A Busy Week, A Strange Cat, A Rainy Run, And Thanks For The Cold!

Time to Chill. 

Time to Run!  

So much has happened this week that I can't believe we are not the most exciting people on the planet!   (It's My world,  So I can say that with a straight face!)  I guess the reason I have not blogged about it until now is because Cheryl forces us to exercise after work.    Always with the "Healthy Lifestyle", that one...  But  the weather has been mostly nice for cyclists like myself.  And Cheryl has been able to dress for the occasion... so it mostly works out.  (Hey!  That's a pun!   Get it?)

Enjoy that warm day,   It won't last. 

There was that day with the rain... Thursday, I think.  Cheryl was about to call it off when someone mentioned that it would be "too Tough"  to run after work... in the rain and strong wind.   This only adds to her fire and we ended up running the full 7 miles!   This AFTER an 8 hour day and with an annoying head cold.  Talk about hardcore! 

Gore Tex only repels rain for so long. 

New Element.

There might have been a time when I would have also set out to prove someone wrong,  but those days seem so long ago now.  I DID ride the bike along side her...and get very wet in the process.   What a great case study in misery.

Two screws and we are back!

Fully installed. 

The heating Element for the Stove arrived on Tuesday!   I put it in and we were, once again, able to use the oven.    Cheryl immediately baked a bunch of cookies for everyone at work.   It's funny how much we missed the oven.   You would think we rarely use it, but we had plans last weekend for home made pizza.  Cheryl also uses it for baking her clay AND whenever she gets the bug to bake treats for coworkers. 

It works! 

Break out the Cookies! 

 Mostly because she loves to bake,  eat the dough, and NOT eat the cookies.  Either I end up eating them all ( You can probably imagine my waist line growing from the process) OR they get tossed for the squirrels.  Our squirrels are possibly the most spoiled rats in town!

A little cross-eyed,  But still cute. 

The local cat who has adopted us occasionally comes around for a little food and some play time.  Being spring, I imagine he is out looking for the ladies, but even so,  a cat still needs to eat.  I can see he has gotten himself into a few scrapes with other animals ( probably cats..)  but seems mostly healthy.  I'm sure if he ever decided he wanted to give up the "wild and Untamed" life,   he would make a stunning recovery in his ratty appearance.   But I doubt there is anything that can be done about those crossed eyes.

This cat loves Subie. 

A little Kibble for the Kitty. 

And finally,  Today.   It is raining.. and very windy.   Cheryl forced us to go out in the rain AGAIN!    So off to Trueblood Trail where they were running...Not one but TWO 5K races!  ( At least one was a 5k that we knew of.)  The "Girls On The Run"  5K was running from the rail to the Big Grove Brewery and the "other one" ( Not sure what the name of that one was)   was running around the lake and the dog park.   So basically...  Our entire route was compromised.    Normally,  when it is cold, windy and rainy.. we have the entire trail to ourselves.   Today,  there were dozens of runners and spectators to dodge.   People were offering us water and cheering us on even though we did not have a bib and I was on a bike!   It was weird.

Add in that Cheryl had "underdressed" for the conditions and was frozen by mile three.  We decided to cut the run short today. (3.5 miles)  and try to get warm and dry.   Besides,   I think the wind and rain were picking up as things progressed.   And no one wants to feel like a "faker" in a race they did not register for. 

Running in the rain.

They had predicted snow for later today.  SNOW!   Feeling the temps right now and seeing the rain hit the window, I can almost believe it is possible.   This is Iowa, after all.  But maybe it will just rain and soften up the garden for my tomato plants.  Also,  if there are any Mushrooms in  this state,  I'm hoping that the moisture will trigger them into showing themselves.  ( Elusive Morels!)

Cold and Rainy.

And Before I go,  I should note that Cheryl finally gave me her cold.   I had such big plans today, and now I have a sore throat and feel tired.   I have a plan, though!    Bundle up and Burn out the Virus!   As I write this,  I have several layers of clothes on and a wool blanket.   I may have to keep the pressure on and heat up some hot cocoa.   I want to get rid of this as soon as possible, unlike Cheryl who runs in the rain to keep it going...   She simply loves to suffer for some reason. 

Hangin' with the Hiro....

Hope everyone is warm and healthy.   And if it is raining in your area,  Stay dry!   Nothing helps a cold more than a chill.... Or so they say.  I'm not sure I fully believe that.  But I do know rest,  heat, and a little chicken soup will make you feel a lost better a lot faster.    Thanks for stopping in.

Finger Jello, And The Scary Similarities Of Our Families.

Christian Schools!  

Cheryl and I were just recollecting the similarities between our families.   We both grew up in Christian Families, ( Mine Lutheran,  Her's Christian Reformed.)   We both went to Parochial Schools. (That means:  "religious" schools for those who went to public school....) Both of our Moms had came from big families, and our Dads came from smaller ones.   And the Mothers' Families always lived close by where we would spend every Sunday with them....   Both of the Dads' Parents lived far away.   The list could go on and on, but you get the point on why I believe Cheryl and I were a good match.    But that is beside the point.

