Absentee Voting, Building a Fire, and Other Things

 I did mail my request for an absentee ballot on Friday, unsure if it would be received in time for me to get an absentee ballot in the mail. Well, I got it today, filled it out and mailed it back. Noon on Tuesday is the deadline for it to arrive at the polls. I wonder if I will ever know if it is received. 

The ballot and three envelopes and an instruction sheet came in an envelope. The top of the ballot was folded down and needed to be refolded to go into the inner envelope called "inner secrecy envelope." That envelope had to go into the "affidavit envelope."

I had to sign the back of that one and have it signed by two witnesses or have it notarized. That was a pain. One person never answered the voice mail, the other person was ill and could not come out, the next person's voice mail was full or something. Finally, we got the first person, and it is done! Whew!

While we were at the PO, I bought more "Forever Stamps." I got two sheets of very pretty flowers for me and a sheet of elephants for Tommy. We both still have stamps from before the last time the price went up. So, we are set. We mail few letters, but I hate to need a stamp and have to go in to buy one or more at a higher price. I did not care for the Christmas stamps, so I will check later for those. Last year, some of the stamps were only winter scenes.  I like those. 

I have finished A Dog's Purpose except for 10 pages. My eyes were bothering me, so I just quit. I would still highly recommend this book. So, this was two reading sessions, basically. It is not a short book, 325 pages. Okay, I finished the book. This book is a real tear-jerker. Well, my eyes were wet a lot. 

Here is a story for you: To Build a Fire. Click on the link to read the complete text of the short story by Jack London. It has a dog in it, but it is about building a fire. And, it is only ten pages.

Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut will be my next book to read. Have you guessed I love literature? My son is also an English teacher and both daughters are readers, the youngest teaching reading.  

Right now, 5:30 pm, I am sort of depressed. I have nothing cooked or planned for dinner. I do have sweet potatoes baked and salad fixings. He said the ground beef was some he just took from the freezer, so at least he won't be eating iffy meat. If I had chicken breast, I would be happier right now! 

Okay, I expressed my desire for chicken breast from Publix, saying it was just too dark for us to go out. Well, within three minutes Tommy had convinced me to go. Ha! I did not expect that at all. It was delicious and so was the sweet potato.

An eclipse is happening tonight. So, I suppose I will stay up for that. 

When we went to the PO, we got the pink bag with ads and coupons back in the neighborhood. We will go through those tonight, maybe before I post this. 

When I mentioned my friend having rats, that was six months or more ago, not now. The purpose of mentioning it now was to say I think Extra-Strength Tylenol killed rats. So, no problem with rats at the moment. People gave me advice as to who to call for help. 

We had a record high of 88F today. Right now it is 78 and very pleasant. The temperature can stay right where it is today. By next Monday, the temperature will have dropped 50F degrees. 

Tonight, I had Tommy go into the hall to help me get out some food and other items from the back bedroom. It was a disaster. He can be so helpful or an a$$. Tonight was his a$$ night.  I did all I could, knowing it will wait for me and be here tomorrow. Why does work never abandon me?

He hates me to tell him something he says he knows. Tonight, I muttered words someone on TV had said. I repeated the phrase in astonishment and was not talking to anyone. He asked what I said. I repeated the words. He went into a rage, saying, "I heard that! You don't have to tell me!" It took a lot of arguing for him to know what went on because he just kept yelling at me. Now, my stomach is very upset. 

I think we are both staying up or getting up for the eclipse. How about you?

Did you go to the polls on Tuesday or vote by absentee ballot or another way? Do you buy Forever Stamps?  

Busy Saturday + Edit of More Things

This morning, we went to Cullman for a few reasons, and in the process, 

I received a free chicken, dressed of course. 

Met with an artist friend. He has the paint by number and will stretch it. I have no idea how, but he mentioned a hammer, a saw, and staples. Tommy will be able to paint the Christmas picture with cardinals in the snow. 

We stopped and got the mail. I got Tommy a sheet of forever stamps. They did not have any I like, so I will get mine next month. I got "Pony Cars" for him. Next month I will get mine--flower stamps and Christmas stamps. 

We hurried back down to meet with the Tupperware lady from Mississippi. She is set up in a parking lot in front of a store. I had gotten something totally wrong when we first saw her. She took it back and let me get cannisters. Then, she cut the price on a pie container. I had one but it is gone. So, I can bake a pie or cupcakes and keep them all fresh and pest free. 

Then, I saw an estate sale with everything 1/2 price today. I managed to get in the house and sat down every chance I had in the house. There were lots of pretty things, but I decided I did not really want them. Outside, there was a patio table for $35 that they offered me for $15. It folds flat, so it went into the car. It is set up and I love it! 

On the way home, I saw a tent in a parking lot and got a Lifeline tablet for $20/ I hope these are not hot and are legit. 

Last night, I went to bed at midnight and awoke at 4 am. I am beat so I am going to bed right now at 4:30 in the afternoon. 

I don't know how to set up the tablet, but I may not know how to get to the bed. I am that tired. But, it is a pretty day. 

Tommy suggested I call Geek Squad. If I do that, I have lots of things for them to help me do and learn. Have you ever used GS? 

