Monday-2:45pm

What a difference a day makes, eh?

Looks can be deceiving, tho! It is currently 12 degrees below zero. Beautiful day, tho, after the blizzard. :) It was soooo windy that the snow was blown into drifts against the buildings or anything high enough to catch it. Look at the field--bare spots after all that snow!

That wind was something else! Hard to describe the sound--kind of like being inside a garage and running the garage door opener up and down--or listening to people drag very heavy furniture across a wood floor. Neither of those descriptions are completely accurate, but it wasn't the usual howling, pounding sounds I have become used to here. (Been in this apartment in Fargo four years now--in the middle of nowhere with no protection from the wind--hehe!) I have also never seen the wind blow so hard that it displaced the layer of snow on the porch in such an artistic manner--hehe!

Karma wanted out right away when I got up this afternoon. She is not deterred by the cold. It was the sound of the wind and the flapping of the screen yesterday that scared her.

She was able to go out and eat snow today for a few minutes.

Just a few minutes.

Not going to warm up here any time soon. This was the wind chill last night...

...and the seven day forecast!

The entire region was shut down. They closed the freeway and main highways--Interstate 94 was closed from Jamestown, ND over to Alexandria, MN--and 29 was closed from Canada down to South Dakota. No church yesterday. Quite a few places were closed or opened later in the day today. They were out plowing in our parking lot from about 2am until around 5am. We are used to snow up here. I'm sure most of the side streets are plowed by now. As soon as the wind dies down (only 5-10 mph again now) you know the streets will remain open after they are plowed.

What cracked me up last night--was watching the closings scroll across the bottom of the screen and this went by: "....No Travel in Fargo....Stay Home...." They have notices that the freeways are closed every so often--(they have huge bars they swing out across the entrances to the freeways and you can actually be arrested if you are driving on a closed freeway/highway)--but they don't usually tell you to stay off the roads in town right on the scroll bar--hehe! Or I have just missed it? I'm sure if they could have "closed" Fargo/Moorhead and made it against the law to drive in town, I think they would have! hehe! There are always people who are still out and about for no good reason--chuckle!

Anyways, done with the blizzard. Now it is just the warnings about dangerously cold. And I just heard on a news blurb that a woman was arrested at a trailer park in Grand Forks because the neighbors reported a young child outside with just a t-shirt, shorts, and boots on at 8:30 this morning when it was 14 below! The child is okay. Neighbors must have reacted really fast because skin can freeze pretty quickly in this weather. The roving weather reporter last night had goggles, a complete face mask, and fur-lined parka--no skin exposed. (That was originally why I grabbed the camera--wanted to show you but I was too slow.) We had the national weather folks stranded here with us, too--hehe!

Well, that's the latest from Fargo--hehe! Stay warm and safe!

Sunday-2:45pm

The blizzard has arrived. Took these pictures this afternoon. You cannot see beyond the garages--at all--like a white wall.

The wind is blowing my direction--plastering the screens with snow.

Blowing so hard (30-40 mph gusts) that it managed to blow all this snow right through the screen on the porch!

Then it has gusted up between the boards and my indoor outdoor carpeting--making it look like odd waves of snow.

What a good day to be inside--warm and safe.

The blizzard has winds that randomly drift the snow. Most of it has ended up against the building. The plow might have been through while I slept all morning--(been working my way around the clock again)--but it could be just the wind keeping sections clear? It is a wicked wind! But it kind of looks like they may have plowed. ??

Crazy weather, eh? The wind has been pounding against the building since last night. We are not predicted to be above zero until maybe Thursday--and could get as low as 25 below zero at night. Supposed to be an accumulation of 8-13 inches of snow. Wind chills of 42-47 below. I am so glad this started on the weekend and not when the majority of people are trying to get to work. Wonder what it is supposed to be like tomorrow? If the winds will die down a little? Hope so!

Miss Karma is all wound up about the snow on the porch, but afraid to actually step foot on the porch because of the wind--loud and whipping the screen back and forth--not to mention it is really, really cold out there. She kept begging for me to let her out, but she was too scared when I opened the door. (My photo opportunity--hehe!) But she kept crying to go out--silly thing. So, I finally took one of her bowls and scooped up some snow for her--ROFL!!

Happy, happy girl!

I had computer troubles again today--same as the last time--froze, restarted it, got the red flashing warning, and it froze again. Then I shut it down again and waited about an hour and it worked? I wrote down what was in the box to show Dagan later. Something about "Delayed Write Failed"?? Computers can be so mysterious. Something about being unable to save some data from a file? No clue.

