Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 06:06 PM

Good news, Kat! I have a latex mattress that was an extra (long story) after my ex ordered one and ended up with three. He warned me that it took some getting used to, but after about 2 weeks I was accustomed to the different feel of it and it is very comfortable. No way I could move this by myself, though - it's on a frame and box spring and won't budge off them .

Getting hot this week. I need to mow tonight and be ready for the hot weather to descend. More indoor tasks will become interesting as it gets really hot (up to 100^o by the end of the week.)

Today I went online and scheduled a pickup by the Salvation Army for a sofabed loveseat. I've also listed two miscellaneous boxes - they don't exist yet but I'll have a couple of weeks to assemble stuff because the first appointment I can get for pickup is in the end of June.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 11:50 PM

I actually believe this malady is gearing down to naught. One month, same as last year. Maybe we need to leave the area next year during this season.

Very glad to hear Kat is doing better!

I saw my friend at hospital but still in a coma so I just talked at him for a few minutes and went back to car. As I walked back down the hill to where I had parked - perspiring, I thought I would just check out how to get to the folk dancing for another time. But instead of going up the mountain, my car went down toward the hghwy so I came to the cabin in time to feed the kits before too dark. A good thing! They have been in a squirrel cage and had discovered the neat squirrel house. I had to help each of them out of the house, gently pulling their fat tummies through the hole! Tomorrow will be clean the big cage day! The house is OUT of the cage and I put a wooden box and straw in for tonight.

Feeding time was a circus. I added pablum to the bowls and the two who usually eat from the bowls said, "YICK!" So one chewed on my foot and the other munched on a nipple and managed to ingest formula at the same time I was holding bottles for the other two! Then Serena pooped on my lap - again. Eventually everyone seemed content and I put them to bed, took a hot bath and collapsed. I am glad my car decided not to go dancing.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 10:09 AM

Another rainy day here. I am enjoying the cooler temps and will spend the day puttering about the house, bagging up stuff for the upcoming yard sale too.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 11:32 AM

So Michelle is getting things done while I am mesmerized by the soporific effect of constant, fairly heavy rain falling through the trees onto the roof. And not wanting to start my day because that means going out in that rain to gather the four kits for their morning meal I have had brekkie but am stuck on the computer. But I weary of it and shall soon brave the rain, having checked the weather report to find it is just going to keep on....

And the big cage must be made useful as I just had word that someone wants to pick up the squirrel cage in a day or so. One less thing for us to move!! YAY!

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 12:22 PM

There are a few days after I mow the back yard that I love to spend some time admiring it. This may be the last week of a "park like" look because the temperatures are supposed to rise and it will soon turn brown. I water about 1/3 of the yard closest to the house to give the dogs a green area to roll around in, but the rest dries up.

I'd forgotten that there is stuff in the garage that never sold in a garage sale a year+ ago, but I spotted it yesterday when I was trying to find where the dogs might have found a toy that they dragged out and chewed up. The rest of that bin of stuff can go in one of the Salvation Army boxes.

I've been threatening to move my office desk (computer, wires, peripherals, etc.) but this week I'm really going to do it. As it is I'm sitting directly under the light fixture in the ceiling and I'm tired of having bugs attracted to the light then dropping onto my head.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 01:29 PM

P.S. for exercise today, I'll climb the stairs in the library several times. I may be mowing the front yard this evening, but the stairs are indoors and air conditioned. It's supposed to hit 98 by late afternoon.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 01:12 AM

Finished mowing the front yard, did some weeding and watering in the garden. Didn't do a darned thing in the house.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 12:14 PM

My three dogs cornered a live skunk in the garage last night.

Just think about all of the ramifications that go with that discovery this morning. The skunk is now out, driven out of the corner after I opened the door and used a hose and the nozzle on "jet."

Yes, it has been a busy stinky morning. I have been at work for a little while, but I can still smell it on my hands and will head back to the house soon to start spraying enzyme around the garage and on the dogs again. They did get skunked this time. Thoroughly.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 12:48 PM

ICK.

I've been moving the last of my sewing things/table upstairs into what WILL be my sewing room (can you say disaster area?). I have 2 more trips to make and will be done with the moving part of it. Dishes are going, one load of laundry done, counter and table is clean. I have another load of dishes to go, maybe two. I am going to start using the pressure canner to make our own baked beans so I'll have a load of jars to sterilize. Company is coming in 45 minutes and I still haven't had a shower and am exhausted. I am NOT in the mood for company today. UGH. And the person coming KNOWS I am NOT in the mood. I'm sure she is wanting to cheer me up but right now I just want to be left alone.

Arg. On to the shower.

Michelle who had a craptastic start to the day and is all around disgruntled with the universe. HMPH. I'm sure all I need is a nap and the world will look better.

No time for a nap. Shower. Must. Shower.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 02:03 PM

Gawd...

No skunks encountered here, thank goodness. (One very early summer morning a few years ago I stood just outside the back door enjoying the just slightly post dawn weather when I spied a movement to my left, amidst the flower pots. Almost entirely white skunk. I stood still. He warily wove his way through the planters, waddled past me (casting an eye in my direction...just in case), and down the steps to "safety" under the deck.)

