The Days Of Wyrd

Because I love them and all the barbie gaudiness that goes with along with them.  Everything turned out pretty nicely for our Thanksgiving dinner btw.  The turkey I roasted open in the oven, basting every half hour because Martha told me to.  It was gorgeous and juicy and yummy.  The bread turned out beyond my expectations.  I baked it in a big corelle ware casserole dish, with lots of black sesame seeds on top.  I made everyone that came over have a piece, and they all made squeally sounds of happiness and insisted upon the recipe. 

The day after Thanksgiving, I rested, then sped right into Christmas delirium.  Yesterday, my beloved brought me a Christmas tree.  Usually I go along and help pick it out, because, you know, men can't be trusted with such important tasks as a rule.  He had a buddy over visiting so I made them go instead.  Surprisingly enough, he picked a most Christmasy noble fir.  

So today, amidst the usual housecleaning and cooking, I am starting Christmas early, IN MY MIND.  I am plotting the cookies I want to bake first.  In the material world, I have strung out all my Christmas lights and I busy myself by plugging them in and checking them twice.  The Christmas door mats are already in place, ready for Christmas mud.  Which we have.  Not hard to think of Christmas when its hailing and freezing outside.   Possible snow in our forecast, WOOHOO!!  Speaking of snow, her Prilness says it has been snowing in Klamath Falls since yesterday.  Allow me to share:

prozacpriltwo: oooh we've had some great snow
prozacpriltwo: good to stand on the corner and watch everyone else wipe out kinda good snow
prozacpriltwo: all day yesterday, with a couple of hours break in the evening
prozacpriltwo: then all night
prozacpriltwo: and then on and off today
prozacpriltwo: wooooo
prozacpriltwo: and now its REALLY snowing, along with blowing snow on the ground.  Snow here is really dry and powdery

Posted by Wyrd at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes, I found a new toy. It gave me the opportunity to play figure out pictures with my new shiny pretty blog software. 

So far our holiday has been busy.  Not with early morning shopping insanity, oh no, but more the flurry of friends and family, visits and phone calls.  The good kind of busy.  The weather was warm this morning but turned crispy later on.  A cold front with high wind warnings is approaching us.  Snow level down to like 300 feet the last I heard.  Then a warm front.  Then another cold front.  Wheeee! 

Posted by Wyrd at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After shoveling the waterfall out of my kitchen, I managed to roll and bake a few pie crusts.  A pumpkin pie is being born at this very moment.  Made from locally grown pumpkins and half-n-half. 

Hubby fixed the plumbing problem as soon as he got home.  I kiss the handyman capable ground he walks on. My father was handymanish too.  My step mommy told me a story once of how Daddy fixed a plumbing problem.  They were living in a smaller, older home at the time and Dad merely drilled a hole in the floor of the kitchen to let the water out.  Yep, he's a fixer.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Cow, Rathen, my favorite bastard children.  Goat, Girlie, Bunny, her mighty Prilness, Surfer my loverly bride to be.  And Mother Earth.  Where have you been, come visit us and we shall play Barbies.  Everyone misses you last two.  And whale, where ever your sorry old blubbery ass is, you are muchly loved. 

Posted by Wyrd at 01:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Things were going wonderfully.  I woke up early, showered and ran off to do last minute shopping.  Came home, started the no-knead bread, made 8 pie crusts.  Put in a load of laundry and sat down to peruse online for a moment, patting myself on the back for my being RIGHT ON TRACK.  Thinking, how much I love the Holidays.  Decorating, cooking, kids home.  AND THEN IT HAPPENED.  I dinked around on the computer for oh, say 7 minutes.  Went back into the kitchen and, behold, I did hear the tinkling of water.  Coming from SOMEWHERE.  At first I though a pipe had broken.  Then I saw the kitchen sinks, which were FULL of water and pouring OVER.  I soon became aware that there were at least 2 inches of water on my floor.  AHHH!  The drain had clogged.  Quickly I turned off the washer and bailed out the sinks.  After getting the water off the floor I realized that all the shelves and cupboards directly UNDER the sink were also victims of this terrible horror.  So the rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning out the cupboards so that things did not die and the cupboards did not warp.  The good news is, finally I am cooking again.  The bad news is, the drain is still plugged in the kitchen and won't be fixed until tomorrow.  At least my bathroom works and there is a perfectly good currently unoccupied rental right behind me if all else fails.  This situation brings back the nostalgia of a holiday dinner past.  I was about 22, and just moved into a new house.  Two of my brothers were spending the Holiday with me and the then very young gimp.  My built in stove was strategically set on a fishbox, because I had, you know, just moved in.  Dinner was ready, pulled the turkey out and told my brothers to have at her.  One of them was admiring the turkey, leaned over, ON THE STOVE, thusly TIPPING the stove, sending the turkey and everything on the top FLYING ACROSS THE ROOM.  The steamed veggies and mashed potatos hit the wall DEAD ON.  The poopytraiter almost started crying, while the older one and I busted up hysterically laughing.  Them's the things memories are made from.

