Sunday-5pm

Here's the dirty, algae laden tank.

You can see the tube on the left hand side that is too long.

First I had to fill buckets with water from the tank so I could remove the plants and fish.
If you can see past the algae, you can see how the end of the filter sits half way buried in the gravel--preventing it from working efficiently. And you need a couple inches of gravel if you have live plants, so I consider that to be a design flaw.

That is the tube I had Dagan and Leah cut down to half the length last night.

Here's the plants and fish in the "fish only" buckets--not that you can see any of the few fish I have because they hide.
And here's the empty dirty tank. That's the submersible heater that you see in the middle of the tank. I needed to remove the live plants so I can clean the gravel decently for once! That's as far as I got yesterday.

I was so sore and hobbly yesterday I took the last three Tylenol PMs I had last night. I crashed from 1am till 3pm!! Ahhhh!!! So, I am feeling rested--just working up to moving my stiff body to hook up the Python and start cleaning the gravel. (Might have to wait till tomorrow?) I have to remove the hood & clean that--and scrub down the sides of the tank to remove the algae, or as much as I can get off. I know the tank isn't in the best spot--near the window--but I only had so many choices. I bought the aquarium shortly after I moved in here--it was a huge treat to myself with my backpay from Social Security.

I thought this new Eclipse filter in the hood system would be great--it isn't. I have had repeated problems with leaking! After the tube is shortened and the system is working faster again--I have to watch that it doesn't overflow on the backside of the tank--again. I haven't even been able to put the filters in there at all because of that problem! I have to look closely when I have the hood all apart and see if there's a way to slow down the flow manually?

Plus--I have had problems with water sliding and dripping down the electric cords!! It was already doing that--again! I discovered the dripping when I went to unplug the cords yesterday!! That is downright dangerous!! And the leakage has absolutely ruined the cabinet the tank sits on. Water ran down inside the cabinet, too, when the filter overflowed. What a mess!

So--I will clean it well, look for a way to slow the water flow down, and try it out one more time. But, from previous experience, I am fully expecting that my fish might have to live without the filter turned on at all--because even if I get the flow slowed down so the filter area doesn't overflow, there's still the dripping electric cord problem! I have a lot of live plants and few fish--so they'd be okay. And they went without a heater until this last spring when I could afford one. This sucks, tho!! There is going to be a terrible mark on the carpet when I move, too!! I have had fish since I was 9 or 10 years old and have never had leaking problems like this!

I am totally disappointed with this Eclipse system and wouldn't recommend it to anybody! In my past I have spent years working in pet shops as a clerk and as an assistant manager--and I would not recommend these tanks! I haven't checked into it yet, but I am not sure you can use any other type of hood on these acrylic tanks, either? The Eclipse hoods slide right over the top edge of the tank. I'll take pictures to show you when I get that far. :)

Last night Dagan and Leah moved things to the garage, cut the tube for me, and put up a couple of ceiling hooks for the plants. They ordered Chinese!! What a treat for me! I have leftovers to eat today, too. Thank you, guys! Especially appreciated when I am not moving around so well today--don't have to cook! :):)

Anyways, my timer hasn't even gone off, but I am outta here. So, I think I will have to take today off and work on the tank Monday--rest up a bit--let the muscle inflammation die down. But--it will look so nice when I am all finished and the fish will be happy!! :)

Saturday-4:30pm

I spent the entire day working on cleaning Miss Gracie's cage--the complete overhaul type of cleaning! This job was way overdue and I am thrilled it is finally done!

The trays and grates removed and spiffed up. All the toys!! Cleaned and drying. Perches and cuttlebones.
Wiping down every single bar from the inside and the outside and getting every nook and cranny clean--reassembling and picking some new toys (I like to change things around and rock her world a little, but I can't have it too different or it would freak her out)--took me till 12:30am! Gracie was sleeping in the bedroom on her playpen. When I got the cage together and brought her out to see her newly remodeled home--she could have cared less! She was tired and cranky and just wanted me to cover her up and let her go back to sleep.
So, I took these when she got up today and was in a better mood. All clean!!!
I am trying a flexible perch on the outside to see if Gracie would ever use it to go inside on her own. She doesn't seem to be inclined to ever go back inside once she's out for the day. May be a dumb idea and just another spot to drop poop, but I thought I'd see what she does. She might not go near it! (Notice fan ready to go to garage today.)
There's a different mirror on the top of the cage and it caused Gracie to hesitate for a minute until she recognized that mirror from last time I did a big cleaning job. Gracie runs up the ladder to greet her boyfriend and sing sweetly to him when she comes out of the cage every day.
She was really giving him the once over today!!

I thought she was going to touch her eye on the mirror!!

And now--I am hobbling off to clean the aquarium. Pictures tomorrow--hehe!

Thursday-4:30pm

Last night I watched a special on PBS--Bill Moyers on America--about the Internet. This is what I gleaned from the program. I had no idea that we in the United States are dropping like a rock in the global Tech World! The telephone companies collected billions of dollars in the 90s promising to get us connected into the fast lane on the Internet highway (fiber optics) and so far have done absolutely nothing. Cable companies are using copper wire cables that are currently on the ancient list. Their excuses are that it would be too expensive to replace all the exisiting cables and install fiber optics--but they have made promises, collected money, and done nothing. "Took the money and ran." And they have tried to stop the few towns who have decided to build their own fiber optic networks for telephone and cable television. (I think the example they had was in Lafayette, Tennessee? Check with http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/index.html. Can even watch the entire show from the website and get the information first hand instead of second hand from an old lady in Fargo--hehe!) The telephone and cable companies sued the town, delaying construction, and costing the town a lot of money--but some, like Lafayette, have finally been able to proceed. And they are going to be way ahead of the rest of us!