I just finished a bunch of piddly things including (believe it or not) yet more paperwork (that I found while trying to straighten the pile on the table that the cat keeps wanting to knock over) that had to be filed. Elderly property tax exemption -- yes, we're still old. Yes, we still have an income well below the maximum for the exemption. Had to go out to the car to note mileage for the form -- 191,882 miles on our sole vehicle.

Got other stuff filed. Threw out a bunch of stuff. Need to email a friend who wanted to buy the carnelian necklace to see if she's got the money yet. And another friend about the black powder pistol. Read Tom a number of things at Mudcat and Facebook and took care of some PMFF board business emails. Decanted the Earl Grey tea-infused vodka. It still needs to age a bit more. Also finished preparing the maple/vanilla-infused vodka. This is one way I can have the occasional sip of a specialty liqueur without having to pay an arm and a leg (and a kneecap and two toes). After supper the dishwasher will be full enough to run through.

Oh, and I pulled a few more weeds and put some more dry leaves on the pile when I took out the kitchen compost. Now I've got to get the mail and do a quick store run and take some magazines to Lee Urgent Care.

I had hoped to make a dent either in "the room" or the stuff piled in front of the hutch... I had also hoped we'd be able to eat on the deck tonight, but the promised sun hasn't put in an appearance. Sigh.

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 04:56 PM

oh happy day! It stayed sunny long enough for me to clean out the big cage and clear a lot of other stuff to be moved - sorting, throwing out dead boxes (saved from last move but raccooned), general triaging. The kits were so excited by all the activity that instead of going to sleep after early meal, they watched Mom work. So I moved them to their new home and cleaned out the squirrel cage so it is ready for pick up! As I worked I noticed the guys exploring their new home and ----WOW! saw little jaws chewing the dog food left from the last big guy feeding! YAY! Put some of their new puppy food in and a few minutes ago, while putting things inside away from the new rainfall, All four were at the feeding tube munching away! And really neat - one was crawling through the tube. They can take the food out with their hands but HEY! tubes are fun! See why I do this?

Had an email last eve from a francophone requesting raccoon help so I gave him R's phone; R went and picked up Bandit and kept him in the city house last night - loose! Could not find him this am. Oh well! I expect he will resurface when he is ready. Hopefully, I will bring him out here in the morning to join his foster sibs.

Laundry and recycling are in the car, ready to go to the city, after the eve feeding. Boxes in the house, ready to be packed. Trying to get all non-essentials packed and gone SOON. Made black bean salsa/soup and more choc covered ginger. Dragged smaller squirrel cage out of porch and cleaned it out; it will be rain washed. Detailed email sent to a potter who requested info on magnesium and joints. Emails all read and a few brief responses. Maybe I will take a nap until feeding time, or just read.

Oops, need to get the 5 tomato plants in the car.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 05:17 PM

Thanks, Dorothy - Those skunk recipes (I've tried them) stick around like a burr on your sock, but they don't work. They never have. Tomato juice on a dog - it's a waste of tomato juice. Peroxide, soap, etc, it doesn't break down the protein that is so stinky and sticks so well. It washes some off but it takes several baths and never works completely. And it can bleach the dogs' coats in the process.

The only thing that works, and it works very well, is the enzyme product called Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. PetSmart has discontinued it, I was in two stores today and there was none to be found. I had to go to Petco. You don't get the dogs wet to use this, that makes the skunk oil with it's own special stickiness spread around. You must be careful not to hit the eyes, but I put some of the liquid in an ordinary spray bottle and spritz the dogs on the muzzle, chest, neck, forehead and ears. Skunks aim for the face and they have two sprayer glands and can aim at two different animals at the same time. I also sprayed the legs and front feet this time. I'll check them in a few minutes (I was starving so I've stopped to have a banana and strawberry smoothie before heading outside.) I'm going to put some of this in my 2 gallon sprayer and pump it up and spray around the garage. And give the dogs another spritz with the small bottle.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 05:31 PM

OH my, maybe skunks are different in Ontario OR maybe Laurel does not notice since she says she likes the odour! Maybe you could just delete that post completely and I will delete it from my computer. And hope the skunk under the cabin continues to be civil for another 2 weeks!

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 07:11 PM

Maggie, there was another product that used to be sold by vets. Similar to Nature's Miracle (the regular product by which I swear). Can't remember the name and don't know whether it's still available.

Good luck!

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 07:50 PM

There are lots of enzyme products out there now - I found a janitorial service years ago that supplied some that was good for the smell in the carpet and concrete from the cat peeing in the corner, and now you can find it from Nature's Miracle and several other companies. I think any company wanting in the skunk game could probably come up with something similar.

Dorothy, skunks are amazingly gregarious when dogs aren't around. They don't want to spray everything they see. I've had them in campgrounds panhandling around the campsite! If raised from a very young age they make interesting pets, but they still can bite. And some people who have them as pets I hear don't have them stink-gland fixed. There are tons of pet skunk videos on YouTube.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Jun 13 - 08:47 PM

So, Maggie, spraying fruit smoothie kills skunk odour? LOL!

