October 31, 2008

Tuesday Teaser gift card winner for October

We’ve run out of Tuesdays for October, so all of the weekly winners of Tuesday Teaser have been declared. I’ve been late with the monthly prize drawing a few times lately and don’t want to let that become routine, so I decided to do the drawing today, on the last day of the month. It’s been my habit to let someone assist me each month so that y’all could know I was being honest and not favoring anyone. I’ve decided to dispense with that this month. Do y’all trust me? Should I have conducted an opinion poll or perhaps have gotten insurance quotes to cover my risk for such a drastic change? I hope I’ve judged your temperament correctly and that you’ll allow me this little indulgence, this month only.

I put the names of all of the weekly winners for October into the magic mug …

And drew out the name of our lucky winner!

And there you have it! Congratulations to Megan! She’s won her choice of a ten dollar gift card or a deposit in her PayPal account.

Mahalo to all of you for playing my little game. I’ll see you next Tuesday!

Technorati Tags: contest, contest winner, photo puzzle, Tuesday Teaser

I’m ready

I’m not sure yet if I’ll open up my gate tonight and leave the front lights on. I’ve been falling asleep early most nights, usually during one of my favorite primetime shows. The very physical labor of getting the house ready for sale and packing things up is taking a lot out of me. Then there’s the mess on the carport. Paul has sawhorses set up out there with cabinet fronts currently sitting on them. One garage sale table is also still set up, cluttered with my dive gear, some household goods, Paul’s magazines and art - I think we’ve got everything but Harley parts ready to go on offer when we do the next sale. Still, there are kids in the neighborhood and I hate to disappoint them. I think I only had a dozen or so trick-or-treaters last year, but I don’t want to let down even a few, so I’ll probably go ahead with this. I’m reading an old Heinlein anthology I can keep out there with me so I won’t get bored during the wait between visitors. If Paul gets the first cabinet front installed today maybe I’ll get to stain and wax the next set while I wait. I’m sure I can find something to do with myself for a couple of hours as I bide my time waiting on little ghosts and goblins. Yeah, I think I’ll do that. It’s my last chance to make a friendly gesture to the neighborhood I’ve called home for so many years. I shouldn’t let the chance pass me by.

Technorati Tags: Halloween, Halloween candy, trick-or-treaters

Four Foods on Friday #53

It’s been about a month since I’ve participated in Four Foods on Friday. Sorry about that. My whole life is in upheaval right now. I’ll try to do better in the future. Here are the four questions for this week, along with my answers:

#1. What kind of pretzels are your favorite?

I haven’t had a pretzel in years, but if there were a place nearby that had those big, soft ones I’d probably have at least one a day.

#2. What’s your favorite way to eat pancakes?

Ah! Now we’re talking! I love coconut pancakes. Mix up your regular batter, throw in a good-sized handful of shredded coconut and a splash of coconut extract. When they’re done sprinkle with toasted coconut and, of course, serve with coconut syrup. Delish!

#3. Do you make garlic bread from scratch or buy frozen?

If it’s just me (it usually is) I use the frozen kind that takes all the work out of it. If I’m serving guests I make from scratch.

#4. Share a recipe that calls for mozzarella cheese.

Ack! Dont have one. I like mozzerella sticks for snacking. The recipe is easy - follow the directions on the package. I’m thinking it would be fun to try to make them from scratch though: season some panko breadcrumbs, add a little flour for stick-to-itness, roll mozzerella sticks in them and toast. That sounds about right, don’t you think? Serve with several kinds of dipping sauce - I like ranch, marinara and barbecue.

Technorati Tags: food, meme

October 30, 2008

Tuesday Teaser photo verification

I suspect that this is one of those occasions when several of you will be kicking yourself for not seeing the solution to my little puzzle. Most of you “got it” that it was the inside of something, and several of you even realized it was the inside of a drawer, but no one made that further leap to identify it as the inside of a file cabinet drawer. Sadly, we once again have no winner, so there’s one less name to go into the magic mug for the monthly prize drawing. You’ve missed your chance at the nest egg that could have set you up for a career in futures trading, but don’t despair. You’ll have another shot at it next week when we play Tuesday Teaser again!

Technorati Tags: contest, file cabinet, photo puzzle, Tuesday Teaser

The empty hallway

I had several criteria when I was looking for a home to buy almost fifteen years ago. I wanted three bedrooms, at least two baths, a yard for the dogs with some extra space for gardening … and a long hallway. I’d never lived in a house with a hallway before. The home where I spent most of my growing-up years had a small foyer-like square at the top of the stairs that served that function. The other homes I’ve lived in over the years had small spaces that gave onto bedrooms and bathrooms, but none had a proper hallway. I wanted a hallway where I could hang a portrait gallery of family photos and felt very fortunate to find a house that had all I wanted, including my long hallway.