The telephone and cable companies are lobbying to get laws passed that will enable them to give the good fast new service to companies that can pay additional high fees to get it. There would be a fast lane and a slow lane--and only the people with the money would get the fast lane. That would push the smaller businesses out and make it difficult for anybody to access smaller websites--even blogs like this one, etc. The Internet's level playing field would not exist anymore in the United States. We wouldn't have the home start ups happening again like Yahoo, Google, and EBay in our future---but other countries with equal fiber optic access, everyone there will have that democratic opportunity (like Japan).

They explained that the difference is not like the difference between dial-up speed and broadband speed. It would be the difference between a download that would take 85 years (current dial-up) vs. 45 seconds (fiber optic)!! They said that we have not had this level of problem in the United States since the days of the robber barons and monopolies of the 1900s. The government broke up the monopolies/favoritism back then to assure equality. The telephone and cable companies are trying to push this legislation through congress before we are made fully aware of it--the program mentioned that we should be worried about the next session, but I missed when that was? Obviously I don't follow politics closely.

Maybe many of you already know all about this, but it was all news to me! It was an eye-opening experience for me! All the little people who dream of starting up an Internet company or putting their small company on the Internet--those dreams would be crushed! You'd have to move to Japan or Lafayette or one of the other countries that are eons ahead of us. Makes you wonder if maybe there's more to why these big corporations have been making the move to outsource to these other countries in recent years than we might have ever imagined? Maybe there's a premptive Internet access reason for them to move those calling centers??

That's my rant for today.

On a lighter note--watched the Louis Anderson:Live at The Guthrie (1989) last night:

Comedian Louie Anderson serves up hilarious commentary about his oddball family and wacky childhood memories in this hourlong stand-up performance. Anderson's gut-busting jokes take aim at his redneck father, gabby mother, whiny younger brother and life's little absurdities, keeping the audience in stitches throughout the show. Comedy Central named the portly funnyman one of the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time.

Many of us from Minnesota were able to watch this special on PBS. I didn't realize that the special was a deal struck between Louis and local Twin Cities PBS. The special was only shown on PBS in the Twin Cities for their funding promotions, but Loius retained the rights to sell it to cable. He sold it to ShowTime--and after that HBO did two of their own HBO specials with him.

Louis is a Minnesota boy and I love his type of humor. I learned the previous information from listening to the commentary he made for the DVD. This was his favorite performance--before the fame came. He said he was 34 years old and didn't know how to dress. I laughed and laughed watching it!

Then I watched an independent film made by brothers called The Puffy Chair:

When Josh (Mark Duplass, whose brother Jay directs) finds the perfect birthday present for his father, he decides to deliver it in person. But with his high-maintenance girlfriend Emily (Kathryn Aselton) and granola brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins) along for the ride, Josh's simple road trip turns into a much bigger journey than anyone anticipated. This indie romantic dramedy was an audience favorite at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

Definitely an odd, yet entertaining little film. They had a raw documentary style--trying to be ultra realistic, I guess. Slow moving, younger actors, often roaming camera work, and the humor came across better for me than the seriousness they tried to portray. I watched some of the extras--deleted scenes, promotional videos, shorts they had also made, etc. I wonder what they will accomplish in time??

Wednesday-4pm

This is the cutest pumpkin. It's outside the door of an apartment just down from me. We aren't supposed to have anything outside our doors on the floor--not even a mat--so I wonder if they'll let them keep the pumpkin out there? They have so far. It's been there close to a week, I think. They have informed us that they can remove anything left outside on the floor and charge us for the removal. I hope it stays till Halloween.

Hansel and Gretel got so carried away a few days ago that there were more small papers than ever before! The shredded paper and pieces of a cookie package from the vending machine downstairs had trailed the entire length of the hallway and even down the stairwell? This afternoon when I went down to get my mail there was a notice posted from the office about the "high volume of shredded garbage being found throughout the hallways and stairs"--also asking people not to place their garbage on their balconies because the wind blows the trash out onto the yard. So, Hansel and Gretel have been warned. Wonder if it will do any good--or just inspire them?

I have never been able to figure out why people are not appreciative of the gift and favor of being able to live in low income apartments? Dagan and I lived in them a couple of times when he was little and saw the same kind of disrespect and vandalism. I just don't understand it--never have. And it's not just an apartment living problem. I have lived in apartments most of my adult life and, yes, people can be messy and noisy--but almost all the actual vandalism I have seen has been in low income apartments. Even the very cheapest regular apartments I lived in didn't ever have the abuse given them that these low income units get. ??

It has always made me think that the residents feel ashamed to be here--that probably their own self-hatred comes out in this destructive manner. ?? They had four large stuffed chairs down on the main floor when I moved in here (and the building was only a couple of years old at that time) and one of them had a broken back. That one was repeatedly abused until the top edge of the back sagged so badly into a V that they finally had to remove it altogether--and they often pull the remaining three (one of which I think has a broken back now, too) all over the foyer down there.

There used to be vases and baskets of fake flowers on the tables in the entryway and hallways. They were repeatedly torn apart and thrown on the ground--till they were finally removed. Somebody placed an ugly old Christmas vase on our table up here outside the elevator and they have basically left it alone. They've twisted the wire ribbon up several times, but I haven't seen it on the floor--yet.

They have stolen and destroyed things people have hung outside their doors. (Glad nobody wants my flower painting-hehe!) I have found the pumpkin in the middle of the hallway already once. (Thank God they didn't smash it! Knock on wood!)

Two different end/corner garages have been driven into and smashed in--dreadfully! The people couldn't use their garages for many, many months until they finally repaired them. Looked awful--the worst one was right as you drove in behind our building.

