Operation FREEZER

I'm sure everyone is well acquainted with my nonexistent close ties to all things homemakery.

But occasionally I surprise even myself.

Today was one of those days; I determined to take care of the freezer situation. 

It wasn't merely a matter of defrosting. And it wasn't simply sorting and tossing.

It was a matter of defrosting, sorting, and tossing.

All for the sake of setting up the future abode of applesauce.

Phase 1: Take out "redundant" stuff from the large section, thanking lucky stars for the very loud trucks tearing up and down the road all afternoon which meant you couldn't sleep and therefore had more time to clean. Stand in awe of the two trash bags ful of old bread crusts. The kind you saved to make stuffing for Thanksgiving. Acknowledge you probably don't have enough Thanksgivings left to ever use up all those crusts. Set foodstuffs-to-be-save on newspapers or in cooler with the ice cream.

Phase 2: Find hammer. Preferably a claw hammer. Begin tapping/banging on encrusted ice and frost. Estimate frost removal alone will probably increase freezer space an additional 15 to 20 percent. Scoop up ice into cake pan, toss in sink.

Repeat Phase 2 approximately 78 times.

Wipe down lid, edges, sides, and "floor" with a dry towel. A lot. Try not to fall in when scraping "floor." Repeat phases 1 & 2 for meat section and then "middle" section. Tell son "yes" when he asks (after seeing freezer contents on table) for bagel snack. Yell at Politely reprimand son for taking more than you said because you wanted the last bagel, yourself.

Phase 3: Start wiping condensation/frost off containers you wish to put back in the freezer. Place five or six in cake pan for freezer returnage.

Repeat approximately 12 times.

Phase 4: Look at all the containers stacked up by the sink; containers with stuff to toss, which have almost fallen several times and scared a couple of kids who came into the kitchen.

Phase 5:  Sigh. Deeply. Think....

Phase 6: Load containers onto cake pan, five or six at a time, carry outside and place in wheelbarrow. The BIG wheelbarrow. Repeat approximately...a lotta times. Observe that they all fit. Cover with sheet and hope neighbors don't drive by. Take "break" to fix spaghetti pie...stick in oven...set rolls to rise (dough left over from the WHOLE BATCH OF BREAD made earlier in day)...eye with longing the apple butter discovered while cleaning freezer and congratulate self, "I knew this would pay off"). Wash pans used to make casserole so there won't be as many dishes for....(wait for it....) you to wash, later.

Phase 7: It is almost dark, this Halloween night. Wheel the barrow full of goodies out to burn pile. Dump. Place empty containers in garbage bag. Marvel at how some people plant berry bushes to attract woodland creatures when all they really need to do is empty out their freezer every five years to get the same effect. Take bag of containers in for washing, later. Sit down for 15 minutes. Eat. Mention how much room there is in the freezer and see how many unbelieving kids leave the table, open freezer door, and return to table in stunned silence.Watch most of Hogan's Heroes with kids.

Phase 8: Rinse out containers while making granola for tomorrow's breakfast. Receive sympathy of anyone brave enough to enter kitchen. Put kids to bed after reading more of "Percy Jackson" series (make mental note of which boys resemble which monsters in story....).

Phase 9: Wash out all containers, changing water approximately 17 times, rinse, changing water approximately 17 times, and dry (3 dish towels, set on table, balancing in manner reminiscent of Jenga tower. Start thinking about how much ice cream you will eat as a reward for all your hard work. Express thanks to cake pan.

And it's just----that----easy.

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Days of Quiet

With the World Series over it is time to return to our usual evening non-hilarity. Eating at the dining room table, not staying up so late...

We may delve into comedic realms with an occasional episode of Hogan's Heroes. Possibly a movie or two from the Wal*Mart bargain bin.

Perhaps a little popcorn.

Other than that, we need to lie low.

Ethan is still sick, and Trevor somewhat. I've had my outings for the week: glasses pickup on Tuesday, grocery stockage, yesterday....I foresee little reason to escape from the Hoyt cocoon.

In other news, Loren left for Indiana, this morning. His 40th (!) college reunion, plus a reunion of his old music group, Dimensions in Brass.

