August 28, 2008

Staying toasty-warm

I haven’t left the island of Oahu in over nine years. When my off-island family and friends moan and groan about their weather I don’t exactly smirk, but I’ll admit that I’ve gotten a little spoiled. A hot day here means the temperature has gotten into the high eighties in the afternoon. When we say that it’s cold we mean we needed a lightweight blanket in the wee hours because the temperature plummeted to the low sixties. I hinted last week that some major changes are coming in my life. I’m still not ready to tell all, but here’s another clue that might help you figure out what my big announcement might be: I should be in Texas sometime this coming winter. I’m looking forward to my trip. Almost everyone I’m related to lives near Dallas, so I’ll get to spend some time with people I love very much but haven’t seen in ages. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is experiencing cold again. I own three light-weight, dressy jackets. That’s as close as I come to having a winter wardrobe. I’ve already started shopping online for sweaters and long-johns and other winter gear. I haven’t made any purchases yet, but I have decided on one thing I absolutely have to have. It’s a Cabin Cuddler and it will come in handy for my flight, but that’s not why I have to have it. I need it because I know I’m going to be spending a lot of time sitting on my aunt’s couch visiting with relatives and at my sister’s kitchen table catching up with her life. I already know it will be cold the whole time and I don’t want that to take away from the experience. I’m sure my Cabin Cuddler will quickly become a family joke because I intend to take it everywhere I go. I’m going to be wrapped up and toasty warm every time they see me!

I’ll be documenting my trip here, of course. It’s what I do. There will be lots of photos too, because that’s also what I do. I’m already anticipating your comments: “Oh, skeet! You look just like your cousin! You look kinda cute wrapped up in your travel blanket, too!” And: “Um, skeet? Did you take any clothes on your trip? All we’ve seen so far is your Cabin Cuddler.” Hey, get used to it, folks. I intend to have a wonderful time this winter, but I do not intend to be cold! I was actually dreading that aspect of the trip, but I’m feeling much better about it now, thank-you-very-much! The Cabin Cuddler folds up compactly in its own little travel tote, so I’ll be able to keep it in my bag and always have it handy as I hop around from relative to relative re-establishing the ties that I’ve neglected so dreadfully these last few years. It’s got its own inflatable travel pillow, too, which will come in handy for my flights (since those penny-pinching airline don’t supply pillows anymore.) At $29.95 I may even buy two of them, just to make sure there’s always one handy. A certain cousin who shall remain nameless will ask to borrow one and might not want to give it back. Yep, I love her enough to be prepared for that eventuality, but I don’t want to have to suffer for the sake of that affection. And, hey - get this: shipping is free, even to Hawaii. (Y’all know it’s one of my pet peeves that free-shipping offers never include Hawaii.) I still have a lot of ducks to get into a row to make this trip happen, but knowing I will have a Cabin Cuddler and won’t have to freeze has gotten me over a huge hurdle.

This concludes my second clue to the startling news I’ll be announcing soon. You may now commence with your guesses as to what is going on in the world of skeet!

Technorati Tags: blankets, Cabin Cuddler, cold weather, family, travel, travel comfort, travel blanket

August 26, 2008

Lance needs to clean up his act

Y’all know Lance is the light of my life. He’s always been a friendly and fun companion, but more so since our old Buddy died. I can’t imagine how much tougher that would have been if I hadn’t had Lance to help me get through it. He’s become much more outgoing since he adjusted to the loss of his companion, too. You’d need an animal behaviorist to explain it, but my take on it is that he feels like it’s okay to monopolize my time and space now that there’s not another dog around to share me with. I live a pretty solitary life. There’s no one else around to share a laugh or a cuddle with, so Lance is pretty good company to have. Well, most of the time. There’s one thing he does, though, that makes me crazy. I’ve told you about it before, but … wait for it …

And there it is. I managed to dodge just in time on that occasion, but Lance is a face-kisser and manages to plant one on my mouth from time to time. Shall we talk about dog bad breath now? Yes, let’s! Lance was born with a heart condition and can’t go under anesthesia, so he’s never had his teeth professionally cleaned. I do what I can, but the beagle has a major case of halitosis going on. He’s also got that bad doggie habit we don’t like to talk about. If I don’t run outside & grab the pooper-scooper the minute he goes, he cleans it up himself. Yeah, that habit. Then he dares to try to kiss Mom on the mouth? Not happening!