There's always trash blowing about in the yard and parking lot. Trash is scattered across the field that they're grating behind the far garages. Some of that comes out of the dumpster--from the people who do not close up their trash bags like they are supposed to. Not a rule to take lightly up here with the North Dakota winds! People do set their smelly trash bags and muddy shoes/boots outside in the hallways at night--I know because I am usually up late and often walking down to slip movies in the out box in the middle of the night.

But--me--I am so grateful to be here!! I love it, to be honest. I have an elevator for my bad knees and that allows me to move things myself with my cart. I rent a washer and dryer to make my life easier--right in my own apartment. I have made an enclosed porch out of my balcony and they allowed me to do that! I love the huge windows (grateful mine aren't leakers, as I recently discovered) and all the light I get here. I have a pantry, a storage area on my floor, and a garage (which I was allowed for storage even tho I don't have a car!). All the appliances are newer. Anything I have needed repaired they have responded to quickly. They even replace the long flourescent light bulbs in the kitchen if they go out!

Maybe it is because the majority of the residents are young couples with children? Maybe they are so filled up with unfulfilled dreams and are more resentful of the crushing they are enduring? I don't know. It has always puzzled me. But then--people often puzzle me. I have often been overwhelmed with this desire to just put my arms around people to hold them and comfort them--to let them know that things aren't so bad--they are okay--God/The Universe loves them--don't be so afraid/angry--material things aren't as important as they think they are.....it is like being able to feel the internal wounds of others. I spent years trying not to feel them--to feel their pain. I have tried to surround myself with protection--and it works pretty well. (It was often overwhelming when I was young--and I felt it off animals, too.) But I feel the pain as I walk down to the mailbox at 3am and see they've started carving on the walls by the elevator buttons and on the elevator door. For a moment it fills me with a sadness....a hurt.

Anyways, not to leave on a dark note today. I have to find places for plants before Saturday. The hangin plant that was behind the porch chair outside is now inside in the corner by the porch door.

The philodendron that was in that corner spot is now waiting on top of a bookcase in the living room.

The spider plant from the porch is now hanging in the bedroom in front of the window.

And the asparagus fern that had been in that spot is now waiting--draped over it's relative--on top of one of the dressers in the bedroom. It doesn't look as happy as the philodendron. Doesn't get any light there.

Maria made it over last night!! It was so good to see her. Maria always lifts my spirits. Since her young son has practice (I forget what sport), she will come again next Tuesday night for a short visit. A short visit is better than no visit at all, right?! She's always so busy. Maria is a shining, sensitive soul!

Well, I am going back to work on a secret project for Dagan and Leah for Christmas. Can't say anything about it or put pictures up till after Christmas, of course. They rarely ever read my blog (they are too busy and tell me they hear everything, anyways), but they do occasionally peek at it. You are the most boring to those closest to you, I guess--chuckle! I am just chatty Mom to them! They have already heard most of my stories over the years, too, so they aren't too interested in reading them, either. The chatty mother syndrome put me in mind of Louie Anderson a couple of days ago--I got one of his specials from Netflix to watch today! :)

Tuesday-3:30pm

Been puttering and taking it easy the past couple of days. Dark, rainy, chilly days--good sleeping weather. And--amazing--I have been sleeping at night and up in the mornings before noon for the past couple days! Actually up at 7am on Monday!! This fact has thrown me off of my normal schedule--hehe! Has thrown off the critters, too. :)

Dagan stopped by over lunch today. I needed help getting more room on the computer. He knew right what to do of course. :) Always nice to see him. This is the first time he's seen the porch chair inside the apartment--and it is so much more comfortable to sit in. He and Leah are coming on Saturday to help me with a few things. One of which is to take the gold chair out to the garage.

Tonight my former Spanish teacher, Maria, from Concordia is supposed to come for a short visit! I haven't seen her for sooo long and she is such good company!! I hope she can find the place easily with my directions because our time is limited. :)

As I am writing this I am watching James Spader on the Ellen show. I have always found him absolutely fascinating and he cracks me up! I think he's sexy, too--young, older, thin, heavier--doesn't matter. He is the reason I watch Boston Legal. He has a strange, warped sense of humor. Kind of like Christopher Walken--who I also love to watch and fell in love with when I watched The Deerhunter (but don't find sexy) and wish he was pickier in the movies he chooses, but he just does movies for fun and profit, I think. They both take such delight in making fun of themselves and what they do, I guess--like they are laughing at private jokes all the time. Just tickles me. He was telling Ellen that he and William Shatner are dressed up as women in their Halloween show. James thought he made a pretty looking woman--and added that was really more important to him than an Emmy, with a raised eyebrow and a smile. Cracks me up!

Last night I watched Secrets and Lies:

A family confronts shocking secrets and long-forgotten lies in this bittersweet drama. With no man in her life, single mom Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn) finds life with her sullen daughter, Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook), one big disappointment. But everything changes when Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) shows up claiming to be the daughter Cynthia gave up for adoption -- a revelation that shakes Cynthia's entire family. Timothy Spall also stars.

It was really good and didn't make the situation overly sentimental at all--very realistic. I loved Marianne Jean-Batiste's performance. She is so excellent with the constrained emotional response--very subtle actress. She's the black actress currently on Without A Trace. Brenda Blethyn played a very distressed, whiny lady in this one--she's always good in any role, I think.

Saturday I watched The Grapes of Wrath from 1940--they had little for a description on this one:

Based on Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 novel, Grapes follows the Joad family's exodus from the Oklahoma Dustbowl to California's fruit harvest.

