My new ride, Fraelsi

My new ride, Fraelsi
Fraelsi means Freedom in Farose

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Almost July

and we are having sunshine and temps up in the mid 80's so it actually feels like summer now.
A 3 day weekend, we have a family picnic Saturday and I hope to work on the weeds in the garden and on my blue bike. I still need to resolve it's fuel problem, think moisture in the fuel or dirty gas.
Work is going ok, have a week of vacation coming when we start work on the house in mid-July. I am looking forward to not having window air unit running and making noise. A quieter house, more comfortable and in time lower utility bills will sure be great improvement, along with that replaced roof so I don't deal with leaking roofs and all that brings.
I will pay some bills on line in the morning and also call and make arrangements for the roof disposal, want to know we will have the dumpster/roll off here when the work starts or before.
I drooled over wood floors on line today before work and priced sub-floor, will have that sub floor but not sure I will ever be able to afford the wood floor I would like but sure saw some nice flooring.
1 of the women in our dept got the maint. planner/kitting job so that put her job up to bid, I hope to get it and be permanent instead of temp so bid for the opening.
i am watching finances tightly so that my settlement goes as far as possible on this old house and the work I need or want done but get tempted by techie stuff and dolls, good thing I am too busy to go to Best Buys and play right now. .. .

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Shopping for stairs

I have been shopping for stairs, spiral stair kits to be exact, as that is what will be installed for access to my attic. And I did not know there were so many out there, but have several price quotes and will get the stair kit ordered. It might not be here when the job starts but it will show up and get installed.
Both my air cond. guy and my roof/dormer guy were here today, and I have busy July coming up, and will take a week of vacation time when the roof/dormer contractor is here.
I have to arrange the refuse bin we will need,and I have to figure out where to put everything I have sitting on shelves now while the work is being done.
Once the air is done I get rid of the window units and loose that noise, once the roof is done I will get to enjoy a dry house and know it won't be long before the dehumidifier quits running all the time and I will start hearing the noises from the train instead of all the noise from things running in the house.
there is going to be a lot of work going on here for the summer, and possibly this fall and winter.
And in the meantime I have to change oil in my little bike, and work in the garden. We have a picnic thing Sunday with Larry's family, but I do not have this coming or next weekend planned out and will have time to catch up on a few things needing done around here, like weed the garden...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

great Weekend

I will get photos posted but not this minute...Larry and I had a great weekend, didn't let the rain bother us, stayed until Monday morning, had sun all Sunday afternoon and evening so ran around on our bikes, walked a bit, Larry visited with 1 of the camp hosts, someone he has known for many years, I went riding while the guys chatted and caught up.
Today was busy, business in Springfield, and did find the locksmith there could and did make me spare up keys for my little bikes, and for $2 per key which sure beats paying $9 for a blank, plus postage and then paying to have the key cut. That was the on line seller I found who would have gladly sold me the same key blanks the local locksmith had. I did try the ones for the blue bike and they work just fine..
And I signed the contract with Brannon's for the central air, that will be done within 3 weeks, probably within 2, depends on when the parts all come in, someone will be here Thursday to let me know more and also look at what I want for the attic studio, and then work up some options and prices for me.
I got 2 deck materials costs, 1 for pressure treated, 1 for composite, think deck will be support and frame/joices and then deck it a few boards at a time as paycheck allow...composite is just over double the cost of pressure treated, so that would help me work the higher cost and better/lower maint material into the project...
Busy day tomorrow, and plans for the weekend, several auctions in Virginia I want to check out and might go to Springfield with Julie and do some things there, Larry thinks a 'girl' day would be good for me, or more like he does not want to be drug around all day while I play...LOL, he's smart enough to know I will be going like a 5year old on an all day sugar high.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Where's that list we made last camping trip??