See it Wiggle,  See it Jiggle...

This blog posting is about Finger Jello!

Finger Jello,   so much fun!   So tasty!   And recently,  we discovered that a few cubes of jello before or after a workout will help strengthen Tendons!   (Those hard to strengthen ligaments that attach to your bones.)   How great to have a dessert that is actually good for your training!   By the way,  Jello comes from Bones, in case you did not know.   And although it is not a miracle cure for tendinitis or carpal tunal, it will help prevent it with a daily regiment.    So... every day,  eat a little jello before working out. Sounds good to me.

No family Fun for you!   It's Too Expensive!

This brought up a story where Cheryl said her family could not "afford" finger Jello because it was too expensive and complicated to make.   Ah! the stories Parents tell their children... And Kids actually believe it!   I have similar stories where my Dad said we could not go Putt Putt Golfing because it was too expensive.  At the time,  I thought it must have been about $30!  (1980's money!)   Only after I hit High school did I find out it was more like $3 bucks with $1.50 Tuesday specials!  Just how Poor Where We?

We can't Afford... Jello?  Just how poor are we?

Not that Poor, I can assure you.   Though Dad was as Frugal as I am now,  we were never really destitute.   We had our needs met and even bought our share of  SMCTs. ( Stupid Middle Class Toys. )   I refer to the camper(s) that always broke down and were only used during hunting season.  But I digress.

Young Einstein does not exist..I know!  I was a Teacher
AND a kid at one time.

If Kids were smart.. and having been one myself, I can testify that they are NOT!  They might ask probing questions to their folks. ( How expensive IS Jello, these days?  Just what do they put in it to make it cost so much?  Maybe we should look into dealing in Jello!....)       Of course,  I never would have done anything like that to my parents because nothing would send Mom over the  edge faster than to talk back or challenger her on anything.   (My Brother can attest to that!)

Because Dad was laughing...

So If there are any parents out there that read this blog,  remember that your kid will grow up some day and tell folks about these little "stories" that you told us when we were young.   Oh, Sure!  They are entertaining stories we can tell at parties,  But think about the emotional scars you will cause to their psyche.   Think about the Children!!!

Bite the Bullet and Make the Jello!  Make
The JELLO!

Ok,  We all know that it is not That big of a deal, and kids will grow up and do it to their own children eventually.... but you can stop the cycle of missed Putt Putt and Jello Blocks!  Just remember that your kids will grow up someday and confront you on it...   so be prepared to pull out that Alzheimer's card.  ( My Dad did... It didn't work though...  He started laughing.)
 And make them some Finger Jello..  It's Fun,  Tasty!  And now has medicinal benifits for strong bones and ligaments.   What is so bad about that?  ( $1.50 for the Jello, $3 for the Knox Blox... And entire pan for under $5!)

The Trials And Tribulations Of Egg Coloring.

Easter Eggs... Paas Style.

With a lot of "Grump" from Cheryl 

Happy Easter everyone!   I wish we were having a "Happy" Easter.   But nothing will bring down your day faster than coloring Easter eggs.  Oh!  Sure!   They Say it is supposed to be fun... And it has been in the past.    But this year, things did not work out as planned.   I blame most of it on Cheryl.

Lots of "Grump"  

She says that her grubby attitude is because of a cold she may be coming down with.   But that should not be an excuse to stop trying to make my special experience the absolute best!   After all,  My happiness is the most important and should come first!  Feeling a little under the weather should not ruin MY day.

4 colors. 

But also I blame Paas Easter Egg Coloring Kit.   They are a staple of the Easter Egg Coloring Tradition.    So why they would mess up the tried and true method of coloring with a new concept is beyond me.    They seduce you with this Awesome shimmery picture of the new color... and then expect you to "follow their Directions"   to the letter... or something.    Cheryl's impatience and so called "illness" only adds to the fire; and not in a good way.

Why is she grumpy?   Shiny fingers!

I had the gloves, but someone couldn't
wait. 

So now we have golden painted fingers,  shimmery, globby eggs,  and a sticky egg tray.   I had vinyl gloves available for the painting, but Cheryl just couldn't wait.    And Paas did not give you enough shimmery stuff.   So,   we spread things out like a table spoon of peanut butter for a weeks worth of sandwiches.

Shiny next to un-shiny 

Almost looks like the box. 

But they do not look that terrible.   You could actually see the difference between the "un-shimmered" ones and the metallic ones.   And besides, I doubt they will last long enough to even make a difference.   As I' writing this,  I have already eaten over half of them.   Because....  Easter is the one time a year I allow myself to eat an entire dozen hard boiled eggs and not feel guilty.   I just hope my heart and cholesterol levels can keep up with my ideology

How do you get that darn shell off?

Grandpa's Method.   It works!  