But--weirder than that--then I went to my backup laptop, right? And it had my emails from November!?? Nothing current. Stuff I had deleted long ago? Like it had jumped back in time like three weeks? I shut down the screen and started it up again and then it was just fine--all current. I do have the strangest things happen to my computers--things nobody I know has ever heard of.

Well, anyways, the desk computer is once again working like nothing happened. Fixed itself? Probably not, since this is the second time it has done this same weird thing about this file it apparently lost, then the red flashing sentence and freezing--hehe! Guess I will have to see if Dagan can come by this coming week and take a look at it. I know Leah isn't coming for crafts on Wednesday. She is going Christmas shopping with her brother and youngest sister. :)

Stay warm! And those of you who are in warmer places--feel free to be greatly relieved you don't live here--ROFL!!!

Saturday-2:45pm

Here's the trial sketchbook--tada!

Wow! When the flash hits the cover it looks even more colorful than it does in natural light. In natural light it looks mostly dark green. Such pretty paper, tho. Thanks, Ann!

I struggled yesterday with the last two videos. Just wouldn't copy the way I had been doing it--so I began experimenting with different routes for it to try. You know how computers are--hehe! Sometimes you have to come at them from another direction--use another pathway. I used a different program and sent them to a different spot--and viola! Maybe I won't have as much trouble with them if I copy them like that from now on? Anyways, I have two more videos up on YouTube. (You can always go to the upper left-hand corner of my blog and under "My Other Web Spots" click on "SoulComfort's Video Corner" and that will take you there.)

We have a blizzard heading our way tonight and tomorrow. Up to 40 mph winds--yup!--that would do it! Warmer right now--21 degrees--Karma even wanted to go out on the porch for a couple of minutes--hehe! Myself--still just me and my blanket. Noodle day again. Later...

Friday-2:30pm

The last couple of days I have had a sore throat when I woke up, but it seemed to get better as the day went on. Just tired today.

Yesterday I did work on making videos. But lost one--again. Thought the camera was on and it wasn't. I still had one on the hole punching and posted that one. But--I have two that are apparently in the camera that I couldn't seem to get out of the camera last night and into the computer. I tried for over an hour with no success. I'll try again today. Maybe they are going to be lost to me--not sure?

Anyways, I did finish the trial run sketchbook--TaDa!! I feel much more confident with the sewing/stitching and using the mat cutter to cut paper--so now I can start on Ann's when I get going again here. Feeling punkish today, tho. [Hope I am not coming down with something? Knock on wood!]

Stay warm!

Thursday-1pm

Dagan and Leah put the taboret together for me last night! The top and drawer fronts are real wood.

While we watched The Dark Knight (really good--Heath Ledger was soooo evil and yet managed to be funny at times--tricky to pull off!), Leah did the cutting and folding for me for my birthday cards for 2009. :) Thanks, Leah!! You are so good to me!

Before they got here I did a couple more videos for YouTube. Demonstrating my jerry-rigged mat cutter actually cutting paper--tada! (I knew I'd figure something out to get it to work--hehe!)

I am now at the point of making a template and cutting the holes for sewing on my trial run. Hopefully get some more done today. :)

I ordered The Shop Around The Corner from Netflix and it came today. Funny--I love the old movies, but I rarely seem to order them from Netflix. Might have to check out the Classics section more often, eh? (I love Jimmy Stewart!!)

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (she sings)---light, floaty, sparkly flakes today and 9 degrees in Fargo. :)

Wednesday-1pm

This may not look like much, but I do have a plan for birthday cards--hehe! I haven't tried out a sample yet, tho. Am planning on using a resist method.

The box will finally get opened tonight--tada! That's the plan, anyways--to put the taboret together when Dagan and Leah come over later tonight. It will fit right under my folding table. am planning on seeing if I can fit most of my brush painting supplies in there. Maybe will have room for some other painting supplies or drawing supplies, too? We'll see.

It's December. I got my refill calendar from Levengers. I bought myself the red leather refillable calendar when I started college and have used it ever since. It is pretty rough looking after being drug around in a back pack for five years--hehe! I still love it!

For years now I have kept it propped up on my desk on this book holder that I also used when I was in college--when I was writing papers. Also use it to hold cookbooks on occasion.

I even really do use the expense forms in the back to budget each month. Be lost without it!