We did make a list, in the netbook, of what we need and didn't have, what needs done, and so forth, now I need to print it out or copy it and edit/print so we can work on getting more organized this trip..
The awning is on, we did get 2 sizes of trash bags,aluminum foil, hangers and a new set of on clearance sale sheets, these are for Larry's bed at his house, some what will fit his taller mattress and won't be crawling off in the night, hate that.
And the phone calls today were a car salesman, Larry, insurance guy and a bill collector looking for Michael Ferrin. The machine got the car salesman's call, he can't call early enough to catch me before work, Larry wanted to let me know he had the awning on and was back home, insurance guy and I have an appointment next week.
I don't enjoy calls from collection agencies looking for someone who does not live here..that includes my oldest son, a man I used to date, people who I bought this house from 6+ years ago. . . some I can get stopped, the computer ones are annoying as I can't do much about them and the bad attitude humans get me hostile fast.
But Larry and I have reservations to go camping, a house/dog/bird sitter arranged, the mowing is done, the laundry is washed and dry, the weather will be ok, we will have the dvd player and a stack of movies, I will raid my collection ..and take my Kindle, my knitting, and probably not the bikes but will call a friend about borrowing his ramps, the same ones that I sold him as I didn't own a bike any longer. . .
Work is going ok, I get a bit faster at sorting equipment racks each week, foot hates me some nights but that will be the normal for the rest of my life. I am making a living, paying my bills, supporting myself and my old house,my pets and hobbies.
I'm dating a great guy who isn't trying to change me, isn't trying to use me, isn't lying to me about some huge debts. And we do stuff together that we both enjoy and want to do, like last week's trip up north, and the camping trips, and scooting about town on our little bikes.
The house will get it's new roof, and probably central air. I might get started on that deck in the back, that would be nice and I might get some other stuff done, new sidewalk along the south side of the house would be nice, new porch would be great...
I might break down and buy a few nice summer tops that I can wear instead of t-shirts, now that would be a change.
It's time for a quick snack and off to bed, know I will be up early and have a long and busy day....

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A Great Weekend

I took Friday off as a single vacation day and Larry and I headed up to Rockton IL to see and bring home another 1981 Honda Passport, red and in almost showroom condition.
The trip up was the I and make fast time, as the seller had plans that meant picking up the bike before 4:30 or on Saturday. We made it in good time but had to call to get directions to the house, his e-mailed directions were terrible but his wife was a great 'over the phone' map. LOL, but we did buy the bike and loaded it in my little truck, under the camper shell. It was a tight fit and I am glad Larry did not have my camera in hand when I was worming to the front of the truck bed to strap down that little bike.
Then it was down to Rockport and find a motel, then off to Red Lobster to eat very well, we were stuffed and back to the motel. We actually went to Rock Cut State Park on the way down, thought it was very pretty, enjoyed the ducks feeding their young on the spillway there.
We came home by smaller roads, followed Rock Cut River some, and just played tourist, I drove and Larry had great map book and was a terrific navigator. I think we both had a really great escape.
I even got home in time to pick the green beans again, we picked up strawberries on the way back so ended up with fresh green beans and ham for supper with strawberry shortcake for dessert.
Sunday I went to Springfield and went down to Edwardsville with others in our doll club for our Annual June meeting at Laurie's shop. This was the first time I was able to go so had NO idea what a fab shop she and her father have there.
The little bike did get out of my truck Monday and is Larry's garage, it's raining now so I am not getting the neglected mowing done, Larry is working on the red truck again, some hose blew Sunday, he's off to pick up the replacement that had to be ordered, I have house chores so will be working on them instead of off playing with him.
We do have the new awning in and Larry's got a Thursday early appt. to get it installed and we have camping reservations again so plan to run out Friday and set up camp, hopefully more sheltered than the first trip and hopefully better set up and organized than the first trip.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Reservations Made!

