my little home improvement project

Good morning.
Yesterday, Craig went to the doctor to have his mole checked out, and it is nothing.  :-)
 And I did a little home improvement project. We finally found the light fixture's we wanted at Menard's. We got lucky, they had exactly 3 left of the style we wanted. We had a single fixture over the dining area, and it was looking bad. We decided we'd like it to match the kitchen lighting. So here's the before and after pics....

The fixture's are brushed nickel along with the track. The track in the kitchen is still white. I bought 2 more tracks to replace the 'yellowed' white one's. Will do that next weekend.
And this morning, we have a mix of rain, freezing rain, and sleet. Should be an interesting drive to work. It's suppose to turn to all rain by late morning as the temps are forecast to hit 48, changing to snow tonight, so another interesting drive tomorrow morning also. We're in that pre-spring weather when the night temps are below freezing, and the day temps are above. This is more like late March then end of February, but then our winter has been mostly nonexistent.
And it looks pretty good at work this week. I'm going in early today to put away an order that arrived yesterday. I placed it online on Monday. Love the Internet.  :-)
And with that, I off to my shower.

weekend update

Good morning.
Well, my lazy Sunday turned out different. I don't know if it was because it was a bright sunny cloudless day, but the cleaning bug bit, and I went on a cleaning frenzy. Vacuumed, washed kitchen cabinets, cleaned the toaster oven and microwave, and washed floors. Craig did his usual bookwork and laundry.
Finished the day with Mushroom Lasagna.  
Monday, we did our usual running around, and also stopped at Home Depot to check out light fixtures. I want to replace the one over the dining room table. Didn't find any thing we liked, so will try Lowe's today. The rest of the day was my lazy day, with Craig making tasty meatloaf burgers for dinner.
And it's another sunny morning today. the temps have been a little cold. Highs in the low to mid 30's But no snow.  :-)
The bump on my eyelid is finally gone, but the small one inside my lower lid is still there. Have an appointment next Monday and will see if anything needs to be done with it. it looks exactly the same as it did when I was there 3 weeks ago. No bigger, no smaller.
And Craig has a mole on his stomach that he thinks doesn't look right. I scoured the net researching it and I don't think it's anything, but he's going to call the doctor for a referral to a dermatologist. Better to be safe than sorry.  :-)
And right now, that's all the news that's fit to print.   :-)

our clean Salon

Good morning.
I've just returned from my usual Sunday morning ritual, that's right, cleaning the Salon.
And here's a few pics....

Every thing moved to one side of the Salon for floor cleaning.

After the floor drys, putting anti-fatigue mats back and then the chairs.

And more pics of our nice clean Salon.

I think our Salon still looks pretty good after nearly 15 years.

The back room where we store our supplies and mix our chemicals.

And this is a closer view of the open grid ceiling we have. I finished wiping all the grid work this past Tuesday. That's done now for another year.  :-)
Saturday ended up the busiest of the week. Next week is looking pretty good also.
I don't expect to be doing to much today. No big projects to do around the house. I think a lazy day is in order.  :-)
And now I think it's time to get Craig up.  :-)

snow

Good morning.
Winter's back, at least for a few days. I cleared the driveway when I got home and took these pics. Here's what we got.....

It was a mess driving to and from work, as it was a steady light snow all day. I had just 2 cancellations, but also received 2 phone calls, so my day stayed full. Of course, I had to work those 2 cancellations into today's schedule, so a busy long day today. But that just makes it a very good week.
Now time to get ready and head to the Salon.

it's snowing

Good morning.
Winter's back.  :-(    We got a couple of inches of snow over night, with more forecast for today. But the forecast is also calling for near 40 by Sunday, so it should mostly melt.  :-)
Work has been nice and steady this week with today and tomorrow mostly booked.
Other than that, not much else to say but have a great weekend!

the final weekend report

Good morning.
Yesterday was our usual Monday, although it was Tuesday.  :-)  Since Monday was Presidents Day, the banks were closed, so we did our usual Monday banking on Tuesday.  :-)
We also stopped at Fed-X Office, and faxed Craig's prescription. He takes generic Zetia for his cholesterol, and they don't have the generic Zetia here, so we have to get it from Canada. Regular Zetia is $100 a month here, and he can get the generic version for $13 a month. A big difference since we don't have prescription coverage.
Anyway, with our running around done, back home I got the cleaning bug, (which is good since the house really needed it).  :-) And I dusted and vacuumed. Craig made a batch of broth from the last turkey carcas and bags of vegi trimmings.
In the pot it all goes....

Let it simmer for hours.....

strain, divide and chill in an ice bath....

and cool in the fridge before freezing.

