Sunday, October 16, 2011

Sunday-12:15pm

Was a blue sky day most of yesterday...and so far this morning, too.
Too chilly to lounge on the porch, so Karma catches her ray-naps on the carpet by the porch door in the mornings now.
You'd have to click to enlarge these, but I tried to get pics of how funny the tarpaper looks on a cold morning--LOL!
The roofs are all puckered and rippled. As the sun warms them up during the day they flatten back down. Cracks me up! I know. I know. I am easily entertained. ;)
I started puttering about with organizing the bookcases yesterday. Well, just this one so far. (Karma is happily scooping her "fake" cat treats out of that tea tin.)
If you're like me, there will be shifting and tweaking until I am done with the first round. Then as the items are actually used and you find out what you like and don't like...things are moved and adjusted even more later on--LOL! I think it's a neverending process.
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And then there's the sidetracks. Like when I was putting the new papers I purchased on the shelf and decided I should just cut a bunch of it in half right now to be ready for making more bookcards. Gather up some stash, right?
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So--the front section in this box is precut bookcard covers from 12 X 12 scrapbook paper. Behind that are all the new papers that will be used for the insides of the bookcards: Southworth 32 lb. ivory, Southworth parchment, Trophee ivory, and Trophee lilac.
I will still cut some more later, but this is a great start.
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Well, so much for my knee being better--LOL!
Murphy's Law?
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We had the fire alarm go off in the late afternoon. For no reason, of course. This happens about once a year or more...and why I bought Karma her cat stroller. Easier on me once we make it down the stairs so I didn't have to haul her old plastic carrier around anymore. (Remember with my bad arm I can't even switch arms and I already kind of shredded the rotor cuff on my "good" arm.) The stroller is a little easier to hoist up on my hip to carry down the stairs. (Much too jarring and takes way too long to try to roll it down.) But it wasn't good for my touchy knee.
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As usual, Karma and I went and sat in the garage until the fire trucks left. I had a chair stored in the garage that I decided is going to stay there forever just for this very purpose. Karma is used to the fire routine by now and as soon as I park her stroller facing the chair she just settles in to wait. (She cries all the way to the garage, but not as much or as loudly as she used to when it wasn't familiar--this cat can howl!!) She even waits quietly now when I leave to walk to the garage door to see if people are still waiting outside or down to the end of the garages to see if the truck is gone.
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While we were waiting, I decided to call my dad in Florida to see how he was doing. I caught Mom in a Chinese restaurant. She couldn't hear me very well, so she brought the phone out to Dad who was waiting in the car while she picked up egg foo young for dinner. Dad's still wading through the red tape to be approved for the rehab folks to come three times a week. He should find out Monday. He was in good spirits and we laughed a lot. When Mom came with dinner we hung up and I checked to see if the fire trucks were gone. Yup!
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But this time they didn't turn the elevator back on! Arg!! I am used to the big heavy door being closed over the elevator door and dragging Karma's stroller through both the doors, but this time...no working elevator. I carried her back up the three flights of stairs. Up is a lot harder than down. I didn't want to try to call the office for an emergency on a Saturday and I didn't want to sit out in the garage and be going back to the building to check over and over...for who knows how long...plus it was 50 degrees and I only grabbed a sweater. So, up the stairs we went--a first for Karma and she was better than I expected. Talking a bit but not doing her howling protestations. We were both very glad to be back home!
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Iced my knee. It's not as bad as it was the first time I hurt it, so that's a good sign. :)
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I did find out that they have shingled the back side of the roof of that garage right in front of mine. I could easily have done without that certain knowledge--LOL! And besides, I can tell today anyways because the topmost shingles are flying up off the garage roof and flapping back down in the wind. Obviously not nailed down all the way to the peak.
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Anyways, that was the excitement around here yesterday. My knee doesn't have me completely off my feet this time, so it should heal up faster than last time. At least the fibro flare is over with and now I am just dealing with the usual, regular, ordinary, everyday, annoying, painful, tired issues--ROFL!! ;)
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Have fun! Keep laughing! :):)
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"A day without laughter is a day wasted."
Charlie Chaplin

27 comments:

Desiree said...

