Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 112

Gophers 3, Lance 0 #15

First fully flowered treeDo you remember a movie call The Money Pit? I thought it was pretty funny. No, we didn't buy a money pit but we are finding out things we hadn't thought about or paid attention to before we put our name on the line. And of course, they cost money. Of which we have little.

First of all, we're city folk so yeah, we were ignorant about a few things. We lost electricity during the recent snow storm. Didn't think about losing water or toilets. Well, maybe Lance had thought about it, but we hadn't actually talked it out. Now the guys are looking at options such as hand pumps and generators. Chi-ching!

Same tree 48 hours laterThe inspection report said the windows opened roughly. Oh ha! Most of them didn't open at all. Nor did they lock shut. But since it took a 300 pound muscle guy to open them, the locking part was hardly a problem. After some investigation, Frank discovered they were all missing their guides and badly needed lubrication. A small chi-ching!

Field work suspended due to...snow?Now this last hidden expense was really hidden. After a couple of days, we managed to clear enough land to see we had gophers. They're the cutest little things that stick their heads up out of their holes and sing "na-na-na you can't catch me!" They're called pocket gophers. Lance and our house guest, Scott, have declared war. First they tried flushing them out with water. Useless. Then they bought a bunch of traps and followed the guy's instructions on how to set them. On four different holes, the gophers filled in the trapped hole with dirt and dug a new tunnel three inches from the trapped tunnel. A couple of days ago, Lance and Scott put bubble gum and juicy fruit gum down the holes. Some urban legend about the gophers eating the gum and croaking. So far it's gophers 3, Lance and Scott 0.

Hot Spots and Tumbleweeds #14

Debra and Christie in PrescottTook a break from the natural flow of the day with Debra and Christie. My sister came up from Phoenix, we explored a bit of Prescott and Chino Valley and she spent the night. When we mentioned to someone in Chino that we were checking out the sights he looked stumped - "in Chino?"

We've settled into a routine of sorts, for now anyway, until the land is ready to plant and all boxes are unpacked. The natural flow of the day might go like this:

5:30 am I wake up. I huddle under the covers and decide if I can doze off again or not. Usually not, so I get up, carry my computer to the kitchen island and make my coffee. I settle down to check email or write and watch the sun rise outside the window.

Lance working in the orchard6:00-6:30 am Lance joins me in the kitchen. We don't talk beyond good morning. No one talks to Lance when he first gets up. (side note here - I have a wonderful son but he's been a bear in the morning all his life) He makes his coffee (some sort of single shot manual drip system) and settles down at his computer in the office corner of the kitchen. He catches up on the news and social networks. The two pups, Gabby and Xena are with him.

7:00-7:30 am Frank rises, spends some time at his computer in a corner of the bedroom. Now I take my laptop back to my writing corner in our bedroom after letting Rusty outside. He doesn't get up until Frank gets up. Our house guest, Scott, arrives in the kitchen to make his coffee and then retreats back to his room to read for a bit.

7:30-8:00 am Christie arrives in the kitchen all smiles and giggles. This lady is the light of our household. She feeds Xena and Gabby while Frank or I feed Rusty. None of the dogs eat commercial dog food so it's quite a process!

Me finding blackberry bushes among the weedsAround 8:30, Lance and Scott head out to work in the gardens, clearing tumble weeds and unwanted grass.
I remain at my computer, Frank works on a photo project at his computer and Christie works on boxes or laundry or looking for a job.

By 11:00, Frank and I have joined Lance and Scott outside. Frank repairs irrigation lines or clears grass from the orchard or burns weeds. I've been working on removing dead wood from trees and blackberries.

Midday, we eat when and whatever we feel like and then back outside.

Around 3:00, Lance and I retreat inside - me to write on my book, Lance to write song lyrics for his upcoming show with his new band. Frank may or may not stay outside.

5:30-6:30 We settle on the patio, maybe have a drink and talk. Someone starts dinner - usually Christie, Frank or Scott but mostly Christie. Dogs get fed.

After dinner, we've gotten into watching the first season of 24. This is all new to Lance, Christie and Scott. And they're hooked.