Like I said, I do what I can. I have doggie toothpaste and one of those little doggie toothbrushes, but you’d think I was torturing Lance if you heard him squeal every time I use them. He wiggles and squirms so much that most of the toothpaste ends up on me or on his face instead of in his mouth. I keep trying, though, because he’s got some really ugly plaque build-up and the nastiest mouth odor you can imagine. I picked up his Science Diet today at the pet warehouse place. I cruised the dog care aisle, as usual, looking for something I haven’t tried yet that will help with his nasty breath. Those green chews that everyone loves? They’ve been known to choke dogs to death, so I threw the last batch out and won’t try those again. I did see a new brand of doggie toothpaste, but it’s $19.99 for a small tube. That seemed pretty steep, so I passed on it. When I got home I went online and started looking for something more affordable. Wouldn’t you know that I found my answer at the same place I told you about a couple of months ago when I found my own favorite dental health products at discounted prices. Yep, the very same SmileWarehouse.com that carries my Oral-B toothbrushes for half what the drug store charges also has dog plaque remover for Lance. I feel a “Duh!” moment coming on! I shopped there several times and never noticed that they carry oral care products for pets. It turns out they have a product called Triple Pet Plaque Off that will help eliminate plaque and tarter build-up when I add it to Lance’s drinking water. I’m not saying that I’m going to start letting Lance kiss me on the mouth any time soon, but I think maybe our “in your face” games are going to become a lot more pleasant in the future. Smilewarehouse.com has a whole line of pet oral care products in addition to the stuff we all use for ourselves. You should check them out before the next time you re-stock your toothpaste and tootbrushes, and check out the pet care products while you’re there. Just sayin’.

Technorati Tags: dental care products, dog dental care, doggie bad breath, oral care, pet oral care

August 13, 2008

Mabel’s Labels for Back-to-Shool

Have you finished your back-to-school shopping yet? I know it’s a chore many of you dread - the crowded aisles in the stores, the impossible-to-find items that your children just have to have, the expense! I enjoy watching all the hubbub (yeah, I know - easy for me to say!) The excitment in a little girl’s eyes when she spots the perfect Dora notebook, the unbridled glee of a preschooler picking out his very first knapsack, even the supposed indifference of a teen who can’t quite hide the gleam in his eye as he reaches for a goth-themed binder. Watching from the sidelines is a nostalgia trip for me - you’ll understand one day when your kids are grown and gone! Right now you’re probably just hoping to survive all the preparations and get the little imps back in school. Here’s my tip-of-the-day to help you get it all organized: Label everything! As surely as the sun comes up and the sun goes down, kids lose things. You know it’s going to happen. The jacket left on the playground, the notebook under the bus seat - kids have so many important things on their minds that it’s a real chore for them to keep up with their stuff. Labels make it easier for their stuff to find its way home and are a great help to the teachers, coaches, office staff and bus drivers who have to sort though it all. Mabel’s Labels is the way to go! The giant Ultimate Back-To-School Combo has all the labels and tags you’ll need for all their stuff, and at a great price.

Tag-Mates make it easy for you to label all the shirts and gloves and coats. They stick right on the clothing care tag with no ironing or sewing for you! Don’t worry - they’re super-durable and won’t come off in the laundry or peel away when the coat gets rolled up and used as a kickball.

Shoe Lables have a protective overlay that will keep them firmly in place, despite sweaty little feet and rainy days.

Bag Tags are made of sturdy metal and so durable your kid can use the same ones all the way into college.

Skinny-Minis go on everything else and the teachers will love you for using them! Label the pencils and glue, the sandwich keeper and toys - everything!

You’re spending a fortune on all of this stuff, right? Mabel’s Labels can help you (and your children) keep track of the stuff kids lose so you won’t be buying so many replacements. Your Mabel’s Labels agent is Nicole Lee and she’s offering the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo at a great price until September 30th. Let your children help you pick the right colors and icons to represent their personalities, fill in their names and selections and let Nicole take it from there. She’s even got a skull-and-crossbones icon you can put on black labels to make your goth-child smile. Well, okay, goth-children don’t smile at adult authority figures, but you know they’ll love you for it!

Mabel’s Labels - for the stuff kids lose (and for your sanity!)

Technorati Tags: back-to-school, labels, Mabel’s Labels, tags

August 11, 2008

Almost Tuesday Teaser

Okay, okay - it’s not much of a puzzle after you look for a moment, but you did a double take, didn’t you, wondering what that was?

