Kitchen Woes

In the past few weeks I've made a renewed effort to cook on the weekends to have good food available throughout the week. With dinner plans tomorrow evening I thought I'd make some soup today to have for lunch tomorrow and during the week.

It's a chicken cheese chowder which I usually just throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook but I thought since I had time today I'd actually follow the recipe and cook it on the stove. I got the carrots and onions cooking and had some flour measured out when I could not find the recipe card anywhere. I thought, "There is NO way it fell between the oven and the cabinet!!!" However, since the card was not to be found I turned off the burner and pulled out the stove. Yes, the card had fallen in that teeny, eeny, weeny crack!

Oh well, I swept out under the stove just glad that I didn't find any toys or money as a friend did last night when several of us went with her to her new home to clean. She pulled the stove out and found about 3-4 match box cars, a stuff toy and other "treasures".

Thankful Thursday 3/8/12

1. Finished a 5-week class last night. Now to do the grading, but I was tired tonight.
2. Beautiful starry night to sit in the hot tub. Great moon too.
3. Love having a bathroom sink drain that does that--drain!!! Sometimes I run the water just to see it go down!!!

And most importantly--
4. I've been going to BSF with several ladies. One asked another to attend starting last fall. The askee knew very little if anything about the Bible, but she has diligently done the lesson each week. For Christmas she asked her husband for a study Bible. I will never forget her excitement and joy about showing me her Bible "with real notes to help me with the lesson!" On Tuesday after Monday night's study on Ephesians 1, one sent out a message to the other three that said simply "In Christ." The one lady e-mailed the other and asked, "What do you have to do to be saved?"

Wow, thank God!!! How exciting.

Never Again, Please

Because I'm single, because I live alone, because I have a friend who can do about anything, and because I like to think of myself as a diy-er, yesterday I decided to tackle my very slow draining drain in the bathroom sink. I had been told to take the trap off which I was able to do. Yes, I remembered to have something underneath it to catch the water. No, I was not prepared for the gunk or stench of the gunk. I cleaned out the trap and the pipe going into the sink as much as possible and put everything back together. The drain was still going very slowly so I thought I would need to "snake" the drain.

My friend brought a snake over later and I tried to get it down the pipe, but it went pretty much straight through so apparently the problem was further down and I needed a longer snake.

Then she asked, "Did you take out the stopper?" I don't know how to do that so I hadn't. Despite her instructions it doesn't just screw out. She fiddled around underneath and got it loose. Yep, we found the problem, and it was gross.

I cleaned the stopper, she put it back, and now I run the water just to see it go down the drain!!!

I then cleaned out the tub drain as well although it wasn't that bad.

Two observations:

1. Taking apart the trap, etc. to clean a clog at the stopper is like remodeling the kitchen when you just need a new microwave. A bit of overkill although I will say the trap is very clean.

2. At various times in life I've done things thinking God must have given me the experience to use again, but I really don't want to ever have to do that again. One of those is roofing, and now another is cleaning out a drain.

Thankful Thursday 3/1/12

1. Have another wedding to attend sometime. Congrats Whitney and Josh!!!
2. Had a nice lunch with former co-workers. Haven't seen them since I left.
3. Have a good class. Only one more week.
4. Had my first work at home day last Friday with the snow storm.
5. Road were clear later in the day to do Penn Station with friends.

Quote

Most interesting comment of the day:

Romney wants to lead the club not shake up the club.

Thankful Thursday 02/16/12

Especially for my mother:

1. When I'm really, really tired after class at 10:00 p.m. I'm thankful I have not just one but two jobs.

2. I finally have a computer that I can starting posting Thankful Thursday for my mother.

3. Monday the new carpet comes.

4. Thankful a friend at work has been praying for my sister although she's been praying for AL since I said she was from AL. Ingrid asked who AL was! Later she asked about Haley, and I said "yes, my niece, AL's daughter."

5. Penn Station has finally opened in Grand Rapids, and I'm going (again) tomorrow night!!!

6. Had to ask only one question yesterday on my ARC reconciliation.

It's My Job Apparently

Conversation at work this morning. M=Me, CW = Co-Worker

CW: Did you identify the $40.53 ACH?
M: (quizically) No, I'm not sure what you are talking about.
CW: Did you check the bank file?
M: No, what would I be looking for?
CW: For the items not identified.
M: OK, I can, but doesn't someone else identify those items?
CW: Well you should check before the end of the month to help.
M: OK, I can do that.
CW: Well, it's your job.
M: OK, but how was I supposed to know that?
CW: Well, it's your job.
M: OK, I will be glad to do that but how was I supposed to know that's my job?
CW: Well, it's your job.

I've been laughing all day. Since it's the first day of the month and we are really busy with two people out, another person kept saying to me "It's your job."