You’ve seen slices of my hallway from time to time and gotten some glimpses of what hung there. Photos of family members have served as a backdrop for my self portraits on several occasions. It’s brought me a lot of joy to have that hallway, to see all of those photos every day and to share some of them with you. My hallway gallery has helped me keep my family close to my heart while I’ve lived so very far from them.

Last week I took all of the photos off of the wall so I could prep it for painting. Each frame left a ghost of itself, an outline that marked the place it has held these many years. Though the photographs were gone, my memory of them was strong. I could look at each one of those rectangles shaded on the walls and remember who had been represented there, what occasion had been commemorated. Here hung the photo of my nephew Michael in his hospital bed following his appendectomy. I can close my eyes and see the sprig print on his hospital gown. This larger blotch was a group portrait of my son and his friends preparing to board the bus the first time he went to Junior Deputy summer camp. Over there was a large frame filled with matted black and white photos from the fifties - my parents and us four kids during the Corsicana years, each taken in the town where I was born. Near the bathroom door hung a photo of me with three friends, reminding of the days when I had a social life that included dates and drinks and dinners and good times. My hallway of memories has kept my family close and my stories alive.

The family that buys my house will surely apply their own touches to turn this shelter of wood and plaster into a home of their own. The ghostly images from my own life have been oblitereated, painted over so they’ll have a clean slate to start with. Maybe they, too, have been waiting for a long hallway on which they will tell their stories and celebrate their lives. I hope so, but that will be their decision to make. The things that made this house my home are mostly packed up in boxes now, waiting until the day that I have a new place to clutter up with the detritus of my life. My affection for this house is weakening - it’s not really my home anymore. It’s just a house, waiting to embrace some new family and write its story in their hearts as they write their lives on its walls.

I don’t know what awaits me in Texas, but I know the features I’d like to have in my new home. I want three bedrooms, at least two baths, a yard with room for Lance to play and me to do some gardening … and a long hallway.

Technorati Tags: family photos, memories, nostalgia, photographs

October 29, 2008

Here’s my kid

He’s on a plane now, hopefully sleeping since he’s got to go to work in the morning shortly after he touches down at SFO. We had a good four days together, but our time was much too brief, as always. This morning he got all of the packed boxes (mostly books, mostly heavy) out of my screened lanai and into the living room so they won’t get wet next time it rains. Then we went downtown to Waikiki, where I had a termite inspection (yep - he got to watch this one.) It didn’t make sense to drive almost two hours to get back home, spend a couple of hours there, then go to town again to get him to the airport. We had a nice lunch in town instead, chatting about the World Series and NC health insurance and various other topics that bubbled up. Then we went to a mall where he spent a couple of hours playing some games while I mostly slept in the car (I wasn’t feeling quite well.) I dropped him at the airport much too early for his evening flight and came home to my panting dog.

We paused briefly in the parking garage for photos after I finished my inspection. I thought the view of the gateway to Waikiki would make a nice background. It didn’t quite turn out that way - not much background showing behind our big heads, is there? I cut his head off in the first picture, so he decided to have some fun with the second one. The third is the larger pciture at the top of this post. Not perfect, but then, neither are we. That’s us - me and my kid.

Technorati Tags: family, family photos, mothers and sons, sons

The boy is leaving

I have a termite inspection in Waikiki today. My son will be going with me. I’ve been in pest control for almost thirty years (my three-decade anniversary in the industry will be February 1st) and he’s never seen me do what I do. No interest whatsoever in following his dear old mom, career-wise. Maybe it will work out for him to actually go into the vacant condo I’m inspecting today and watch me do an inspection. (It might not work out that way because I may need him to stay with the car to keep it from getting towed, Waikiki parking being what it is.) I’ll be retired from the industry the next time we have a chance to get together, so if he doesn’t get to watch today it will be his last chance. Somehow I think that’s okay, though. Just because he’s not interested in the actual work doesn’t mean he’s not been supportive of what I do. He’s always been his mom’s biggest fan.

His visit has been all too brief. We’ve spent each of his four days moving furniture around, painting and doing other move-related stuff. We haven’t even gotten to play the Scrabble games we usually play when he visits. Not knowing that he was coming, I’d already packed away all of the games before he arrived, so Scrabble wasn’t an option. Still, it’s been a good visit. We’ve caught up on each others lives in the evenings while watching TV and preparing dinner together. (Are any of y’all watching True Blood on HBO? Good stuff!) He still loves his job, but isn’t getting enough hours (he deals Teaxas Hold ‘Em in a casino near San Francisco, if any of you don’t know.) He frets some because he needs to lose weight and doesn’t get enough exercise. He plays disc golf on his days off and his personal life is a little complicated but seems to make him happy. Baseball is still his big passion, so we’ve had the World Series tuned in all week, of course. I don’t have much personal life to share with him - mostly it’s been stuff about moving and what I’ll do when I get to Texas - but it’s still been good to be able to share our lives face-to-face instead of online and over the phones. He’s planning on visiting me in February, by which time I hope to be settled into a new home. Maybe there won’t be so much going on then and we can find some time for Scrabble and walks and talks and all the stuff moms and sons should do when they get together, ya think?