We have a morning routine that does not include Lance staying in bed. He sleeps near my feet and usually bounds out of bed a moment or two after me. He lets himself out through the doggie door-flap, then comes back in a few moments later. Sometimes he parks himself in the kitchen where he can watch me make coffee, just in case I deviate from the norm and make food magically appear early in the day. Most days he goes straight to the couch and gets comfortable in “his” spot. When I’ve poured my first cup and carried to the couch he shifts slightly, just enough to put his head on my lap for his first nap of the day. We sit in quiet companionship until the first cup is empty, the caffeine has kicked in and I’m ready to start my day.

This morning I was halfway through my first cup when I realized Lance hadn’t come back in. I decided there must be some great adventure outside that needed exploring and left him to it. After pouring my second cup I carried it down the hall to the office, put it beside the desk, turned on the computer and went though my room to the bathroom. I face the bed as I come out of the bathroom and this time I noticed the sheet moving. A little tent poked up, then … thump … disappeared. Pause. Thump … thump! Walking around the bed I saw the scene above and only then realized that Lance had abandoned the morning routine completely. The thumping increased to a staccato beat as he wagged his tail in happy delirium, very pleased with himself for having successfully hidden from Mom, but equally ecstatic that I was approaching and it was time for the first tummy rub of the day. Goofy beagle! Or maybe he was just being lazy. He’s getting a little pudgy around the middle. Wonder if they make Leptovox for beagles? Maybe he needs to shed a pound or two so he can get back to being his usual self. Ah, we’ll see what happens tomorrow before doing anything drastic. Lance and me, we’re creatures of habit and neither of us is crazy about change. He’ll probably be on the couch waiting for me tomorrow morning when the coffee is ready.

Technorati Tags: beagle, dogs, photos, routines

August 6, 2008

No! No! No! Not again!

A few months ago we had a perfectly normal, everyday, paved street at the entrance to our community. A lot can change in a few months. The crews building the new homeless transition center are making amazing progress. An entire community of buildings has been erected and finish work is already in progress. They sit in a muddy lot with no streets, sidewalks or landscaping installed yet. Beautification and amenities will come later. Right now they seem to be concentrating on more basic stuff.

For the last two months there has been excavation work going on to facilitate the laying of underground water mains. The water mains are going beneath our street, where, I assume, they hook up with the existing mains that have been servicing our homes for the last thirty or so years. Our own mains were identified as needing to be replaced quite a while back, but I guess the City and County are waiting for funds to be available. The excavation and joining of new lines has not gone smoothly. I think it’s four times that our own fragile old mains have broken in the last two months, but who’s counting? Each time it happens we are without water until they plug the leak, pump out the water above it and then do a permanent repair.

The frothy white area at the upper right of the puddle is the outflow from a fire hose. The other end of the hose is attached to a pump sitting about eight feet below the surface in a hole on the other side of the excavation equipment. The two men near the center of the picture are standing next to that hole. The whole street is a hole, actually. You can see the outlines of a couple of steel plates on the lower margins of the puddle. You can’t see the other plates because they’re covered with mud or under water. You’ll have to take my word for it - almost the entrie area shown in the picture is covered with steel plates covering excavations. It’s very unnerving to drive through there. The plates clunk and thump, making you think there’s at least a slim chance that you may be getting ready to plummet, car and all, into a bottomless pit. The excavator is sitting on several steel plates, so I suppose they can support my little Saturn, but that doesn’t keep me from getting the willies every time I drive over them.

Folks who were home during the day today were without water for a while. I don’t know how long it was this time, but last week it was an entire day and into the night. Today they restored service about the time I got home. My pipes were full of air and made a terrible racket the first few times I opened a tap, but I didn’t need to lug buckets and jugs down to the water wagon parked up the street, so I’m happy. Well, until next time.

Technorati Tags: road work, utility installation, water main breaks, water mains

July 23, 2008

Army Mom: New Jersey

These days it seems to be a popular stance to say “I support the troops but not the war.” I understand the sentiment, but find it refreshing to find someone who feels no need to qualify their support. That someone is Charlotte, who blogs over at Army Mom: New Jersey. I cannot imagine the stress of having a child in the military while a war is going on, but Charlotte has handled it well. She kept us all up-to-date while her daughter was serving in Iraq and we all celebrated the homecoming with her over on the IZEA message boards. She continues to support our troops and each week features a Wednesday Hero on her blog. There’s an old saying” “They also serve who only stand and wait.” The families of our service members make huge sacrifices even when there are no hostilities going on, but especially when their loved one are deployed to war zones. Hats off to Charlotte and all of you who serve by supporting your loved ones. You are as essential to our military as each active-duty member, so I salute you and thank you for your service!

