chochiyo_sama

Although I didn't get everything I had in mind today done, I did get a significant number of things done.

I finished the potato salad I had started the other day when I discovered that my miracle whip had gone stale.  It is quite delicious.  Then, I made one of the best lasagnas I have ever tasted.  I was a bit creative with it--I had a package of cheddar cheese in the fridge that had been in there for a while--it was still within its "good" date--but I didn't think I would use it before it expired.  Well, I always mix ricota and cottage cheese with a couple of eggs for some of the layers, so I added the cheddar cheese to that.  I chopped up a can of black olives and added that to the sauce.  Yummy yummy.

After that, I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. 

I containerized half of my goodies for Jim and DeAnn and half for myself.  I like to be able to share my goods with them.  I can't eat all of that stuff up by myself, and it makes me feel good to share.  They are such good friends and do so many things for me that I am just not able to do for myself.  (Like putting my air conditioners in and taking them out each year.)

During my cooking extravaganza, I had to wash three sink-fulls of dishes.  AND I sacked up another big black garbage bag of crap.  I set up my new cd player/radio in the kitchen,  but I did not turn it on.  I've become a big fan of MPR, and I want to be able to listen to it downstairs while I am working. 

I got really hot and sweaty and tired working in the kitchen with the oven on all day.  It really "took the Mickey out of me."  I was able to water my plants, the poor things.  And while I was sitting in the living room trying to cool down, I cut out a couple of dresses for Marley dolls.  I would have cut out a couple more, but my activities attracted the attentions of Tiggy and Stewey.  All possibility of pinning and cutting fabric become extinct after they came to investigate and "help."

Perhaps the heat and sweating had a positive effect on my crappy congestion and dry cough, or perhaps it has just run its course, but instead of the tight wheezy non-productive cough I have had for the last two weeks, I am coughing "wetter" and deeper coughs and actually getting some of the crud out of my lungs.  I will be glad to be done with this crap. 

I came upstairs to watch Medium and fiddle with my computer--but I fell asleep.  Medium was a rerun anyhow.  I woke up enough to write this daily update, since I am trying to restore my habit of writing in my live journal every day. 

I had hoped to sweep and scrub the kitchen today and pay my bills.  Oh, well.  I will have those on my agenda for tomorrow. 

Mom and Kim want to go have pedicures tomorrow, but I just don't want to spend $30 on my toes.  I always wear socks, so it is sort of a waste.  I do enjoy looking at them when I am in bed or in the tub, but it seems silly to spend so much for such a limited bit of enjoyment.  I'd rather buy a new ink jet printer for home.

That's about all I have to say for today.  Nothing too exciting happened today.  Thank goodness.  :)

I got up this morning at about 9:30--didn't WANT to get up, but DeAnn called and said Jim wanted to come over and take a look at the kitchen.  (They've sweetly agreed to tile my kitchen, because Jim wants to learn how to do it.) So, I got up, got dressed, and vaccuumed the upstairs.  I also gave the toilet a quick clean because it had gone gross again.  Then I hauled the vaccuum cleaner downstairs and vacuumed the Living Room, the Dining Room, and the Kitchen.  (I just ran the vacuum over it to pick up all the crumbs and stuff.)

Jim and DeAnn weren't there yet, so I cleaned out a couple of drawers and put all ove my jello and spices into the drawer I emptied.  I gave them a few kitchen accessories that I neither used nor need nor want.  I also gave DeAnn the Harry Potter figurine I had.  I thought it was a doll--but it was a stupid figurine with molded on clothing.  She can give it to her nephew Gus.  He likes Harry Potter, I think.

When they left I did my dishes and put away my previously washed dishes. 

Then DeAnn and I went into Rochester--she had some errands to run and wanted to see a movie.  So we ate lunch at Pannekoken.  I had a pecan pannekoken.  It was totally yummy.  I also had an order of sausages--for the protein.  From there we went to the movie--we saw Sky High.   It was definitely a kid's movie--but I enjoyed it immensely, being the big kid that I am.  Kurt Russell played the super hero dad.  That man remains attractive still.  :)

The kid who played his son, the son whose superpowers just didn't seem to show up, was perfect for the part--a nerdy little shit.  And the brooding son of the super villain Kurt had put in prison years ago was played by Steven Strait--about whom I can only say--"OH MY GOD!!"  He is, unfortunately, basically a child, but is he ever a BEAUTIFUL young man.  SIGH. 

If I were a little teeny bopper, I would send him fan mail.  LOTS of fan mail.  :D

It was a fun romp through fantasy land.  The theater was packed with little kids, and they really got into it.  One little guy chirped, "He IS strong," when the boy's superpowers kicked in--the theater was silent and his pipping little voice carried throughout the auditorium.  Everyone chuckled together in appreciation of the innocent joy of the child.  It was like the whole theater engaged in a psychological group huge.  It was one of those beautiful moments in life, where you really feel that the human race is basically good.

During the previews, they showed the Harry Potter movie clips.  It was very touching to see the three main characters shown as the little cuties they were in the beginning, on up the the young adults they are now.  I got kinda misty eyed.

THEN--they showed the Narnia previews--on the big screen.  It was all I could do to keep myself from sobbing.  It was THAT beautiful.  The music, of course, manipulates your emotions shamelessly--but when they pulled back and Aslan pounced up into the gap and ROARED---well, the tears poured from my eyes.  And I LONGED for Narnia...LONGED for it, I tell you.

And then when they showed the battle--where the minions of evil charged toward the ragtag assembly of talking creatures and the four children--and the animals rushed forward--it was so beautiful again that I cried.

Ah, C.S. Lewis.

The world needs a lot more men like him.

On the way home, DeAnn and I talked about it a bit--she said the Narnia books didn't really do it for her--and I have read them a million times, conservatively.

Narnia is one of those places that just FEELS REAL to me.  Actually, it often feels more real to me than this reality.  And it would be MUCH BETTER if it were the reality instead of this! 

NOT a TAME lion. 

Sigh.

So, after the movie, DeAnn went to the library to recharge her library card so she can download audio books and listen to them on her Ipod.  I WANT AN IPOD!!!  (Unfortunately, I can't afford one at the moment.)

Then we went to Menards where I bought the stuff for the kitchen floor.  It cost $90+, but it will be well worth it to have that ugly kitchen floor dealt with.

It is so wonderful of Jim and DeAnn to do that for me.  I don't deserve such good friends.

When I got home, I came upstairs and got on line--waiting for Peter to come and play scrabble.  He finally did, and sent me emails of himself as a young'un.  What an adorable child he was.  His eyes just sparkled, and he had a sweet child's grin.

I wanted to hug him.  Heheheheh

He still does have a sweet grin.  :)

DeAnn, Peter and I played a game of scrabble on line, and I kicked there butts quite handily.  Then Peter had to go to bed, and so did DeAnn.  As you can see, I am STILL not in bed--a young man from D.C., a graphic designer, invited me to play a game, so I did.  It was a tight game, and I ended up beating him by about 3 points.  He seemed very nice.

It was an enjoyable game.  I will probably never run across him again, but ah well.

Now it is almost 1 am, and I am kinda tired, so I guess I will try to sleep.

Sigh.

I haven't had much luck at falling asleep lately.

Tomorrow I want to do laundry--and start clearing out the kitchen so Jim and DeAnn can do the floor.

I also want to see if I can beg Jim to carry the heavy monitor of my mom's old computer down to my car so I can return that stuff to her house.

I don't use it any more with my nice apple and my even nicer lap top.

Well, I REALLY have to go to bed.  I swear I need a nanny to take care of me!!