What a night! And to work where I'll bet you'd like to use it, too.

better times tonight and tomorrow.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 12:54 AM

;-D Those pronouns get me more often than other part of speech. This is a fasting day and the smoothie was going to be my main small meal. I figured all of the skunk smell might be easier to tolerate with some food in my stomach. As it turns out, no smoothies needed for the dogs. As I went out to spray them just as they raced off away from me, around the greenhouse to the fence. My next door neighbor came out with a treat for them (he was out of dog biscuits so gave them each a piece of chicken.) We all had food in our stomachs as I set to work to spritz them with the enzymes.

I need to do another spray on each dog - this evening I'll roll each of them over and check for any hot skunk spots that I missed earlier. I figure if they were dancing around in the garage when they got sprayed they might have rubbed it off on each other beyond the usual skunk target areas. By morning I hope they'll all be back to normal dog smell. This weekend I'll wash the garage floor.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 10:23 AM

My first husband and I had a young Mephitus mephitus back in the '70s. A neighbor had come to Ed (since he had small animal experience) to remove the skunk from under another neighbor's porch since the animal officer, the fire department and the police refused to.

We kept him awhile as a semi-pet (in the shed, not in the house). Skunks don't spray other skunks and he just figured we were big skunks. Kept the bug population down in the garden.

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bettynh
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 11:08 AM

My big old house has 3 porches, so skunks are often close neighbors. I much prefer them to opossums, raccoons, squirrels, or rats and I don't have a dog. But they do spray each other in February when they're fighting for love. It's a clear sign that spring is "in the air." :-) A stroll around the neighborhood at dusk will probably include a few skunk sightings, and they're pretty mellow about cars, pedestrians, and cats.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 11:19 AM

We let the skunk know we're around and he's cool with that. He seems to have a few 'dens', one of which is under the porch/veranda. He doesn't spray near the house unless it's to drive off a cat or raccoon or human who tries to get too friendly.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 12:36 PM

Dishes and laundry are done for the day (unless I decide to strip all the beds) and now I'm on to trying out the pressure canner to make homemade baked beans!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 04:01 PM

Good luck with that! I seem to do all of my canning in the hottest time of the year - we're getting to 100^o soon, so it'll be time any day now. Tomatoes first, and then we'll see what comes from there.

Getting in stair climbing today and a walk across campus. It's hot, and I was in the bookstore, so I picked up an umbrella on sale for a parasol. And if the wind picks up, I can use it as a parasail. ;-D

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 06:09 PM

Normally all our canning is during the summer when it's hot however nothing in our garden is ready to can yet so I decided to do baked beans on this unusually cool, very rainy day. They are just about ready to go in the canner! Prep is easy but takes time.

I also received a call from a young man who I've known for a long, long time. He and his girlfriend just found out they are pregnant...haven't told their parents yet...he asked me to come over and talk with them. They had a list of questions and I am honored that he trusts me and feels comfortable asking some serious questions. She is a doll and even though they are young, I am happy for them. :) I think they are going to be just fine.

Also, just sold Jeremiah's little swing set (didn't even have to advertise!) so there is an extra little bit of money sitting on the table. :) That's always a good thing!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 06:14 PM

That's the reason I absolutely refuse to can ANYTHING. Bad bad Wisconsin August childhood memories of Mom standing over the pressure cooker, the excess humidity dripping from the ceiling, the Braves' game on the radio on top of the refrigerator, my dad shuffling the cards at the table for yet another game of solitaire, pinochle, cribbage...

I don't can. I don't play cards. And I don't follow baseball (or any other organized sport).

Childhood influences on the rest of my life...

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 09:32 PM

Went to the city after the kits supper yesterday. Did two loads of laundry and met our new resident. Poor little guy had already had two foster homes and was a bit snarly and very skittish. This morning, I packed up the car for return trip, including Bandit. Realized I could not safely go shopping with him in car - fear of being caught. It is legal to kill raccoons but not to care for them. Need to go out tomorrow and scavenge for goat milk! (Cow milk is not healthy for them.)

At lmorning mealtime, I brought only one kit in to introduce Bandit to his new sibs. Addie, the shy one, drank her bottle with fervour! I managed to squirt some milk in Bandit's mouth. His mode of eating was to put both feet in a bowl of mill and then lick the milk off his feet! Highly inefficient and he spills lots! Bandit snarled at Addie and she just looked at him. This was nose to nose!

Then I took Addie out and brought in the other 3. Everyone got fed and no great traumas so I took the 3 out and then took Bandit out. Like two year olds, there was parallel play going on and no one tried to harm anyone. Everyone was munching away on the puppy food so Bandit did too. How better to learn but by observation. Supper went fine, in shifts of two and then 3. Bandit and Addie were in the same nest box. Bonding!?

I managed to get some boxes packed and out to the porch. Made up a sort of moving schedule which made it look less daunting. As the space at the Mill will be almost indoor camping, I am hoping to move all but the bare essentials ahead of time and then one last large truck load for bed, frig, love seat, table, two chairs, one wheel, one kiln and sundry. (I'm thinking out loud.)

