Sunrise....Tuesday Morning....

I drove alone on Tuesday as Susan had a doctor's appointment.  The sunrise was beautiful, so I pulled over to the side of the road and took three shots of it.  I would have liked to have taken a couple more in the next few minutes as I drove further east, but traffic picked up and I didn't want to create a hazardous situation.  These were all taken within a time span of about 5 minutes.







To the right of the sun is the Dodge Center water tower. 

There's a New Girl in Town.

Welcome Regina (Gina for short) to the Tonner doll community.  I got an email from the clearance doll place I like to look at and here was this little beauty--known by her manufacturer as "Through the Looking Glass Alice."  They get their own names when they come to me.  She let me know her name was "Gina" almost right away, but I was hesitant to name her Gina as one of my LeeAnn dolls is "Geena" (named after the illustrious Gene Roddenbury). 

No matter how many other names I tried on her, she kept insisting, "I'm Gina.  GINA."  So, we compromised with "Regina" which also seems to suit her personality.

I have longed for her ever since I first saw her.  She is so different.  Yet so lovely.  I was thrilled to be able to get her for less than half of what she was originally going for.  I couldn't even buy her naked on Ebay for that little.  And now I even get her charming little Goth looking outfit.  Wooooo!

 

 

Notice the sweet ruffles at the end of her sleeves.  Soooo precious. 

I think I have enough of this sized doll now.  I need to start saving up for the Kish dolls that make great little sisters for them.  (Or little brothers).

And a few more "man" clothes....

  


This is one of the men dolls that has lain around naked for ages.  Probably close to a year.  FINALLY he has a nice shirt with a groovy pattern that looks like white shamrocks and a pair of camel colored pants.  I haven't gotten around to sewing buttons and snaps on it.  (The buttons are for show only--it is the snap that actually holds the shirt closed. 

This guy is telling me his name is Gilbert.  It seems like a sort of dorky name to me...but if that's what he wants.....

Some places I would play if I were still young and spry....

Every time I go past these places (on the north route to Owatonna), I think about how much I would love to be about 10 years old and able to play.  Adults don't get to just play.  We are too concerned with looking silly and wasting time better spent doing important things like cleaning the toilet. 

But I still think about playing.  I loved to play near any kind of water.  And I especially liked it if there were trees clustered around the water. 

 

A little further down the road and around the curve is another cool spot.

 

I would have especially loved that big old tree sort of collapsed over the water.  I'd have been straddling that, pretending it was a horse or dangling a piece of string in the water pretending to be fishing.







These lovely horses on the other side of the road would have been a bonus. I would have been hanging over the fence offering them succulent grasses and apples.




This is the creek along side the horse pasture.  I suppose there are leeches in it.  There usually are.  But I would have waded in it anyhow.

A roaring good start to a productive weekend, followed by a slow pizzling out of energy...lol

After school on Friday, I went to the UPS store to return the doll that arrived at my house broken.  It will be replaced, and they sent me a shipping label to pay for the return.  After that, I went to JoAnne fabrics to get things set right regarding them charging me for 5 yards of fabric as opposed to the .5 yard I actually took home.  I think they refunded me the entire amount, so yay.

However, they were pricks in that I picked out some stuff (mostly buttons and snaps), thinking that I would just use up the refund in merchandise.  Well, the cashier told me I had to pay for my current purchase first, then we would deal with the refund.

Then, after she had rung it all up, she told me I had to write out a check for some reason (she had one, I just don't remember it).  So, I did.  Then she put the refund on a gift card.  Well, fuck a chip.  If I had known that was the way it was going to work, I would have got the damned thing refunded FIRST, then picked out my buttons and shit.

Manipulative assholes.

On the way home, I got a fish burger and an ice tea at McDonalds.  When I got home, I tossed most of my laundry down the steps intending to get it washed today (Saturday).  I went to bed fairly early as I wanted to be up and out as early as possible to get groceries.  On the way into Owatonna, I stopped to take some pictures (see earlier entries). 

I go to Walmart in Owatonna because I can whiz around in their little electric cripple carts.  I can do all my shopping and leave without being exhausted and  in awful pain for the rest of the day.  I didn't buy anything too exciting.  A bag of cheetoes and a peanut butter egg were the two big fun purchases of the day.

Perkins was nearly deserted, so I stopped there and had eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, and hot tea for breakfast.  I didn't need to eat lunch after a breakfast like that. 

On the way out of town, I went through the car wash and gave my car a good automatic washing.  I wish I knew where I could get all the carpets and upholstry in my car cleaned.  It needs it desperately.

When I got back to West Concord, I got my mail.  There was quite a bit of it again.  I have not sorted it out yet, but that is something I should do tomorrow.  I also should get my tax crap organized so I can get that all dealt with.

When I got home, I put all my perishable groceries away, cleaned out the refrigerator as I did so, and then put away the clean dishes and did the dirty dishes.  I had quite a bunch as I hadn't really done much dish washing this week.  In the midst of that, I baked four chicken thighs in a combination of chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and chopped onion, carrot and celery.  Tomorrow I will turn that into a sort of "creamed chicken" to put over baking powder biscuits.  That is one of my favorite things.  I wish I had some frozen peas to add to it.

I sacked up some garbage and wiped down the countertops and stove top. 

After that, I sort of pizzled out.  I was tired and lacked ambition, so I went upstairs and lay down for a while.  I tried to sew, but it didn't really hold my interest.  I did finish one new Tonner man shirt.  I have a near completed Ken shirt as well.  I will finish that one tomorrow. 

Tomorrow I absolutely MUST sweep and scrub the kitchen floor.  It's so gross.

We are under a severe weather warning now.  A snow storm is apparently going to sweep through tomorrow, starting at 7 am and going till 7 pm.  I forlornly hope for a snow day on Monday, but it seems unlikely to occur.  If the bad weather wraps up by 7 pm, the roads will be all cleared and passably good for Monday morning.  And the high for Monday is supposed to be 38.  Maybe it will slow down and intensify...I can dream...

Tomorrow, in addition to sweeping and scrubbing the kitchen, I need to sort and wash the laundry (and put it away, of course).  I also need to strip my bed and change the sheets.  The entire house needs to be dusted, but I doubt that is going to happen any time soon. 

Now, I'm crashing, so it is time for me to say good night.

Don't forget that tonight is daylight savings time.  Set your clocks ahead.  (Spring AHEAD; Fall BACK).  Coolio.