Rainy Thursday

Got behind in blogging again but I didn't really have much to yak about anyhow.  Been under the weather the last few days.  Maybe a flu bug. Maybe IBS.  Whatever... I'm glad I woke up feeling better this morning.  My mental house suffers right along with the physical ailments when I'm laid up 'cause I have a tendency to feel sorry for myself.  Doesn't do me any good, though, so you'd think I'd get over that bad habit.

Been binge watching a Netflix show called Last Tango in Halifax.  Lovin' it too!  Kind of hard to follow the dialog sometimes. Those English do talk funny but the story line is way too good not to stick with it.

Pulled out my knitting needles and thought I'd work on a small blanket with knitting needles instead of crochet.  I don't actually consider myself much of a knitter or crocheter as I only do a few basic patterns and usually it's just an afghan. Sometimes a slipper or a scarf or some novelty but mainly I just like to have my fingers busy while I watch tv at night. If the needles start to bore me, I'll pull out counted cross stitch.  I find just about anything can put me to sleep these days. Especially at night. I think that's part of the reason I don't read more.  I love books and I've always got them around me but seems like I doze off every time I try to sit down and get absorbed in a story.  Fatigue has definitely had a starring role in my life these past couple of years.  She seems to take center stage more frequently too.

I got into rock painting a bit this past week. Now I have a whole box of pretty rocks that I have to figure out what to do with.  I think I'm going to mail them to people.  And if that isn't a stupid waste of money!  ha ha  Oh well, it's always fun to get a package in the mail. Even if it is "just a rock!"

I went shopping this morning. Took me over two hours to do three stops. One was at Walmart and I was disappointed that I had to go clear across the store for garden gloves and then discovered their prices were higher than I wanted to pay.  I did end up buy a 99 cent pair but the others were $8 and $10.  I don't do that much gardening that I need fancy wancy gloves. I'd rather just let my fingers get dirty.

I did buy a sharpie pen with white ink as I want to try some more rock painting.  Using sharpies lets you get more creative and I have more things I want to try.  Need to get to North Beach in Port Townsend to get my rock collection built up some.  That may take some doing as my back seems to feel she's not in the mood for that hobby I've settled on.  Maybe I'll take my grabber with me and see how that works out.

I've got an appt in Poulsbo next week to see the back doctor.  Don't really expect anything remarkable to happen as I'm leaning away from ever wanting surgery again.  We'll have to see what he thinks is the problem.  I'm prepared for the obese lecture. That goes without saying.

Here's a picture Mary sent me this morning in an email. She's working at Microsoft right now but I'm not sure if this was taken there or not. she said it was at Seattle Center outside of EMP.  I don't actually know what EMP is.  Okay. I just googled it.  Experience Music Project Museum.

And here's a picture I saw on FB. Loved it so much I had a reprint made up and now it's on my fridge.

Every now and again I print up some picture from FB posts.  Intend to use them in greeting cards I'll make. Here's one of two women taking a selfie that cracked me up.

Sure is looking gray and dismal outside today.  But I don't mind.  I'm contented just playing around on the computer and watching tv.  Gotta get back into making my sticks and stones pictures too.  And genealogy. I signed up for another month in a moment of weakness.

Paid two bills today.  Amazon and Visa.  That sure put a dent in the old checkbook.  But I like to keep my balances at zero so it's a reminder to me to cool it when I think I JUST have to have such and such.  The Amazon bill would have been much smaller but I was charged the annual charge for having PRIME.  I do like having those movies available and being able to order without shipping charges or return charges.

Here's three phtos of my back lawn. First one shows just how badly it needs weed killer. Pure dandelions through and through.  I did buy some baking soda, salt and white vinegar today so I'm going to make up my own weed killer that I read about online.

                                 early morning before the dandelion stems burst open with color
                                             (easier to see if you click on the photos)

Went to a local quilt store this morning to pick up a free pattern for this "quilt-a-row" club thingie you can do.  Now I have to see if I can get people I know in other towns to maybe go to the quilt store in their area to pick me up the free pattern that store would have. They're all different but you can only have one per store and you can't tell them you're picking up for someone else.  Meaning "you have to fib a little."  I'm not sure how far I will pursue doing these quilt squares but it's an interesting hobby.

Here's the truck square I picked up today....

Mary,Andy, and Jake take off for Vegas tomorrow.  Will be there about a week. Can't say I'd want to go during the heat spell they're experiencing right  now but at least they'll have air conditioning and heaven knows there's plenty to do there. She's already mentioned...

Swimming.  Our place has two pools.  We'll visit other hotel pools like the MGM Lazy River.  

Water park

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

Treasure Island Pirate Battle

Circus Circus

Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, Tigers and Dophin's Habitat

Town Square Children’s Park and Playground

Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas

Hershey’s Chocolate World

M&M Store

Coca Cola Store

The Neon Museum

Mini Gran Prix Family Fun Center

LINQ Promenade (Family dinners, shopping, bowling, more)

Excalibur Tournament of Kings dinner

They're meeting another couple there who are traveling from Atlanta. They have a little boy too and the two couples will take turns babysitting for each other so they can go out at night alone.  Should be a good time.

I made a pot of chicken vegetable soup yesterday (my one and only accomplishment) so at least I don't have to cook tonight.  I seem to be taking less interest in cooking as each year passes.  I am interested in eating, however.

Gotta go pick up Maddie in an hour and a half. Her and Hunter are taking summer classes. His truck is at the high school so that's his main interest. Maddie is going to the skills center and is taking sports medicine and some other topic I forgot. Jenni's been having vision problems again and they seem to be getting worse.  She's wearing an eye patch to help the double vision but it makes driving a bit touchy at times. I don't like her driving at all.

Well, maybe I'll settle in on the recliner for a bit and take a short nap.  If I don't, I'll be dragging big time by 4:30 or 5.