We really like it here and do not want to leave.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 12:57 PM

I have a bunch of stuff to put out at the curb for trash on Monday. I'll start piling it outside the garage (can't put at the curb until the night before). In some cases I'm tossing things that I thought had a use, but have decided not to try to use - there are too many of those projects around here.

This morning I put a comfortable pair of Capri pants back into service. I can't seem to get past this plateau I've been on lately, but I still have lost some inches. The old fat/muscle dichotomy for dieters. I can see muscles reappearing but I'd rather have muscles and be 30 pounds lighter, not be buff at this weight. :)

The dog/skunk story is still playing out. The dogs are much better (though Poppy seems to have gotten skunked in some odd spots so every so often I give her a sniff and spray another area.) To de-skunk the building I've run a couple of batches of soapy water across the garage floor and the area where the standoff seems to have taken place. It is decreasing in strength, but is still quite apparent.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 02:56 PM

Those projects we think we will get to! I have a whole pile next to the sewing machine.

My weight loss has stopped also but I am dealing with the stress of moving and not pushing the diet thing.

I have lots of boxes packed and some huge clear plastic bags for clothes and such. Probably two car loads. After the feeding, I ate again in hopes of energy. Never works. Trying to figure out how to get out of loading the car and taking it to the Mill when the bright sun disappeared and RAIN fell! AHH! but it only lasted a few minutes and now I am back to "It's almost 3 pm and I still have time for at least one trip..."

All 5 kits were in the hammock this am and not ready for brekkie until about 1 pm! All the food was gone from the tube; this indicates that last year's four are still coming back; They can reach through the wire and help themselves! We will be putting the less expensive adult food in at night! Also explains why the kits are so tired. Imagine the excitement of BIG raccoons right there! I did the feeding in shifts: 2 and then 2 and then Bandit, who is starting to like the bottle. He cannot suck yet but chews on the nipple while I squeeze the bottle to squirt it into his mouth. He took quite a reasonable amount. He let go when he had enough.

Realizing that driving 1-2 hours/day and feeding 2 hours/day is a big chunk of time. Add in 2 or more hours on emails and other internet stuff....

Almost 3 pm. Will I or won't I? I will walk out to the post box. Now.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 04:43 PM

WELL, NOW IT IS 4:30 and I packed a couple more boxes and checked a few more emails and singed a couple more petitions - and ate a few pieces of dark choc.

But I did not load the car and drive to the mill because I just do not feel like it. Tomorrow is a big day: Farmer's Market in the am and a major local music event starting at 3 pm with an incredible lineup of musicians - and taking my pottery. Sunday, I will unload the pottery stuff at the Mill.   

R and crew just removed an entire kitchen, including appliances, from a ad on Craigslist. I cannot remember whether it was free of cheap but it is on its way to the Mill so we may yet have a K before we move there. Regardless of how it fits the available space.

And R will make it to Bobby Dove's CD launch tonite at the Cafe!

Now I am going to organize what is in the way of real life and go to the Cafe early.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 05:53 PM

I cleared out the clutter in the corner behind the door to the sun room. The big video game cabinet that is my son's (long story) will be pushed into his room after the love seat comes out (the one that the Salvation Army will pick up in two weeks.) That will allow me to make better use of the sun room. As a gardener there are some things I hold onto because I know I'll need them later. Like the flat boxes from the grocery store that come under cases of vegetables - I use those for drying and holding all sorts of things from the garden. And I use all sorts of plastic containers for repotting and giving away plants, etc. But they can stand to be stored neatly. That will happen in the space behind the door, where I will move a potting bench that kind of blocks access to my plants in the bay window now.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 09:00 PM

Okay. I decluttered a lamp. It's in the bag for Goodwill. And sold a repro black powder pistol yesterday.

But then I got to the Press Room session. Not long after I got there, Chris Vaughan came in the back door and tugged at my sleeve -- "There's a bunch of posters in the trash out there..."

So I went to look. Evidently someone decided to clean out Jay Smith's (founding owner of The Press Room; sold the pub in 1996) entertainer files from the '80s. They were out back in a plastic box and wet from last night's rain. Not too wet. But I went through them and salvaged everything that had meaning for me -- press kits, posters, publicity photos. A treasure trove as far as my archives are concerned -- people that I had seen at The Press Room in the early '80s but didn't have a date on my calenders for. Walking On Air, Trapezoid, Bill Morrissey, Sammie Haynes (now married to Cormac McCarthy), Jane Rothfield and Alan Carr, Taylor Whiteside, Richard Johnson, Kenny Girard, John Roberts and Tony Barrand, Rick and Lorraine (now married to Bennett Hammond) Lee, Jim Ringer and Mary McCaslin, etcet etcet...

Wow!

Guess I'd better de-accession some more stuff to make room. (Actually, it's not that thick a stack.)

Gotta go eat pizza...

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jun 13 - 01:03 AM

Good save, Linn!