You really were put through the wars, Rita! What a lot of unnecessary bother, when it was just a practice drill. I am so sorry to hear you've hurt your knee again. That is such a great pity! I do hope it will recover quickly, but please do try to be careful for a few days. NOT EASY, I know!

Your bookcase looks so neat! What a great feeling of accomplishment. Karma sounds like such a character...a real little angel, in fact! I'm so glad you have her in your life!

Do take care, Rita.

Big hug
xoxo

AliceKay said...

The fire alarm test (or whatever the reason for it going off) sounds like a real pain for you and Karma. I can't imagine going and sitting in the garage for as long as you do. And then with the elevator not working, dragging Karma back up three flights of stairs in her stroller. No wonder your knee was bothering you. I hope it heals fast.

We had sun early this morning, but it's long gone now and sprinkles are in the air. Bit on the chilly side, too...59 degrees on my front porch thermometer as I type this (while sitting at my kitchen table).

Hope the rest of your Sunday is a good one.

Dee Ready said...

Dear Rita, That trip down to the garage and back sounds like such a nightmare. Especially having to carry Karma. I'm glad she's just a howler and a talker and not a scratcher who tries always to escape. As Desiree says, she is such a "character"--a real charmer. How blessed you two are to have one another.

I'm sorry to hear about the painful knee. It seems that in the last month or so you've had a lot of physical pain to deal with. And yet your spirits remain so serene over the long haul.

I continue to find your postings filled with the contentment that comes from your enjoying who you are.

Peace.

carol l mckenna said...

Well ~ Wow! What a busy day and Karma just 'goes with the flow' ~ do hope the rest of the day is more calming ~ hugs and namaste, Carol ^_^

Rubye Jack said...

The stroller sounds like a pretty nifty gadget, but sorry about your hurting your knee. Rest.

It seems like the fire alarms always are going off in apartments. People like me who don't know how to cook and make lots of smoke instead.

Rita said...

Desiree--It wasn't a practice drill. I should have been more clear on that. They are real fire alarms and we don't know if they are real or a false alarm. They have usually been a false alarm. Only once somebody had lit the papers on a bulletin board on fire downstairs and started the whole board on fire. Usually they don't know what it was--possibly faulty wiring one fireman told me (doesn't make you feel safe) and we have had kids pull the fire alarm, too. We never have practice drills. Of course, we don't need to when we have false alarms for practice.
I've still been moving things around in the bookcases today, but being very careful and not doing much at a time.
Love-love-love all the pics of your trip, BTW! Delightful town!! :):)

AliceKay--Another false alarm. Not sure why or if they even knew why. I used to try to find out, but now I stay comfortably in the back of the garage with the door open and wait till everybody is gone. It's gotten to be--who cares. There was no fire. ;)
Been a good day. Hope it was a good one for you, too! :)

Dee--Karma has no claws--front or back. If she feels threatened she hisses and would use her teeth, I have no doubt--LOL! She never tried to dig her way out of the stroller like some cats will. Being the head buttin' girl she is, she tried to push her head through the screen--ROFL!! And she still does sometimes that to let me know she wants out but, between the fire alarms and the tornado sirens, she has gotten the idea that it is safer in the stroller and she is going to be shoved inside when the loud noises come--LOL!
Well, the physical stuff is just the physical stuff to me. Just like the financial stuff is just the financial stuff. I guess I have learned the hard way that it is futile to blame life or other people for your problems and live as the victim. I can choose how I feel--regardless or in spite of what is happening in my life. Happiness is a choice. There was tremendous freedom in discovering that happiness is not contingent on anything else but choice. :):)
Blessings!!

Carol-- I really am proud of Karma for going with the flow because she didn't used to. She'd howl so loud and wildly that it startled and annoyed people. She used to be absolutely scared to death. I just always stay calm and maybe she's finally learned to trust me more? LOL!
We've had a nice calm day today, thanks!
Hope you have, too. :)

Furry Bottoms said...

I love that you have a stroller for Karma!!! I think the next time I get a cat, I'm gonna get a stroller for it too. So it can enjoy the outdoors and be safe!

You were through a lot yesterday, geez. I know in large apartment buildings, they do test the fire alarms once a year (should be every six mos, but anyway) and it can get really annoying. It'd be nice if they'd give you enough notice so you can be somewhere else doing something else for the duration.

