I Blame The Computer

Pierce and Leslie flew to Seattle with us for a weddding in early September and Abby took a weekend off from school and also met us there. We had contemplated driving to and from so Leslie could bring all the kids but fortunately we came to our senses. I don't fly very often and I always forget how noisy it is inside and how boring the wait at the airport is. We did have a thrill (or feeling of embarassment if you were Leslie) in the Casper airport. They called all 10 of the passengers to board the plane, Leslie said, "we need to go, Dad" and Dean said, "I'm not going til they make the last call. I don't want to be on the plan any longer than I have to be." Shortly after he said that we heard "Stilwell, Stilwell, and Fuhrman" please board the plane" on a very loud loudspeaker even though the person making the announcement could see us 10 feet away from her.

Once we picked up our rental car Leslie was designated map/directions reader since I tend to get carsick if I read in a moving vehicle. After a couple of excursions with Leslie in the front seat supposedly directing Dean, I determined that she may have the best sense of direction of anybody on the face of the earth, but she does not know how to read a map. So I took over her position. I have absolutely no sense of direction, however I did an excellent job reading the map (even if I say so myself) and informing Dean of what street was expected next, telling him when he should turn and which direction. The only problem with that system was that he wouldn't listen to me. So even though I knew where he wanted to be and was expertly leading him there, he'd decide to turn somewhere else. Consequently, we just ended up wherever he finally gave up and stopped. Not surprisingly we got lost at some point each time we tried to get somewhere. But at the end of the weekend we turned in the car with no dents or scratches and that's all I really cared about.

We saw Seattle sights on the two extra days we spent there, ate some great food, and enjoyed four days of sunshine and great weather.



After we got home I wanted to catch up on this blog and post the photos. Somehow between the time I left and got home I got some kind of corrupted file and kept getting a message saying I needed to run a "chkdsk utility". I couldn't get that utility to run no matter what I did. After hours searching help, googling it, and trying various fixes, I finally gave up and called Toshiba. Beginning at 3:30 p.m. last Monday I became friends with Mike, then Patrick and finally Vince. It was Vince who finally told me that the chkdsk utility is not available on my computer because it was disabled and I would have to completely restore my computer back to its factory settings. I thought I'd heard him wrong so I said, "so you're saying I can't run chkdsk...because it seems a little ridiculous that I have to completely restore this computer and lose all my data, when all I really need to do is check for the bad file." "yes" he said, because "people caused more problems by using this utility than they fixed." I made him wait while I backed up my files which took a very long time because in my frustrated, angry state of mind I think I actually copied off everything twice.

Finally at approximately 8:30 p.m. last Monday (yes, a mere 5 hours after my initial call) I got the computer restored, and now the stupid thing is working again and I haven't gotten any corrupt file error messages----------yet. Yesterday was the first time I touched the computer since Monday. Apparently the computer gods didn't think I'd had enough time with technical support people so yesterday I got to spend a very pleasant hour with my ISP because I couldn't figure out how to get my wireless configured on this computer again. I like to think I'm somewhat computer literate but talking to tech support people really is a blow to my self-esteem. It's probably just as well it's all verbal communication and I only hear their sighs, and I don't have to actually see their eye-rolling, head-shaking and the hand-signs I'm sure they're giving to their fellow support people which are code for "boy, do I have a stupid one on the line today."

In between trips to Seattle and fighting with computers Dean and Leslie (with some help from the girls) decided to do some major canning. Last weekend they made applesauce. Even after 14 pints there were still apples left so Leslie and I made two apple pies. Thursday, since the grapes on Leslie and Ryan's grape vines were ripe they decided they'd make some grape jelly. Who knew you could grow grapes in our climate? We even discovered last night at a wedding reception that you can make a grape pie (out of concord grapes anyway....which also grow here!). They were heavy into jelly-making when I got home from work Thursday. I contributed to the effort by taking the girls to the park.

Later when I was on my way to pick up pizza to feed the hungry canners I noticed three deer eating their supper on a bush a half a block down from us so I did a quick turn around, got my camera and took some photos. When I got home from the getting the pizza they were still in the area so I grabbed the girls and we walked over for a look. Myra didn't want to put her dress on since it had collected bits of bark on it at the park and was "pokey" so Emerson and I walked down the street with Myra shuffling along in only her purple princess underwear and her pink cowboy boots. She was quite the sight.

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I Blame The Computer

Trin---This Post's For You!!

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Trin---This Post's For You!!

Catchin' Up

It's the last day of August and the weather is contributing to my feeling that summer has ended by bringing in clouds, cooler weather and showers. I should be out weeding while the ground is moist and soft but I don't want to. I'm using the weather as an excuse to stay out of the yard and catch up on projects inside--one of them being this blog.

Recent events in our lives include the following:

We made a weekend visit to see Abby in Scottsbluff the weekend before she returned to Lincoln. It happened to be Scottsbluff County Fair weekend so we checked it out and attended the bull riding Friday night with Abby and Jorge. I think one cowboy managed to stay on his bull for whatever the required seconds were. The rest bit the dust fairly quickly.