I've lugged more stuff out to the trash, took a load of recycling down the to village bins, moved the love seat from my son's room into the den (it involved turning it on its back and then putting it on end to get around a sharp hall corner - good thing it isn't that heavy and I didn't ever have to lift it off the floor, just tipped it). Since any large cardboard pieces in the garage will now smell like skunk I'm going to have to find another piece to use to slide the video game through the house and down the hall into the place where the loveseat used to sit.

A load of laundry is going in at bedtime with the timer set to run the load at 5am when the power is cheaper and in less demand. We're reaching the time of year when they'll start telling us to use not use large appliances during the heat of the day.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jun 13 - 12:43 AM

I was away from the computer all day and have only turned it on tonight after moving my computer desk and rearranging the USB hubs behind my monitor. I have two 7-port hubs to support all of the cables. A whole bunch of them are device cables that don't need the powerful links (several camera cables, mp3 player, phone cable, etc.)

Of course though what I intended the desk move, I didn't start there. I sorted through several boxes of papers in the office closet to clear the floor in case I needed to move any of the equipment to the closet. In the process I pulled out my Dad's old APC battery backup and read the booklet - I'll put that in service if I can buy a replacement. Otherwise, it's e-trash and will go to the bin at work.

Now I can see the floor in the closet AND I can move behind my computer desk easily to see all of the wires and cables. No more crawling on my hands and knees with a flashlight to reach the cables. This was the kind of job that involved frequently running the vacuum cleaner and shredder.

On a health note, I ran into an artificial sweetener this week that has the same effect as nutrasweet - it causes diarrhea a couple of hours after consumed. I accidentally got into it via a sports drink. Acesulfame potassium is often times combined with aspartame in foods and drinks - maybe this is what was always getting me. I suspect they're using just this and not also nutrasweet because people are onto nutrasweet. And now they need to be onto this stuff.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jun 13 - 10:58 AM

Part B from yesterday's work - I moved my computer desk and straightened out the cables - but there is stuff now sitting on the other workspace that needs to be put away. I still managed to discard a great deal of paper and I'll start working on those boxes for the Salvation Army.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Jun 13 - 01:56 PM

So...gloves on hands (should have worn the rose gauntlets) and lopper in my hands, I headed down what was once a path heading downhill behind the flower bed behind the house. Pulled out leaf litter, lopped grapevinage that was threatening takeover, took down some saplings and majorly cleared out blackberry thornage.

Great exercise, by the way. Especially exerting one's self while balancing on steep uneven ground (ALL of our yard is uneven ground and then some of it is steep, too). Then I hauled the thorn bushes up to the deck where I sat on the steps and cut it all into short pieces and bagged in a trash bag to go out (AWAY!) in Tuesday's trash.

Then I planted and potted a few things, cut some roots sticking out above the driveway, crawled up on the bank and thinned some hemlock branches and American basswood suckers and threw previously cut brush down on the pile.

Then I made lunch. (And the dishes in the dishwasher were done.)

Think I'll wrap up the song list on the Press Room shanty sing thread, do some necessary online research and then maybe put enough clothes away that I can get a change of sheets and pillowcases and change the bed (which is waaay more complicated than you think, since I use the bed as a desk and what would be Tom's side if he were sleeping upstairs is piled with binders, notebooks, papers, the phone, books, magazines and page protectors).

By the way, I'm closer to getting my "new" car -- he ended up having to replace the catalytic converter, too (single most expensive part on the car) and was having the car cleaned & waxed Friday. I don't think he's going to make a cent on it, but I'll have what is a practically new 2002 Outback. The engine was rebuilt and a bunch of other working (and non-"working" like the bumpers) parts have been replaced.

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 10:20 AM

Linn, I detect a technique similar to mine re: changing-the-linens: I didn't get the laundry basket folded last week so yesterday when I changed the sheets I pulled a set out of the clean laundry still in the basket and made the bed. And had a lot less left to fold. :)

I made progress while Mudcat was offline. I recycled 20-30 pounds of paper (a big chunk of it was old notebooks from graduate school classes that I will never look at again, and old term papers.) Now I need to arrange the few things I'm going to keep, and I may be able to remove a large set of wire shelves from that closet. Or use the wire shelves more efficiently by putting other things in there that I want to keep but don't need to keep in plain sight.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 01:44 PM

An eBay box out the door, a couple of other items relisted.

Still looking at the office closet, and ready to start another box of stuff to donate. And from here at the computer I'm also looking up at a shelf with small floppy disks that I need to convert to CDs while I still have a computer in the house that can read the things. I'll recycle the floppies after I move the files.

I have another batch of clothes that are too large and will go to the Goodwill. That will clear a chair in the bedroom where it has been accumulating.

A load of small throw rugs has just finished washing.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 03:20 PM

Ach! What a morning!

First off, I poured some of the half and half I just bought on Saturday into Tom's coffee...and it curdled. Tom wouldn't accept either ice cream or powdered milk in his coffee. I was going to go right out and exchange it (would take about 40 minutes), so Tom decided he could stand to drink a cup black if he had cinnamon rolls to go along with it. So...that's what we had for breakfast.