So glad your fibro flare is gone!! *HUGS!*

Desiree said...

Not really a great reason to get out of the house BUT at least you did get out! And glad it was not a real emergency! So just rest up!

Great idea doing some cutting of papers ahead of time! :) I have done small tid bits here and there on projects that were already started, but since today was my only true day off due to oncall, it has been mostly tv and laundry and relax, which is OK! :D Back to work tomorrow and oncall again over night, bleh! But it pays and I need money etc etc, so I should not really complain!

:)

Queenie Jeannie said...

Ouch!! I have stairs here and those hurt me the most too. BUT I don't have to walk up three flights!!! Wasn't there someone around to at least help you out with Karma?? Not very nice neighbors!

I'm glad to hear your Dad is doing better and in good spirits! I guess we can see where you got it from, lol!!!

Yes, organizing and reorganizing is a never ending process for crafters!!! I sold my Cuttlebug so now I have an empty spot on my shelf. And I really need to do something with my Copics. I have four cases of them and would really like something better, so I am more inclined to use them!! It's such a hassle getting them out and put back again!

Are you making Christmas cards this year??

DJan said...

I missed my blogging buddies yesterday so now I'm catching up. I think you should be glad to find your knee is working better than you expected, although that is a real drag (literally!) having to climb three flights of stairs.

I'll write about the bear we saw last year in an upcoming post, just for you! :-)

Rita said...

Rubye--Not sure what set it off, but nothing like the jolting, screaming fire alarm to get your heart racing--LOL! Would have to be a lot of smoke to set off the alarm for the whole building. The first thing that goes off are your own apartment smoke alarms. Sadly most of ours have been kids pulling the switch. :(

Nikki--I thought that as long as I got the stroller that I might be able to take Miss Karma for walks, but she HATES the thing while it is moving. She's not good in cars, either. I tried a few times, thinking she'd get used to it, but a howling cat that sounds like you're killing her doesn't make for a pleasant walk or happy neighbors--LOL!
We've never had a test fire alarm. I don't think we've ever had one in any of the apartments I've lived in--Minnesota or North Dakota. If we were notified I would have been down the elevator long before the thing went off and brought my laptop with me--LOL! :)

Desi--Yes, glad it wasn't a real fire. Was once--that bulletin board downstairs.
When you're on call you don't want to be in the middle of something you can't leave, that's for sure. Glad you got some tidbits done, though. And the money is always good. ;) I hope you get some good rest inbetween. :):)

Jeannie--The stairs themselves annoy my knees a little (OA), but carrying the awkward 25 pounds or so on one hip, that is what twists your knees--LOL! But I'd never leave Miss Karma up here. What if it was a real fire and she's really scared of the alarm. So, you lug her around--LOL!
Yes, my dad was in great spirits! He's a plucky one! :):)
You sold your Cuttlebug! What are you using now? I can't imagine having that many copics--lucky you! Yes, Leah and I plan to make Christmas cards come November here. Simple-simple ones! (We need about 80 of them.) Got to start planning something soon.
Hope you are sleeping again. :)

Djan--LOL! Yes, carrying the awkward stroller with a 20 lb cat in it with one arm and a hip--a real drag!! ROFL!! But I am lucky I don't have as sharp a pain as I did last time. Swollen and sore and only occasional sharp pain. I can deal with that. ;)
Oh! I'll be waiting to hear the bear story!! :):)

Intense Guy said...

:( Unhappy to hear you had to deal with a non-functional elevator... while one would prefer false alarms to 4-alarms and possibly losing your home - they still must annoy to no end.

Perhaps Karma could learn how to parachute off the porch - and then you could use the 'chute to keep warm in?

So, are the Poofers back today? They came to my office this morning, looked at the gutter, and then drove off! They need to put about 20 minutes into the job to finish it... *shakes head baffled*

Donna C said...

Gosh Rita, they sure ran you through the ringer didn't they? I wonder if someone got stuck in the elevator? It's odd they left it off unless there was something wrong with it. I sure hope you feel better soon.

You know I thought of you when I was looking through some craft magazines someone donated to me for Project linus. People always just give me anything craft related even if it's not for children's blankets. A lot of them are for filet crochet doilies and things. Anyway, there was this pattern for a cute rug that says "cat" around the edges several times and the center is a cat. It was cute!