In addition to her daughter, Charlotte has a hubby, two sons and five grandkids who also play starring roles in her life. Her blog is a tribute to her daughter’s service, but these days it’s mostly about her day-to-day life as a wife, mother and grandmother. It’s a real homey place, so go on over, kick your shoes off and sit awhile. You’ll enjoy the visit! Oh, and check out Charlotte’s Tips on her other blog, too. She’s a pretty handy gal and enjoys sharing her wisdom!

Photo by Chartlotte

Technorati Tags: Army Mom: New Jersey, blogs, military familes

July 2, 2008

Adapting to change

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost six months since Buddy died. I still feel him here sometimes. Other times the ache of missing him is overwhelming. But it just doesn’t seem that long - more like a month or so, maybe. Logic tells me a different tale, though. Lance and I have moved on, adpoted new routines. Lance eats indoors now. He used to eat on the lanai because he and Buddy couldn’t eat near each other without trouble. He gets to play with toys now, too - another thing they would have fought over. And he’s finally decided that it’s okay for him to sleep on the mini-couch that was Buddy’s bed. At first he wouldn’t go near it. After a while he started sleeping on the back of it.

This week he’s sleeping all the way in the bed. I guess he’s finally decided that it’s “his” bed. I know that he would know Buddy if we had him back today, but I think the memory is fuzzy for Lance now. That’s good - he’s not moping around waiting for his pal anymore. He doesn’t lay with his face against the front door screen, watching and waiting. He’s a happy little guy, like he was when he had his pal to keep him company each day. It’s a different kind of happy, but it’s genuine and good.

Technorati Tags: adapting to loss, dogs, pets

June 18, 2008

I love my tile floors!

I won’t have carpet in my home. Maybe if I lived in a place that gets cold I would consider it, at least for the bedrooms, but I really don’t care for carpeted floors. They’re hard to keep clean, especially when you share your home with a dog. I’m not talking about piddling - though that does happen from time to time. The thing I really hate is the way that hair clings to carpets. The world’s best vacuum cannot get all of the hair up, never mind the regular dirt that filters into it. Being a termite inspector, I’ve pulled up the edges of carpets many times. Have you ever seen the crud that collects down there? If you had, you’d never have carpets in your home either, especially if you have allergies or someone in your home has asthma. The tile floors in my home were a major attraction for me when I was home-shopping. They’re so easy to clean, and when I’ve cleaned them I know that they are really clean - everything comes up easily and there’s no place for crud to hide. An added bonus is that my home is as much as twenty degrees cooler than my neighbors’ homes on some of our hot tropical days. Twenty degrees - that puts me in a nice comfort zone when my neighbors are sweltering. My only disappointment is that the previous owner had no sense of style. My tile floors are beige. Can you imagine choosing beige when there are so many design possibilities with tile? Remember I told you a few weeks ago that I’m getting ready to start painting inside? The paint is already on hand and the color is terra cotta. I’d love to swap out the floor tiles for terra cotta, too. I’ve been reading about Mexican saltillo tile and that’s what I’d like to have. Authentic Saltillo Tile only comes from Saltillo, Coahuila Mexico and it is made by hand. I love the color variations and slight imperfections in natural, hand-made terra cotta tile. I inspected a home near Diamon Head recently that has it, complete with dog paw prints on a couple of the tiles. How perfect would that be for me? Tile floors can last a lifetime, too. They don’t wear down like wooden floors or carpets and they don’t get scuff marks. Well, we don’t wear shoes inside in Hawaii, so I never get them, but if you do get a few they’ll come right off. I don’t know when I’ll get to re-do my floors. I’ve already got the paint for all of the walls and the wood for new kitchen cabinets and the pre-made cabinet and vanity for my master bath. Those jobs have to be finished first, but one of these days I’m hoping to install Mexican Saltillo tile to finish things off and bring it all together. I’ll enjoy having it for as long as I own my home and it will be a huge selling point if I ever decide to sell. If you’re thinking about some changes around your own place, check out Saltillo Tile. I’ll bet you’ll find something you like!