It results in a nice tasty broth. You could use it for soup base, but we don't eat much soup, so we use it as a water subsitute for mashed potatoes, rice and what ever else you use water in cooking. Adds a little extra flavor to dishes.  :-)
I'm heading into work early today. My first customer is at 8am, and I want to clean more of the ceiling grid. I'm just over 3/4 done. If I go in early all week, I should be able to finish it all.
Also my eye is prety much back to normal, although I'm still using warm compresses. There's just a slight bump left. Hopefully by the end of the week, that will be gone.
And with that, I'm off......    :-)

bad tire and ugly bugs

Good morning.
As expected, Sunday was pretty much an easy go kinda day. I did manage to clean the bathroom, but not much else. Craig cooked a pork roast in the slow cooker for pulled pork sandwiches on Monday. He also did his usual bookwork and laundry.
Back on Saturday, Craig was leaving for work, and the car was making a funny sound. He turned around, got back home to discover his rear tire on his PT Cruiser was totally flat, so he drove his Honda to work.
Sunday was cold and windy, so he decided to wait until Monday to check it out. I went out Monday morning, and attempted to refill the tire to see if he could drive it to the tire repair place. I got it about half full, and it wouldn't fill any fuller. I physically felt around the tire to see if I could find a nail or something. Here's what I found.....

A spike had gone through the bottom of the tire, and out the sidewall. Probably from driving on it when it was flat.  :-(  And there would be no fixing the tire with the side wall damaged. Soooo, we took the back tires off the car, and put his summer driving tires on. They won't be as good in the snow, but since his car is front wheel drive, it shouldn't be that much of an issue. And his summer tires have real good tread, since they were new just 1 1/2 years ago. And, hopefully, our mild winter continues, and we won't have much more snow. Craig doesn't feel like buying new tires right now.
Which by the way, our mild winter has continued. It's been a bit colder the last couple of days, but the forecast has us up in the low 40's later this week.
Also, while we were out doing our Monday morning running around, I picked up a bag of Triazicide to spread around the outside foundation. Our house is on a slab, and somehow, we keep getting those little, I call them, pill bugs, in our house. We usually only get them in the spring, when it's damp out, but with our mild winter, we've seen them earlier this year. The Triazicide does a good job at keeping them away. I have no clue how they're getting in. I've checked and checked around the doors and foundation. Must be a hairline crack in the slab somewhere. Fortunately, they need moist dark areas and die pretty quick. I'd post a pick, but they're really gross. Click on the link if you want to see them.
Anyway, I also went out to see if the pussy willow's were in bloom. They usually come out in mid-March, but I thought they might be early with our mild winter. But no, they're not out yet.They somehow know it's not spring.  :-)
And that's all I've got for now....

Sunday

Good morning.
I've just returned from cleaning the Salon.....yes, again.
After a slow start, the week ended very busy. Next week is looking good also.
I went to work Saturday morning, and gas was $3.08. The lowest I've seen it in a long time. On the way home, it was $3.49.  What the ? A .41 jump in one day?  This is just ridiculous.
Anyway, We got out of work fairly early Saturday, so we went off to Walmart to pick up some RV supplies.  A new water filter, tp, and what claims to be the best clear sealant out there. We'll see. The camping season is getting closer.  :-)
This morning I received an e-mail from Dennis RV. They're closing March 23rd. I've been wondering about them since they stopped selling RV's and became just a service center. I'll miss them since they were just down the street from us and very convenient for RV repairs. Now we'll have to go across town for any RV issues.  :-(
Today, we're laying low. Staying home and taking it easy.
Now I've got some blog's to catch up on......

my repair job

Good morning.
Here's the before and after pics of the door I 'patched'. 

It was an easier job than I expected. Next, I need to sand down the lower door frame and bondo it and repaint. But that will have to wait for warmer weather, as I'll need the door open to do a good job.
It was a very slow day at the salon yesterday, but the phones rang, and I'm pretty much booked for the rest of the week.
I did manage, between customers, to go to Gordon's for salon supplies. That will save me from doing it on my day off.
And with that, it's time for my shower.

It's over....again

Good morning.
Another weekend over, again, and our mild winter continues.  :-)
Should be in the mid 30's all week. It's mid February, and I've cleared the driveway just 4 times so far.  :-)
Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal. Did our usual banking, P.O. and grocery shopping. Back home, we looked into some other places for camping this summer. Haven't decided on all the weekends yet.
We have a CD maturing soon. Spent some time online looking at rates. Our current CD is earning 5.45 %. The best I can find for a 5yr CD right now is 2.35% Ouch! Oh well.
Craig has started feeling better, and I think he'll be good to go to work today. I'm pretty much back to normal. Even my eye is looking normal again.  :-)
Also, I'm going into work early today, My first customer isn't until 10am, but I've got some maintenance work to do. Our back metal door is rusting through near the bottom. I had to put tape across it to keep the cold air from blowing in. We picked up a kick plate this past weekend, and I'll install that this morning to 'patch' the door. I also got a new sweep to add to the bottom.
So, with that, it's time for my shower and head out of here....

let's rearrange things

Good morning.
Well, yesterday didn't go as I planned. Craig woke up with my nasty cold.  :-(
Coughing, hacking, and just under the weather.
Soooo, with my little trip  not happening, I decided to let him take it easy, and I rearranged the living room.
For years, our TV had to be on one wall, as the cord from the satellite dish cam in from the outside wall. Well, we haven't had the dish for a few years now, and I now had the opportunity to change the layout.
Here's how it looks now......