Days vary with trips into Prescott or visits from family. Or if I'm busy with  promo - like last week with the blog tour. One day L & C sold their over sized van and then went to Cottonwood to buy another car. A couple of days, Christie and Scott went in search of jobs. And found them! They both start this week on Thursday. Scott is working in Prescott and Christie will be working at CD's Cattle Co. in Chino Valley.
Chino Valley's answer to the mall
Another Chino hot spot - seriously it was funChristie had a birthday. Scott baked a cake from scratch at Lance's request. Lance had intended on baking it but the day blew up with computer problems and equipment malfunctions in the field. Lance is our lead out there. We had a fun celebration once the sun went down and everyone chilled out.

Frank's computer is starting to die too. Christie's mom has a lead on a free one and we're hoping it comes through for the guys. Everyday we learn new ways to keep it simple.

Pickled Peaches and Frozen Coils #13

Lance & Christie move in. Yes, we still have the ramp.A quick mixed bag today. My week-long blog tour fell apart today when the blog site failed to post my promo for Honey On White Bread. So in the absence of interacting with readers, I'll comment on a few new happenings on the prairie. I'll be back on the promo trail tomorrow.

Frank power washing the house.
We needed a new thermostat. We got a programmable one and Frank installed it. He's installed these before - no problem. Well, yes, problem. There were two ways to wire it, and he chose the wrong way. I asked him why it sounded like a motor was running in the laundry room where the innards of the system are when the heater wasn't on. No idea. Took the cover off and I freaked. All the coils were iced over. I saw dollar signs of repair bills. He quickly shut it down and rewired it and I paced waiting to see the long term damage. I'm so reactionary. All turned out okay.

There's asparagus under there?Excitement!! Frank called the former owner to get the lowdown on this very unique irrigation and watering system stemming from the well. And found out we have way more fruit to come than we thought. We have apricot, peach, plum, fig, cherry and apple trees. And one of the peach trees is an Indian Purple Peach that is for pickling. Pickled purple peach - say that three times fast. Then we have Arkansas Fan Plum bushes - I don't know what the heck those are. And he said we have asparagus that will spring up and be ready for harvest by April if we get to watering. This one has us all doubtful.

The grapes are gone. We're supposed to have five grape vines. We have five holes. The guys said they can see vines at the house behind us. Lance was ready to go confront them but Frank prevailed.

Frank is now our irrigation man. Eventually, everyone will settle into their specialty.

It Had to Happen; A Few Bad Days #12

Not that the bad days had anything to do with the lifestyle change or prairie life, but still a dip in the up mood. Thursday morning I woke up after a fitful night, feeling like I'd been hit by a Mack truck. Swollen glands, headache, the whole bit. And Frank couldn't find his hearing aids. He has these super duper ones that the VA gave him because of his hearing disability. The hearing loss, caused by the Army not issuing earplugs at the rifle range, is significant. So we tore the house apart. For two days. It's now been several days and still no sign of them. Frank looked gray with worry for a few days.

My ickys passed by Saturday, but his hearing aids still remain lost. On Friday, he went to the VA in Prescott and they told him they'd replace them but he had to stand in line - expect them in about sixteen months! He called the doctor who tested him and prescribed them (not a VA doc), but he couldn't help. Monday, he'll call the VA in Minnesota where he got them and hopefully they'll have a better solution. Not like we can replace them at $5,000. I'm getting tired of repeating myself and listening to a very loud TV.

Last weekend, we went in search of an arts fair advertised in the local paper. It didn't exist. Probably canceled and no one bothered to change the announcement. Funny small town stuff. On our search, we rounded a corner with a cardboard box advertising a yard sale. I caught some writing on the inside flap - it was one of our boxes we donated to local U-haul. "Bren's Clothes"

Speaking of the local paper - it comes once a week. If we take the daily paper, we'd have to go out to the main highway. At least Rusty gets to collect the paper for us once a week. He loves his chores.

Our numbers are temporarily growing. Looks like we'll have two guests for a month or so. Lance's good friend is also moving to the area but hasn't got a job or a place to live yet. Scott will be moving in when Lance and Christie arrive to stay tomorrow. His cat, Debo has already arrived. Debo has been bunking in the garage since Christie is very allergic. Scott has been helping them move. He's a big, sweet, powerful guy, but he's kind of a bull in a china shop. First day, he's lugging in a mattress alone and knocked a picture off the wall and broke it. Next day, my door wreath met with his finesse. He'll be staying in L&C's half of the house.

