Yay! for Ramblings

11 pairs of jeans
6 gloves
1 backpack
1 pair of jean shorts
3 shammi cleaning cloths
and room for the girls' denim jackets, even though I didn't include them.

That was what was in the first load of laundry in our new washing machine, and even though we had a pretty big top loader before, there's no way I could have fit that many clothes in one load before. I'm in shock at how much I can wash at once, and I'm thrilled! It's already cut the time I've spent in the laundry room down drastically, and we just got the machines on Saturday. I think I'm finally going to be able to get caught up and stay caught up on my laundry now. 

Yay!

Because the new washing machine is a front loader, it uses much less water, so our water bill will go down. But the best part is that because it uses so much less water, there is less water to drain out of the tub, which  means there is less water going down the drain. I know you're wondering how long it took me to realize all that, but I really was getting to a point. The fact that there is less water being drained out means that the overflowing drainage pipe behind the washing machine should be a thing of the past!

Double Yay!

I'm still walking on the treadmill. Haven't missed a day. Started Week 7 on Saturday. The first week, I pushed myself hard and was able to complete a total of 1 hour 46 minutes. It was so hard. My fibro flared non-stop, and there were many times I wanted to give up and skip it, but I am important enough to do it for me. So I kept on keepin' on. I just ended the 6th week on Friday. I'd done 6 hours 40 minutes and 9.3 miles total. I'm going to do my best to do no less than an hour a day from now on. I'll keep it at an hour for a couple of weeks before adding anymore time, but I'll be trying to increase the mileage each week. 

So. Yeah. I'm happy about that. 

Yay! Again.

I've been feeling my age, though. Got my first pair of bifocals almost 2 weeks ago. They're going back today, and I'm going to get a single vision lens. I can't handle them. Every time I wear them, I end up with a horrible headache and a watering eye that drips down my face, not to mention the nausea. I'm thinking that progressive bifocals are just not for me. I may try lined bifocals at some point in the future, but for now, I think I'll just get a pair of reading glasses to use in conjunction with my regular glasses. 

The lack of nausea, headaches and drippy eyes will be yet another yay!

Never finished cutting the trees down in the backyard, but I can't breathe around the molds, mildews and pollens that rear their ugly heads this time of year. I don't know when it will happen, but we will get them done. 

I got the tomatoes all prepped to freeze and then forgot them in the fridge when everyone was sick. They had to go in the compost bin. But I did get the apples all processed and ended up with 10 pints+ of yummy goodness for my effort. We'll be enjoying them for awhile.

Yay!

And besides it being the time for turkeys and holiday celebrations and such, it's the perfect time for homemade soups. It seems like every year I forget how good homemade soup is, and I get to experience the yumminess anew every Fall. We enjoyed our first homemade soup last week, and it was, well, yummy.

Yay!


I also just hung up the phone. Someone is interested in the bunk beds I've had up on Craigslist for a few weeks. It will be so nice to have the room they're taking up in the garage!

Um. Yay!

And I'm done rambling for now, but I'll be back.

Yay!

A little of this. A little of that.

I've been a bit out of sorts lately, but I think I'm back on track.


My Christmas gift has been in the shop for 3 of the last 4 weeks. I finally got it back last week. The Hubster was a bit frustrated that they didn't fix my netbook the first time it went in (when they replaced the hard drive), but he's glad they fixed the touch pad, and I have it back. It means he gets to use his again whenever he wants, since I used it while mine wasn't available. I'm really glad to have my computer back and in good working order again. And I'm superdeeduperdee thankful that Bugster figured out the password for the network, so we didn't have to reset it, and I can access the internet again!


Bugster, Bubster, Hopper, Scooter and Frank surprised us with a gorgeous arrangement of 25 roses that Bugster made for us for our 25th wedding anniversary. She did an amazing job, and they are still gorgeous a week later! Then Bugster and Bubster came over to our house and hung out with Hopper and Scooter, so we could go celebrate.
                            



We spent the day enjoying one another's company and got some much needed alone time. We did a little shopping, went out to eat at a Greek restaurant that was out of this world, and went to the movies. But our favorite part of the day was spent at a paint-your-own pottery place where the customer paints the piece, and the shop fires it for you. We've gone to this little place a few times over the years for our anniversary, and I have to say it's one of my favorite ways to spend time with Hubster. There's no stress, pleasant conversation, and one on one time with my favorite guy. It's a win-win all the way around.


We didn't get to the shop in time to finish the painting in one sitting, so we'll get to go back and spend some more time together at some point in the upcoming weeks. We're very much looking forward to having that time together and seeing our finished creations. I'm definitely looking forward to finishing our mugs and picture frame, but I'm most looking forward to seeing the necklace Hubster makes after the beads he painted have been fired!


We did a lot of sitting the day we went out, and my back has bothered me ever since. I've been having problems with nerve pain in my legs and feet again lately. It happens when I'm in the middle of a fibro flare, and one started up a couple of weeks ago for me. I took a medicine I'd been prescribed quite some time ago, and it took care of the neuropathy pain within an hour. I felt so much better, but the pain started up again the next day, so I tried it again with good results. However, the third day when I took it, I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach, and I couldn't seem to stay awake for the next 2 days. If I sat down, I dozed off. So I stood. A lot.


I'm feeling a bit stupid for not trusting myself to stay away from the medication that I'd stopped taking once before. I won't make that mistake again. If I am as out of it as I've been after only 3 doses, I know that it's not a medicine I can ever take again. I just have to try to figure out how to keep the fibro from flaring, so I don't have the neuropathy issues as often.


I am hoping to get some help this weekend to make a raised vegetable garden bed, so I can get my tomatoes and peppers in the ground. As much as I love my umbrella planter, I don't think I'll be doing upside-down tomatoes in it anymore. I don't think they get quite enough sun to really flourish, so the tomatoes and peppers are going to go in the ground this year, and I think I'm going to try flowers in the planter. The strawberries looked great last year in them, and they did okay, but they didn't come back this year, so they're out, too. I can't afford to buy new strawberry plants every year.


Right now, I'm going to go work on pinatas and dishes and laundry and such. Maybe if I get something done, my head will stop aching. 

One can hope.