Then I figured I could do everything in one trip. Since the half and half was no longer an emergency, I could go first to Lee Urgent Care about my toe. I did something nasty to it in the past two weeks, but it only hurt when I walked up or down stairs. Then yesterday I teetered on so much steep slope and tricky uneven footing that I did something else to it. Starting last night I had tingly feelings extended down into the ball of the foot and some general weirdness. I've had broken toes before and there's not much you can do for them except avoid kicking things, and was intending to tape it to the next toe and get on with life, but it was bothering me more this morning and I figured I'd better get it checked out.

Left the house at 9:40 this morning and JUST GOT HOME (to make "lunch") at 2:30. (Picked up lunch fixings and a few grocery items and exchanged that sour half and half on the way home.) Spent almost four hours at Lee Urgent Care -- for a ligamentous sprain (not even a break), x-rays, and the advice to buddy tape the toe and take some ibuprophen... (And a VERY LARGE MARGARITA, I think! ...after I pick up Tom's meds at the pharmacy.)

Zero accomplishment today (except for the half book I read while waiting). Lucky I carry a book with me...

Tom just told me I don't have to pick up the meds today. So I think I'll take 1996 out to the umbrella table on the deck and interpolate the info in the binder with the dates in the calendar. AND sip a large margarita...

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 03:30 PM

Fri: passed on old copies of Mariposa Notes to a friend who is not yet de-cluttering. The free kitchen cupboards are quite nice. Also the frig and stove! And the woman thanked R profusely for taking them! She can now put in a new Kitchen in her newly purchased condo. We can have some semblance of a decent K at the Mill. A definite win-win.

Saturday: Sold 3 pots at the Market -$60 - not bad. I am happy when I make the booth fee! We drove up to the cabin and fed the kits and ourselves and OOPS, I left my cell phone plugged in down at the Market site. So we drove back down - it was not where I left it - and back to the cabin. Nothing for it but to carry on. So we went to the big music event, very late (it started at 3). But did not miss ALL the good music and left about 11 when the sound was cranked up to a painful level.

Sunday: took the carload of pottery to the Mill. Then I drove back to the cabin and loaded the car with those packed boxes, had a visit with a couple trying to determine if the squirrel cage would be suitable for their foster kids, had lunch and went back to Mill. I was feeling not so good so I did not feed the kits. About 5 pm, I got a message from sis-i-law that a woman had phoned her - in PA! - re my cell phone. We drove to her home and R recouped the phone with profuse thanks! She had come out of her office just in time to hear a couple kids on bikes, "Oh look, a phone!" Lucky me!

Cool and rainy but I sat in front of open door because I was afraid paint fumes would make me sick. I felt myself going down hill and went and sat in the car. (R was working trying to get the place in order, as he does every chance.)

At 9:57, I phoned R to see if he could quit. I was no longer able to even read. We got back to the cabin about 11. I was a whimpering mass of protoplasm, told R he would have to feed the kits and I crawled into bed shivering. Alkyd paint. An hour later, I was burning hot and my feet were ice. The poor little kits were frantically hungry and R was afraid to open the door to the cage for fear someone would get lost in the dark. He held the bottle to the fence until everyone seemed to have had enough to calm down. He was well bitten by mosquitoes and rained upon at same time!

Today we fed the kits before we left and came to city where I am feeling back to a low level of energy - instead of none! As soon as the second load of laundry is dry, I will put the other two loads (one wet) in the car and go back to the cabin. So I can recoup enough for the eve feeding.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 06:23 PM

Curses! Foiled again!

By the time I wrapped up what had to be done (a returned phone call), it was pouring and the deck was out of the question.

Sigh. It was sooooo beautiful out until I got home again and it clouded right up.

Did finish the work on 1996, though. Then watched an episode of "White Collar" (alas, not one of the better ones).

I'm exhausted. Dinner revised again. Not enough energy to make kedgeree. I'm not sure I have enough energy to put some frozen scallop cakes in the oven. Besides, we didn't eat lunch until 3:00! I just put cheese inside some packaged crescent rolls and put them in the oven. Hope I can keep my eyes open.

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jun 13 - 01:03 AM

Sounds like a couple of our members needed to get to bed early tonight.

I've made forward progress here, though the house is still messy. I made some small pizza crusts for myself that are now in the freezer for meals this summer, and I have a few more things in the truck to go for e-waste. I have clean rugs in the dryer and I have only a few dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. :)

It rained hard this morning, saving me having to drag hoses (I am only allowed to use a sprinkler on Wednesday and Saturday, but I can use soaker hoses or hand water any time).