It's going to be pretty quiet around here and that is fine with me :-)

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Getting Ready

For Winter:
--caulking of a few older windows
--trying to finish up last mowing (we have just over half the lawn left)

Trip. Loren is going out to Indiana for a Grace College, reunion Dimensions in Brass Reunions. Guess I'd better do the grocery shopping and laundry, tomorrow.

And soon, all too soon, I will have to cut his hair.....*insert dreadful grimace*....

That whole subtle hint ("Why don't you go have it done by a professional? Really....WHY DON'T YOU GO TO THE BARBER....") thing did not "take."

In other news, I took Nolan, Ethan and myself back over to the eye doctor's office to pick up our new specs...they look mah-va-lous, dahling.

Getting older, AND getting cooler.

I approve.

And now it is time to call the family to the table for my authentic frozen egg rolls and my authentic stirfry ( made from leftovers), topped with my....wait for it....authentic La Choy sweet-n-sour sauce.

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One Student...It's Practically Manageable

Nolan still seems sick. Didn't even eat breakfast, confirming illness. Even gave up the chance for a snack.

So THAT is unusual (barring some late night snacking, which I don't think happened due to the loud popping noise made by his ankle every time he descends the stairs). But he is content to lay on the couch and on a completely unrelated note, my stress levels are way down, this morning.

Up to the computer room with my lone student, Trevor. He proceeds to take out his tin-foil-covered Lego dagger and uses the blade tip to type in his password....

"I think you're being...showoff-y."

"Really? I thought I was just being cocky."

*cough*

I guess the kid isn't lacking in confidence.

In other news, Fed Ex ground just delivered the replacement exhaust system for Kendra's car.

To the driveway.

He unloaded the parts-which amazingly do not come wrapped--and laid them on the driveway next to one of the five vehicles that are up for sale...make me an offer, people! the beige Camry.

Back to the sickie, Nolan just asked, "When's lunch?" so that might be a good sign. I'm testing him out with a bit of warmed up applesauce. I don't think his malady is specific to his stomach but that seems to be a factor.

Wow, this is exciting stuff, I know. That's just how I roll, one precipitous event after the other.

Right now I'm waiting for the shutdown drama to be over in D.C. It's taking time away from other topics about which I could whine.

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Stuff is Happenin' !

The eave is finished, including shingles

 

Now for the siding

You get three people hammering at the same time and it's a little....intense on the inside.

Wow...between Firefox crashing twice, Picasa giving me troubles uploading and exporting pictures, and the network still refusing to let me access drives, I am getting kinda frustrated! Still, I'm stacking up the photos on my "C" drive for now, so things are not entirely impossible, just immensely annoying. I even had to go to the HTML option on this blogpost, so I could get below the last picture. Sometimes I think everything is conspiring against me :-(

Anyway, in today's news (sorry I haven't posted more often Carolyn) Nolan woke up with a severe sore throat and has spent all day on the couch. Tomorrow I hope he can work up the energy and health to finish the 20 problems of his math test he started today....

I let him pick out a "sick movie"  for the afternoon and lo and behold, he chose Godzilla vs. Mothra...so....yeah. Later I played my Michael Bublé and Josh Groban CD's for him. Had to unplug the bass speaker for the last part of ol' Michael....it's not far from my desk (it's so big the speaker doesn't fit in the living room, ha ha) and I was pretty sure I could feel the floor vibrate.

Not to mention my ears.

Burritos for supper and thankfully no one has mentioned the concept of dessert, so it's all workin' out :-D

Read a little more of the Percy Jackson series--we have just started the fourth book--and now it is off to bed for los kiddos. Then Scott & Baily for me, on IPTV. Love that show. I try and catch Doc Martin whenever possible, too.

As you can see from the photos things are really progressing on the north side of the house. Loren is pretty near exhausting himself every day, but they hope to get the siding up by this weekend. Not sure how much more they are going to work on the outside, before winter....

Better stop and get those boys to bed.

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Significant Accomplishments of the Morning

Mouse killing.

"millipede" killing.

Concerning the first, I had just started checking over Trevor's math lesson when I heard from the kitchen a voice of some urgency:

"Mommy, I think we have a mouse behind the refrigerator!"