Technorati Tags: flooring, Saltillo Tile, tile, tile floors

June 17, 2008

Preparing for dark days

Remember last winter when I didn’t have power for almost four whole days? I had candles and oil lanterns all over the house and couldn’t get enough light to read after the sun went down. I was afraid the dogs would knock over a candle or lamp and start a fire, so I placed them up high, but that meant lousy light quality for reading and finding things. I had two flashlights, too, and used up a slew of batteries before power was finally restored. Trying to live normally during a power outage is a dangerous and costly process. I’ve replaced all the stuff I used up from my emergency evacuation box, but I’ve been meaning to upgrade it and haven’t done that yet. We’re in hurricane season again, so I should do it soon. A shake LED flashlight would be a good addition. They don’t use batteries - you just shake them for one minute to build up enough power for half an hour of light. It’s a cheaper and greener way to go, and I won’t have to worry about setting the house on fire when I need to carry a light around from room to room. It’s affordable, too, costing less than what I spent on batteries during the great blackout, so it will pay for itself in savings pretty quickly. If this is sounding familiar it’s probably because you read about it in “O at Home” (the Oprah magazine.) I can’t think of any reason not to add a shake LED flashlight - or two or three - to my evac kit.

Now a message from your mother (hey, I’m someone’s mother so I have to do these things!) Have you got a fully-stocked evac kit ready for emergencies? If you don’t, would you take care of that soon so I can quit worrying? There are several emergency preparedness posts in my archives, but your local phone book and civil defense organizations are the best places to find out everything you need to know so you’ll be ready when disaster strikes. Don’t say it won’t happen to you; it’s happened to me a few times and my evac kit has gotten me through some rough times. You should know the evacuation routes and shelters in your area. You need to know what you can take to a shelter with you, and how much. You need to be ready to hunker down with no outside contact for three or four days if you have to shelter in place. And you really should do it with as much eco-friendliness as possible. The link above will take you to innovative green solutions that will give you something to feel good about when bad times come. Eco-friendly radios, water filters and lighting belong in your evac kit, so check it out!

Technorati Tags: eco-friendly products, ecogeekliving, emergency kits, evacuation kits, flashlights, green solutions, shake LED flashlights

June 4, 2008

Improving my desgin

I’m finally working on my house again. The first big job will be painting the interior. I’m prepping now, so don’t mind the paper on the doors and the patches on the walls, please. Several years ago I had the open-decked lanai torn out. In its place I now have a screened lanai/multi-purpose room. My washer and dryer are out there, I have plenty of built-in storage and there are two benches beneath the large screened windows out of view to the left and behind me in the picture above. My tiny side yard is also behind me, and my herb and tropicals garden. I use the screened door to the left to enter the house from the front lanai. It’s really convenient because I can set anything I’m carrying inside, go out for another trip (and another and another if I found some shopping bargains!) and not worry about Lance getting out (the baby gate is temporary - it will be replaced with a screen door soon.) We don’t wear our shoes inside in Hawaii, so it’s also a convenient place to take them off and have them ready to go for next time. All-in-all I’m pretty happy with the room. It’s got some design flaws, though. I acted as my own general contractor and I’m not exactly an expert. A licensed contractor would have pointed out any problems with my plans and helped me find ways to correct them. The carpenter I hired just went along with my original design. Notice my lovely tile floors? They’re very practical when I come in from outside during our rainy winters, or when I’m dirty coming in from the garden. They’re also very hard! I came out of the house with a load of laundry one day and toppled off of the deck to the tiled slab below. I’m very lucky to have had only a few bumps and buises to show for it. A contractor would have seen the danger in having an elevation change so close to a door and would have insisted that I have guard rails along the upper level and the stairs. I’ll have to have them retro-fitted now, but I’ve found a great place to get just what I want. Picketed rails look great on the lanai outside, but I want something open and airy inside, to suit the room.

This is exactly what I’ve been wanting! Tempered glass inserts will provide safety without blocking all of the lovely sunlight that floods into my dining area or blocking my view through the room into my garden. The metal components are fitted together with self-drilling/self-tapping hardware, so I could probably do the work myself except for needing someone to hold the glass while I install it. Yeah, like I would be that stupid again! No, this time I’ll let a pro do the work, but after we discuss what I want we’ll be going to the link above to get everything we need to make the room safer without compromising the design. I’m a - ahem - mature woman now, and a broken hip would put a serious crimp in style. I’ve already bought some no-skid patches to put on the stairs. Now I just need to find a contractor bold enough to tell this old gal the right way to finish making things safe.

Technorati Tags: building design, guard rails, home design, safety, stair rails