Posted by Wyrd at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At least thats the way it happens in the wild west.  The predicted high winds for a week ahead of time and then cancelled out at the last moment.  Typical.  It's warm and drippy.  The mold is happily sporing in the dark corners of everything. Slight flooding is of course, a problem.  Be careful if you live here or are coming home for the holidays.  The streets are iffy.

The Holiday partying has already begun for us.  We attended the SWOYA auction last Friday.  I did not get the Barbie I was bidding on.  I obviously was too cheap and not worthy of her.  I did however, get several other presents, some which may not be mentioned here because the recipients to be sometimes peruse my blog.  I may speak of the Oregon Duck basket I obtained.  With several clothing items and basketball tickets for 4.  The teenager is of course, giggling with glee.  For the Mr. and me, a nice room at any Shilo Inn.  We are particularly fond of the one in Newport.  Where you can sit and drink and watch the ocean down below.  Hubby had to have the portable DVD player, but I, for the life of me, cannot think of why a person would want that when a computer does so much more.  But whatever.   

I have pretty much taken the week off from all jobs just too prepare for Thanksgiving.  The turkey is thawing all snug in its cooler.  Grocery bags decorate my kitchen and dining room floor. I finished painting the dining room, and like every year, vowed never to take on any big projects around the holidays again.  The lack of new curtain rods in town lead me to believe I am not the only psychotic redecorator around.  So good luck to us all, may we survive and enjoy the holiday.  As my son says, may the force be with you, times two.

Posted by Wyrd at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oh yeah it's finally blowing.  It is spewing a steady 30 and more with loooong gusts of about 50 and infrequent whooshing of about 75.  The lights keep flickering and dimming then going brighter.  Power surge.  Whoopee!  Right on the bay, my parents say all their stuff is flying around and crashing.  Sounds like a helicopter out there.  Miss TnT says its gusting pretty good out in Millington.  North Bend has lights flickering enough to knock out the TV.  Just a little update incase we totally lose power.  Oh!  And the Klamath Falls report (Pril of course) says it has been snowing since 3.  Stay warm my Prilness!

Posted by Wyrd at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My father joined the navy when he was a younger man, along with my husband's father.  Both were Vietnam Vets.   Dad was an electronics technician who worked on aircraft, and we sometimes lived with Dad on base, usually airforce bases.  He was gone for several months a few times.  I remember calling every man in a uniform Daddy, and hugging them as they got off the airplane.  (Maybe I should have continued this into my twenties, I could have had some fun!)

Our second to the oldest is also in the Navy.  He will visit home after Christmas.  Most families are not so lucky as us.

My stepfather had been in World War I.  He volunteered, along with his brothers before him and almost every eligible male in the county.  He and his friends would talk about their experiences,  when he was still alive.  Not very much though.  And it was horrible.

It's not about if you support the war or not.  It's about being grateful to the men and women who are laying their lives on the line for the rest of us.  Who give up so much to do just that. 

So, To everyone who ever was or is an American soldier, or the families thereof,  to my family and all my friends who can't be home with us.  I thank you.

Posted by Wyrd at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sure, there was some wind.  But it wasn't really that big of a deal.  And we had lots of rain and even some thunder.  Minor road and field flooding in town.  Nothing really extraordinary though.  Ah well.  There's always tomorrow.

Posted by Wyrd at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm waiting for the next big storm.  So far its cold and cloudy, a bit of breeze here and there.  My Charleston spies (Dad) say that the wind is blowing semi intensely already.  As in, the swing is rocking like someone is in it.  (The swing is a very important weather indicator).  So we could be in for it.  I think this site reflects my current expectations.  IN THE MEANTIME, I shall, as perhaps you may want to do as well, keep things neat and tidy and prepare for the storm.  Here's my storm/disaster checklist:

1.  Set up emergency lighting.  This is the first thing a person needs if something goes wrong.  I put candles in every room, with lighters positioned where I can find them in the dark.  I make sure all my flashlights have fresh batteries and try to put one in every room.  I always have a stash of camping lanterns, hurricane lamps and fuel.  Im a survivah!