I keep track of everything in here--birthdays, lists, appointments, to-dos, reminders. No Blackberry for me. Is that what they use these days? Or is it called a palm pilot? I am pretty clueless with all the new electronics. Give me pen and paper any day--sorry trees! At least paper is recyclable and will disintegrate in a landfill, right?

I often spend Christmas filling out my new calendar and filling in the monthly bills in the budget guide. Shows you the kind of person I am--I actually look forward to this--ROFL! Of course, anything that involves colored pens, highlighters, and organizing sets my heart to racing--hehe!

I've been up later and sleeping later again, so I had best get moving here. Have a good day! :)

Tuesday-noon

I think I forgot to mention that my taboret arrived on Saturday. On sale from Dick Blick--even got this 34 lb item shipped for under $6.00!! The Internet is full of specials and deals right now. :)

Anyways, it has been sitting in a box here--needing "assembly"--hehe! Which means it needs our tool girl--hehe! Leah said that on Wednesday (Craft Night) she and Dagan could come over and put it together for me--tomorrow! She also offered to cut and/or fold any paper I need for my birthday cards for next year. (She knows how the repetitive tasks like that do my arm in--what a sweetie!) So I have to think about what I actually want to to do for birthday cards this year. I need to have a plan by tomorrow! :)

I didn't get done with clothes and have the bed made until after 8pm yesterday. We actually had snow--enough for the plows to be out in the parking lot late last night.

This was the first time this year we have hear the familiar sound of metal scraping along the ground, the constant shifting of gears, and the back up beep-beep-beeping. I can't believe Karma slept through it!

Well, I need to go figure out what I want to do for birthday cards... :):)

Monday-2:30pm

Warm enough to lick snow today--hehe! 22 degrees. They are predicting snow for the next three out of four days, I guess. Maybe going to be white and stay white?

I worked on Christmas cards yesterday. This was about three quarters of them. I did finish all of them! Now I am just waiting for the stamps I ordered to come in the mail. :)

I had something really crazy happen with the computer today. Red flashing words and it froze up twice. I shut it down and left it alone for a couple of hours--and now it is working. ?? I talked to Dagan on the phone and he said to go ahead and use it. I have had my computer fix itself many times. This was something new, tho--red flashing words when I tried to start it up the second time! Something about a media stripe? Dagan had never heard of it. I really do have the strangest things happen to my computers.

Today--the big project is washing three loads of clothes and sheets and towels. I'll just be happy to get that done and everything put away. And hope the computer will be nice and keep working properly--hehe! :)

Sunday-1pm

Yesterday I worked on my Christmas cards most of the day--have a few left to work on. I also managed to find a large enough piece of cardboard and cut it right to the size of the mat cutter base. Okay--I realize now that a mat cutter is not meant to cut paper--but where there's a will there's a way, right? I'll see how my plan works--after I finish my Christmas cards. :)

Had another dusting of snow--wind was coming my direction this time. Was soooo cold that Karma changed her mind and didn't stay out on the porch long enough for me to get a picture of her--chuckle! She wasn't even interested in eating snow! You know it is really cold out if Miss Karma isn't enjoying the first snow on the porch--lol! Pretty crispy out there, that's for sure.

Right now--10 degrees and cloudy. Been cold enough that--when you walk on what little snow we do have--it has that squeaky, crunchy sound.

Dagan has an interview this week for a computer networking job--his field. :):) Think positive thoughts, right?! Hope you have had a wonderful weekend. :)

Saturday-9am

How to torture your cat--hehe! Stickers of any kind--anywhere on her furry body. She gets all wound up, captures it, and bites many holes in the offending sticker--occasionally leaping about and attacking it repeatedly after it is already dead--ROFL! (She actually enjoys stickers.)

3pm yesterday--light, blowing snow.
5pm--blanketed the ground in a thin layer. Pretty much quit about that time. And by today--a lot of it has been blown away so that you can see grass again. Was a dry snow.

I was actually out in the snow for a little while yesterday. Had to go sign papers for a new lease at the office (no rent increase--tada!). Took out the trash on my little green cart and then went to the garage and brought in all the Christmas stuff. I'm slow this year. Usually have it up right after Thanksgiving. :)

But I was debating as to where to put my little tree. I used to have it on top of the bookcase that has now been moved into the bedroom. Wasn't sure Karma would leave it alone. Is she older and less likely to chew on it or knock it over?

Who knows?

When Dagan and Leah helped me clean the garage we found the angel that Lynnette had given me several years ago. She looks innocent enough, right? But when you plug her in--her arms and wings move slowly back and forth and she looks rather spooky.

