Thursday Update

Yesterday was another productive day. We now have our whole dining room back. We moved the mattress set up to Thomas and Diedre's place in Eldora. I think they will really like their new queen size bed.

Jon and Elaine were able to see Chloe's cute little stone house and Nala the kitty. They also were able to see Thomas and Diedre's house and the school Thomas and Diedre are working at. Thomas took them on a driving tour of the town and park. We alos had ice cream at the Ahoy Fountain. It wasn't quite as good as the first time we were their. I think the boy working there was more interested in getting off work and not excited about have to make ice cream treats for 7 people.

We arrived home around 8:30 and ate leftovers for supper. We then sat down and watched part of the Republican Convention. Palin had lots to say about her family and Alaska, but not a lot to say about what she would do for the country. Some of the Republicans at the convention didn't look too excited or convinced that she was the right choice.

Yesterday I spend a good amount of time in the car and did not get as much walking in, my step count was only 9439.

Green Tip of the Day

Wrapping a water heater with insulation can keep as many as 1,000 pounds of global-warming CO2 a year out of the upper atmosphere.

Wednesday Update

Yesterday morning I took a nice long walk through Thomas Park. It was very hot and humid. I ended the day with 12934 steps.

When I got back from my walk, John and Elaine were leaving to get Elaine's hair cut. She went to Great Clips by Michael's. Chloe had already left to go back to Cedar Falls. She had a class in the afternoon and then she worked until closing at Cup-A-Joe's.

We took John and Elaine on a tour of the flooded areas of Cedar Rapids starting with the Czech Village area, around to J Street, over to Time Check and then through downtown. They both said it is hard to believe the damage until you really see it.

After the tour we had lunch at the Red Lantern. The food was really good and John knew our waitress. She is originally from Korea. I had Ming's Beef, it was delicious.

It was so hot and humid in the house when we got home. John and Elaine watched the Green Channel with me for a while. They said they don't get it in Arizona, although they are supposed to. John said he is definitely going to contact the cable company when he gets back. The temperature was not going to cool own for some time, so John and Elaine decided to spend the night over at Curt's. It was either that or we were going to have to go out and buy a little window air conditioner. The big one Jamie brought over would involve construction of a stand to help hold it in the window. Too much work.

This morning we are going over to Enterprise to rent a cargo van for the day. We are taking the mattress set and a few other things up to Thomas and Diedre. We will stop at Chloe's in Cedar Falls first and she is coming to Eldora with us. It should be a fun day.

See you later Chloe, Thomas and Diedre.

Green Tip of the Day

If a vehicle's tires have less than recommended air pressure, gas mileage will suffer. Determine the correct pressure level from the small plaque likely found just inside the driver's-side door, but possibly on a rear doorpost, in the trunk/latch area, the glove box, or even on the sun visor.

Tuesday Update

Yesterday was kind of a lazy day and I have a feeling today will be the same. I was thinking about mowing the yard today, but it was already so humid when I took out the trash this morning that I have changed my mind. Looking at the grass it really isn't that long. Besides the weather report last night said the temp should be a little cooler on Thursday.

Today we are looking into renting a truck to take the mattress set and a few other things that Thomas left behind up to Eldora. We will be going up to Cedar Falls tomorrow to first visit Chloe at her cute little house and to see Cup-A-Joe. And then we will drive over to Eldora to drop off Thomas' things and visit with them at the new house for a while. I look forward to seeing their schools.

Yesterday I was afraid I was not getting my step count in. So, around 7:30 I went on a walk. I walked up 2nd Ave., through Shady Oak Cemetary, to Hanna Park, down the Thomas Park trail and back to Hanna Park and then to home. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes. I saw about 5 deer in Hanna Park and a deer on the Thomas Park trail twice. My final step count yesterday was 10215.

Monday Update

Happy labor day. Don't work too hard. Or better yet don't do any work.