Rusty's afraid of Debo. He wants to play, but when Debo romps toward him, Rusty runs for the house. Big tough watch dog? Not.

Next week should be a whirlwind: Lance and Christie arrive for good, two new temporary members and my Virtual Blog Tour to promote Honey On White Bread. There's a grand prize at the end of the week.

My coffee corner. I'll need a lot this next weekRight now, this minute, I'm more consumed with the tour. By the end of next week, I'll have a better idea of how our communal living will work. Fingers crossed.







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We're Not Here for a Long Time; We're Here for a Good Time #11

I ran across a plaque with that sentiment while unpacking. It was given to me by a close friend who died of cancer. She had such a great attitude that she changed and enriched me. It sits on my desk, clamped to my basket of pens and pencils (I still find need of those every once in a while), where it stays in my peripheral vision.

That state of mind is important when we have a dust/tumbleweed storm one day and a snowfall the next. Those two days together equal mud by noon on the second day. Snow doesn't seem to last long and the ground soaks it up. Frank came in sputtering that he didn't even step in the mud but had it caked on his shoes. It took me a full-size bath towel to get Rusty's paws de-mudded. Gee - I can't wait until there are 3 dogs running in and out.

Also a good state of mind to keep when the doctor bills from last October that insurance I had didn't cover come rolling in with pay up or else notes on them. There was one good one among them that offered to write it off if I filled out some paperwork. No guarantees but it could happen.

I seem to be walking differently. My jokes about being a prairie chick must have something to do with it. I've always had a little hitch in my saunter, more than likely due to the way I'm shaped. My derriere could give J-Lo's extensive backside a run for her money. I found myself kind of clomping like a farmer instead of swaying like Marilyn as I walked across the yard. Must be gazing out on the orchard and garden or the neighbors horses that does it. Just wait until I get my Ariats! These boots were made for walkin'!

Lance and Christie will be all moved in by the weekend. They've brought one load, two to go. I saw a post by him on Facebook telling some friends to stay tuned for the first barbecue. That sounds like fun. Hope we have grass in the yard by then. No, I won't even think about the mud factor.

I'm here for a good time for as long as I have.

We're Not Here for a Long Time; We're Here for a Good Time

I ran across a plaque with that sentiment while unpacking. It was given to me by a close friend who died of cancer. She had such a great attitude that she changed and enriched me. It sits on my desk, clamped to my basket of pens and pencils (I still find need of those every once in a while), where it stays in my peripheral vision.

That state of mind is important when we have a dust/tumbleweed storm one day and a snowfall the next. Those two days together equal mud by noon on the second day. Snow doesn't seem to last long and the ground soaks it up. Frank came in sputtering that he didn't even step in the mud but had it caked on his shoes. It took me a full-size bath towel to get Rusty's paws de-mudded. Gee - I can't wait until there are 3 dogs running in and out.

Also a good state of mind to keep when the doctor bills from last October that insurance I had didn't cover come rolling in with pay up or else notes on them. There was one good one among them that offered to write it off if I filled out some paperwork. No guarantees but it could happen.

I seem to be walking differently. My jokes about being a prairie chick must have something to do with it. I've always had a little hitch in my saunter, more than likely due to the way I'm shaped. My derriere could give J-Lo's extensive backside a run for her money. I found myself kind of clomping like a farmer instead of swaying like Marilyn as I walked across the yard. Must be gazing out on the orchard and garden or the neighbors horses that does it. Just wait until I get my Ariats! These boots were made for walkin'!

Lance and Christie will be all moved in by the weekend. They've brought one load, two to go. I saw a post by him on Facebook telling some friends to stay tuned for the first barbecue. That sounds like fun. Hope we have grass in the yard by then. No, I won't even think about the mud factor.

I'm here for a good time for as long as I have.

Nothing in the Bank But Love #10

If you read my first post in this moving to the prairie series, you'll remember I said we were retiring with nothing in the bank but love. (well Frank retired - I work hard at writing) Anyway, a bit more on that.