The next day we did some hiking in the Wildcat Hills and visited the Monument. It was a hot day but we found a great spot to stop and rest and have a grape-throwing contest. If it was an Olympic event Jorge would have won the gold for the furthest and straightest. Abby attempted to win the gold for distance but what she actually won was the gold for the biggest splat made by a grape when thrown a mere 1 1/2 feet in front of you. I would have won the gold for a grape thrown the furthest off-target and Dean would have won a gold just because he tried so darn hard to beat us all.




We've had lots of grandkid time which is so much nicer than 3 days once every 3 or 4 months. One day in August we kept them so Leslie and Ryan could get some things done in their house. The bulk of the day was spent playing in the pool which is a great place to be when little bodies are covered in popsicle juice.



We spent this past Friday night and Saturday in Denver visiting friends, experiencing the food and festivities at "A Taste of Colorado", drooling over the fruits and vegetables at the farmer's market and shopping at REI's Labor Day sale.

We also got to walk by the booths near the convention center that were still set up selling Obama gear and once again felt as though we were walking among our own people. Two people honked at us as we were driving in downtown Denver. I'm sure it was because of the Obama sticker on our car and had nothing to do with Dean's driving.
I wasted a large part of yesterday baking. First I made a plum streudel which tasted okay but was so dry you couldn't eat it without a large scoop of ice cream or a generous portion of cream on top and since neither Dean nor I like working out as much as it would require to burn off that much fat ... into the garbage it went. I followed that up by making a loaf of zucchini bread using the leftover plums and some rhubarb. Once again, edible but not so great. Apparently plums are too moist and I should have added more flour. There was nice sunken center to the bread. But since it's moist and sorta edible, it's still on the counter.

Today I thought I'd attempt ciabatta bread. I saw some at the farmers market in Denver and since it's hard for me to buy bread because I think I should be able to make it myself, I gave it a whirl today. It looks like the photo in the recipe (sorta) but not like the thicker bread you see at farmers markets and I didn't get those big holes in the bread. However, it is tasty so I think we'll be eating it with cheese tonight for an easy supper.




http://www.aaanimations.com/wav/porkypigswav.wav◦

Catchin' Up

Like Fine Wine

36 years and counting ...




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Like Fine Wine

Music on the Mountain

In the middle of July we spent a day on the mountain listening to music. Ryan wasn't able to come but Leslie and the kids came up and Abby brought her boyfriend, Jorge. Dean and I went up early with a cooler of food and drinks and staked out our spot on the ground. Once again we were in the minority since we don't have a cell phone and we don't own a fancy lawn chair with a cup holder but we still managed to have a great day.
And thanks to Jorge here's a clip of some music and dancing.

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Music on the Mountain

Who said you need a backseat?

It only took about 45 minutes of head-scratching, Googling (you'd be surprised how many people can't get their trunk open for one reason or another), manual-reading, and finally, seat removal, before we gained access to the trunk and retrieved the groceries. The trunk is now bungied down and the seats are stored in the garage until Dean finds the time to fix the trunk latch mechanism. It seems now it won't latch---with or without sand. It's just one more of life's small challenges.




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Who said you need a backseat?

Do not attempt this at home (or in your own car)

I am trying to get photos ready for my next post but I had take a break from that because as I type Dean is outside trying to unstick the trunk. Here's the deal. He's been using our little Toyota Corolla to haul buckets full of sand and small pebbles that he's been using as a base in the side and front yard rocked area. Seems at some point a bucket (or maybe more as far as I know) tipped over and spilled said bits of pebbles and sand in the trunk. These small particles have become lodged in all the tiny spaces inside the trunk and on occasion get caught in the lock mechanism so when he tries to unlock the trunk the tiny bits of sand and pebbles prevent it from opening.

We just returned from the grocery store a bit ago and when he tried to unlock the trunk to bring in our items (half of which require refrigeration not to mention the two bags of ice) the trunk would not unlock. Apparently it's the third time this has happened. I stood around for a while as he pushed the car up and down, beat on the trunk to try and dislodge the pebbles and sand, got a crowbar out and tried to pry the lock open as he turned the key, then sighed and said, "I keep cleaning it out and they keep getting caught. I thought I had them all". I finally left hoping the sound of the front door opening and grocery bags being hauled in would follow shortly. So far...approximately 20 minutes later...I've only heard the banging on the car. I went out once to see how it was going and amazingly he was still smiling (sort of) and his only comment was, "I wish I knew how I got it unlocked before."

Honestly, I just feel like laughing. It's just so stupid it's funny. Wait...I hear footsteps....do I hear grocery bags? ... No..... It's just too, too funny. Poor guy. Maybe the melting ice will cause the pebbles and sand to relocate and the lock will open. I guess I'll get brave and see if I can help by offering well thought out, creative suggestions. :-) I didn't want to post photos anyway....◦

Do not attempt this at home (or in your own car)

Cow Poop

We had our first grandparent excursion in Casper when we took Emerson and Myra to the county fair. We arrived at their house shortly after 5:00 p.m. to find them dressed in blue jeans, and cowboy boots and rarin' to go. All they were missing were the cowboy hats. Dean and I didn't quite look the part in our tennis shoes but we were wearing blue jeans.

