Just a Flake or Two…

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Remember that we got a dusting of snow on Thursday and Friday? Well… it snowed a lot on Saturday, and even more on Sunday. We woke up today to over a foot of snow. This is wet heavy stuff. Not the dry squeak when you walk stuff like we had on Friday. Lucky for us, we got a load of firewood on Friday. Amazing how a bit of tree can make you so happy. (and warm!)

Today we slept in a bit, and we had just gotten dressed and finished breakfast when the phone rang. It was Dad. He needed help with the snow in his driveway. So, we got in the car, slid down the alleys and paid our water bill. (the Big job for the day). Then we drove, slid, rolled to my parents house. For all of the ten blocks difference, they got less snow than we did.

Dan used my parents snow blower while Dad shoveled a bit of the walk way. Funny bit is that at one point, I looked out and Dad was playing out the electric cord for the snow blower and all I could think of is “On Belay!” (Dad was a technical mountaineer for years, doing lots of rope work)

Then Dan got the truck stuck in the middle of the street. He grabbed the chains and lo and behold… when you change your tires, Always, ALWAYS check to make sure your chains fit! Ours didn’t. The two of them had to dig the truck out and use the chains for traction on the snow than on the tires.

After the truck was free of the snowbank, we headed to the grocery for Thanksgiving dinner. I’m bringing the pies and Dan is making rolladen. Yum!

As I was taking pictures, I realized that many of the pics look exactly the same as I’m using the same spot. So, I tried to change them up a bit this time. Two of the pics are at my parent’s house, and the rest are here.

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Head space

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Yes, getting into one. Battlemoor is in about two months. August 28th to September 2nd. It is our vacation time, and as it is only 10 miles, and 10 centuries away. So, I’m trying to get my brain back in that Medieval Mood. 🙂 I’ve started by working on our garb.

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I’ve taken my best under tunic and apron dress and added embroidery. Vikings were rather good at it, so I’ve got to improve. 🙂 I’m going to be working on Dan/Lothar’s garb as well. I’ve plans for a gambeson for him too. He’s finally decided that maybe, just maybe he’d like to be a marshal. That’s the guy who referees the fights. 🙂 So, we shall see.

I’m also working on some craft items. I’m making Nalbinding needles and trying to learn how to do Nalbinding. Not as easy as you’d think!

I’m also trying to figure out how to turn our Earth pimple tent into something more Viking-esque. So far, I’m not sure if the ‘cover’ will work. Hopefully, by next year, we can afford a real Viking Tent. I’d like to go to a few more events as well.

Funny part? I find my garb more comfortable than ‘modern’ clothing. Yeah, I’m weird. However, it’s mostly natural fibers… wool, cotton, linen. And the fit… perfect. All the patterns are made to measure.  That means short, round me actually is comfortable. Oh, and I didn’t need to take the legs in or hem them to make them fit.

Ah well. More pictures as my garb and gear is spruced up.

 

Heatwave!!!

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Okay, so it’s only 42 outside, but in comparison to the last week or so, that is nice and toasty warm. We haven’t had any more snow, but it has been cold. Lovely star filled nights with no clouds suck the heat right out of the earth, the house and I swear, my toes. By an hour after sunset, even Brandy, the dog wants in. So, I’m soaking up the heat today.

As for the rest of life… Dan is still in Cheyenne trying to find work. He is frustrated by the fact that there are all these jobs ‘open’, and yet no one is hiring. He’s also applying for jobs out of state in all directions. So, all good wishes for employment will gleefully be appreciated. With the computer business failing, we really must find some sort of income.

And… the sooner that Dan has work, the sooner we will be back together. It’s been 26 days apart at this point. Neither of us are happy about the separation. I know it’s necessary, but that doesn’t mean it’s been fun.

Well, time to go bask in the sun some more!

Pagosa Springs

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I’m sitting in the Boulder Coffee Cafe in Pagosa Springs. I am suppose to be in a meeting for the CRWC, but I’m not needed until about 2pm. So, I’ve run away for a few minutes to relax.