Anyway, I'll be praying for your dad and for you to feel better.

Deb Shucka said...

You seem to have a gift for making the most of whatever situation you're in. I felt your satisfaction at moving into the bookcase, distractions and all. Love your picture of Karma - both the photo and the words.

Cindy Lane said...

What a lot of trouble the fireboys put you through - I hope they were extremely good looking to make up for it all!

Just caught your BEAUTIFUL pen & nib post. Drooling seriously here. Good 'ole fishing tackle boxes are the best nib holders! Loved all the Speedball nibs, there are so many to collect. My favourite nibs are the German Brause (pronounced Brow-za), and then English Mitchells.

If you need to give them a real good clean, I've found plain old Windex (or any blue type of window cleaner)will dissolve the most stubborn ink residue.

Hope you and Karma are enjoying your week now,

Cheers,

Cindy

Rita said...

Iggy--If I was rich I'd have some kind of a pulley system where I could lower Karma in her stroller down to the ground--hehe! Of course, if I was rich I wouldn't be living here where people pull the fire alarm or start bulletin boards on fire for fun--ROFL!!
OMG! They haven't fixed that gutter on the house yet?! They're probably relatives of the roofers we had for the apartment buildings! What did it take them--a year and a half to shingle two apartment buildings? Do you think they have relations all the way out east--LOL! ;) I'm glad we apparently got a new group for the garage roofs!

Donna C--I think the elevator is automatically shut down when a fire alarm goes off. I have seen them turn it back on when they are done. But what if somebody WAS in the elevator when the alarm went off?! I have wondered about that. Or maybe the firemen shut off the elevator when they get here? All I know is that they always have to turn it back on before they leave, but they forgot this time. Foremen aren't perfect either, eh? ;)
Thanks for the prayers for my dad and I. Prayers for you, too, lady. Never too many prayers, right? :):)

Deb--Thanks so much! I think a sense of humor helps a lot. Life is too short, you know? :):)
I have been puttering away and making great headway on the big reorganization project--and I do get very excited about any progress I make--LOL! More pics to come! I'm sure there may be one of Karma in there, too...ROFL!! :):)

Cindy--Ha! I never even saw the firemen this time. They were so slow getting here that half the building could have burned down. It was a pajama day for me, so I had to throw on some clothes, collect Miss Karma and zip her in her stroller, gather up my phone and bag and keys...walked out on my porch a few times, asked people if they saw smoke and checked the hallway for smoke several times while I slowly did all this...and then slowly, awkwardly made my way down the stairs...and had wheeled Karma all the way into the garage and settled into my chair out there before they even arrived. I am tempted next time to get ready and just sit at the top of the stairs in the stairwell with Karma and wait till I smell smoke. I can look out a window from there to see if the trucks leave or if they actually ever do haul out the fire hoses--LOL! :) It's like the boy who cried wolf, you know?
OMG! You will probably love what I found to keep my pens and pen stuff in! I haven't shown it on my blog yet, but it's a wooden tool box! Maybe I can order it in November. There will be pics!
Brause are my very, very favorite nibs!! And I never knew how to pronounce them! Thanks! KInd of like Moleskine journals. They're actually pronounced mol-a-skine-a but everyone calls them mole-skin. Didn't know about windex, either. Thanks so much!! Wow! I hope you keep coming around!! ;)
Have a great day!

Toriz said...

Been nice here most of the time too! :)

I'd probably be entertained by that kind of thing too; I once spent an entire hour happily putting my fingers in and out of one of those finger trap things... For no apparent reason. First time I did it to prove I knew how to get out of those, but after that... *Shrugs*... It was just fun!

Getting side tracked is inevitable; and the only reason there are still items I haven't finished unpacking yet; other things keep getting my attention (unfortunately, blogs aren't one of those things... Hence being so behind on posts!)

That having to make the trip back up the stairs probably wasn't good for your knee (nor the rest of you)! Glad your knee isn't quite as bad as it was though! :)

Love the quote! :)

Donna @ The House on the Corner said...

Oh my goodness!!! When they say "never a dull moment" they're talking about YOU!! I can just picture you trying to get howling Karma out and back into the apartment!