Especially moving in the dark! Karma was leery of her. So maybe she can stand there as protector of my wobbly tree--hehe!

It doesn't look like Karma did anything to either one of them during the night. So far so good, eh?

I made some videos about me trying to learn how to use the mat cutter to cut paper. Apparently not something a "mat" cutter is meant to do--duh! Well, I am determined to figure out a way to use it. If you want a laugh--check out the latest videos on my attempts to use the mat cutter. Absolute proof that I do not know what I am doing--ROFL! I am going to keep experimenting today. I do have a plan--hehe!

3 degrees and sunny here in Fargo.

Wish me luck!

Friday-10:45am

Been waking up with such a dry nose and throat--was time to go get the humidifier and little table out of storage yesterday. Slept better last night, too. :)

I was cutting up the carpeting piece that Dagan and Leah brought over. I picked up the scissors one time and they were kind of bending all funny?

Isn't that strange? Never had this happen before. Cracked me up!

Never had a pair of scissors like those before, either. They're titanium--doesn't that sound good? Great blades, but the handles could use some work--ROFL!! Karma got her new cat box lining, anyways, and Dagan and Leah have some more leftover carpeting, too.

I thought today I'd pass on something lighthearted--and apparently endless--hehe! For all you cat lovers out there:

http://catsinsinks.com/

Thanks, Ruby!! :):)

Thursday-11:30am

Dagan and Leah found the instruction booklets for the camera--tada!

And the remotes for the TV and DVD player, too--hehehe!

And they brought me the leftover chunk of the outdoor carpet they used in the storage area under their stairs. Now I can cut this up and use it on the bottom of Miss Karma's cat box to catch some of that darn kitty litter!!

Leah also brought the faux sealing wax kit!! So cool! This is the glue gun method that uses the sticks that remain pliable in the mail--won't crack apart before the letter even gets there. Nice!

I am done trying to get this next picture to post right side up. I don't know why blogger does this to me lately? This is the second time I have had a picture flip all by itself? Last time--couple weeks ago maybe--I had to re-post it like six times before it came out normally. ?? Three times today and I am done. If anybody knows why blogger does this and how to fix it--please let me know. The picture is right side up in my computer? How strange!

Anyways, Dagan and Leah came over for pot roast dinner last night. Was a huge hit! I had never used all boxed beef broth (no water) with slow baking the roast--sooooo good! Made the best gravy, too! It was nice to have Dagan helping me in the kitchen. He lifts the hot heavy roasting pan for me, scoops out the veggies, lifts out the meat, strains the liquid into a pan so I can make the gravy, and even scrubs the roasting pan afterwards for me (my bad arm makes lifting heavy hot things a bit risky).

Dagan helped me with dinner so Leah was free to start on her Christmas cards. I am almost embarrassed to admit that we watched that new movie Stepbrothers with Will Ferrell. It was absolutely horrible!

If you like the very worst grade school/sophomoric humor, profuse profanity (by every single character--even the children), and want to see Will rubbing his (fake, we can only hope) testicles on his stepbrother's drum set, for example--then this is the movie for you. There are other things I wouldn't even discuss. Shall we say--this movie ain't no Elf. Dagan said he saw that Will wrote the screenplay. I am ashamed for him.

It did start up a chuckling discussion between us of what was the worst movie we have ever seen. (I believe Stepbrothers wins--hands down!) We all thought it was horrible. I checked the "I hated it" rating on Netflix--something I don't think I have ever done!! I know I seriously considered it once. I have a hard time checking the "didn't like it" box--Minnesota nice and all-hehe!

Anyways. we had a good time despite the movie--hehe! Leah finished all her Christmas cards--tada!! She certainly didn't have to be worried about being sidetracked by the movie--ROFL!!

Before Dagan and Leah arrived I had done another quick YouTube video. Wanted to show Donn in Florida the cutters he was curious about. I felt scattery and unfocused, but I guess it turned out alright. I posted it last night. Or, should I say, I started the uploading last night. I kind of leave them and go to bed because they take sooooo long. It had been four hours when I went to bed and that one video wasn't done yet. Crazy! So, I decided that is how I will do them from now on--start them uploading and go to bed--hehe!

Dagan and Leah are talking to their lawyer about how to proceed with the bankruptcy now--with the changes in fortune, shall we say. We are all thinking positive. When it comes down to it--when times are rough--all that you can really count on are family, friends, and/or faith. :):)

Wednesday-9am

Right before Caroline came over--Dagan called. He got laid off!! What a shock! Out of the blue! Just a few weeks ago they had given him more responsibility, he was on call, and they gave him a company cell phone! What a shock! What a shock!

