In the gutters

This is my temporary solution to the overflowing gutters that flood my basement every time it rains. I line up every bucket I own under where it overflows the most, when the buckets are half way full I drag them to the street and dump them. You would be surprised at how fast they fill up.

Penfield beach

I'm very happy I moved back to PA but I still miss CT. In CT I lived 6 minutes from the beach, it was heaven. From fall through spring dogs were allowed on the beach, there was a jetty that people fished off, a marina, a park where dogs were allowed to run without leashes and a marshy area where people would kayak to get close to the wild heron nests. What more could you ask for? Six minutes, people!


These photos were taken April, 2010.

Nashi

I was only able to take one photo of Nashi before

Lola got jealous and sat directly in front of her.

License to Ill

You have 30 days upon moving to PA to get a new license, after 6 months I figured I was pushing my luck and I better get it taken care of. How hard could it be?

I researched and printed and highlighted and made folders of everything I could possibly need to get my PA license. Thoroughly prepared I drove off early in the morning to get there moments before the doors would be thrown open to greet the smiling faces of potential PA drivers. 

I arrived ten minutes before the facility opened and the line already snaked around the front and side of the building. I took my place in line and waited. It took 30 minutes before I set foot into the outer lobby, another 10 minutes to make it through the front doors where I was greeted with a sign that said NO CASH. CHECKS and MONEY ORDERS ONLY.

You have got to be kidding. Curse word curse word curse word. I never carry my checkbook. It never said anything about this on the thousands of pages I scoured on the dmv PA state website. I can hear my checkbook at home laughing at me. 

Fine. I'll be back tomorrow with checkbook in hand. I'm resilient, no problem.

This time I leave half an hour early so I can be first in line before they open. 18 people are already in line when I pull up. 30 minutes later the doors open to a rather dour group of potential drivers and we begin to shuffle forward. 10 minutes later I get my numbered ticket, another 30 minutes and I am called to the window where the woman barely glances at my documents and tells me I have the wrong version of my birth certificate. This just can not be happening, there has got to be a way to make this work. 

Nope.

Back to the house I drive, where the other copy of my birth certificate is in hysterics and can't wait to tell the checkbook all about it. 


And back to the PA dmv where a surly group of dangerous looking people who I hope are never allowed to drive a vehicle are loitering outside. The clerk was kind enough to let me back to her desk without waiting again and after many photocopies, signatures, eye test and paper shuffling I was allowed to pass through to the photo center where I received my new license which shows me looking dazed, slightly incompetent but relieved. 

The Hex wrench diaries

After the Hoarders tv show marathon earlier in the week I went into freak-out mode and went through all my closets and made a huge mess. It's one thing to pull everything out and sort through it but another thing entirely to repack and put away. Apparently I need work on the "putting away" skill.

My office is on the third floor of the house and for the past six months, since I moved, my office has consisted of my desk, computer, printer and 16 boxes of stuff. I couldn't shake the feeling that the Hoarders camera crew were lurking around the corner so I decided enough was enough. Off to my weekend house or as some people refer to it; IKEA. I picked up five storage units and a new catalog. I spent 2 days building the units (I think I am the only person who actually enjoys putting IKEA furniture together) and unpacking the boxes. I am very sorry I didn't take before and after photos, the transformation was very satisfying.

Continuing on the Hoarders theme, if you have ever seen the show you know someone is always tripping, slipping, falling or tumbling over 8 foot high piles of garbage through out the house. Obligingly I loaded my arms up with as much as I could carry down the stairs and managed to, surprise, trip and stove my toe. 

Pain. 

Waves

Of

Pain.

Couldn't walk for the rest of the day. 

The following day I woke up and just HAD to cut the lawn NOW.  After all the batteries were drained from the weed-wacker and lawnmower I hobbled inside and peeled off my shoes and socks to discover my toe had been replaced by a ham. 


Couldn't walk for the next two days.


S'ok, I spent the time reviewing the IKEA catalogue. If anyone wants to come with me to my weekend house I'll be leaving at dawn on Friday. 

Purge

I watched three episodes of Hoarders in a row the other night and now I am on a rampage to get rid of anything remotely unnecessary.

That show is the best motivational tool ever to clean up the house.

Correspondence

Dear Weather,
Would you please relax already?

Dear Electric bill,
I thought we were friends.

Dear Ceiling Fan,
I love you.