Yesterday was wonderful. We got to see Tommy, Chloe, Diedre and Ross. The family gathering went very well. John and Elaine came over around 1:00. Curt, Jessica, Big Q, Little Q, Keeley and Cassie all showed up later. And of course the Jordan's; Mark, Wanda and Amber came as well. The food was excellent and plentiful as always.

Green Tip of the Day

If you are looking to green your school, think about organizing a crayon drive to collect unwanted crayons and then either craft with them or send them to the National Crayon Recycling Program http://www.crazycrayons.com/recycle_program.html

Crayons are a petroleum product, they take years to
biodegrade.

Green Tip of the Day

Generating enough electricity to cook for an hour in a standard electric oven creates 2.7 pounds of carbon dioxide. Here's a list of what can do it for less: toaster oven, 1.3 pounds over 50 minutes; slow cooker, 0.9 pounds over seven hours; and microwave, 0.5 pounds over 15 minutes.

Sunday Update

I am looking forward to today. Thomas and Diedre are driving down for a visit with the family. Chloe will also be here later. John and Elaine are in town for their yearly visit. Plus the usual Sunday group should be here, along with Doug's niece Jessica and her brood.

Yesterday morning I took an hour walk through Oak Shade Cemetery and over to Thomas Park. I came into the park from the back way through the cemetery. It was a nice walk and got me well on my way for my step goal for the day. I ended up with 16245 steps for the day. I hope I have a chance to take a walk today.

After walking I did some cleaning around the house until John and Elaine showed up. They had Curt with them and stayed for about an hour. Chloe was also here for a little while. After John and Elaine left to go back over to Curt's, Chloe also left. She had a show thing that she had to help with later in the day.

Left alone again, Doug and I went over menus and the shopping list. I went shopping and got more of my walking in. In the evening we made salsa with garden tomatoes. It is one of the best batches of salsa I think we have ever made. I also baked a cake before going to bed. I have to frost the cake this morning.

That is all for today. I will see everyone later!

Green Tip of the Day

A laptop uses just a quarter of the power required by a desktop computer.

Saturday Update

Yeah vacation has started!!

Yesterday was nice because we were let out of work at 2:00. With pay!

I came home and found that John and Elaine had not called yet. Doug was also still waiting for Johnny to come over with the nail gun. Finishing Chloe's room was on hold until we had the nail gun. Johnny finally showed up at around 7:30. He told us his car had been stolen early Friday morning, around 4:00 AM. It also had all of the supplies he had purchased at Menards the day before in it. What a bummer, at least he may get a new car if it is not found.

Nailing the floor boards down took only minutes with the nail gun. The room looks very nice. I will need to get some pictures to post. After Johnny left, Doug decided to take Mark's saw back to him. While he was gone I moved things back into Chloe's room. I was close to being finished when Doug returned home.

We didn't hear from John and Elaine until almost 10. They had been at Curt's since around 5. Elaine told Doug she had said they would be staying at Curt's first. That conversation actually never took place. The last time we had heard from them was over a week ago, they had said they would probably not be stopping at Chloe's or Thomas and Diedre's.

That is all for now. I hope to see everyone on Sunday. Go Tigers!

Steps Update: 10734 on Friday.

Thursday Update

Yesterday was such a long day at work. Had a few rough calls, but not bad over all.

When I got home I went to the laundromat to wash the old featherbed from our bed. We bought a new one and will use the old one on the bed in Chloe's room. The laundromat has not changed any. In fact it got worse. They still have five or six TVs, but only two are on. And the people just let their kids run wild. I had a little boy, about four, try to grab a dollar bill from my hand while I was getting change from the machine. At least he did ask if he could have it while he was reaching for it.

After I got back home, Doug said he wanted to go to Menard's to get some things to finish up Chloe's room. While we were there Doug had to call Johnny to ask him what kind of nails we need for his nail gun that Doug will be borrowing. Johnny said, "Just a minute, I will be right there." He was coming to return something and shop for some things for one of his houses that was damaged in the flood. We tried to finish our shopping before they closed as they were making the closing announcement while we were there. We did not quite get everything we need, so we will probably be making another trip over there tonight.