It was wonderful--still! I don't think I had ever read the book before, or if I did I forgot. They did change a few things and skipped a lot from the book. The Joads came across as nicer than they actually were in the book--more sanitized, I guess. In the book the pregnant daughter was whinier, the kids (especially the younger daughter) were not quiet little angels, and the grandma and grandpa were a quarreling twosome. The movie focused mainly on the relationship between the mother and son (Henry Fonda). There was so much more in the book, of course--but it is still an excellent movie. :)

Possible snow flurries tonight. No snow on the ground at present.

Saturday-3:30pm

Ah! Another beautiful white baby mushroom! I saved this new one (on the top) in the frig.

Last time I used Banchu tea and natural turbinado sugar. And did the tea ever taste good this time!! Didn't even have the bite to it that makes me pucker. It's actually delicious! I drank twice as much when I got up today.

I had already put together the tea for this week. I used the Banchu tea and brown sugar this time, so we'll see how that turns out next Friday?

The last two days I read Rosie's book. She's one of those people that you either like her or you don't. I like her. I don't agree with her all the time, but I admire her struggle to just be herself within the craziness of fame. She's just is--take her or leave her. Those are my favorite people--public or private people. (Why I always liked Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart--and Oprah, Drew Barrymore...I have an odd list--hehe!) I don't have to agree with them--but I like people who are true to themselves. Of course, just like most of the rest of the world, I tend to like people who think at least partially like I do, better than those who don't--hehe! Just like openess and honesty.

Rosie also has a generosity of soul and a childlike joy that I find refreshing--and she will admit her faults and when she is wrong. To those of you who can't stand her--fine--just don't write to me about it, please. We won't change each other's opinions, anyways.

If my opinion is changed, it will be changed by Rosie. Kind of like Mel Gibson--I used to like him when he was younger, before he got preachy. His recent drunk & nasty--showing his true colors, as they say--was the final straw for me with Mel. He's been on an escalating ego trip for years and he'd have to exhibit a whole lot of genuine humility for a good long time for me to believe he's changed, I guess. Not that he couldn't, of course.

Anyways, for those of you who like Rosie--it's an interesting book. Let's you get a peek into her heart and soul. If you'd like to read it--you can contact me at www.bookcrossing.com --my bookcrossing name is soulcomfort. :)

I watched some movies last night.

The Italian Job (2003):

Charlie Croker (Mark Walhberg) leads a gang that manages to pull off a major heist and steal a carload of gold stashed in a safe that they've stolen from Charlie's former crony (Ed Norton), who filched it from Charlie in the first place. But can they get away with the heist -- for good? Charlize Theron, Seth Green and Donald Sutherland co-star.

and Heavenly Creatures:

From the director of the Lord of the Rings comes a chilling true-life drama about an obsessive friendship that led to murder. In 1950s New Zealand, introvert Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) befriends self-confident Juliet (Kate Winslet, in her film debut); soon, the two are inseparable, retreating to an imaginary world. Their relationship intensifies in the face of opposition from their families ... opposition that ultimately has bloody consequences.

I thought I had seen the old Italian Job from years ago, but after seeing this version I wasn't sure. I will probably have to see if they have the old movie at Netflix. I don't think this version was meant to be a "remake"--seemed more like it was "based on", you know? But it was good! So many good actors! Fast moving--and the action keeps going till the very end. Oddly, you realize that you are actually just siding with one set of thieves over another-ha! :)

Heavenly Creatures was a very strange movie. It says that it was actually based on a true story. In the beginning it said that the movie was based on the actual diaries of Pauline--one of the two girls in the story--and at the end it tells you what happened to them (arrested, sentenced, etc). The story was quite an odd one--that gradually got creepier and creepier! These two young girls became kind of addicted to each other's company and they hinted at a lesbian connection. It was set between 1952-4, I think, in New Zealand. Pauline and Juliet were both lonely, unhappy girls who had medical issues and were outsiders in school. The parents were trying to split the girls up and the girls concocted the idea to murder Pauline's mother who wouldn't give parental permission for a passport--apparently so that Pauline could run away with Juliet to Hollywood. How they figured that killing one parent would assure her father of signing for a passport, I don't know--but teenagers have strange logic sometimes and these two were extra weird to begin with. Pauline's diaries convicted the both of them. They both lived in this fantasy world half the time--a world they were writing in a novel--with characters they made out of clay--all very strange, but very well done. The girl who played Pauline now plays Rose, the obsessive neighbor of Charlie Harper on 2 1/2 Men. And this was Kate Winslet's first film, too.

I have The Grapes of Wrath to watch today!!

And I am washing clothes and have to go fold... :)

Friday-8:30pm

This is the new setup in the living room. The gold chair will be moved to the garage, but for now--Karma thinks I have placed it there strictly so she can have a more comfortable spot to be near me while I am at the computer.

I sometimes put Gracie on her playpen in the bedroom and shut the door. Gracie likes the change of scenery, looking out the bedroom window, and the peace and quiet, I think. Karma often sits outside the door when Gracie is relaxing in there. Karma fell asleep outside in the hallway. I am not sure that she actually misses Gracie--I think the main fascination comes from being shut out.

She looks so funny the way she likes to curl up her feet.

I watched a movie tonight about Bobby Darin--Beyond The Sea:

Kevin Spacey directs and stars in this film biography of singer Bobby Darin, a hipster in the Frank Sinatra mold and singer of pop hits such as "Splish Splash" and the titular tune. Darin eventually moved on to performing jazz standards that culminated in his signature gigantic hit, "Mack the Knife." Kate Bosworth plays Darin's wife, the movie star Sandra Dee. John Goodman, Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn co-star.

It was done in a part factual and part musical/fantasy portrayal--which seems fitting for Bobby Darin. I remember all the problems Bobby had with knowing who he was and who the people really were in his life. To me--he did seem to use his career as a sort of escape from reality. I am amazed at how well Kevin Spacey can sing!! I honestly couldn't tell when it was Kevin and when it was Bobby!! You can tell that Kevin Spacey really admired Bobby Darin and this film was a loving homage.