2. Have plenty of water available.  Bottled water for drinking, and perhaps a bucket in the tub incase power goes out and you need to flush your toilet or wash up or something.  I keep a pail of water in the kitchen too, so I can wipe things or wash things.  Of course, us city folks usually have water even when power and phone lines have gone down.  And then sometimes if there is alot of water from rain or whatever problem, the city water can get contaminated and iffy looking.  So a clean water supply makes me happier.  And happy is important under such conditions.   Don't forget you can put out pails and pots to catch plenty of rain water too. 

3.  Always.  Always, always, always.  Have enough food to last at least a couple of weeks.  If you don't have a wood heat source or generator or something, you will be cold, and you will burn more calories to keep warm.   Also remember to have your ice chests handy.  I like to keep one under the kitchen table.  If the power goes out, I dump the ice from my ice maker into the cooler.  Then a few days worth of frozen meat from the freezer, (it will slowly start to thaw and keep anything else I put in the cooler cool, just like a block of ice would), and perhaps some milk and drinks.  This way, we arent opening up the fridge every 5 minutes and hastening the inevitable thawing/warming process.

4.  Keep an emergency pack of stuff incase you have to leave your home quickly.  A couple of backpacks, with meds, water, munchies, warm clothing.  Important papers maybe.  A little cash.

5.  Keep your care full of gas.  Incase of bug out.

6. In general, just keep the house clean, laundry done up, things like that.  It's alot harder to do housework when by candlelight, especially if you have to pack and heat your water.  Cook some ahead, maybe a hot stew in the crockpot, make a few batches of cookies.  Keep the camp stove handy.  Get those extra blankets clean and within reach. 

7.  Activities.  Have something just for amusement.  Radio.  Knitting.  Playing cards.  Books.  Chess.  Whatever.  I knitted many hat sets and dishcloths the last time we lost power. 

8. Think positive.  No gloom or doom.  Disasters are exciting!  And a good time to practice camping skills. 

Posted by Wyrd at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is your thunder update.  Just heard some.  Yep.  About 30 degrees colder  than yesterday too.  Field is starting to flood again.  Rain frog says another 4 1/2 inches of rain?  Is this true?  And now, the tinkle tinkle of tiny hail.  What next?  Maybe I shouldn't say that.

Posted by Wyrd at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been about 75 degrees here.  Muggy, sticky, gooey.  Mr frog rain meter told me that it rained 4 1/2 inches in about 12 hours.  At 5:00 am this morning it was sideways rain, big wind.  Stuff all over the road.  By noon I could see water going over the flood gate in the dike they just FIXED LAST WEEK. The field / lowlands are getting quite flooded, and if this rain/wind/high tide thing continues, we could be in big trouble already.  My spies reported a sand bagging party at the Egyptian theatre, and rain in all the low points between Coos Bay and North Bend. 

Posted by Wyrd at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

High wind warnings.  MY FAVORITE.  It's warmer and wetter than hell.  80% humidity.  Supposed to be an inch of rain today, and another 1/2 tonight.  I'm packing up all things Halloween and digging through the Christmas to be stuff.  We will be having much company in the next couple of months.  I must prepare!  Amidst my labors, I call family, lament with my Daddy about rental repairs, compare kitty notes with the Mommy.  Oh yes, and I've learned how to Drink Vodka and Stay Sober.  My friend Toast has been creating, like the little artist that he is.  He has mapped the entire VORTEX of the Galaxy. 

 

Posted by Wyrd at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The freezing weather has been replaced by a balmy 60 something with wind and rain and all that wonderful stuff.  About damned time.  I straighten, rearrange, clean out cupboards.  I feel driven to do things that shouldn't be done in this humidity and pressure.  Bake bread, make candy, paint.  NOT SUCH GOOD IDEAS.  And I won't go shopping either.  You can't make me.  Phoey on your low prices and multiple percentage discounts.  No thank you.  I'll stay home and knit dishcloths and make Christmas cards instead. Nope, the only real reason to leave the house in such weather is to go to the beach!

Posted by Wyrd at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)