Monday Update

Wow, when did it start getting dark when I wake up? Not long ago it was day light, not anymore...

Despite the flooding in the basement, I had a great weekend. Ashley came to visit Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning. Friday night we had pizza at Mark and Wanda's and Saturday night we had brats and burgers. Thanks guys...

Ashley wanted to see grandpa's burial site, so Saturday we went to Cedar Memorial for a short visit to the Garden of Tranquility. I also took her for a drive to see some of the flood damaged homes on the west side of Cedar Rapids. We had lunch at Jimmy John's. Saturday afternoon was not too exciting, we did some laundry at the laundromat. It was easier than doing it at home, because of the flooding in the basement. Sunday morning Ashley had a nice visit with Doug and myself. Mao was so cute, he had to show her the feather (bird) toy that Parker gave him. It was like he was trying to say, "See what I have". She also stopped in Cedar Falls to visit Chloe. They had lunch together.

Sunday afternoon was spent clearing out some of the basement. We moved a lot of the computer stuff that was down there to the garage and there are also things that will just have to go to the trash. Still a few larger items to move out and then we will be able to a full cleaning of the basement. You have to love Mother Nature.

Sunday evening was quiet. We did not have anyone over for Supper. We had taco salad and tried to find something good to watch on TV. Nothing great on TV for Sunday night. No wonder we usually have people over instead of watching TV.

Yummy Shish-ka-stuff from last Sunday.

This is from our last batch of homemade summer sausage.

Lots of tomato varieties the year. The orange and yellow ones are from Wanda and Mark's garden.

Water in the basement earlier this week.

Water spurting from a pin hole in the basement wall.

The city was pumping water to the storm drain.

Friday Update

I'm so glad the rain has stopped. We still have a trickle of water everywhere in the basement, but no water coming up from the sewer drains. I think trickling water will stop once the ground has absorbed more of the water. We are hoping Marion will decide to do a big free trash pickup day. We have some things that got wet that will absolutely have to go.

I am a little concerned because Doug took a tumble in the basement yesterday and cut himself. I hope he doesn't get any weird infections from the nasty water in the basement.

I felt very bad for Doug yesterday, fighting the water all on his own. He said Mao alerted him to it about 9 yesterday morning. The water got rather high and our 1 sump pump just wasn't cutting it. He found the spare we have in the basement and got it going. He also went to Menard's and bought 2 more and Johnny even brought one over for him to use for a while. He had it pretty much under control when I got home. Although the water in Thomas' old room did not go down until sometime during the night. We talked with a group of neighbors that came over and we all agreed we need to go to the next City Council meeting and encourage them to do something about the sewers instead of moving 7th Ave.

Even though everything is a mess in the basement, I know we will work together to get it back in order. And this just forces us to finish the clean-out we started earlier in the summer.

I think today is going to be a very good day.

icanhascheezburger.com

Enter to Win

Green Tip of the Day

OVEN CLEANING

Since ovens caked with last month's casserole drippings cook less efficiently. Just opt for a cleaner that works without caustic ingredients and without you having to fire up the self-cleaning option, which uses a ton of energy.

On average, using the 900-degree self-cleaning function burns about 200 kilowatt hours of power (often from coal plants) per household per year, or about $25.

Nontoxic cleaning products and a little old-fashioned scrubbing get the job done right without abrasive chems such as butane (a potential carcinogen) and sodium hydroxide (a toxin to the nervous system).

Less energy use + fewer harmful chemicals = a win-win equation for the earth.

Mix 1 cup of white distilled vinegar, 2 cups of hot water, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and a few drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle, shake it up, and you've got yourself a cheap, easy oven cleanser though it takes a lot of elbow grease.

If you must use the self-cleaning feature, try not to use it more than a couple times a year, and fire it up after you've been cooking to make use of heat already lingering in the oven. Once it's sparkling, maintain it by pouring salt on new spills and rubbing them away while the oven's still warm.

Thursday Update

I want this rain to stop. The city had the pump in the sewer until about 8 last night. Now when I woke this morning the water was pumping out of the floor drain near our washer & dryer again. Luckily they are raised up from the main floor and out of the water. I gave the sewer department a call to come out and hook up the pump again. Of course all I could do was leave a message, I found no emergency number. Supposedly they check the messages at 7 AM, I really hope so. The drain and sump just can't keep up.

We also had our lights go out last night just before 10. It was only our house, no others on the block, this kind of worried us. Doug went to the basement to check the fuse box and found nothing there. I called Alliant to come out and check it and then I went to bed. Doug thought it was the electrical line going from the street to the house. They run it through the big pine trees out front and the wear from the trees and squirrels is quite bad. This is what it ended up being and the lights came back on just before midnight. Doug said they did a very good job. This is the second time our electricity has been interupted by this. At least we did not have to call an electrician to find out this time.