Thursday-3pm

What a surprise! I got this beautiful angel from my friend, Bonnie, in Hibbing--(and a set of six plastic tumblers!) She is the Angel of Good Health and is supposed to bring me an abundance of health and happiness! She is now residing on top of my writing bookcase where I can see her every time I am sitting at this computer. :)

Thank you so much, Bonnie!!!

Last night Karma was so enthralled with the porch chair being inside that she never left it for over four hours!

She is always so fascinated with any changes to her world!

She finally got hungry.

Leah's Shaklee order came today and she stopped by briefly to pick it up this afternoon--and picked up a gallon of milk for me, too. (Thanks, Leah!!) She does the cigarette run (filling the machines) for her second job on Thursday nights lately--besides working/being on call every other weekend for that job. She took off from her office job today--she and Dagan are still trying to be ready for their booth at Valley Con this weekend. It's no wonder she's so tired all the time--she is always go-go-going. I guess she feels she's had more energy since being on the Shaklee, tho.

I'll be waiting to hear how some of the new items work for her. She got the dishwasher soap, hair products, and some facial products, too! How exciting! She has problems with being allergic or having irritation with many products, so this will be a good test.

There is still some snow on the ground, but quite a bit of it has melted--or evaporated in the strong winds is more likely! We have a wind advisory today. It was a night to put the heat on last night, finally. And a good day today to be inside and warm.

I'm not good at remembering to eat breakfast. Now I am eating my 1/4 cup of Fiber Crunch with milk in a little dessert bowl when I wake up--trying it as my "cereal" breakfast. I am amazed that it doesn't taste bad (kind of like small harder rice crispies) and at how filling it is! You can sprinkle it over cereal or other foods, but I am just chewing it down with milk.

Tomorrow is the day I check my mushroom tea in the pantry. I haven't looked at it for a couple of days, but it had been growing another baby on top and looked okay?? I'll sure be downing some strange stuff in the mornings: my protein & prebiotic powder shake, all my supplements, my Fiber Crunch cereal bowl, and a glass of kombucha mushroom tea--oh, and my coffee, of course. Used to be just the black coffee.

AHA!!! I just thought--maybe I should switch the Fiber Crunch cereal to late at night when I get hungry and probably shouldn't be eating. Since it is so filling--might work? Hummm??? I might try that tomorrow??

Wednesday-6:30pm

It's way too early in the year for snow!

This is what has come down in the past hour!

I actually took the cushioned chair and ottoman from the porch inside the apartment--and the two endtables. I want to move the gold chair to the garage for the winter, but I'll need Dagan and Leah to help me with it. We can set it on the little green cart, I think, and roll it out. The gold chair is not the most comfortable to sit in or to get out of. The porch chair is way more comfortable, actually, so why not have another chair inside that I will actually want to sit in, right? It will be much more comfortable for company, too. :)

Already snow accumulating on the porch railing--and Karma had to go out and lick some snow off the carpet, of course. Funny how when the snow hits the carpet you can see where the boards lie under the carpeting.

I finished reading The Grapes of Wrath today and it makes me want to order the movie from Netflix. When I get done blogging here I am going to go see if they have it.

Yesterday was a movie day for me. I watched Click:

Workaholic architect Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) stumbles on a universal remote control that allows him to pause events in his life or fast-forward through them. But things get really bizarre when the gadget develops a mind of its own and takes control of Michael's viewing choices, causing him to see how much of his family life he's sacrificed for his career. Christopher Walken and Kate Beckinsale co-star in this high-concept comedy.

And The Notorious Bettie Page:

Although she longed to be an actress, an unassuming girl from Nashville, Tenn., would ultimately become the nation's first bona fide bondage queen. Provocative filmmaker Mary Harron delivers an intimate biopic about 1950s pinup girl Bettie Page (Gretchen Mol), who whetted many a male appetite with her raven locks and sadomasochistic poses before becoming the target of a U.S. Senate investigation and converting to Christianity.

Click was a typical Adam Sandler movie for me. There are always aspects that I can barely tolerate (fart jokes, dogs humping stuffed animals--Adam's type of really off-color, juvenile humor), but there's also a touching aspect with a moral in the end--if you can get thru the rest of the movie. It was okay, I guess--an Adam Sandler movie. Had a good message in the end. But with his movies I do find myself wondering if the end justifies the means, you know?

I had heard of Bettie Page and seen some of her pin-up shots, but didn't know a lot about her. The movie was well-done and the nudity was appropriate, naturally, for her pin-up life. I think Gretchen Mol really captured her odd combination of innocence and sexiness. The movie showed how she kind of fell into modeling and what her young life was like. You could see how she felt she was posing in "costumes" to get by while she pursued her acting career--basically, no one knew much about bondage in that time period--especially Bettie! There's some nudity, but it is not a racy movie, by any means. Has more of a documentary flavor. I thought it was very interesting and done tastefully--or as tastefully as you can do a pin-up model's life story--ha!

Well, stay warm! I feel like I should be hearing Christmas carols!!

Monday-7pm

Okay--here's the silly scrapbook pages I was playing with. I not only feel like a kid while I am cutting and pasting--but it really looks like a kid did this--hehe! Doesn't matter--it is just plain fun and relaxing to do. :)

This morning I moved everything out of the porch. I nailed down the far end of the carpet so, hopefully, it won't keep buckling up in the wind. I had to do the front end by the door right away--almost couldn't get the door open the day after we laid it out there because the wind flipped it up. The far end has kept flipping and buckling, even with the furniture on it! I hope the wind doesn't rip thru the smaller nail heads, but that was all I had. They have held on the end by the door--but then there was all that give on the other end--ha! I have battened down the hatches for the winter--hehe! We'll see how well it holds over the violence of the North Dakota winter winds.