To say that the last few months has been stressful is an Understatement. So, I’m trying to mellow out on this brief trip out of town. I walked around downtown Pagosa Springs and took some pictures that I will post later. I forgot a USB cable. Oh well.

Guess I’d better finish my chai and head out the door. 🙂 I think I’ll take a drive.

Hoppin’ Horny Toads!

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My January has been busy to say the least. I had 10 school board meetings on everything from TDIP to budget to board meetings in 8 days. Add to that school visits, work and a trip to Denver and I’m ready to call it a day and sleep for a month. No such luck though. I have a meeting this afternoon and another one on Friday. Ah, the life of being school board president.

Then there’s the house. The Wendy House. We have been trying to remove the springs from the garage door without taking our heads off. These are huge springs with tension on them and to be honest we have figured out how not to take them off. sigh… Our plans are to set the door in place for the rest of the winter and then in the springtime install a real wall, door and window. It has been a challenge.

As for the main house, we had some plumbing supplies go missing between Amazon and the vendor. They are still playing a game of ‘they lost it!” and we are minus the supplies.

The only really good thing we’ve had happen is that on New Year’s Eve, Dan rescued two dogs. Puppies actually, from in front of 7/11. We gave the one over to the animal control officer and it was reunited with it’s owner. The other one, a husky mix, now lives with us.  No one asked for it. Morgan named her Pasha. She is a sweet girl and so far, very trainable.

Yet another catch up post on life in ‘Burg!

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I have to admit that I am so tired of computer problems. Hard drive failure, mother board fritz, change operating system, do it again, swap computers with Morgan… Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still having freezes, loss of data-three pages of a story- and other issues. Right now, I am working off of Dan’s computer yet again. pout. I really don’t need the extra stress in my life.

On another note, I have most of my possessions from the other house. John has been fairly decent about things. I think once he realized I was serious and what I wanted was not to cut everything down the middle, it has gone well. (knock on wood) I have a few books left to pick up and the three big items of furniture will stay there until they can replace them or I can pick them up. (a bed, dresser and coffee table) Otherwise, the rest is here with me. 🙂 I spent part of last week moving stuff when I wasn’t fighting my computer. Now I’m just trying to find a place to put all of it in this house.

Last week was busy in other ways. Last Saturday, Dan discovered that most of the supports under the front porch had fallen. So, we drove to Pueblo and bought the lumber we needed to shore up the porch. We also had to pull everything off of the front porch to lighten the load. It made the whole house look like it was under construction. Sunday was prop up the porch day. Dan and Ian worked most of the day. I stayed in the main part of the house and tried not to flinch when the jack dropped or I heard cussing coming from under the porch. We will be rebuilding the porch in the next year or two. Dan was really hurting by the time they finished as he worked the jack most of the time. Once they were done, I got to start putting my sewing room back together. We also worked on the front yard, by moving rocks, raking and digging until it looked less like a pile of weeds.

Monday…. the week started like we never had a weekend. Morgan had volleyball games, I worked and on Wednesday the Tannahill Weavers played at La Plaza. Dan and I did the lights. It was a great concert, and I think I have my hearing back by now. We were right under the speakers and in front of the bag pipe player. Oh that was loud. 😛 Then on Friday,we headed to Alamosa for a WorkForce meeting. William Beverly went with us and we had a good afternoon. Lots of conversation and a nice late lunch at Cavillo’s.Saturday I worked and then collapsed in the afternoon. 🙂 Sunday Dan and I both slept in for the first time in a few weeks.

The plans for the next two weeks are plumbing, oiling the floors, and cutting down the other tree in the front yard. It is dying and we could use the firewood. Once Dan gets paid for some of the jobs he’s done of late, we will be working on the cars and hopefully getting a new computer for me. Until then, I will work on his computer.

Can I buy a Day?

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I know it is Monday, but… I think I need a few extra days this week. I simply can’t figure how to get everything done this week. While there seems to be plenty of time, I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten to write something down and that it will sneak up on me with a resounding thump when I least suspect it. Part of it is the whole Autumn Cleaning Urge. Second of course only to the Spring Cleaning Urge. Part of it is also trying to find places to put bits of furniture, decorations and the like. I picked up more stuff from the other house today. There is also a shuffling of the office to be done once Ian heads off to the Air Force. We are still in limbo about that. argh… I am so sorry that he has to deal with ‘hurry up and wait’.