Health care cost is a huge consideration when anyone thinks of quitting their job for a different lifestyle, especially if you aren't old enough to get medicare. I've been told by quite a few people that they would love to retire or do something different but can't afford to because of their health insurance. This is how we are lucky: Frank has VA and I have Indian Health Care. This works much better for Frank than for me. His care is free due to his hearing disability. And it follows him everywhere, sort of like health insurance. There are quite a few VA facilities, but he can also be seen at any medical center, if needed. If we should be traveling and he gets sick, he can see any doctor. All he has to do is notify VA within a certain amount of time, and they will take care of the cost. This is not how it works for Indian Health Care. I don't have insurance or health care coverage. If I get sick and can't get to the Indian facilities in Camp Verde or Phoenix, I'm on my own. It's something I just have to deal with. We can't afford the $465 a month I was paying for major medical. That's the policy I had when I got melanoma last year. I still owe over $5,000 in doctor bills.

How to hide a hole in a door
I now pay attention to peak use hours for electricity. Lance intends on installing solar, but in the meantime I'm a clock watcher for clothes washing, dish washer time and bathing. This is pretty easy. We have to avoid high use of electricity from noon until 7 a.m. Pretty much a piece of cake. Turn off lights when they aren't necessary and have the thermostat on a program.

When I was a teenager, buying used clothing was very cool. Wannabee hippy that I was. I remember a suede jacket I bought for a few bucks that cost my mother a pretty penny to get cleaned. LOL I'm back to used item stores now for monetary reasons. We needed different bed frames for our beds. Okay, personal information here you may not need but hey, I promised in that first post to spill. Frank and I like to spread out when we sleep. He has a full size bed and I have a queen. Our bedroom is big enough to accommodate both but not with the old decorative frames. We needed plain metal frames. I found the most wonderful used furniture store in Chino Valley, Mary's Cozy Home Furnishings. We got two metal frames, a wood-framed mirror and a teak salad bowl for $100. I was thrilled. I'm hooked on used.

It's coming togetherAll the boxes are unpacked. Pictures are on the walls. Nic-nacs are heaped on every available surface. This move is different. We've had to buy a couple of semi-decorative things - needed curtains on the Arcadia door and wood blinds on the living room windows. But as far as shopping for those things that are the right color or size to decorate - not going to happen. Considering we've gone from a 2 1/2 story, 3 bedroom, 3 bath with separate living room and family room to one story, one bedroom, one bath and no family room (remember the rest of the house is Lance and Christie's area), you'd think there would be no problem finding just the right picture for that space. Right? Nah. Not for me. But my new motto is make it work. I'm not acquiring anymore "stuff". What doesn't work is left for Lance and Christie to go through and if they don't want, I'll see if any other family members do.

Love our kitchenThe next task is to get this place painted. All the walls are white and dirty and driving me nuts. But that will happen in due time. I need to write now. My romantic mystery has been stalled. I have a publisher appointment in April - eekkk!!! I intended to have this book done at the end of this month in order to get the editing done before the appointment. Not sure how I'm going to make this happen.

Leave you with a few random thoughts:
Does it seem a bit weird that the animal hospital is next door to the taxidermist in Chino Valley?
We can burn our paper trash out here - this is a new experience and oh so convenient.
The Paulden post office is open 9-noon and 1-4. Closed on Saturdays.
Remember the mirrors around my tub? I look better after I get out than when I get in - red skin vs pasty white.

Size Does Matter! Post #9

Too short, no mail!And the mail continues to be an issue. I find this pretty amusing. The first day we had our new mailbox up, we received one piece of paper in the box. It was a notice from the mailman. Our box is too short! Frank used an existing post (how nice of someone to leave it behind!) and mounted our box on it. But the mailman says all boxes must be the same height. We now have a post office box - at least for the next six months. Frank will wait for Lance to help him tackle burying a post at the right height.

We're taking all kinds of measures to cut costs. Living on a fixed income is a strange phrase - unless you're a salesman who receives varied amounts of commission or in a field where royalties are part of your income, aren't most people living on a fixed income? We've always been on a budget. For years, I've been able to tell you exactly how much we spent in any given month on food, gas, utilities, clothes, hair, fun and several other categories. The only difference is now we have much less to spend. The other difference is that Frank is taking a more active part.

Frank found the Safeway Store site. Safeway is the big grocery store in Chino Valley. He plans to do some price comparisons to see if it's worth the gas to drive into Prescott Valley to go to Fry's. Fry's is usually touted as the store with lower prices. The Safeway site lists all their specials and has coupons you can print off.