Before shot.

After shots.

This is the cleanest the porch has been since we put the carpeting down! I vacuumed every inch of the carpet and got everything back out there and wiped down. Dagan stopped by after he had lunch with Leah this afternoon and he helped me get the hanging plants in the apartment. Looks pretty barren without them and the little bird cage, but it is supposed to get really cold and now I don't have to worry about killing the poor plants.

Dagan and Leah went to the wedding and took some pictures for me. I wish I could have gone, but I am glad I stayed home. I don't think I would have handled the trip very well yet. I really slept this weekend, too--10.5 hours on Friday night and 11 hours on Saturday night! I am hoping to make it down sometime this winter--Dagan has his yearly heart check-up in Minneapolis sometime soon.

Last night I didn't get much sleep because I got up early for the fixing of the windows. I decided to call the office this afternoon and find out if they were really coming today. Come to find out--they will be working here for maybe a month! First they are working on the outside of the building on all the livingroom windows. Then they will be coming inside to each apartment--and they will be starting on the first floor she thought. So, who knows when they will finally make it to the inside of my place? But--they told her that we don't have to have everything pulled away from the livingroom windows for them like she thought, so it won't matter so much when they come if I don't have to worry about that part of it. I'll just keep my robe handy in case I am still sleeping when they come knockling on my door. Odds are I won't see them for a week or two. They did start on our building first and not the other one. I would imagine they will do the complete outside of both buildings first, if it's been getting so cold out. Get that over with, you know? But, I am not going to worry about it now. She said they will move any furniture that needs to be moved, so I am good. :)

I'm glad we got the plants in. It is supposed to get down to 33 degrees tonight!

Stay warm!

Saturday-3:30pm

This is the time the wedding was scheduled to begin. Should be wonderful weather down there in Minneapolis. It is 84 degrees today up here in Fargo. Believe it or not, we have snow predicted for Wednesday. That's the MidWest for you!

It's a good thing I saved that first baby kombucha mushroom! When I went to uncover the jar yesterday there was mold on top of the baby mushroom! So, I threw them both away, poured out the tea, and started with the baby from the frig this time. I think I did the recipe wrong last week. I was supposed to be cutting the recipe in half--but I think I forgot and put all the sugar and tea in. Maybe that is how I ruined the one I had years ago? Too much sugar can cause too much mold, I would imagine. So, we'll see how it goes this week.

I think I'll go rewrite the recipe for half a gallon. :)

Friday-3pm

Karma likes chair arms.

She keeps me company like this very often in "her" gold chair on the other side of the end table while I am sitting in my old lounger.

She considers herself really good company.

I happen to agree with her.

I am disappointed that the Barnes & Noble University online free classes are being switched over to strictly book groups! They have always had the reading groups (and the more in depth classes that you pay for)--now they are eliminating the free classes altogether. I'm not sure why that would be a good move for them--especially as the free classes often had more than one book to buy and other suggested reading, where a book group discusses just the one book. ?? I have been involved with the Barnes & Noble Online University for many years and will miss their free classes. If they would pick some of the books that were used for the classes for the reading groups, might be some kind of a substitute, I suppose. But, from the preliminary list they have posted--they are basic reading groups. :( I have tried those--so-so.

In our area there is a commercial running on TV from Quiznos. It is about taking their prime rib sandwich challenge and they are comparing their sandwich to Subways.

At the end they state:

"If you're not 100% satisfied you'll get a free sub."

DUH!! If you didn't like their sub in the first place, why in the world would you want another one? Notice they don't offer a money-back guarantee...just another sandwich you won't like. Think about it. Makes no sense to me whatsoever. I wonder who they paid to come up with that brilliant idea?

Yesterday I watched a really beautiful movie--Belonging:

Jess (Brenda Blethyn) and town handyman Jacob (Kevin Whately) have been happily married 20 years, recently taking in a trio of Jacob's elderly relatives, including his mother (Rosemary Harris). Though the relations are demanding, kindhearted Jess -- who selflessly quit her job -- enjoys looking after them. But when Jacob disappears one day, Jess' life falls apart, and she must learn to cope with things on her own in this touching drama.

This is one of those quiet movies with unique characters and wonderful acting--my favorite kind! Brenda Blethyn is just fantastic in this movie. I love her British accent, too--hehe! It is definitely a "touching drama", but I also found many character and situation driven chuckles scattered throughout. And there were moments that broke your heart.

Delightful little movie, in my opinion.

Well, I have made steady progress with my back over this past week, but I am not up to the trip to Minneapolis tomorrow. I am feeling better and getting rested little by little--and just can't bring myself to go backwards after the last couple months I've had physically. The car trip always causes me a lot of pain and days of recovery time even when I am at my own personal best before I start. I am not near my own personal best--will have to miss the wedding. :(.

So frustrating--my back had been the best it had felt in years before Dr. Mike got ahold of me. But then--I did ask to know in no uncertain terms what was good and bad for my body/health--so, one can't complain when one gets a forceful and most definite response, right? I guess it hasn't been in the cards for me to be making long car trips this summer. Maybe in the near future?

Made my online order to Shaklee today. Pam tried to call in her order yesterday and asked if they'd do another free item like we were originally told, but we already got one with the first order--which was apparently just getting it earlier than we would have normally (after we got the distributor kits). They told Pam no--couldn't even be done on the computer once you already have your free item--and to take up the informational error with our salesperson, Renae. Renae already told us how many of them had gotten that information wrong as soon as she heard, so it wasn't a surprise. Today I made my first order on my own personal website.

Very convenient!!

