How Did March Get Here?

Man, I've sure gotten lazy at posting on my blog these past months. Perhaps because I sense things are a tad boring around here.  But at the same time, I don't think I'm all that bored. At any rate, I'd rather have it more on the boring side than the agitation side.  If that makes sense.
I've got the British channel on (Acorn) that I subscribed to a couple weeks back. Only $5 a month and most of the programs suit me just fine -- although I do struggle with some of them to understand their accents.

Oscars are on tonight. Like the Golden Globes, it's an awards show I enjoy watching. Until it's over and then I usually wonder why I wasted my time. Missed the Globes this year because I cancelled cable (just kept internet) but I may get to see the Oscars later if Sue can get her VCR to tape it for me.  If not, I'll try youtube next week and see if it's listed there.

I did make a list of the shows getting awards for one thing or another and looked them up on IMDB (one of my favorite websites) to see what they were about and how they were rated.  From there, I make my own list of what to look for that I can watch on Netflix, Amazon, or rent to watch.  A lot of movies I'd like to see were on Netflix but not the tv streaming section but the part of their operation where you get discs in the mail, send them back,and get another.  I decided to sign up for that as the level I wanted was only $8 a month and it will allow me to see all the movies that interest me. Might have to wait a bit for some of the academy nominees up for awards this week but they'll come out on disc soon.  Or is that spelled disk?  I never know (and I don't feel like looking it up).

When I got my cable bill last week, it was double what I'd been paying all year. $80 instead of $40.  I called to complain and they said my 12-month new customer period was up and internet was now $80 a month!  What?!  I told them I was not a new customer as I've had cable for years; I just cancelled the tv part. They also wanted to charge me an extra $10 saying I went over the limit of space I used on the internet devices.  What a stupid ripoff!  He eventually offered to take off the $10 charge and told me to just pay $39 and when the year was up, to call back again and see if there was any other offers I could take advantage of.  It's a never ending battle to try and stay ahead of everyone who wants to get their hands on my money.

Last night I found 'The Big Sick' on Amazon.  It was pretty good.  I have decided to try and not have my roku in use as much as usual to try and cut down on the level of how much I use before they try to say I'm going over the limit.  Easy enough as I usually have music on all and while I've been listening to pandora via the tv and roku, I can just as easily listen to the radio on my "radio" and play CDs.    I often like to have a show on while busy in the sewing room but since I invested in a tv/vcr set, I can always play my VHS movies and not use internet space.

My days, for the most part, pretty much mirror one another.  Sewing, television, reading, jigsaw puzzle, crosswords, and sometimes rock painting.  Did some silhouette pieces a while back (using carbon paper) and they turned out kinda' cute. Here's five of them....

I just got a new sewing book in the mail a couple days ago showing techniques on using up all your scraps.  Interesting and I've found I enjoy playing around with smaller pieces.  Have attempting to clean up some of my projects left undone. Like this one using Wizard of Oz pieces of material.  No rhyme or reason to my color choices -- just want to use up what I have on hand.  The pink around the squares is an old curtain I think. It's just a small piece - 34x37".

I've been having problems with the bobbin loading on my sewing machine but didn't want to take it to the Sequim shop as they wanted about $75 an hour or something outrageous like that.  I kept monkeying with it the best I could and then Marilyn Ecker told me you can buy bobbin winders.  How come I never knew that?

Joanne Gilles (bless her little pea pickin' heart) gave me her old vacuum last Saturday. A Bissell upright that works better than my Hoover and I was thrilled to get it. She's also been giving me sacks of scrap material.  Really pretty stuff too.  It's her birthday today and we're meeting up next Friday for lunch at the casino. I suppose I'd better buy her a present. Ha!

My laptop is hanging on by a thread.  The ports have been going out and then coming back on and going out again. A common problem with laptops, I've been told.  Luckily, Jenni gave me this gadget that plugs into the laptop and has five ports you can use at once.  While trying to clean under my keys a couple weeks ago, I was carefully snapping off the tiles to get underneath and was doing okay with the first four but the V gave me trouble and wouldn't snap back on.  I watched youtube videos over and over again to try and see what I was doing wrong. Even took the laptop to the office supply store but that guy couldn't get it on either.  I ended up pulling out an old keyboard from a regular PC and I'm using that now but I really prefer the laptop keyboard.  I do have another PC in the back bedroom I can hook up once this one gives up the ghost altogether but it has Windows 10 on it and that will mean I have to relearn how to navigate on just about everything I want to do.  Plus it will need more room since I'll need to hook up the monitor and keyboard and speakers.  I've been using the kitchen table as my "office" but having a regular PC out here will be way too crowded. 

Kitchen table does get a lot of activity use what with eating, crosswords, painting, and jigsaw puzzles.  Busy busy....

Got a neat picture from Elaine Arey on Facebook this morning of deer on the beach in downtown Port Townsend.

Another picture I saw on Facebook (forgot who's page) was a recent snow scene of the old railroad Y beach.  One of my favorite places to go as a kid.

Went to George Cadero's funeral last Saturday in Port Townsend. Nice picture of his guitar.

We had our share of snow last month and I sure hope it's done for a while. Like a year!

While in PT, I was surprised to see all the sailboats out in the bay. This photo showed up on the front page of the Port Angeles paper.

Saw this photo of Dick Norton and Gracia Feick on Facebook recently. Step siblings who were in my class and they hadn't seen each other in 50 years.

Other panels I've worked on recently include these two below...

Got a cortisone shot in my hip earlier this week.  One of the most painful shots I've ever had but it was definitely necessary as the pain was rated at 10 and I wanted to die.  Took a couple days to get back on track.

Jenni and Wayne got back from Las Vegas yesterday. Sammy stayed with me and did his usual excitement routine when they returned.  I videotaped it this time as it's so cute to watch.  Did notice, though, that age is catching up with him as he definitely needed to stop and rest.  Happens to the best of us.  Mary and Andy are on the plane to Vegas now. She won a big trip at work so Catie is watching Jake until they return.
Here's the picture a street artist did for Jen and Wayne.

Not too much on my calendar for March so far. Will hit the casino this Friday and the mill retirement luncheon in PT on the 19th.  This year I'll take pictures as usual, and will be filling in for Mary Norton as MC.  I always look forward to this annual get together. One of the few places I can go and know the folks in attendance.

The 8 houses going up across the street are coming right along. Supposed to be done by June but I have my doubts.  Felt mighty sorry for them working during our hot spell and again when it froze and snowed.  They show up no matter what the weather.

Can't think of much else right now so I suppose I'll mosey on into the sewing room and see about getting to work.