I've been paying attention to gas prices. This never concerned me before. A penny or two from one station to the next - who cared? Now I care. The best price I saw yesterday was $3.43 at the Safeway Store gas station. A few blocks down the road it was $3.68. Plus, both Safeway and Fry's give cents off their gas with each shopping trip.

Another cost issue is health insurance. Frank has the VA. They are wonderful! I dropped my insurance and am now taking advantage of my Native American heritage. This will save us about $500 a month.

I am a member of the Choctaw Nation. I'm actually Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee. But my great grandparents chose Choctaw for registration. Because I am a direct blood descendant of someone on the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory (commonly called the Dawes Commission Roll), I am eligible to receive medical care at the Indian Hospital in Phoenix. Between the years of 1898 and 1906, Indians that registered their families secured some benefits for their ancestors. Thank you, Great Grandpa and Grandma!

As I understand it, most doctors at the hospital are working off medical loans or are doing stints for other reasons. My first visit yesterday was with a dermatologist. I have to be seen every three months because of the melanoma I had removed last October in Minnesota. I learned a bit about him as well as how the system works. We had a rousing political discussion in regards to the state of health care and the political climate. There have been many cutbacks with the Indian health care system and there are rumored to be more. He doesn't have his own office, a nurse or a secretary. He typed all my info into the system as we talked. He skirted the normal appointment procedure to ensure I get my visit in three month. I liked him (even if we are not politically aligned). He's in his thirties and I breathed easier when he told me he has another three years at the hospital. My mother has a friend who's only medical care is at the Indian hospital and she has nothing but positive words. Here's hoping my experiences with clinic care will be as good.
On the way to Flagstaff
We celebrated Lance's birthday by taking him and Christie to dinner in Flagstaff. We joked it would probably be the last time at the Outback but it may be more truth than joke. Had a great time as always. Looking forward to their move here next month. Maybe we'll be adapted to our new surroundings just in time to get adapted to sharing the space!

Took Off My Watch and Found...Post #8

Frank's watch broke the day he retired. He considered it a sign and isn't buying a new one. I've never known Frank without a watch - not even taking it off when he slept. I love the attitude but being a writer I have deadlines, I told him. Then I thought about it. If he's not in tune to time, then my preferred schedule of writing, which is anytime, won't conflict with him. This could work. Last night I said I'd cook him his special retirement dinner (stalled because of the move) this weekend. He gave me such a blank look - why wait for a weekend? He had a good point.

A dusting remainsWe got snow last night. I'm so glad we'll get a little here. I'd miss not seeing the flakes fall from the sky now and then. On my way to the post office, I watched it come in over the mountains - low hanging clouds kissed the tops of the peaks leaving them white.
Last night the snow came
Speaking of the post office, I let them know our box was up and took the hold off. We've lived in two countries, six states and twenty-six homes and never had to put up our own mailbox. This was Frank's observation since he's the one that took on the task.

I read something funny yesterday. There is a virus people get when they buy a new home - they go partially blind. This accounts for not seeing all of the spots on the carpet, not realizing the cabinets were only faced with oak and thinking we'd have plenty of cupboard space. Lance and Christie have yet to move in with their stuff and I'm not sure where it will all go. But then Lance and Christie are not collectors of "stuff" so maybe we'll be okay. Lance has the mindset I possessed while pregnant with him and I lost for several years. I'm getting back to that belief. We're still dumping "stuff" as we unpack. And I'm waiting to see what other things I missed during my viral blindness.
The view on the way to Jerome Frank and Rusty on the patio of a cafe Bruce on the road overlooking the road belowWhile Bruce was with us, we decided to take one day and not unpack. He'd been so helpful and so nice to drive out here with Frank, he deserved a break. Plus he figured out how to use a curtain rod that I'd bought the wrong size. We drove up to Jerome. He was rightfully awed. And I'm thrilled it's so close. Didn't realize how close it is. Jerome is an old mining town; an inhabited ghost town built on the side of the mountain. The road up is switchback heaven and kind of scary. Bruce is now determined to come out, with Beth, in a few months with his motorcycle. We'll do a ride and go up the scary side one more time. Frank and I did it a few years ago. Fun but a bit scary.
Ate at the Mile High Grill Short cut between streets
In the ongoing effort to cut expenses and live on Social Security, we cut our cell minutes. We had to switch to Verizon because they are the only ones with reception out here. Sprint was going to hit me with a $120 contract cancellation fee but after a lengthy "discussion" and a transfer into accounting, they determined if I could fax them a copy of my driver's license to prove I really had moved to an area without coverage, they would wave the penalty. Then after nearly two hours at the Verizon office in Prescott Valley (the office in Chino is too small to handle the switch over), we had cell coverage again. Only I can't figure out how to work the phone yet. So...we're down to 450 minutes between us but we have a land line again with unlimited long distance. Grouping the cell, land line, Internet and satellite TV under Century, we save money and pay less than before. AND I'm really happy to know that our two close couple-friends in MN and my longtime friend in NM all have Verizon so we can talk and talk - that is if I were a phone person, which I'm not but at least if they call me I won't get nervous over using the minutes.