Let's see--hen, stretching canvas, Tupperware cannisters and pie taker, table for yard and tablet, plus 32 lbs of sweet potatoes, 5 red tomatoes, 1 green tomato.

We did everything we set out to do and more. Things went off smoothly.

Did things go smoothly this Saturday? What did you do?

I may sleep all evening, so this post goes out now.

Edit: add another 32 lbs. of sweet potatoes, 5 tomatoes, and 1 green tomato to the day's haul. I forgot.

Haircut, Lamp, Blanket

 It's a good thing I got my mail from the PO box on Tuesday. It was stuffed full! While I was at the PO, I bought stamps because the rates are going up in August. Tommy keeps getting a stamp from me, which is fine by me. But, I decided to get stamps with his cc for him while I bought two books of flowers for me. His stamps are Star Wars robots. I was torn between the flags or Star Wars. He laughed a bit as he thoroughly examined the robots. He said starts or Star Wars did not make a difference. I had been using Christmas stamps, so now I can save them for Christmas. 

We drove 182 miles. I needed an ultrasound, so went to a place that is friendliest and most caring place I have ever had an MRI. The ultrasound tech did not disappoint. Since this facility always gives a $10 gas card, the cost is somewhat mitigated. This is the place that has snacks and cold Cokes for customers. 

While I was going so far, I was going to take an antique lamp to be rewired. BUT, I forgot to put it in the car. I will take two or three lamps next time and maybe make the trip to pick them up. The guy rewires while people shop or take care of other business, so not sure how this will all play out. I love a good lamp shop. Looking at lamps makes me heady. I do not need a meal or a drink, just lamps. 

My lot is still there...lol...and in same condition. I feel well when there, relaxed. 

My friend building a home cut me four squares of plywood to use in the salvaged chairs I found for Tommy. So, that is one cost I (he) won't have to put into free chairs from a junk heap. He may have to pay to have them cut to size. 

The best thing that happened was that I thought to remember to find a telephone number for a hair stylist. He worked with my favorite stylist who quit cutting hair after a thumb joint replacement. I had gone to her for at least 25 years. As she quit, I ended up here, and then Covid hit. So, I really need to find him, someone I trust.

The mail brought me a wool blanket I ordered from ebay. It is vintage. Hopefully, it is 100 percent wool. Tommy thinks it feels rough. I think it feels cuddly.  

I came home exhausted with swollen feet that hurt. So, I did my marching exercise for one minute only because the bottom of my foot hurt. After I put shoes on, I "marched" another five minutes. Eventually, the swelling lessened enough I could walk without pain. 

Hope of a good haircut, a working lamp, and a cuddly blanket--what more could a girl want?!

Last night, I slept well and long. For that I am grateful! 

Will you buy Forever stamps before the price goes up AGAIN?

The Art of Magic

Did you know there are "magic" stamps? A friend sent me a birthday card with two forever stamps titled The Art of Magic. When I bought stamps a few weeks ago, these were not presented as choices. Are you aware of these stamps? Or, maybe they are only sold in California.

I bought  a box of 12 Sympathy Cards for $1.88 so that Tommy would have a sympathy card for the family of the man across the street who died.  At 16 cents per card it's is certainly the best price I have seen for cards anywhere. Okay, cards from yard sales are cheaper. 

Thursday afternoon, I only chopped an onion and put it in the freezer. I took the meatloaf from the freezer that I just put in there Wednesday night. I did NOT feel like cooking. I did slice 4 zucchini and a portion of an onion and put it in a pot with a bit of water and more olive oil and some garlic. I think Tommy ate 3/4 of the zucchinis. He loves how I cook zucchini. I had diced several potatoes and forgot to put them on. Later, I put them in the zucchini pot and cooked them. Tommy thought they were delicious!  The olive oil with zucchini, onion, garlic taste were different. So, small meatloaf, zucchini, potatoes.

We took turns zapping fruit flies/gnats. The sound of them zapping is so satisfying. You can slowly move the electric flyswatter through the air and pop things you cannot see. I think I got a mosquito, too. I tried this on flies several years ago, but I might have gotten one fly. 

On Thursday, Tommy's mailbox held three pieces of mail. All three were for me. Today, Friday, one piece for me, one piece of mail for him. 

Thursday, the skies were the most beautiful blue. There was not a sign of any haze from fires like there was the other day. 

We were out for two hours and saw three bad, multiple car wrecks. 

Thursday night, Tommy told me he was going to get his oil changed on Friday. I said I would go too and what time. I grunted when he said 9 am. I told him to get me up and I would be ready at 9 am. He kept questioning me as to what time to wake me--9 am. 

I got 7 hours sleep! Two nights in a row I slept. When he woke me at at 9, I got up and was ready to go in four minutes. I combed my hair in the car and carried a banana and glass of milk with me. Later, he said I threw off the cover the minute he spoke to me instead of waiting 15 minutes or him having to wake me again in 15 minutes. 

He had his oil changed. We went to Auto Zone and got a bulb for his turn signal. Then, we took the bulb back and they changed that. We came home and got my car and had the oil changed in it, too. Whew!

This afternoon, we have a project--check all old fruit/veggies and depending on what needs to be done, either throw it away or take it and give it away. Then, we both are going to prepare fruit/vegetables and freeze it.