Once we arrived Dean pointed out to the girls that he smelled cow poop. Myra completely agreed with him and chanted all the way in as we bought tickets and found our way into the center of the fairgrounds "I smell cow poop", "I smell cow poop", "I smell cow poop."

Our first act as responsible grandparents was to buy cotton candy. Emerson managed to swallow large handfuls without any problem. Myra was able to plaster it to her nose and chin but had trouble getting it in her mouth. She walked around like a fish with her round mouth opening and closing and blue cotton candy hanging off her nose and chin.

The first mistake we made as out-of-practice parents and "new" grandparents was stopping at the carnival first. I foolishly thought we'd let the girls have a ride on the merry-go-round and then hit the barns. What I quickly learned was if you stop at the carnival first, nothing else is as exciting the rest of the night. Myra revised her chant from "I smell cow poop" to "I wanna ride the horse", "I wanna ride the horse"... We somehow managed to pry them from the rides and explored the animal barns. Dean and Emerson took their time as they slowly moved from pen to pen. They seemed to have intent conversations about each different animal. I'm can only guess that they must have been discussing the genetic differences between a black cow and a brown and white cow or the reason the daddy peacock is prettier than the mommy. Myra and I, on the other hand, flitted from pen to pen with the longest stop approximately 3 seconds. At one point I suggested to Myra she might want to watch carefully so she didn't step in cow poop. Consequently the chant changed to "I see cow poop", "I see cow poop", I see cow poop".

We made a quick tour through the exhibit hall, touched creepy lizard-like reptiles, played for a while in the science booth and then made our way to the rodeo. Dean bought us Indian Tacos, sodas, and warm, gooey cinnamon bread. We made a picnic on the floor of the stadium and waited for the rodeo to start. As we were eating, a guy dressed like a cowboy, walking on the tallest stilts I've ever seen, wandered through trying to get kids to walk between those really tall legs. Once the rodeo started he disappeared and we didn't see him again. It wasn't long before chant number four began which continued all the way through the rodeo and on the ride home, "where's the big guy?", "where's the big guy?", "where's the big guy?" Emerson and I finally told Myra the really big guy's really big mom told him he had to go home. Sadly, that wasn't satisfying and only resulted in "why?".

Rodeos aren't all that exciting for little girls but we made it through to the end with the help of ice cream and a break in the middle to go ride the merry-go-round, the boats and the cars. At about 9:45 p.m. we deposited them safely at home, dirty, sticky, tired, and as Leslie pointed out to me "you all stink like cow poop."◦

Cow Poop

Balloons

I actually got up at the same time as a work day this morning and went with Dean to see the hot air balloon festival. It was amazing how many people were up and at the field at 6:10 a.m. which is when we arrived. Two balloons were already in the air and when we left at 6:40 a.m. they were all up. It's a good thing I didn't make Dean stop for coffee or we would have missed the whole thing. He told me I whined every time I saw somebody walk by with a steaming cup of hot coffee but I think he was exaggerating. Just because I pointed out every cup of coffee that went by does not mean I was whining.

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Balloons

Rocks, Rolies and Rollin'

Our own home improvement projects are continuing broken up by a quick trip back to Lincoln for a wedding and a week in Delta.

The rock work is oh so close to being completed prolonged only by Dean's insistence on meticulously placing each rock in its appointed place one at at time. Sometimes I think he's really an engineer disguised as a geologist. And by the way...this photo was taken in June. Thankfully it has finally warmed up.




Leslie and Ryan have moved back to Casper. We spent a week helping them pack up the final boxes, finishing up small miscellaneous projects, cleaning the house and loading the truck. Once the last toy was packed Emerson and Myra discovered they could have as much fun collecting roly poly bugs and worms as they could playing with leggos and dolls. And having their Papa teach them the fine art of spitting on rocks to view their beauty was pretty cool too.





Of course digging for bugs and worms necessitates baths. One night as I was on duty while they played in the tub I figured I may as well clean the bathroom while I was in there. Leslie came in to see how we were all getting along and discovered somebody had somehow dumped a large amount of water on the floor. The only toy left was one plastic glass and the girls had stricken looks on their faces. When Leslie left to get something to wipe up the water I looked over and saw two small heads forehead to forehead whispering, "you did it, no you did it, you did it, no you did it..."

The truck was loaded with the help of a couple of their friends and we even had time to relax in the front yard. Of course the fact that that all the furniture was packed on Saturday and grass was softer than hard wood floors may have had something to do with it. Pierce spent his time eating plums or napping under the tree.














We rolled into Casper after an uneventful trip other than Dean and Ryan discovering the trailer towing their small pickup had a flat before they'd even made it out of Delta. We all rolled in to Casper safe and sound and now "all" that's left is the unpacking.◦

Rocks, Rolies and Rollin'