The couch use to be where the TV is now, and the TV was on the wall where the book case now sits. Yes, it's an old 50 inch projection TV. Had to get a converter box for it to work.

It took all day to redo the living room. Having to unhook the wiring for the TV and sound system, then deciding how to redo the pictures. But I'm really liking the change. The room seems larger with this arrangement.
Craig spent part of the day doing bookwork and laundry, and part of the day napping in the sun in the small TV room.
I made dinner for him. A large pan of scalloped potatoes with chunks of ham and a side of asparagus.
Hopefully, he'll feel better today.

my Sunday post

Good morning.
I've just returned from cleaning the Salon.
Winter has returned.  :-(     We got about 3 inches Friday evening. I had to clear the driveway before I went to work on Saturday. It's suppose to get back into the mid 30's next week, so maybe it'll all melt.  :-)
It ended up being a busy week in the Salon. But next week looks real slow. Hope the phone rings a lot.
I spent some time yesterday morning, spiffing up my 'homepage'. Here's a pic.....

The banner is called rainbow highway. Nice and colorful. I switch the banner from time to time I use i Google for my home page. It's user friendly, and allows me to lay it out any way I want.  :-)
I also switch my desktop background from time to time. Here's my current one...

 Doesn't it look nice and warm?  I'd like to be there right now.  :-)
Also, today, I'm going to try and talk Craig into a little road trip. The Detroit RV show ends today, and although we're not looking to buy another, it'd be nice to get out of town for the day. We'll see. Wish me luck!
In other news.....
My eye is almost completely back to normal. I figure, maybe, a few more days of compresses.
And we watched our Sparty's beat Ohio State! What a great game! We had home made taco salad for dinner while we watched.
And now, time for my shower, and wake up lazy bones.  :-)

happy friday

Good morning.
Still, no snow.   :-)
There is a chance for some later today, but with the temps predicted to climb back into the mid 30's by next week, it won't hang around long.  ;-) Lovin this winter!
The salon has been fairly busy this week, and I'm  pretty much booked today and tomorrow.
My eye lid lump thingy is just about all gone, and a couple more days of compresses should finish it off.  :-)
And with that, I'm off for my shower, and off to work.

um, um good!

Good morning.
I'm back to my old self.  :-) Just a little left over cough.
The weather has been awesome! Low to mid 30's. Looks like it may stay that way for awhile.  :-)
We haven't had any snow for over 2 weeks! A very odd winter this year. We'll probably pay for the mild winter with a cold spring. Hope not.
With my energy level back up, I dusted, vacuumed, and even went out and picked up branches. I also checked and filled the water level in the mo-ho house batteries. With it plugged in all winter, I need to check them about once a month.
And here's Craig in the kitchen making dinner.

 Believe it or not, we actually had a meatless meal. Not even fake meat! Potato Latke's and Asparagus. Craig makes some good Latke's!

 On Monday, we of course did have meat. Pork cutlets with cranberry stuffing and cauliflower. Um, um, good!

Craig likes to cook, and we both love to eat.  :-)
Anyway, it's back to work for which looks to be a busy week. I'm going in early so I can swing by Staples to pick up my new router. I ordered it on-line which included free shipping to store. They had a cheaper model on-line than in the store, and Craig wanted one with physical connections. I haven't convinced him yet of how secure wireless is. No big deal if it keeps him happy.  :-)
And with 2 days since my injection, and who knows how many warm compresses, my eye lid lump thingy looks like it's reducing. I hope so. I don't want to have the 3rd choice. Surgery.  :-)
And now I'm off for my shower....