It sounds like you and I have the same kind of organizing skills. I use the 3 steps forward and 2 steps back method too. Heaven help me if I get interrupted in the middle of a cleaning project 'cause it will definitely look like a bomb went off!

We're finally getting some cooler weather. High today was upper 70's and a cold front is coming through tonight. It's supposed to get to the lower 50's!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Queenie Jeannie said...

Of course you can't leave Miss Karma!!! She's priceless!! Just...heavy, lol!

Yes, I sold my Cuttlebug because I had a Big Shot as well and didn't need both. I sold it to my 1st SU recruit because she was pretty bummed about the new sign up special of the free Big Shot. I had had it first because they are so much cheaper, but some dies are just a bit too wide, or too long and won't work with the Cuttlebug. Guess how I found out?? Yep, bought some and then was stuck! But I had had the Cuttlebug for so long that I was really comfortable with it, and only used the other when I had to. In selling it, I had to finally learn how to use it for all my dies and folders - learning curve, lol!

Yes, I'm spoiled rotten with Copics. I have nearly all of them, minus only the neutral & toner grays (warm & cool are plenty!), and the neon ones. Five cases worth and very unwiedy!! (I know, boo hoo, lol!)

carol l mckenna said...

Rita ~ thanks for coming by my blog ~ love hearing from you ~ enjoy the day ~ namaste, Carol (Share the Creative Journey) and (A Creative Harbor)

Rita said...

Tori--I can be so easily sidetracked by a smaller project within a larger project. Good luck getting every thing put away quickly--LOL! ;)
I'm glad my knee was never as bad as last time. Doing okay. :)

Donna--At least Karma cries and cries and hasn't been doing that ungodly howling like I am killing her for the past couple years (knock on wood), her crying is loud enough--LOL!
I know! It was like a explosion in here and I got interrupted by health issues and had to look at it for over a month!! Soooo glad to have the surfaces all cleared off again. ;)
Some cooler wether will feel nice for you all after the hot-hot summer! *hugs*

Jeannie--Karma's priceless to me, anyways--ROFL!!
I'd be lost without my Cuttlebug. Although, I have drooled over the Tim Holtz machine a few times. ;)
Yah! Boohoo! LOL! There used to be a company that made cubby towers specifically for copics but I heard they stopped making them or went out of business. You've maybe seen them--where the markers lay on their sides so you can see all the colored ends. I heard it's supposed to be better for keeping them flowing to have them lying sideways, I guess, too. Anyways, check media cubby storage...like for DVDs. There are some tabletop units that might work perfectly. :):)

Carol--You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by! :):)

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

fire drills??!!! what a pain in the....knees!!!!!!!!!!

(i think you should have the manager there...or whoever decided to do these drills...to come back up to your place...better yet...carry YOU AND Karma back upstairs...and then wait on you hand and foot...for the rest of the day!!)
i hope your knee heals quickly!!

OH, and like i said in my last comment...YOU are so organized!! i love it!

Rita said...

Laura--It wasn't a drill. It was the real fire alarm. We just happen to have them go off at least once a year because of kids pulling the alarm or other reasons. There was a fire once--somebody started the bulletin board papers on fire once and it set the board on fire. When it goes off, you don't know whether it is real or a false alarm. No drill. We've never had fire drills in any of the apartments I've lived in.
Anyways, so you do what you have to do. But I am seriously thinking of waiting in the stairwell next time with Karma and just checking out the window to see if they take out the hoses before I go down all these stairs again--ROFL!! ;)

Serena Lewis said...

OMG...thank goodness you weren't suffering a fibro flare at the time!! Can you imagine?! Especially having to deal with a non-functional elevator. Climbing THREE flights of stairs with Karma in tow would not have been easy. I'm so glad to hear you aren't as bad as you expected to be.

I hope your Dad gets the all clear for the in-home rehab.

Rest up, dear friend ~ xo

Rita said...

Serena--Yes! If the fibro flare had been in full swing I probably wouldn't have been able to move or sleep for days after that! There are blessings! ;)
I haven't heard from my dad about the rehab. I should probably try to email him.
Have a glorious day tomorrow, sweetie!! :):)

Toriz said...

I've been terrible for getting side-tracked the past few days... Ended up not achieving half of what I wanted to because of it. LOL!

Rita said...

Tori--LOL! Happens to the best of us. ;)