I am still focusing on the digestive products, general vitamins & protein, and the menopause complex. I have to admit that I have not had the problems with diarrhea this past month that I have always had the past few years--in fact, most of the time recently am almost constipated! ?? A state that has become downright foreign to me over the years--hehe! But, then again, that week and a half with the pinched nerve in my back I was taking many more pain pills and I read that they can cause constipation. Chuckle! I haven't had to take so many pain pills since I went to Dr. Hager...time will tell. I know that is more information than most people want to hear, but I am bringing it up for any people reading who may suffer from any of the digestive problems like IBS. The Shaklee products are supposed to work at balancing the digestive system--whether you have diarrhea, constipation, or irregularity. A couple of the products I got this time are supposed to help with detoxing, too.

Anyways, today is an overcast, windy day--but not as chilly. Dagan came over for lunch yesterday. I was unable to figure out anything for working on my website--again! Turned out that it wasn't just my ignorance--I had gotten bumped off somehow and had to be re-registered or something. Anyways, Dagan fixed it. So, now I need to actually start working on my website again a little every week, so I can get the hang of this whole procedure of publishing and all. I feel so inept with computers--just got to keep at it, I guess.

Leah came over last night and made the wedding card. I played some more with my scrapbook/Dream Book for a while, too. Leah wasn't really familiar with Bette Davis--and it was Bette Davis night on TCM. So, we saw an old interview from the Dick Cavett Show, The Letter, and Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte! Leah didn't work today, but said she shouldn't have stayed here till 2am! hehe! We had such a nice time, tho! I enjoy having my Leah-time--just the two of us. We haven't had our Craft Nights for months--decided to take a break. Last night we decided that maybe this winter we can meet once a month again?

Well, that's about it from the North Country! :)

Thursday-3pm

I tried to post a link to the story but it didn't work.

Go to:

www.ritamcgregor.com

Creative Nonfiction

"Flower Child"

Thursday-1:30pm

Hansel and/or Gretel lives in my apartment building.

Probably 3-4 times a week a paper trail begins in the elevator.

There's always a stop to put at least one small piece of paper on the table across from the elevator.

Then the scattering of little torn pieces of paper...

...to leave a trail all the way down the hallway that ends rather suspiciously inbetween apartments 305 and 306. This has been going on for many weeks. If the cleaning lady ever gets ahold of the culprit/culprits I think she just might do a great imitation of the old witch!

I assume this is a child but, then again, I suppose it could be an adult. That's an even scarier thought!

Wednesday- 2 pm

What a day for Karma! It is hard to see, but there's a yellow grater truck leveling off the field across the way. Makes me feel so sad! I know what they are killing right this very moment. Frogs, toads, crickets, rabbits, maybe ground squirrels, small lizards and salamanders--all the critters that lived in and around that little pond! They are filling in the pond! No rest stop now for the ducks and geese. No night symphony!! I am sad. It hurts my heart to watch.

But for Miss Karma it is a fascinating day. One man's sorrow--another's joy. Even a two-fer in the parking lot. Both the garbage truck and the little school bus at the same time. Cat TV at its best today.

But, for me--it hurts. Reminds me of years ago when they tore up my precious fields, my sanctuary all summer long, to build the senior high school in Fridley...1961 or 1962? I was 10 or 11 years old...and devastated.

Mass death to the wildflowers and the field animals.

Tuesday-7pm

Well, I thought I heard people in the hallways yesterday, but it must have just been people who live here making more noise than usual. The construction company's people never did arrive. Late afternoon I went down to get my mail and saw that the office had posted a notice that the company changed the date to next Monday the 9th to come and fix the windows. I got up early for nothing--but I made up for it last night. Went to bed at 11:30pm and slept till the phone rang at 12:30pm! And I slept well, too! :)

The phone call was from CashWise. The lady wanted to ask me about some substitutions again. I still can't get over that they would bother to call me when I have the "no substitutions" box marked. Same lady--noticed I only order once a month and was worried there were too many things going to be missing in my order. Small town life is sure different than living in the Twin Cities!! :)

I decided to rearrange the desk again. Cats!! Once I gave Karma her own spot, she lost interest and the thrill was gone. So, I moved the blue leather box back to its old spot. Then decided to clean out all the paperwork in my wooden files. That took me all afternoon off and on at my table by the rainy windows. Obviously my back is slowly feeling less tight and sore!! :) I do stretches every day, too.

It looks better and is more organized. Now one day I need to get into my lateral files!! hehe!

Yup, it rained off and on all day today. Cooler. Nice day. The rain seems to have stopped now and as the sun is setting tonight there are pink and blue clouds across the horizon. Beautiful!

I watched Lucky Numer Slevin last night:

An identity mix-up places an innocent man in the middle of a mob war in this noir crime thriller. While checking out his missing friend Nick's apartment, Slevin (Josh Hartnett) is mistaken for Nick by thugs. Just how much trouble is Nick really in? Slevin finds out when he's forced to participate in a high-profile murder for a powerful crime boss. The top-notch cast includes Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Bruce Willis.

It was really good and had interesting puzzles that finally fell into place at the end. I had a suspicion in the beginning--was led off the track--and then found out my original hunch was correct. And yet--they threw me off with another twist I wasn't expecting! I like a movie that I can't figure out easily, but that all the pieces fit in the end. :) And, of course, look at the actors in this one!

Anyways, Leah's coming over late on Thursday to make a wedding card for Ryan and Melissa. We're going to call in our second Shaklee orders, too. After the mix up last time, I hope things will go smoother with this order. I guess August was an absolute record month for sales--ever--in 50 years for Shaklee. I haven't had all the stomach troubles I had with the other supplements and have been actually feeling a little better in that regard. :) So, I plan to add another one of their digestive products this time--which means something else has to go and I'll have to decide by Thursday.

