAVORITE drawer as a little kid. We called it the 'glove drawer'. (Back then, women and girls all wore white cotton gloves when dressed-up or going to church.) It has two sliding panels, maybe to help keep dust out, I don't know, but I loved sliding those back and forth like abacus beads when I was little.
Isn't it funny the things you remember so VIVIDLY as the memories come shooting back when you're living with some inanimate object from your past?
Mum is still using the bed, as well as the standing wardrobe with 5 side drawers and a vertical closet on one side. I don't know whatever happened to the little bench that came with the vanity table. I remember it, but it's gone with the wind now-- no recollection of its disappearing at some point over the years.
Of course, when I told my mother I had the vanity, she said, "Where did you put it?" When I told her my living room, she was HORRIFIED. "Nooooooo, doll! That's not for the living room." "It is in this house," I told her, laughing. My place is anything but about 'rules', and I like it right where it is.
Topping off our evening after Gary and Holly carried the vanity down my rickety, uneven railroad tie steps, and after Gary re-attached the big round mirror to it, I'd made reservations at our favorite local restaurant for the six of us, so off we went. Yes, we ate at
and for Bill and Kay, it was a new experience. Kay seemed a bit cowed and subdued, but Bill was openly uncomfortable. Sitting next to me, he said, "I don't know about this fine dining. Dad said I have to sit up really straight." (Bill wanted to make it home for a wrestling show on TV he was going to watch at a friend's house, and therefore, was very concerned about the time.)
The children's menu featured root beer or Sprite. Bill ordered root beer but they were out of it. "I don't like Sprite," he said. Then, in a heartbeat, "Well, Ok then, Sprite," he said to the waitress. And wonder of wonders, he ended up loving it.
He told me he thought he'd have fish, "but they only have SCROD!" he said with dismay. "Their fish is really good here, Bill," I said. His mom chimed in, "Bill, they have shrimp and french fries." (Yes..... Bill ordered that) -and ATE EVERY BITE. And had a second cup of Sprite and suddenly was talking my ear off. Kay ate EVERY MORSEL of breaded chicken and french fries, her eyes dancing everytime I turned to her on my right and said, "HOLY MOLY! Kay's eating everything! I think she'll eat the plate!"
Conversation took some strange loops, as it always does with Bill. "Grandma, your voice sounds...... kind of......Indian to me." That made me howl. Then, very seriously, "I don't think I'm ever getting married because you never know if the person's a MURDERER." LOL!!! The topic switched (who knows how) to my aunt, who'd had her own wake while still alive because she wanted to enjoy it. "Is she alive now?" "No Bill. She died." "What did she die of?" he asked, worried. "A brain tumor, Bill." He looked at me with big-eyed horror-- "OH, DON'T TELL ME THAT! NOW I WON'T SLEEP TONIGHT!" he shrieked. God, that kid makes me laugh.
Even his 'witching hour' with wrestling was forgotten as Kay and Bill took turns 'posing' in the alcove archways in front of Calabria's. (I'd told them it was neat to stand in there and play statue once it gets dark, the light shining right down on your head.) So they did. And posed and giggled... giggled and posed.
I got two great goodnight kisses from each of them, then and off we went in our separate cars. A lovely evening on Friday. The grandkids first adventure...... in 'FINE DINING'. LOL!! Some days, it all makes beautiful sense.
September 19, 2011~ 5:15 pm
Yeah! One workday under my belt, and doing ONLY my own stuff! (Yes, I'm behind, but that'll straighten itself out.) Now I have the time and the energy to do dumb stuff.... (like Google my name and see what Russian polecats have nabbed it and inserted it into ridiculous link dumps that make no sense at all. LOL!!) I believe I've come across the silliest ones today; they made me laugh out loud. Ok... here goes.
There 'ya go! Whatever the heck a 'Mancesca toilet' is..... I'm somehow represented. LOL!!! (Of course, 'sociopath' I completely understand.)
Now..... for all the gals who just LOVE seeing far-out costumes
CLICK on that adorable old-fashioned cutie, and you'll be dazzled (and at times amused) by the stunning get-ups worn by this year's MISS UNIVERSE contestants strutting their stuff in their national costumes. (I LOVE things like that!)