Immediately my razor-sharp brain went into action, discerning the following possibilities:

1) was this important enough to interrupt Trevor's math? If "no" then prepare answer such as, "Ethan, leave me alone I am checking Trevor's math!"  If "yes" proceed to 2.

2) how to go after the mouse? I entered the kitchen to discover Ethan near the pantry door, to the left and back from the fridge. I proceeded to the left side of the fridge and saw a sprung mouse trap. Thinking I would set the trap and then have Ethan flush the mouse my way, I picked up the trap and said, "OK....you go on that side of the fridge....*mouse runs out my side*...."Not y...".....mouse is running across open corner of room and heading for the safety behind the counter....*clunk*....in a purely instinctual move my left foot, thankfully shod, came down next to the baseboard and, alas for mousie, upon his furry person.

Left-foot, people!

Hadn't proceeded quite as planned but the important thing here is that, in this "kill or be inundated" world, Ma arose to the task and dispatched the rodential intruder.

Back to the living room, it was not many moments later when Nolan looked up from his miserable math session on the couch and exclaimed, "Mommy...under that chair...a millipede!"

Of course it was not real millipede. It was one of those small, thin worm-like things that make a rather distinctive noise when stepped on. Not sure what it is. I tried googling "thin crunchy worms in the house" and "crunchy annelids".....to no avail.

The important thing to remember (other than "Crunchy Annelids" would be an extremely cool name for a band) is that I killed it.

I saw what I had to do and I did it. The house is that much safer from mice and squirmies.

It just doesn't get any better than that, folks!

Really. It doesn't get---any---better.

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Camping Out: You Can't Have Too Much Danger

(this will be my shortened version in order to protect the guilty innocent and insure I get to sleep sometime in the next 15 minutes)

Ethan joined a group of men and boys for a father/son camp out over the weekend. Due to the possibility of inclement weather it was moved from Eagle Park to the W. acreage.

Some of the activities included:

• Playing "hot potato" with an old tennis ball filled with lit lighter fluid
• making "bombs"
• driving a backhoe
• driving a go-cart
• attempting to light campfire with propane tank rigged into blowtorch

Some of the results included:

• shredded tinfoil all over the yard
• having the backhoe get stuck
• no more bathroom cleaner "The Works" left in the house
• having the go-cart's throttle get stuck
• Go-cart needs repairs

Anyway, sounds like everyone had a good time and got back home in one piece.

 Miracles happen.

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Slacking Reaps Its Own Rewards

Itching for an absorbing yet non-mindboggling read, I picked up a paperback version of Michael Crichton's  "Timeline."   I'd snapped it up for 50 cents....some place. Who can keep track when there are literally hundreds of books setting and lying about in odd nooks and corners?


Some of the odd nooks and corners have been created by books.

I'd barely cracked the cover when I realized this was going to be another of "Ma's mad book affairs."

They burn swift and hot, all the more intense for having many pressing duties.

But it's not unlike a large chocolate cake. You know you shouldn't eat it by yourself in two days, but then again, there's something about the prospect of removing temptation that compels one to gorge.

And such will be the book, I am afraid.

With Loren and the boys outside working I took myself to the couch, adjusted my pillows and reclined for a reverie.

Just as I became concerned for the Professors well-being, I caught the flicker of movement on the floor.

"Probably a cricket," I thought. "I'd better get it before it finds a corner and starts chirping annoyingly."

Imagine my surprise, nay horror, upon glancing down to my right discovering it was not a cricket, but a threat much more pernicious:  "The House Spider of Evil."

Said spider was purposefully moving out from under one couch and heading for the dark recesses of another.

I took a moment to reflect upon my half century of life: just long enough to form a battle plan but not long enough to mentally say "goodbye" to all my friends (which wouldn't have taken that long, actually).

Knowing I'd have one shot and one shot only, I screwed up my mental courage, briefly searching my mind for some weapon but knowing deep in my heart that this had to be done with my bare hand, and done quickly.

The spider seemed unaware of his impending doom.....SMACK!...I picked up my hand and there was nothing on the floor....

*violent shaking of hand*

It's crumpled body fell upon the wood, an impotent clump of brown, hairy-scary.

My hand is sore. The spider is dead.

Two paths diverged on an afternoon. And I....I chose the path of less resistance.

And that has made all the difference.

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