It sounds like my son is getting to see his aunt (my sister) in Seattle every so often, and our brother will be back up there soon (he has homes in California and Washington). And my son will be joining them at a family wedding (our cousin's daughter) in August - a chance for a whole bunch of people to get to meet him. If ever you're going to a new place where technically you might feel like a stranger, what a revelation it must be to have family popping up everywhere.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jun 13 - 09:17 AM

Didn't sleep well last night - went to bed as a thunderstorm was passing over the area. Let the dogs in. They couldn't seem to get comfortable - the bed they sleep on in the living room isn't cool in this weather so I think two of them slept on the tile floor. Stubborn Cinnamon insisted on sleeping on her bed on the foot of my bed. The skunk smell wasn't so bad but she farted all night. Try getting a 55 pound dog off of a bed she doesn't want to leave and she suddenly weighs a ton. I considered leaving her there and going to sleep in my son's room, but finally fell asleep (or the gas knocked me out?).

:)

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: LilyFestre
Date: 18 Jun 13 - 11:30 AM

I spent most of yesterday poking around 3 large thrift shops. I ended up spending about $20.00. I think I did pretty good. For Jeremiah I got a shorts set, dress pants (from The Children's Place) for fall holidays/church, a short sleeved button up Hawaiian shirt (that he picked out..it's covered in palm trees and jeeps..FUN) and a toy car. For myself, I got two books (sold new for $23.00 each) and two very small vases for the constant little handfuls of flowers that Jeremiah brings me. And the big find of the day, I picked up 2 three foot tall plastic, primary colored, sets of drawers. Each one has 3 deep and wide drawers. I spent this morning cleaning each of them. Jeremiah and I dumped the toys from the 2 Huggies boxes he's been keeping everything in, sorted things out and organized things by drawers. Later today I will make visual labels for each drawer (words too). We have 2 drawers of cars, trucks, tractors and scooters. A drawer for train things (tracks, bridges, engines, cars), a Lego and blocks drawer, a drawer for little animals, men and random small toys and finally a drawer to keep his tractor magazines and some books. :) He is having fun driving his cars along the top and sides of the shelving. :) The colors don't match my living room but so what? It's a much nicer way to keep his toys and should help in keeping them cleaner as well (no dust or dog hair inside the drawers!).

I have laundry going and dishes that need to be done (of course). It's never ending in that department but I try to keep in mind that this means we have had food for our bellies and clean clothes on our backs. I remember not being able to stand long enough to do dishes so I will NOT complain! :)

I'm off to putter.

Have a great day everybody!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jun 13 - 04:01 PM

I have an opportunity to work some overtime (for real, not the uncompensated sort I worked last spring) - on the overnight shift in the library. Not sure how it would work - I would need to go sleep after working overnight, not put in 8 more hours so that my overnight counted as extra. Sounds like something for one with superhuman stamina. I'm having trouble staying awake at 2:45 in the afternoon!

I'm planning to do more work on the sunroom this evening and have researched the various furniture dollys at Home Depot. I need to put something under the game cabinet to move it into my son's room. I have lots of large furniture in the house but have so far gotten away without owning a dolly. It's either a sign of age or common sense that I'm going to add one to my tools.

It rained this morning so I don't need to fuss with the garden except to pick. I do need to restring both of my trimmers and have them ready to go for the next time I mow. That is less frequent as the heat rises - and sometimes a quick run over stall spots with the string trimmer means I don't need to get out the mower.

Today at work I dropped more stuff in the e-waste bin. It really is astonishing how much I had around the house; things I kept for some reason or other. Today it was old holiday lights, a not-quite-perfect computer keyboard that needs a mouse-plug adapter - into the bin.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 18 Jun 13 - 10:44 PM

Two good sleeps, a lazy day and 3 hot baths plus NAC for the toxin removal and I am feeling human again. Hung the third load of laundry on the line and took it down and all laundry put away and a car load taken to the Mill and offloaded. Put up posters for the music fest a couple places and the last one gave me stuff to deliver to organizers - donation, door prizes - so I went home by their place and had a visit. Delighted to hear that our friend has come out of coma. Great news!

Fed kits about noon and tried about 7 but they were not interested. The "fifth wheel" also came in for a bottle and is less snarky and better settled into the family. I let his former people know. Once a day is a bonus for us. They fill up on puppy food. Remembered to put food in the tube for the night visitors.

Cooked a big pan of stir-fried veggies for supper and had them with some melted cheese. Cooked some lentils and stirred in some of the veggies for tomorrow.

My health consultant was appalled that we used this toxic paint but we never realized how bad it is and how long it lasts. Someone suggested a coat of low VOC primer. I will put the screened tent up for a sitting place, maybe even sleeping. A frightful mess, this paint.

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jun 13 - 12:01 AM

I picked up a dolly at Home Depot to use under the big video game in the corner behind my sunroom door. In the process of moving it I realized there were castors on the back side for tipping it and was moving it down the hall but it hung up on the edge of a tile and I ended up dropping it. No, I didn't smash anything, but if I hadn't been carefully to the side of it I'd have broken a foot.

When it went down the insides went all to pieces. I sent my son (who has had it stored here for several years) that it was beyond repair and I was going to drag it to the curb. I am sure he'll be disappointed, but we can find him another some day, if he really needs one. There is a sign on it that says "Free. Needs Repair." If someone can get it picked up into a truck they can have it. I'm sorry to have broken it, but I'm glad it'll be gone.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jun 13 - 04:41 PM

It was still at the curb when I left this morning, but if it is still there this evening, I'll take a screwdriver down and open the back to remove the guts (the heavy CRT and the circuit boards). At which time my daughter tells me she wants the cabinet. Now that someone wants it it will probably be gone by the time I get home.

