In Michigan No More

One way I know I'm not in Michigan anymore:

Walking into a home everyone keeps their shoes on. There's no big pile up of shoes just inside the front door.

Thankful Thursday 7/29/10

1. Some friends mainly of my sister Mary but also of my parents and me went to my parents a few weeks ago to mow the yard because it was so hot. Tina has made arrangements with a boy from their church to mow it again in the miserable 100 degrees temps in north AL to help my father out. Very special to think of other people looking out for them.

2. Tomorrow I get to see my parents, sister, and nephew (on Saturday) at the EJK Family Reunion in Illinois.

Thanks

Thanks, healthcare reform. This does not help me and others:

The Federal Healthcare Reform Legislation, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed by the President in March 2010, will affect those that are enrolled in Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Effective January 1, 2011, over-the-counter medicines and drugs will require a physician's prescription in order to be eligible for reimbursement and to be considered eligible expenses.

Who's Stupid Now?

A conversation I heard today. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, and no, I was not a part of this until the last statement:

"Patsy": This is a stupid thing they did. I have no idea why they would do this; it's just stupid. "Mamie" may come up with why they would do such a stupid thing because I sure can't.

Me: Ummm, "Mamie", I think I would take offense to that.

Garden Whoas

If it's not too hot and I have a free evening to work in the garden, it's raining. If it's not raining, it's too beastly hot or I'm busy with something else. Such is my life.

Food Recommendations

Two things I've eaten for the first time I really liked and recommend:

1. Arby's jr. deluxe roast beef. The right size sandwich and includes tomato and lettuce. It's on the dollar menu.

2. Yoplait Light Fat Free Pinapple Upside-Down Cake yogurt.

Thankful Thursday 7/22/10

1. Mom and Dad have found a new home in SC!
2. Mark and Ann/Mike have been available to help in the home search and negotiations.
3. The chicken we weighed tonight is 6.2 pounds, and he was on the average to smaller side.

Hoekstra for Governor

Last night on Hannity, Republican pollster Frank Luntz noted that President Obama “didn’t go to Michigan to highlight the stimulus. He wants to defeat Pete Hoekstra because he's afraid that as a successful governor, Hoekstra will demonstrate that the private sector is far more effective at creating jobs than the public sector.” Luntz also stated that, “ if you want to send a message to Barack Obama in Michigan, you’ve got to vote for Pete Hoekstra. … This is a statement about how Obama is trying to change the political outcome in state after state.” You can watch the full interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBJJtli4Qqw

It's Pure Michigan

I thought the little kid at the end of this commercial would get old, but I still laugh or at least smile every time I hear him.

Groupon

I've heard several people talk about Groupon so I thought I'd try it. Does anyone know anything about this?

My Saturday

This morning I biked 20 miles for the Holland Hundred. It's a beautiful ride through the country southeast of Holland, but it was in the 80s and hot, hot, hot. We left at 7:45 and returned at 10:15. At the half way point there is a pancake breakfast and then lots of water and fruit when the riders finish. This is the second year I did it.

So this afternoon I'm paying for it with a heat headache, but there is the garden that needs attention. Now it's 10-15 minutes of weeding and then 10-15 minutes in the pool to cool off. I will not leave tonight until the garden is completely weeded and I pick beans. Thankfully now at 3:00ish the west side of the garden is shaded so it seems about 5-8 degrees cooler than in the sun.

I'm not sure how I ever grew up in Alabama because to me today is too hot even to be in the pool. However, I'll take this summer of heat over last summer's cool 70s most of the time!

Forgetful Friday

This may become a staple to my Thankful Thursday for the items I forget to include on Thursday.

5. I love July. There are no family birthdays so I can't be late with any cards!

He came, he saw, he insulted | themichiganview.com | The Michigan View

West Michigan isn't taking kindly to Obama's comments regarding our local congressman on local turf.

He came, he saw, he insulted themichiganview.com The Michigan View

Thankful Thursday 7/15/10

1. My friend Mary Claire gave me jumper cables for Christmas in 1992. Not a very exciting gift that we laughed about at the time, but I loved that gift yesterday when I left the lights on during lunch and the battery was dead.
2. Thankfully Renae carries the load of checking the chickens daily. The last two days I've had activities in the evenings so if were up to me, the chickens may be without food or water.
3. When the battery goes dead the radio in my car has to be reset with a code. Serious? I have to figure out where the code is? The dealer said they can pop the radio out to get the code on the back of it. Of course, this would cost $40-50. Apparently I followed the sales guy's suggestion and put the card with the code in a file separate from the car, and I found it after work tonight.
4. Last night I started a new class with a group I taught previously. It's kind of nice to know the students already, and even nice when one of them said, "Oh, I was so glad when I saw your name as the instructor!!!" I'm sure she would be saying it if I'd already turned in the grades.