Speaking of eating hard boiled eggs.   Nothing spells fun and frustration better than pealing and eating them!   If done right... ( which never happens!)   You can get the smooth hard-boiled egg free from the shell still looking like an... egg.   But in my world,  things rarely if ever go right.    The membrane sticks to the shell and pulls of bits and chunks of egg.  I finally tried Grandpa Allen's method of splitting it in half and digging it out with a spoon.   ( I always thought that looked weird,  and that he would get egg shell in his toast.)   He used to use it for his soft boiled eggs, but I can testify that the method works well for hard boiled as well.  Hooray for Elders!   Even if the lesson takes 44 years to manifest.

Find the "Easter Egg" in this picture. 

Well,  other than that,  the weather is about as perfect as I think Iowa can produce!   Sunny,  warm,  light breeze,  and just overall pleasant!   Enjoy it while it lasts.   We even did a bit of Mushroom hunting today.   Similar to hunting for Easter eggs and about as successful.  ( We found NOTHING!)  Good thing we colored our own and I "hid" them on the kitchen table in front of me.    If only the Morels could be so obvious here in Iowa.

Last week of the Pearson Project begins tomorrow, and I can ell you both Cheryl and myself are looking forward to having the free time back.  ( and by free,  I unfortunately mean:  "unpaid!")  But free time does have its own value.   Both of us feel we could use a little more than what is currently available.   Happy Easter everyone!   Thanks for stopping in.

A Battle With Plumbing.

Have I mentioned that today is supposed to be a "day off"?   I think so... in the previous blog posting.   You can almost bet money that something bad will happen on your day of rest and recovery.   ( Or at least slightly annoying and time consuming.)    Today, it was the Bathroom. 

Running in the cool Morning. 

I say "bathroom" as a general thing because it was more than one item.  he day started out fine,  Cheryl ran her 7 miles and we did a little shopping, battling the "Saturday, pre- Easter mob shopping spree."   Everything is closed on Easter,   so people have to get their stuff today.   ( I almost forgot it was Easter! Tells you how aware I am about Holidays.)  But we survived it, and got lunch and other goodies for next week.

My only task today....

We came home and Cheryl has been cleaning  everything like a Martha Stewart Episode.  I thought I would chip in by cleaning the bathroom.  (I handle the "dirty jobs")   The Bathtub has been getting rather dingy lately and I find that I can spend a little time on it and make it look white again.   I hose it down with cleaner and let it eat away the soap scum.

My way of cleaning...  Mostly. 

Now mostly I'm no into harsh Chemicals... Not because I care about the fish or the planet;  but mostly because I do not like the "extras" that harsh chemicals bring.   ( Watery eyes,  burning nose....missing fingers.)  I spray a little,  let it do the job, and then apply a hefty amount of elbow grease.   It works for me.

However,  I'm not afraid of using a better weapon!

The problem began when the bathtub drain would not ... drain!    Slow drains are even more annoying than a clogged one.   At least with a clog,  you can plunge the crap out of it and get it to free up.  But slow drains seem to allow just enough water through to prevent a pressure build.    I tried everything!   Coat hangers,  cat toys,   and every plunger we had in the house.   Nothing!

Bring out the DRAINO!  

Time for the Nuclear Option!   Draino!    As mentioned before,   harsh chemicals are not my Forte'.   But sometimes you have to bring out the big guns!   I know Draino will probably eat through the clog along with the pipes!   But Something had to be done.

Yes!  You are!    Better to go with a gray or
"off" color. 

The good news:   It worked!   The bad news:  In my efforts to make the bathtub pretty AND useful once again,  I got dirt on the bathmat.   ( A PURE WHITE bathmat)   Mental note,   NEVER use PURE WHITE linens in your bathroom.  It is impossible to keep them looking PURE WHITE.   Especially if you are doing a dirty job... or are generally dirty!  Like I am most of the time.  ( What can I say?  I like dirt apparently.)    Cheryl was not happy.     She had just washed the things last night and now it looked like I had used the bathmat to clean the windows after a dust storm.  My argument was that sometimes you have to break some eggs to make an Omelette.    Her argument was that I should have moved the bathmat before working.

Because this only exists in the Movies,
Resorts, or Martha Stewart's Magazine.

I can see her point.  If I were a General,  I imagine I would not worry too much over a few civilian casualties if I managed to free an entire country from Tyranny.  ( Probably a good thing I am  not a General!) 

Sometimes,  things get dirty when you need a job done. 

At least we can take a bath/shower that drains properly.  And isn't that More important in the overall scheme of things?

Origami Big Cat. 

Other than that,   the Shower spray head was leaking and needs to be preplaced.  It never really worked very well to begin with, but today I found that, like the slow drain,   I was tired of living with it and putting up with the nonsense.   Currently it works,  but a new one should be on the works before long.  It sprays all over from every connection.  I doubt new rubber gaskets will work  much.  I think the entire aparatus needs replacing.  Fingers crossed.



Other than that,  Some Origami.   I had big plans for this weekend, but things got  weird as they typically do.   We still have to color Easter eggs.   Because.... Easter!    And what kid does not want to color Easter eggs for Easter?

Fun with Easter Eggs!

 Plus!  Paas has a new color scheme we are totally looking forward to.   Looks like it will be on tomorrow's post, because as the day light is slipping away,  there is a good chance we will not be getting to that fun today.    Thanks for stopping in!