Honestly--I was mostly just absorbing that new fact yesterday.

The positives. Like Dagan said--since Leah works at home, they could relocate if they had to. He has a couple years of experience under his belt now in his chosen field. And it is a good thing that Chuck and Michal are living in the downstairs bedroom right now--helps a little bit with rent for the time being. Sadly--his unemployment actually helps with the bankruptcy they are in the process of filing. (The bank just finally sent them the paperwork on the foreclosure of the house a few weeks ago.)

Of course--being Swedish and Midwestern--I had to think through the worst case scenarios and all the options I could think of. My first thought was I didn't want to see them now lose the townhouse they are renting after just losing the house they were building. Once you have filed bankruptcy you cannot get into any of the nicer rental properties. You are kind of doomed to the no questions asked areas of town, you know? Where they are now is a beautiful place on the river--beautiful wooded scene out their window--peaceful--feels like a house--a home--where they could stay for a long time.

I told them both that if it came down to them losing the place after Chuck and Michal find a house and move out (probably spring or summer) that I could move in downstairs and pay them rent. Funny--we had talked a lot about us living together for a few years there--and this would actually be like what Dagan and Leah had talked about. I'd have a separate space of my own. Downstairs there's a private bathroom, bedroom, and a den-like larger room that is almost as big as my living room here. I could rent a small storage space for my garage stuff, kitchen stuff, and odds and ends--deal with them later, you know? Anyways, I offered. They have me in their back pocket. :):)

My life has been filled with huge shifts and sudden upheavals. Things might be really crummy for a while, but they always work out in the end. And usually for the better in the long run. I know they will be okay. And I will help in any way that I can. They are in my thoughts and prayers. Send good thoughts!! :)

Meanwhile--all I did yesterday was whittle away at my inbox a little, played some solitaire, and milled things over till I felt better.

Going thru worst case scenario always calms me down--hehe! Then if things end up going better it is such a joy and relief! Hey! I'm scandahoovian--what can I say!

Anyways, I have CashWise coming this morning. Leah was coming over for Craft Night tonight to work on her Christmas cards and I invited them both for a pot roast dinner a couple of days ago. I think they can really use it now, eh? I am going to start filling out envelopes for my Christmas cards. We'll have a chance to talk more tonight.

There are many people out there who have it much worse. Dagan and Leah are basically optimistic. Dagan would take a job for less money if he has to. He can apply for unemployment and he'll sign up at the temp agencies in town. Think positive, right? :):) I have to go get dressed before it is time for CashWise. Good thoughts for everybody!! :)

Tuesday-9:45am

Karma watches over me when I don't feel well. She gets extra cuddly.

Today--tada!--the headache is finally gone!! Happy, happy me! :) Caroline comes later this morning to clean. I am hopeful that I might actually get something done today--hehe! I have quite a few emails to respond to--so I hope to whittle away at my inbox, for one thing. And maybe I can get back to learning how to make videos for YouTube, too.

Update: Nothing has arrived from Martha Stewart's kind customer service lady. No glue samples so far--been two weeks now. ??

I did get my checkbook balanced, figured out my budget for December, and paid bills yesterday. Right now--I have to go get ready for Caroline. :) :)

Monday-11am

Nobody else gets to see Karma totally relaxed--hehe!

Funny how she always curls her paws.

Well, I didn't get to Dagan and Leah's all weekend. We'll have to get together another time, another menu. The only thing I did get accomplished was to move all the books Caroline brought on to the front of the top shelf in the bedroom dresser--the "to be read" shelf of odds and ends.

I've had a bad headache since Saturday. Still have it. Another thing I didn't used to have until I got fibro? They're almost like migraines. I don't get much done when I have them. They--obviously--can last for days.

I did finish A Wedding To Die For yesterday by Leann Sweeney. The two books that are laying on the top of the row in the bookcase are the other two that Caroline had by Leann. I am reading those next. I enjoy the fact that the mysteries are complex, that you find out additional facts as Abby does, and that (just as happens in real life) people often lie to protect themselves or somebody they love.

Caroline brought me a copy of her book list, too. I checked off all the ones she brought over here. My goodness! Good thing she has read them all because it will take me a long time to read all of these. She knows how to keep me busy--hehe!

Since I didn't feel well all weekend and still don't today--so far--it's probably going to be a very still day up here in Fargo. :)