I haven't noticed anything different from drinking a small glass of the kombucha mushroom tea every morning--yet. hehe! Does make my pantry smell a bit funny, tho. :)

Monday-11:30am

Dagan and Leah came over for Sacred Circle last night. Beautiful day! Windows open and a slight breeze--not enough to blow our papers off the table. We did the Healing Rune Stones last night. We usually don't ask specific questions and just want the cards or runes to tell us what we need to know to stay on our spiritual path. Since we had been discussing recently the idea of having an earth friendly home in the country one day, we decided to ask what each of us would need to know to make that happen. We did a spread we have never used before--five runes. Wow! What an insightful night ! And each reading was right on for each of us! What a wonderful evening!

For myself, the runes said my "next step" is to deal with my grief. Grief is not something that would come readily to my mind, but when I think of loss and sadness--I have several larger issues in my life. Loss of the full physical capacity of my body. Loss of the dream of finding my soul mate--of having that intimate someone special to love and to love me. Back in 1968 there was a tremendous loss of innocence and self-worth when I was dumped by my first love--then kidnapped, beaten, and raped by strange men--and my parents did not know how to help or support me. Those are some big issues right there. The tip of the iceberg, as they say. Things I very deliberately try not to think about. I need to deal with them some more. I thought I had done a lot of self-exploration and honest, deep digging over the years--guess I need to do some more. And I knew the runes were right--because there is still pain there. I guess this truly is the winter for me to write about the rape--just for myself, for my own healing.

In order to move forward in light and love you need to deal with your shadows and sorrows. And my method for change--forgiveness--said the runes. Smart stones, eh?

Anyways, my back is slowly feeling better day by day. I need sleep and rest. Today I had to get up early, tho. The construction company that built this apartment complex is coming back to every apartment to fix the living room windows today and I don't know when they will be knocking on my door. I called the office to ask what they were fixing and they told me that several apartments have water streaming in from the living room windows every time it rains! They are coming around and installing some kind of clip inside the windows? I am so lucky I have not had that problem!! Another blessing!!

Maybe I will lean back in my chair and close my eyes while I wait.... :)

Saturday-4pm

The red betta quietly passed away while I slept.

He was noisily flushed.

The blue betta doesn't comprehend. He did his grieving a couple weeks ago when his red rival disappeared. They were used to going to the sides of their bowls and flaring at each other off and on all day. The blue betta believed he lost his companion a couple weeks ago. When I changed bowls, he went over to the appropriate side to flare and taunt that first day. I think he thought the red betta might have returned with the move--but he never showed up. They had been playing musical bowls for a couple of years. I always kept the bowls in the same spots so they knew which side of each bowl to look for their rival. Today the bowl is gone, too.

I wonder if the blue betta's life will be better or worse without his rival companion?

Friday-6:30pm

One week and here is the new baby on the top of the jar, just like I read would happen.

Here's a top view to gross you out--hehe!

You can see the big mama mushroom hanging sideways in the jar and the baby was just attached at one point--floating all pretty and white. (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)

Here's the baby. I decided to be smart and save the first baby as a back up with some of the tea. It is now in the back of the frig in this plastic container. :)

Here's the quart jar of strained tea that came from the half gallon jar. It made this full quart jar and half a cup of tea--all in the frig now. No, I didn't drink any yet. I like it cold!

Right now the half gallon jar is clean and waiting with the strainer. The mama mushroom is lying in the zip lock bag way in the background--waiting for cooled off tea water to be plunked into again. This time I made the tea water with brown sugar (used white last time) and the same green tea.

I have been sleeping off and on around the clock. For example--on Wednesday after I saw Dr. Hager (and got my back cracked) I slept from 8pm - 11:30pm. Then on Thursday I slept again from 3am till 8am (had to get up to go see Dr. Sleckman-rheumatologist). Came home from that jaunt and was back in bed by 4:45pm till 8pm. This morning I finally slept from 4:30am until 1:15pm! I have been sleeping pretty well, too! :)

I watched In The Bedroom yesterday:

Set in a tranquil town on the Maine coast, In the Bedroom tells the story of a couple (Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson) whose teenage son (Nick Stahl) is involved in a love affair with a single mother (Marisa Tomei). When the relationship comes to a sudden and tragic end, the boy's parents must face their worst nightmare and embark on a dark, dangerous psychological journey. Spacek and Wilkinson turn in stunning performances.

Was an engrossing movie that drew you in--quietly--until it had you by the throat! One of those movies where the performances were so genuine in such a subtle way--dealt with loss, grief, frustration, and went places you weren't expecting and yet you were. Excellent, but dark, movie--wonderful performances from everybody!

I also have been watching the videos about the Shaklee products. Have watched ten of them so far. I am learning new things. For example--I discovered I have never read my toothpaste tube. I was shocked! My tube of Crest says:

Warnings Keep out of reach of children under 6 yrs of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. Do not swallow. To minimize swallowing use a pea-sized amount in children under six. Supervise children's brushing until good habits are established. Children under 2 yrs: ask a dentist.

All the years I've used toothpaste, I guess I have never bothered to read the tube. I thought they were pulling my leg telling me that there were often warnings about swallowing toothpaste and poison control! Crest--been using it most of my life. Hummm???? It has made me stop and think about the things we use every day that have toxic ingredients in them--and that we absorb through our skin or even swallow.

And this concern about what I am swallowing comes from a lady who is drinking kombucha mushroom tea! chuckle! Yes--I am sipping on it right now. Cold--kind of like apple cider--with a little fizz or a bite to it. Actually tastes better than I remember it! Probably because of using the green tea instead of the black Lipton that I don't really like in the first place. Wonder if it will be better next week with the brown sugar? Experimenting might be more productive than I had expected!

CHEERS!!!!