It'a a Chalazion

Good morning. I've just returned from the eye doctor. I've got what is called a Chalazion. Basically a plugged duct. Usually, most of the time, they go away by themselves. Some, need warm compresses to help them along. Mine, of course needs extra help. The options are a steroid injection, or surgery to lance and clean out the clog. As much as I hate needles, I went with the injection. Sounded easier and cheaper. It stung like a bitch! But only for a minute. I'm to continue with the warm compresses, and it should go away in about a month. If not, it'll be surgery.
In other news, my cold is quickly fading. My stuffiness is gone, and My energy level is back. Just a cough left.
I took it easy yesterday, surfing and playing games. We also watched our Michigan State Spartans beat up our arch rival Michigan in basketball, before the Superbowl. Thought it was a good game, though I wanted New England to win. Also enjoyed the halftime entertainment.
I'm not posting Craig's newest recipe, because I didn't like it at all. It was a meatloaf, but had 3 cups chopped broccoli slaw mixed in with the meat. Didn't care for it one bit. The broccoli stayed crisp, so it was a crunchy burger. Ick!
Anyway, time to get our coffee and head out on our usual Monday morning routine....

I'm recovering

Good morning.
I've just returned from cleaning the Salon. Well, a partial cleaning. This cold has really knocked my energy level down. Fortunately, I had a fairly short day yesterday. I called each customer an hour before their appointment to let them know I was sick and gave them a chance to reschedule if they didn't want to risk exposure. Only one out of 8 did. So I made it through the day, even turning away 2 phone calls, which I normally wouldn't do, but my energy level quickly left, and I was very glad when the day ended. Came home, fixed me a Toddie, and vegged the rest of the afternoon. I'm feeling better this morning, which is why I decided to try and clean the Salon. But after an hour, decided I still need to take it easy and get a full recovery, so I cut the cleaning short. I couldn't do it tomorrow morning, as I have that eyelid lump thingy appointment. But it's clean enough, and I'll finish up Tuesday morning.
Today, Craig's trying a new recipe, If it turns out, I'll post it tomorrow.
And we'll probably watch the big game today. Don't really care who wins, not a big pro football fan, but it should be a good game.
And now, I think a nice long hot shower sounds good.  ;-)

I'm draggin

Good morning.
UGH! I've got a cold.......a good old fashion head cold. Haven't had one in years. Sinus pressure, drainage, cough, stuffed up. Thank goodness for drugs.   :-)
I've heard back from the mechanic on Craig's Honda. Apparently, it is just a bad battery. He put it in the garage each night for 3 nites, and no unusual draws on the battery. The alternator is charging properly, so that leads to a bad battery. The last battery we got was from Walmart. He said those and Sam's club batteries are lucky if they last 3-4 years. They are just cheap ass batteries. He's putting in a battery that has a 6 year warranty, but should last 8-10. And it isn't much more than the Walmart battery.
The Salon has been fairly slow this week, which is good since my energy level is a bit on the low side thanks to this cold. And I know, I shouldn't be exposing other people to my cold, But first of all, your more contagious a few days before symptoms start, and second, I call all my customers and give them the option of re-scheduling if they don't want to get exposed. So far, only 1 customer has switched.
Now, I have to drag my tired ass to the shower and pull myself together for another work day. 

weekend recap

Good morning.
Well, the weekend ended as it began, I was in a de-cluttering frenzy. I cleaned out the medicine cabinet, under the sink, under the kitchen sink, the laundry room, the pantry, more drawers, and even got Craig caught up in it. When all was said and done, I had 7 garbage bags full of trash.  :-)
In other news, I went to the doctor about my lump on my eye lid, and as I expected, he referred  me to Lansing Ophthalmology where I have a 'consultation' next Monday. I already suspect what he'll say. I need it drained to make sure it's nothing, and he'll set up another appointment for that. That's how these doctors work. So I have to pay for 2 office appointments before anything is done. I couldn't go directly to Lansing Ophthalmology because my insurance says I need a referral. I guess that's to make sure it's necessary, but I was pretty sure, my doctor couldn't do anything about it. Oh well.
In other news......
I lost Internet connection yesterday afternoon. So I did the usual routine before calling tech support. Recycle the modem, recycle the router, restart the puter. Nothing changed, so a call to tech support. Surprisingly, I got a real person in just a couple of minutes.  :-)   She did the thing on her end to make sure my modem was getting a connection, then she had me recycle the modem and router in the reverse order. With no change, she had me disconnect the router and go directly from the modem to the puter. Bingo! My connection was back. So that means a bad router. I probably should have done that before I called. Anyway, so I'll need to get a new router this next weekend.
And I haven't heard anything yet on Craig's Honda. My mechanic knows it's not my primary car, so probably working on other more urgent stuff. No big deal, but curious as to what he finds.
And the weather has been unbelievable for this time of year. So far, only 2 storms with substantial snow. This week, the day temps are expected to be around 40. That's about 20 degrees warmer than normal. I'm loving it!
Of course, we still have all of February, and most of March, but so far, so good.  :-)
And we had left-over turkey for dinner as an open faced sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of honey-ginger carrots.  And for dinner tonight, more left-over turkey, and tomorrow, left-over mushroom lasagna.  :-)
And finally, it's now time to go back to work.  :-(
It's not looking real busy this week, but we'll see how the phone goes.....