I’ll try to get a picture of the two of us together later today and slip it in here. Rigth now I’m still in jammies and he’s in the shower, so it will have to wait for appropriate wardrobe.

Technorati Tags: family, family visits, sons

Now let’s worry about Lance

Lance hasn’t been feeling so well the last few days. He was born with a severe heart murmer which has been a “ticking time bomb” all of his life. We kenneled him outside while painting the living room, but he was panting so strongly and loudly that we could hear him inside, so I moved him to the side yard where he had more freedom to move around. Both places have shade and he had plenty of water, of course. The panting continued literally for hours. When I put my hand on his chest I could feel the irregular rhythm of his heart. This has happened for two days now. I’ll leave him the run of the house when I go out in a while, but I’m worried about leaving him alone all day. I have an inspection in Waikiki. My son will go with me and we’ll find something to do to kill some time until I need to drop him off at the airport for his flight home. I’m hoping that, being inside, Lance will be calmer and won’t go back into the stressful behavior I’ve been seeing. I think he was reacting to stress. He’s not used to being shut away from me while I’m home, which is what I had to do to keep him off of fresh paint. He’s past due for his physical, so I’ll make that appointment and try to get him in later this week, but y’all keep him in your thoughts, please? I’ve known since he was a pup that he might not have a long life, but he’s always seemed happy and relatively healthy, so I’m hoping this is just “an episode” that will pass once he gets past the stress of being locked away from me.

Technorati Tags: beagle, dog health, dogs, heart murmer in dogs

October 28, 2008

Tuesday Teaser for October 28, 2008

Can you identify the item depicted above? Take your best guess and post it in the comments below. If your guess wins, you’ll get a nifty prize. Here’s how it works:

1. Write a comment giving your guess as to what the item is. Be as specific as you can. For instance, “lighting” would be too general as an answer if you needed to identify home theater lighting. Sometimes the brand will need to be specific, as when you identified the Enregizer Bunny and auto company logos. Guess as many times as you want, but put each answer in a separate comment, please!
2. First person to identify the item wins. If more than one person provides the correct answer, time and date stamp will determine who was first.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer. Sorry - no hints will be given. I will attempt to respond to your answers at least every few hours, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
4. The contest will end in forty-eight hours, whether or not a correct guess has been submitted.
5. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.

What will you win?

1. The author of this blog will write a LINKY LOVE POST (review) about the winner’s blog (commercial sites ineligible.) The LLP will contain the url for your blog plus at least two deep links and will be posted here on Skeet’s Stuff, a PR4 PR2 PR0 (bah google!) Ha! PR3 blog Hmmmm! PR2 again. Skeet writes good reviews.

2. The weekly winners will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon or a ten dollar payment through PayPal.

3. Drawing for the monthly prize will be held on or about November 1, 2008, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are four Tuesdays in October, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is four.

Comments submitted with commercial links will be deleted. If you would like to market your product, service or website through skeet’s stuff I’ll be happy to discuss your needs and my prices. Please submit your request via email.

Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, photo puzzle

Big progress

Remember my office supply closet?

And my work table?

Last week they looked like this:

I’ve got a few supplies back in the closet, but they’re not office supplies. It’s several boxes of floor tiles, some flooring adhesive and tools. Once I’ve installed the floor I’ll put the drapes back up and the office will be finished.

My bedroom and the kitchen will also be getting new floors, but not quite yet. It just makes sense to me to finish all of the painting first, thus avoiding the possibility of paint spills on the new floors. Trying to use my kitchen this week has been a bit awkward.

Everything was draped with plastic for two days while I painted. If you look through that, though, you’ll see that the fronts of some of the cabinets have been removed. Paul took them down and is using them for templates to make new cabinet fronts. Paul works very slowly. The first new cabinet front has been sitting in my carport since Thursday, waiting for him to return and cut the cabinet doors. I’m hoping he’ll show up tomorrow. There are a lot of cabinets in my kitchen and I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll have them finished before Christmas. I had hoped to be through with work on the house by the first week of October. Now I’m afraid to hope for anything other than “soon.”

There is some good news, though. My son is snoring away in the guest room. He’ll be leaving on Wednesday after only four days with his dear old mom, but we’ve gotten quite a bit done while he’s been here. We’ll finish painting the living room tomorrow, then haul all of the packed boxes out of the screened room and put them in the living room. The rainy season has started and the screened room gets pretty wet when the weather is stormy, so everything has to be brought in. Yeah, all those boxes of books and kitchen goods, movies and office supplies that I humped out to the lanai now have to be hauled right back into the house. My arms and back are aching just thinking about it, and I’ll need to wear some good, sturdy MBT shoes to keep my feet from getting sore and bruised while I’m doing all of this scut work.

Maybe the repairs and upgrades will be finished, the house sold and I’ll have moved by the time the rainy season ends - ya think?

Technorati Tags: home repair and remodel, moving, packing