And next-- here's something to truly leave you dumbstruck. After 500 years, the first fully hand-illustrated version of the St. John's Bible
commissioned by the Benedictine Monastery, utilizing modern art concepts with the ancient art of illumination.) It's fabulous. Simply fabulous. Enjoy!
P.S.~I also got a peek at Kay's Halloween costume! (But I'll save that for closer to the spookable holiday itself, but oh my! --she looks grand!).
September 21, 2011~ 5:45 am
If you had to choose only one online article today, I'd say pick this one, a brilliant opinion piece by Maureen Dowd.
Every thought is a rapier, and each one hits its mark.
(Yes, I know, I know.... it's from the New York Times, and I have a problem with their setting limits on the number of clicks before you are forced to pay) but I'm able to read it from a local link in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which also features one of my favorite opinion writers, Tony Norman. (I have a feeling those two would like each other. A lot.)
September 23, 2011~ 4:22 pm
I'm caught up!!!!
~~~(SHE PASSES OUT)~~~
Work will now return to NORMAL..... and it's the WEEKEND..... (and fall crept in on tippy-toes a little after 4:00 a.m. this morning, and I was there to greet it.....arms held wide.)
***
(Return To Weekly Archives)
Two good things-- the weather has become fall-like with chilly nights in the 40's and days in the 60's, and my heavy load at work, including a marathon this past week performing two job functions, has finally come to a close. I've reached the finish line. Yippie!!
I broke through the ribbon! And next week, though facing a pile of work still waiting, it'll only be my own stack, and therefore enjoyable to dig into with gusto. It sometimes happens that all the snarled-up business comes at the very same time. And..... we had a billing program computer update that shut down the system for a whole day, not the 2 to 3 hours promised, and an unusual situation at work which prompted a look at an entire year of appointments, all of this coinciding with our closing for the previous month. Then I filled in for a co-worker on vacation. (Chalk up 21 1/2 hours of overtime in the last 3 weeks. LOL!!) I'm glad that 3 week mad dash is OVER.
No movies Saturday evening. Wayne wasn't feeling well, and frankly, I'm still recuperating the constant barrage of extra assignments. What was really NEAT though, was having Holly and Gary and the grandkids bring my mother's vanity to my house on Friday. Kay had it in her bedroom after we moved mum to Assisted Living 2 years ago, but she needed the space for a new desk in her room. (Kay's very much the 'school girl' now!) So I now have a much beloved piece of my childhood home and memories.... but it's not in my bedroom. No. That would be too conventional. LOL!!! It's in my LIVING ROOM.
Wayne thinks it looks like a 'time portal' (and I keep wishing I'd see a glimpse of my dad, smiling and waving out at me.) Maybe I have. Did you notice the orb in the picture?
It's truly lovely. It's an early 1940's Art Deco solid walnut 'Waterfall' design, and I found a round brass seal inside the top drawer that says, "Tri-Bond III Furniture". I know mum worked as a salesgirl at the 'Joseph Hornes' department store and paid for it in installments so she could have a bedroom suite for her first apartment as a married lady. Here it is in a closer view.
That top right side drawer is where the I found the seal. (Can't believe I never saw that before) especially since it was my FAVORITE drawer as a little kid. We called it the 'glove drawer'. (Back then, women and girls all wore white cotton gloves when dressed-up or going to church.) It has two sliding panels, maybe to help keep dust out, I don't know, but I loved sliding those back and forth like abacus beads when I was little.
Isn't it funny the things you remember so VIVIDLY as the memories come shooting back when you're living with some inanimate object from your past?
Mum is still using the bed, as well as the standing wardrobe with 5 side drawers and a vertical closet on one side. I don't know whatever happened to the little bench that came with the vanity table. I remember it, but it's gone with the wind now-- no recollection of its disappearing at some point over the years.
Of course, when I told my mother I had the vanity, she said, "Where did you put it?" When I told her my living room, she was HORRIFIED. "Nooooooo, doll! That's not for the living room." "It is in this house," I told her, laughing. My place is anything but about 'rules', and I like it right where it is.
Topping off our evening after Gary and Holly carried the vanity down my rickety, uneven railroad tie steps, and after Gary re-attached the big round mirror to it, I'd made reservations at our favorite local restaurant for the six of us, so off we went. Yes, we ate at
and for Bill and Kay, it was a new experience. Kay seemed a bit cowed and subdued, but Bill was openly uncomfortable. Sitting next to me, he said, "I don't know about this fine dining. Dad said I have to sit up really straight." (Bill wanted to make it home for a wrestling show on TV he was going to watch at a friend's house, and therefore, was very concerned about the time.)
