The Cleaning Continues, Kind of...

I was running around the barn looking for an orange popsicle for Nanny while she was out in the field on the tractor talking to the neighbor...or at least that is what I was doing before I woke up this morning. I am always busy in my dreams; it apparently carries over into my conscious state as well. 

I had grand intentions of clearing out the spare bedroom which is the current holding place for all the leftover Christmas wrap, bows, boxes, and who knows what else. Since it is across the hall from Robert's room, it is also his drop spot for anything he doesn't want in his room but doesn't necessarily want to toss. The guest room has turned into a holding pen. You would think this would defeat the purpose of it being a guest room, but apparently we have fearless friends as they all have emerged alive and unscathed to date.

Good intentions are just that intentions, they don't necessarily become reality. After spending the morning sorting and paying bills and checking on a much needed furniture delivery tomorrow, Robert decided to put together his DVD stand in the living room since the guest room wasn't an option. Consider the fact that I have a penchant for very large furniture; therefore, there is not a lot of free floor space in the living room. We spent an amusing hour climbing over furniture while watching Home Improvement (Tim the Toolman Taylor - how ironic), constructing, and cooking tacos for lunch. 

By this time Mama checked in and gave an update on the new handheld phone situation - all was well until I asked if Pop wanted a spare bookcase and she proceeded to holler through the house to ask him, then put the phone down to go find him...??? When she returned out of breath I asked why she hadn't called on the portable phone and she replied, "oh, we don't want to run the batteries down on them." I love my parents! 

Needless to say, the guest room never did get cleared out today - I'll think about that tomorrow. I did manage to make two batches of peanut butter cups while watching American Gangster tonight. No orange popsicles but I am rather curious of what the combination of peanut butter, chocolate, murder, and drugs will do to influence my dreams tonight.

Until tomorrow,

Robin Sue

Skin Creme, House Purging, and Electronics...All in One Day

I awoke at 4:30 am for no apparent reason other than my body decided it didn't want to be comatose anymore. Not particularly wanting to get up quite yet, I grabbed the copy of Vanity Fair that was still in the bed next to me (along side my cell phone, a book, and yesterday's newspaper) and decided to read a few pages. 

Being one of those folks that has really sensitive skin, I was enticed by the ad with the free sample of Comfort on Call - allergy tested relief cream by Clinique to "lift here" and apply the sample to the inside of my right arm. I used this as my litmus test as to how the rest of the day was going to unfold. Option 1 - had the inside of my arm turned bright red, started to itch uncontrollably, and caused me to frantically jump from bed in order to violently scrub the offending product off my arm, this would mean I might want to consider staying in my room with the door locked all day. Option 2 - the cream would feel nice and silky on my arm and not render it useless for the rest of the day. I am happy to report that as of 6:30 am I was arising to Option 2 - it was going to be a good day.

We are in the midst of purging the apartment of all unwanted and unnecessary "stuff" which has been put off for one reason or another since Robert and I moved in almost two years ago. Today was kitchen day, which might sound like a small undertaking considering it is an apartment, but you have no idea exactly how much kitchen stuff we have. Let's start with dishes - my china set alone has 36 tea cups and matching saucers, 45 dinner plates, 4 sugar bowls, 6 creamers, 3 gravy boats, and an assortment of salad plates, dessert plates, serving bowls and platters, and things that I am not even sure what you do with much less what you would serve on them. That's one cabinet. 

I worked for Nabisco for several years so there is the cabinet that houses the collector tins, soup tureen (and matching bowls, ladle, salt & pepper shakers, and spoon rest) and various other promotional items. The next cabinet houses the crystal glassware, stemware, mugs, margarita glasses... (I was a Princess House crystal home sales rep for a bit). Then there is the cabinet that has the flower vases, random coffee mugs (you know the ones folks give you as gag gifts that have two handles and say "hangover mug"), beer mugs collected from various establishments, water bottles (including the one with the squirrel fur cover and id pouch which I highly recommend everyone have), and jelly glasses.

I won't get into the contents of all the cabinets, but I think you get the idea. This doesn't even begin to detail the appliances, baking pans/tins, cookie cutters, etc. Several hours and four bags of Goodwill finery later, the kitchen had been conquered - well, I still have the cookbooks to weed through but that's for another day. 

After lunch I ventured over to my parent's house to install all the new electronic gadgets they received for Christmas. My Mama was in a frenzy when I arrived. They had asked for and received a large digital clock which could be easily read across the room at night. Apparently the clock was so bright "they might as well have been sleeping with all the lights on in the house." Plus, there was something drastically wrong with it because it said 12:00 over top of the actual time, and try as they may, they could not get the 12:00 to disappear. It was just a disaster and she wished they had never asked for it. 

Upon closer inspection the 12:00 situation was rectified by peeling off the plastic scratch guard protector on the display as I laughed hysterically - probably not the best response at the time. However, I am happy to report that the clock has moved up on the gift scale as being a "keeper" now. 

This was followed by setting up the new answering machine (yes, answering machine), four portable phones, and a conducting a quick lesson in how to use. The final installation was the converter box for the television. My parents don't have cable, don't want cable, don't want to talk about cable, the end. Whomever thought that older folks like my parents were going to be able to "plug and play" the new converter boxes in a matter of minutes should be shot. Not only does it require a special set of rabbit ears (aka antenna for those of you unfamilar with pre-cable tv) but depending on the model tv, you need an extra cable which is not included...they weren't impressed and I have a shopping mission on the list for tomorrow.

I am now beginning to notice a slight redness on my arm where I applied the "allergy tested relief cream" and have concluded that the delayed results of the litmus test have declared today as actually an Option 1 day...

Tally Ho,

Robin Sue