We finally had a chance to sit down and eat supper around 9:15. I was hungry and tired at the same time. I ate and went to bed. What a long day.

I almost forgot, yesterdays step count was 12099.

Wednesday Update

Happy hump day everyone.

Chloe's room is coming right along. Last night Mark and Doug finished putting in the last of the flooring. Now Doug has to get the trim for around the walls, the new outlets and put the closet door back on. I'm sure there are some other details that I have forgotten. But, it is very close to being done. Hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon.

Yesterday I stepped up my walking to 11617 steps.

Tip of the Day:

Homemade Cleaning Products

Candles, Telephones

Sponge with a piece of cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Carpet Freshener

Combine 3/4 cup baking soda, 2 tbsp corn starch, and 1/4 cup perfumed talcum powder. Sprinkle on dry carpet, let stand 5 to 15 minutes, then vacuum.

Cobwebs

For hard to reach spots, slip a sock over the end of a yardstick and secure with a rubber band, then sweep the area. This method works well for cleaning under radiators and refrigerators also.

Pet Urine

Dab area with toweling, wash with suds of liquid dish detergent, and rinse with 1/2 cup vinegar diluted in 1 qt warm water. Lay towels or paper towels over the spot and weight down to absorb excess moisture. Let stand 4 to 6 hours, then remove toweling, brush up nap and allow to dry completely. To speed drying, use an electric fan.

Ovens

Fill a small glass bowl with 1/2 cup full-strength ammonia, place in oven and close. Let stand overnight, then wipe loosened dirt with paper towels or newspapers. If necessary, rub surfaces with a suitable abrasive, such as fine steel wool, then wash with warm soapy water and rinse. Repeat process if necessary.

Homemade Window Glass Cleaner

1/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water (or 2 tablespoons per quart) OR

1/2 cup sudsy ammonia to 1 gallon water (or 2 tablespoons per quart)

OR

1/2 cup sudsy ammonia 2 cups rubbing alcohol 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent 1 gallon water (This one is less likely to freeze in cold weather.)

Pots and Pans - Burned, and Crusted,on Foods

Soak or boil a solution of 2 tbsp baking soda per qt of water in each pan. Let stand until particles are loosened, then wash as usual. Use a mild or moderate abrasive if necessary.

Discolored Aluminum

Heat a solution of 1 tbsp vinegar per qt of water or 2 tsp cream of tartar per qt of water in each pan until discoloration disappears.

Grease

Rub greasy spots with a mild or moderate abrasive, such as fine steel wool, and a dish detergent until they disappear.

Stained No-Stick Cookware

To remove stains from no-stick surfaces, pour a solution of 1 cup water, 2 tbsp baking soda and 1/2 cup chlorine bleach into the pan and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil or to boil over the side of the pan. Wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry. Apply a light coating of cooking oil. (Note: This formula may fade dark-colored surfaces.)

Drains

To keep drains clear, flush daily with scalding water. For grease buildup, dissolve 1 lb washing soda in 3 gal boiling water and pour down drain. To avoid burns from boiling water, hold water container close to drain and pour slowly and directly into drain. For heavy grease buildup, use a commercial drain opener. Exercise extreme caution when using and follow label instructions exactly. (Commercial drain openers can be used to clear hair buildup from bathroom drains, also.)

Disinfectant/Mildew Remover

Dilute 3/4 cup chlorine bleach in 1 gal of water. Apply to tile and grout and scrub; wipe shower stall and curtain; rinse thoroughly.

Fixtures

To clean stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water.

Rust Stain and Hard Water Deposit Remover

Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until spot disappears, then rinse. Repeat if necessary.

Soap Scum

Apply baking soda dry or as a thick paste, rub vigorously with a wet sponge, then rinse.

Toilet Bowl

Pour 1/4 cup full strength chlorine bleach OR 1/2 cup full strength ammonia into bowl. DO NOT USE BOTH. Swish with a bowl brush and flush.