The children's menu featured root beer or Sprite. Bill ordered root beer but they were out of it. "I don't like Sprite," he said. Then, in a heartbeat, "Well, Ok then, Sprite," he said to the waitress. And wonder of wonders, he ended up loving it.
He told me he thought he'd have fish, "but they only have SCROD!" he said with dismay. "Their fish is really good here, Bill," I said. His mom chimed in, "Bill, they have shrimp and french fries." (Yes..... Bill ordered that) -and ATE EVERY BITE. And had a second cup of Sprite and suddenly was talking my ear off. Kay ate EVERY MORSEL of breaded chicken and french fries, her eyes dancing everytime I turned to her on my right and said, "HOLY MOLY! Kay's eating everything! I think she'll eat the plate!"
Conversation took some strange loops, as it always does with Bill. "Grandma, your voice sounds...... kind of......Indian to me." That made me howl. Then, very seriously, "I don't think I'm ever getting married because you never know if the person's a MURDERER." LOL!!! The topic switched (who knows how) to my aunt, who'd had her own wake while still alive because she wanted to enjoy it. "Is she alive now?" "No Bill. She died." "What did she die of?" he asked, worried. "A brain tumor, Bill." He looked at me with big-eyed horror-- "OH, DON'T TELL ME THAT! NOW I WON'T SLEEP TONIGHT!" he shrieked. God, that kid makes me laugh.
Even his 'witching hour' with wrestling was forgotten as Kay and Bill took turns 'posing' in the alcove archways in front of Calabria's. (I'd told them it was neat to stand in there and play statue once it gets dark, the light shining right down on your head.) So they did. And posed and giggled... giggled and posed.
I got two great goodnight kisses from each of them, then and off we went in our separate cars. A lovely evening on Friday. The grandkids first adventure...... in 'FINE DINING'. LOL!! Some days, it all makes beautiful sense.
September 19, 2011~ 5:15 pm
Yeah! One workday under my belt, and doing ONLY my own stuff! (Yes, I'm behind, but that'll straighten itself out.) Now I have the time and the energy to do dumb stuff.... (like Google my name and see what Russian polecats have nabbed it and inserted it into ridiculous link dumps that make no sense at all. LOL!!) I believe I've come across the silliest ones today; they made me laugh out loud. Ok... here goes.
Karen corcoran dabkowski, Decorative bottle with pickled vegetables Mancesa toilets
Karen corcoran dabkowski, Sociopath sonoma Legit celebi code
There 'ya go! Whatever the heck a 'Mancesca toilet' is..... I'm somehow represented. LOL!!! (Of course, 'sociopath' I completely understand.)
Now..... for all the gals who just LOVE seeing far-out costumes
CLICK on that adorable old-fashioned cutie, and you'll be dazzled (and at times amused) by the stunning get-ups worn by this year's MISS UNIVERSE contestants strutting their stuff in their national costumes. (I LOVE things like that!)
And next-- here's something to truly leave you dumbstruck. After 500 years, the first fully hand-illustrated version of the St. John's Bible
commissioned by the Benedictine Monastery, utilizing modern art concepts with the ancient art of illumination.) It's fabulous. Simply fabulous. Enjoy!
P.S.~I also got a peek at Kay's Halloween costume! (But I'll save that for closer to the spookable holiday itself, but oh my! --she looks grand!).
September 21, 2011~ 5:45 am
If you had to choose only one online article today, I'd say pick this one, a brilliant opinion piece by Maureen Dowd.
Every thought is a rapier, and each one hits its mark.
(Yes, I know, I know.... it's from the New York Times, and I have a problem with their setting limits on the number of clicks before you are forced to pay) but I'm able to read it from a local link in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which also features one of my favorite opinion writers, Tony Norman. (I have a feeling those two would like each other. A lot.)
September 23, 2011~ 4:22 pm
I'm caught up!!!!
Work will now return to NORMAL..... and it's the WEEKEND..... (and fall crept in on tippy-toes a little after 4:00 a.m. this morning, and I was there to greet it.....arms held wide.)
(Return To Weekly Archives)
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