Worship

It made me smile in church this morning to hear the little boy in front of me belt out loudly

Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You’re my God.
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

Summer Saturday

What a busy summer day this has been

1. Laundry
2. Clean out refrigerator
3. Out to Renae's for chicken work. This year we (meaning Renae) installed an automatic watering container which means there is a hose from the pond to the chicken tractor. The water gets very hot in there so we (meaning me) bought PVC pipe to thread the hose through to keep the water cooler. My bright idea was to cut the pvc in half to cover twice as much hose. Today we got to use the table saw to cut in half. I love power tools!!!
4. Pool time.
5. Wash my little car, a big truck, and an SUV.
6. More pool time.
7. Supper--grilled steaks, salad, and noodles the way my father likes them.
8. Check the chickens to make sure the water was cool and the pvc was doing what we wanted it to.

3b. Stung by a wasp
5b. Renae took out the stinger. It feels much better now!!!

Notice what didn't get done: CU prep, clothes folded, and sheets back on bed.

Thankful Thursday 07/08/10

1. Mmm, blueberries are in season and Meijer has a pint for .99 this week! (That may be # 1 and #2 actually)
2. Monday I needed gas and passed a station with gas for $2.69. I wanted to go to Speedway which I was passing anyway, but gas there was $2.79! I thought I'd stop back at Mobil on the way home for cheaper gas but Meijer didn't have tomato cages so I had to go all the way to Home Depot. (My goal is to name as many business establishments as possible in #2.) Even though Mobil was a bit out of my way I thought I'd still go there after HD, but when I pulled up the sign was $2.83!!! It had jumped .14 in less than an hour! Then I thought that they have to change the sign before the pump so I hurried to the pump, saw it was still 2.69 on the pump, jumped out, and quick put in my credit card to get the transaction started before they could jump the price on the pump. Gas for $2.69 is way better than gas for $2.83!
3. Tuesday we had a department outing. Although it was hot, hot, hot, it was still better than being at work, and I got to ride with a co-worker and get to know her a bit better.
4. I had a good evaluation from my last students which is always nice. However, it's kind of funny when 10 of 11 rated enthusiasm for teaching as most of the time (4) or all of the time (6) and one says none of the time. This time I'm going with the majority.

Poor Rabbit

I pass some muck farms on my drive to work. Every morning the workers are cutting lettuce and a truck that drives the lettuce always tends to drop some on the side of the road.

This morning the lettuce head was right on the edge of the road, and a rabbit was sitting about 3 feet off the road looking at the lettuce with a face that seemed to be thinking, "Want the lettuce, want the lettuce, cars are too close, cars are too close, but I want the lettuce."

What an awful early morning dilemma!

Childhood Food

"You just made ghoulash recently, didn't you? How do you make it?" That's what Renae asked me recently. I kind of laughed because the "ghoulash" we grew up with wasn't really ghoulash I'm pretty sure. I love our ghoulash because it's what I grew up with, and I make it somewhat regularly since it's easy to make.

Brown some hamburger (onion and salt), cook elbow macaroni, combine the two and heat with tomato juice.

Renae remembers ghoulash with corn, carrots, and peppers in it, but that's not my childhood ghoulash.

I also remember when I found out potato soup really isn't leftover mashed potatoes heated up with milk to make it runnier and throwing in some Velveeta chunks. However, I still get hungry for "potato soup".

Surprise for Breakfast

Last night as I crawled into bed a niece from AL called me, "Whatcha doing?" "Getting ready for bed. What are you doing?" "Driving to Michigan."

She was driving all night to visit some friends who live about 45 minutes from me.

I called her this morning when I woke up and it worked perfectly to meet her across from my work for breakfast this morning! She's also going to stop by on Monday on her way home.

Fun, fun, fun!!!

Thankful Thursday 07/01/10

1. Sweet cherries--what a wonderful snack.
2. Vonage--it makes keeping in touch with my sister so much easier!
3. Speedway kept their drinks at .89 for July
4. Spending the weekend (at least it was 24 hours) with my father at the 2nd Klopfenstein Family Meeting in Ft. Wayne, IN. (Missed you, Mom!)
5. My friend who shares her toys with me. Monday and Wednesday nights after weeding in the garden I just went and jumped in the pool to cool off. It's also great to have a different form of exercise as well.
6. Another friend agreed to ride the 18-mile ride in the Holland Hundred with me in mid-July.