PS: They started the pump up again at 6:30 and the water went back down the drain immediately.

Dolphins mesmerize with bubble-blowing trick

This hypnotic video of dolphins creating floating air rings will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the animal's dexterity. Filmed at Sea World, Orlando.

The Dream Shall Never Die

Green Tip of the Day

Home Repairs

While many consider DIY projects to only include decorative fixes, home repairs fall under this umbrella as well. Fixing items yourself not only saves you money in parts and labor, but also helps you ensure the full life of your possessions.

The Fix it Club features information on fixing everything in your home from bicycles and espresso makers to smoke detectors and faucets, as well as diagrams and information on how everything works. Before you know it, you’ll be a regular handyman (or woman).

Wednesday Update

It rained quite heavily this morning. In fact the city had the pump in the sewer when I woke up. Water also came up through our sewer drain in the basement, not too pleasant. Looks like I have some cleanup to do. No wonder Mao was a bit disturbed. I did get up in the middle of the night and move his litter box to the landing, he does not like walking through water to get to it.

last night was a lazy night for me. Washed dishes and watched some TV. Shows on IPTV about the universe and then House Hunters. I mostly just dozed on the bouch between 9 and 10. Yea, real exciting....

Edward Kennedy, 1932-2009

Green Tip of the Day

Produce Labels

Check the number on the little label on your apple or squash. It'll help you make sure what you're buying is organic and nongenetically modified.

Genetically modified (GM) foods have been in stores only since the 1990s, so we don't know the long-term health risks, and in a recent study by the Austrian government, GM corn was found to affect fertility in mice. Mainstream scientists are concerned that GM organisms will reduce biodiversity.

Although farmers can use some naturally occurring pesticides on organic foods, they're way less harmful than the synthetic kind. Foodies everywhere agree that the range of possible flavors is greater when we just let Mother Nature do her thing.

Look for the PLU codes on the labels stuck on your fruits and veggies.

• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's genetically modified.

1999 Toyota Camry LE

This is the car that Thomas is thinking about test driving today. I hope it works out for him.

Green Tip of the Day

Spices Can "Season" Pests to Death

Herbs and spices used to flavor food are also green alternatives to synthetic pesticides, scientists say. Oils from thyme, rosemary, mint, and other herbs and "killer spices" are gaining favor among farmers as alternatives to synthetic pesticides.

Sprayed onto crops like any garden-variety pesticide, the plant oils repel insects, similar to how chili peppers can repel elephants. Other oils kill pests outright, the study says.

Originally intended for the perfume and food-flavoring industries, the killer-spice oils are already available wholesale and may be headed to retail shelves if the new use catches on, the researchers say.

The all-natural pesticides should be inexpensive too, Isman reasons, since they're already in widespread use as wholesale perfume ingredients and flavorings for food. Companies are already working to bring the spice oils to retail shelves for farmers

Monday Update

The weekend was too short, I don't feel like working again already. I bet Thomas and Diedre are really feeling that way this morning. I think it is hard to go back after a two day weekend. It would really be hard to go back to work after a whole summer.

We finally had shih-ka-stuff yesterday. It was delicious. We put everything you could possibly want in it; beef, chicken, brats, shrimp, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, onion, potatoes, red & green peppers and broccoli. Most of the vegetables were from either our garden or the Jordan's. We also had a little fire after dark. It was a good evening.

Yummy Shis-Ka-Stuff from last night's supper

Green Tip of the Day

Reduce the amount of packaging waste from pre-made foods by making meals at home, and turn family dinners into a chance to cook your favorite organic or fresh food recipes. And if you’re really ambitious, consider starting a family garden. No matter its size, it will encourage your kids to appreciate their food and the earth it comes from.

Sunday Update

Not much to blog today. Yesterday was pretty quite, no visit from the kids. I washed laundry and dishes in the AM and went grocery shopping in the afternoon. Doug wasn't feeling up to going out, so I shopped alone. Before supper we canned a few tomatoes and some salsa. For supper I was going to have a sandwich with our home-made summer sausage. While slicing it, I managed to slice a chunk of my finger as well. Doug helped me bandage it and when I checked it this morning, the chunk of skin is still there and seems to be working on healing. It does not hurt as much as it did last night.

Thomas and Diedre will have all the shingling finished on there roof by sometime this morning. It sounds like they were practically finish by dark last night. He said they were even doing some cleanup in the yard by the porch light.

This morning I plan to mow the yard. It is getting rather long and really needs it. I guess that is all I have for today.