Today I make the trip down to Phoenix to go to the Indian Hospital. I dropped my medical insurance because of the exorbitant cost, but thank goodness I'm American Indian. I'll explain in another post.

I Don't Want to Watch Me Take a Bath! Post #7

Rusty was very happy to see FrankOver a week but I'm connected again. Frank is already complaining about the slowness of our "high speed" connection. I'm just happy it's as fast as it is out here in the boonies. Sorry, Pauldenites, but that's what it feels like. And I'm okay with that - in fact, I'm more than okay with the boonies. I started to say I'm lovin' it but I'm really sick of that McD commercial.

Rusty jumped higher than I did when we saw the U-haul chugging up our dirt road trailing a wagging tail of dust behind it. Bruce, in the little Chevy, followed in its wake making his own dust trail. Both guys looked a bit haggard.

Rusty finds unpacking very boringBut not too haggard to get cleaned up and find a bar with the Super Bowl on the TV. We headed toward Chino Valley. The first bar sits all alone with a sign out front that never comes down - "live music tonight" and a smaller sign that says "bikers welcome". We passed it by thinking maybe no game would be on and we'd save it for a stop when we were on the cycle. I'd seen the sign announcing the Super Bowl and drink specials at a bar called The Log Cabin in Chino proper. I'm not much of a football fan but I tagged along thinking it would be good to sit in a bar full of fans, have a beer and check out the locals.

I wish I could post some pictures. I forgot my camera but took some pics on my phone. Trouble is we traded in our Sprint phones for Verizon before I took the pictures off.  I'll try to paint the picture:
Cute bar that has seen its better days. On the mirror behind the bar, a couple of house drink specials were listed - one of which was
"F--- you juice $4.50". That should help with the feel of the place! Fifty something bar maid, dressed like a teenager, long black hair and friendly as hell with a voice that reflected too many cigarettes and too much whiskey. A grey-mustached, ball cap wearing guy with thin legs and a round belly who hung on the edge of the bar, behind it so that you might think he owned the place but couldn't tell for sure. A really old, fat, half-lit codger sitting at the bar who used the F word as an adjective in every sentence. A nondescript couple who came in late. A young, skinny guy who sat at the first stool as you walked in the door. A stool away from him, a man in his thirties who either stared in his beer or at the TV screen. Not much of a crowd. So much for mingling with the locals. The waitress brought us popcorn and the drinks were cheap. Retired people like cheap. She also promised chili dogs when the chili was hot. Frank had one, Bruce and I passed. Frank said the only good thing about them - they were free.

Frank hasn't found his 'Cheers' yet. Not sure where the Super Bowl crowd hung out but we didn't find that either.

A Mexican man carrying tamales came in with a big smile on his face and very little English in his vocab. Maybe-an-owner-guy took several bags and told us these were the best tamales anywhere. I bought a bag. They were still hot and steaming. $13 a dozen. We had some of them a day later and oh my! He wasn't kidding.

KitchenLance and crew arrived the next day only a half hour later than expected - the expected arrival time was an hour later than he told us. He brought a big burly guy that made him look small (and he's not) and a wiry little guy that could lift a lot. Frank said it would take four hours to unload and it took two. Good thing because Lance was ill but wouldn't stop. We filled the entire house with boxes, including Lance and Christie's half of the house. Lance's comment - Mom! I thought you said you downsized.

A few parting comments for today:

One week off the Internet equals 93 emails on my personal address and 247 on my business address.
Unpacking a thousand boxes takes twice as long now as it did fifteen years ago.
Will I ever have nails again?
Mirrors should not surround your tub if you're over forty.