Moonglow is coming down tonight for our summer BLT and it is her dad's birthday, so she's giving him a call and inviting him over to our summer celebration. Maybe they'll enjoy taking apart a video game as part of the evening's activities. I'll have to stash it in the truck and take it up to her, there is no putting it in the garage. I can see my weekend shaping up.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 19 Jun 13 - 06:15 PM

Other than, brekkie, another hot bath (and one last night), the computer and the noon feeding, today is a bust. I looked up adrenal exhaustion and added a couple supplements, looked up non-toxic paint and sent R the link, remonstrated (nicely, I hope, with a potter who denigrated raccoons, and moved one box closer to where it is going. Also checked on pots which STILL need trimming and, happily, are still damp. Thought about the packing I still need to do and went back to bed! Remembered to re-start the distiller, put adult food in the tube for the night visitors, patted heads and came in and washed hands. Thinking I need to replace the minerals lost in perspiration with all these hot baths. I will go do that. What would I do without you guys to keep me thinking?

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 19 Jun 13 - 07:22 PM

Went to a memorial gathering down on Plum Island, Massachusetts (across the bridge from Newburyport) today, so, you might say, I didn't really get a lot accomplished.

But we celebrated the life of a man who gave so much to so many people. He always had an amusing observation, great quotation, or a ready song. I discovered that his daughters (Ted always described himself as "Father of Daughters"...but his first male descendant was born in April) didn't know about his collection (probably long gone in his travels since the '80s) of quirky oddities: his Jack and Jackie Kennedy Hallowe'en masks, his Elvis radio. About the radio, he always said, "And the best thing about it, the BEST thing is...it DOESN'T work!"

Got to see and talk to a bunch of people we haven't seen for awhile.

AND I got to drive on a bunch of roads I haven't been on in many years, reminding me of how to get to Newburyport and Plum Island, and all the wonderful cemeteries (I'm a "thanatolithologist") I haven't been in since the '80s when Tom was introducing me to the area. Also got to note all the new development along Rte. 1 through Salisbury, Seabrook, and Hampton Falls and describe it all to Tom who couldn't see it. (And remember, after I was through it, the horrible intersection in Salisbury.)

But tonight I'll sort that treasure I found Friday (now thoroughly dried out) into sleeve protectors with a note about where, when and how I salvaged them. And note which posters were on the back of Press Room schedules so I can photocopy them for inclusion elsewhere in the binders. Told a couple of the performers from that era what I found -- they're glad I've saved the stuff and am archiving it. Bill Perry wants to see the Speed the Plow brochure (he was part of the group) and I got this note from John Perrault -- "Wow--a treasure trove. Takes a woman with a grand vision and grander patience to organize that collection...you're the one to do it."

And on the way home I exchanged the jar of pickles at the store -- neither Tom nor I, no matter what we did to break the seal, could get the top off. (And I almost went into pickle deprivation mode.) I guess that was an accomplishment.

Linn

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 13 - 01:36 AM

The huge came console was still at the curb this evening so I opened the back and took out the heavy CRT and some of the electronic parts and the wire harness. The case is going up to my daughter's house (she wanted the rest, thought it might be repaired, but I saw how hard it thumbed last night - she would waste time and money on that. She can have the cabinet and they can adapt it for something else.

I also sent her away with a print drawer fully of Goudy lead letters - I hadn't done anything with it since I bought it and she loved it. Seems friends are into this stuff, so I wrapped it in plastic and sent the whole thing, type and all, home with her. It was her dad's birthday (he came over also) but she got all of the loot. They both took stuff from the garden.

There isn't exactly an echo around here, but I am glad to have more gone. Counting the days (9) until the Salvation Army comes for more big stuff.

SRS

Subject: RE: Exercise, Diet, Declutter ~~~~~~June 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jun 13 - 12:12 PM

The tube and wires have been deposited in the e-recycle bin here at work, and I called the office that supplies the bins to come empty it. He said he has been impressed with the volume of stuff we're sending - considering that most of it is coming from my house, he should be amazed at what I've kept over the years. He said he has also cleared out at home, bringing in three old CRT televisions. I still have one, a little combo DVD/TV in my sewing room. It has a converter and I watch it when I'm sewing. That one will probably stick around for a while.

The kitchen was cleared up for dinner last night, a load of laundry was put in, but I realized that though I started it this morning I forgot to put it in the dryer. It won't mildew in one day, but in general I don't like to leave damp laundry in the washer for hours on end.

I've seen PennyS. talking about computers in another thread, looks like she may be decluttering old equipment if she doesn't find the software that will work with the old devices. There isn't a dedicated thread, and I'm not saying we should start one unless she says it is okay, but we heard from Rustic Rebel on the MOAB thread yesterday that her house burned down last month and she lost everything. If she says it is okay we can start a thread and see if people have extra CDs to replace some of the music she lost.

SRS