Work is driving me a bit nuts too. While I don’t mind doing prep-chef work and pastry chef work, I want to be making bread! Pastries! Biscuits! Oh well. I could do with more hours as well. 6 to 9 hours a week just isn’t going to cut it once the winter bills set in. Aieeee!!! I don’t want to have to look for another job, but I might not have a choice. Or, I may have to have a second job. That would be equally frustrating.

Tomorrow, I’m going to Denver with Dan. More as company than anything else. Oh, and an excuse to get out of Walsenburg for a bit. A day in Denver reminds me of ALL the reasons I like to live in a small town. 🙂 I may hit the book stores or the big fabric stores. 🙂 I haven’t been to Denver Fabrics in ages. I could certainly use a new couch cover.

Well, I had best get my arse in gear. Dan should be home in about 15 minutes and it is off to the bank and the store. Wheee…..

Oh, and my computer, while better, is still having some funny glitches. hmmmm….. I may have to get a new one sooner than I expected and give up the laptop for the bone yard. pout!

BTW, would you wrap that day up and make it a Saturday? I could use an extra one!

Reeeeelax!

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It’s Friday!

The B&B was hopping this morning. All 15 guests came down at once for breakfast. I helped Karen plate food and get it served.  Then it was time to bake bread, make pies-coconut cream- and get stuff ready for lunch.  I was out the door, with paycheck in hand by 12:45pm. I normally work about 4 hours. Sort of wish it was more. Then again, unless I’m working the lunch hour, baking only takes about 4 hours. It does leave me time for other things. Plus, I know that the schedules will change again mid August. I’m just happy to have a job!!!!

I’m almost done with my first class at Ashford as well. So far, so good. It was an easy get to know the University style class, which is fine. Next up is statistics. Has me a little nervous.

We’ve been getting the LoboSavvy site updated. Much better than it was. Dan is working on AlphaDogtechs.com now. That is the sister site to LoboSavvy.com. We are still using the paw print, only ADT will have a surround. I’ll post it when we have it up.  I just got a peek at the first page, and it is pretty!!! Probably shouldn’t say pretty, as it is a computer services website, but then  I’m a geek, and seeing techy things is pretty.

Dan gets to update the La Plaza website. We are thinking of asking Dad to take the pictures as he has a better camera and ‘eye’ for these things.

We did some shopping after I got paid, which was a good thing. We needed a few groceries. I’m spending the rest of my day relaxing, doing a bit of laundry and then writing. I have one story half done!!! Plus, two or three more begging to be written. 🙂

Someday, Sun day

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Well, it was suppose to be my day off. However, Karen called around 10pm to see if I could come in to bake bread on Sunday morning. They had a good night at the restaurant, and had gone through 7 of the 8 loaves I’d baked. I said yes.

So, I woke this morning to cool cloudy skies. It was so cool, that I had to shut the door to the kitchen to get the bread to raise! It rained. The peaks were shrouded in these very cool cloud strands. I baked bread and came home. Whee….

However, I didn’t get the stuff done that I wanted to. There were too many people in the house, and I couldn’t concentrate on school work. So, Dan and I took a drive. Daniel had been nice enough to let me borrow his car, so we drove up to Cuchara and had lunch at the Dog Bar. Yum!!! It wasn’t a long drive or a long lunch, but it was good enough to refresh me.

Dan had a gig to go to in La Veta with David Enke tonight, so Ian and Morgan went with him. Ian will go hang out with friends and Morgan will help her Dad. They dropped Kayla off at 203, so I’d have time to get my school work done without interruption. Kayla has been staying with us since the 16th, which is a long time. Her parents are picking her up around 11pm! Gads. I don’t understand why they are coming down so late.

I have all my school work done now and can relax a bit. Wheeeeeee!!!!! All I need to get done now is a skirt or two for work and some dinner. Maybe a story written too. I have this idea in my head…