Combs and Brushes

Fill a basin with hot water, and add either 2 tbsp ammonia OR 1 tsp liquid dish detergent. Drop in combs and brushes and soak 10 minutes, then use combs to clean brushes. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.

*From pioneerthinking.com

Last night on G Word we saw a group that uses human hair mats to help clean up oil spills. I was interested and looked into it more. They will take donations from hair salons and schools that have collected hair. They prefer not to have the hair in small envelopes, but in bigger packages. Teachers can actually do a demonstration of how the hair mats work.

Hair For Oil Spills Information For Teachers

Tuesday Update

The 10,000 Steps Challenge officially started yesterday. I finished with 10131 steps. The site I log my steps at says I need to take 9504 steps just to maintain my present weight and 14256 steps to start losing weight. I only guessed at my starting weight because we do not have a scale at this time. From reading at the Challenge web site, I found that I don't have to start at 10000 steps the first day. You are supposed to build up to it by adding 500 steps a week. But, I don't like to mess around. My goal is to get up to the 14256 steps to lose weight. I think this is a 6 week program.

Doug's finger looks very sore. It is turning interesting shades of purple. He is frustrated that it does not show very well in pictures. The scary part is how swollen it looks from the side.

Mark has been assisting us with the flooring in Chloe's room and he took the doors and last of the flooring home to trim on his band saw. He will hopefully have them completed tonight and bring them back here to finish. After the last pieces of flooring are down, Doug will measure for the floor boards. We will then need to paint them before installing. After that; hang the doors, replace the light switch and electrical outlets and we will pretty much be done with that room. Although we will need to find a rug for the room.

This is some of the sweet corn Wanda and Mark brought for us a week ago. We ate some that day and the rest we vacuum sealed and put in the freezer.
This is Doug's smashed finger.
Ouch!!
What a fun finger to injure, don't you think?

Saturday Update

I had two free meals yesterday. The first was in Green Square Park. It was put on by Alliant and the downtown ass_ _ _ _ _. I had a grilled chicken sandwich, pasta salad, pickle, watermellon, brownie and a Dew. I second was paid for by our site manager. It was Chinese from some place I never heard of, I don't even remember the name. I had Mongolian beef with fried rice. There weren't any vegetables in the rice and there were more onions than beef.

Starting Monday I will be tracking the steps I take each day through the 10000 Staep a Day challenge through our Cigna health plan. I could win an Ipod. We received our pedometers yesterday at work. It is very nice with a compass that you press to open the cover that has the settings buttons inside. I enter my weight and stride length and it keeps track of my steps. The steps will be logged at a Cigna web site and I am supposed to be able to calculate how may steps I need to take each day to maintain my present weight or to loss weight.

Last night I took a 45 minute walk in the downtown area around the library and over to Walgreens. I was only able to take a total of 6868 steps yesterday. Although I think I need to figure out exactly were to wear it to make it work best. Some times I walk clear across the house and it only records 2 steps. Oh well, I have until Monday to try and figure it out.

Last night Bobo paid us a surprise visit. She called after 9:30 to tell Doug she was in town at Katie's and she wanted to stay the night at our house. It's too bad it is so hot and muggy right now. We had to block off the day kitchen area and let her sleep on the couch because her room was too hot.

Friday Update

Friday at last! I have one more full week and then one full week of vacation while Elaine and John are here.

Wednesday when we got to the office and the main elevator was shut off and no one had gotten there to unlock the door coming from the freight elevator or the door in the stair well. We were unable to find someone to unlock the doors and turn on the elevator until after 8. Needless to say, we got a late start answering the phones that day. Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Except I did get quite a few angrier than normal customers. I noticed they were all from southern states, hmmm.

It is also very cold at work. This is because right now we have no way of regulating the air conditioner. It stay about 64 all of the time. Very cold for me, but I know Doug would love it. My hands stay pretty numb all day.

We have been mostly watching the Olympics all week. I wish they would quit focusing so much on volley ball. Also, the US track team has been pretty disappointing.

I hope everyone has a good Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Have a great day at school Thomas and Diedre!