And we are going camping again, same state park, different camp site, with afternoon shade and hopefully not as much wind exposure if a storm comes up. And the bikes are going with us, or so the current plans are.
My little bike goes to work with me now, it's a short ride, only 2.5 miles or so, I would not have much chance to ride it otherwise. And lots of people think it's cute. I can like that, I am female and we like 'cute'.
Today we had the first green beans from the garden, I have them weeded and hilled up and hope they do better than prior years, I have not hilled them up for support in the past.
The corn is short and starting to push up tassel stalks, way too short so I do not expect very many ears or good corn this year, the weather just was NOT good this spring for corn.
I don't feel the garden is growing 'right' this year, our late and cold spring and then turning so hot has not been good for the garden, some of my flowers are blooming early too, and I need to dead head some already.
The plant/company has done some computer updating again, and many of us are now password locked out again. I will call tomorrow, go in early so I can go into HRD and get the problem resolved for me, wanted to check the coming paycheck and see if the missing 2 days and overtime had been 'found'.
Have someone coming about Air cond tomorrow, 3rd bid but I don't consider the place in town to be worth considering. . . if I want skinned and taken for a fool I can buy a few lottery tickets.

Monday, June 06, 2011

busy week here

and I need to get with it, eat breakfast, make a phone call or 2, get with the weeds and grass in the garden.
Have someone coming to look at the air cond job so they can give me a bid, have laundry to put away and need to wash a load of jeans, floors are a mess, sand and wet sandy dog, something about all the rain, but we track in a lot of sand any way, it beats clay in my opinion.
Not sure if Larry will go with me to get the newest bike for our collection, it's a long and hard drive for him, hips and knee gets to hurting bad and it will fit in my little truck, I measured my bike, it's same size. And I hope to have Friday off and go up then, if Larry goes, I will spring for a hotel for the night and come back Saturday.
Now I am wanting a small trailer to haul little bikes on, my truck now has air and would easily pull small trailer with the bikes when we go camping.
the garden is growing fast, I need to give away the leaf lettuce that needs picked and thin the radishes, have peas that will soon need picked and the green beans are making tiny beans so I will soon be giving away loads of beans. The corn is getting taller and Kid only killed a few stalks, the potatoes are flowering, my first potatoes here. The squash and cucumber plants are growing slowly, but looking good, I need to get out there and get busy with the hoe where I can use it and then the seat and hand tools in the beans and such where I can't use the hoe as well.
It is a better summer than last year's was, I am so much stronger, doing more than my orthopedic team ever expected me to be able to do, more than I expected me to do.
Having found a small enough motorcycle I can ride is wonderful, I like the bigger tires than a scooter has, easier on our rough roads and they are vintage cute bikes, I like that part too.
I have made a lot of progress emotionally in the past few months with this recovery, and with getting my life back to a stable and content place. It will never be the same as before the accident but I've come back a long, long way.
Well, time to get busy with the day.

Sunday, June 05, 2011

the much awaited camping trip

Well, we were a bit disorganized but did manage to leave town and get to the camp ground and Larry was starting to set up when I headed back to town and Work on Friday.
I found my way back to camp with no problems just after midnight and Saturday was blue skies, hot and doing great. Until late afternoon when I took the netbook and headed on foot to the host to use the free wifi and book reservations for the weekend after next. It being Father's Day and the place packed...and the storm came in, I did not have the BRAINS to head back to the camper, winds tore the awning off . . and our great weekend away went flat/sour fast. Larry has everything insured, we will recover from it, my netbook will dry out and be fine but for a 'shakedown' camping trip, we sure managed to shake a lot of things we didn't plan to.
There sure are some advantages to tent camping, but Larry has to have air cond. with his heart condition. And I admit that 'portable house' of his sure is great 'digs' and I know he will calm down, get over the mad, he's already called the insurance, he is already arranging to get the awning roller thing home, and ya, he will go camping again, next trip we will do better, I understand what goes where, what needs done and we will be better set up, have stocked better, take the little bikes...
But I am glad to be here in my house with the birds and dog while he unwinds with his recliner and tv and without my chatter...

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

It'sNot for Sale..

Well, I got my first offer to sell the bike--No, it's not for sale, NO I will not set a price, and I rode it to work today. It sure looked little there with all the much bigger bikes in our bike parking area. The ride home was nice, but I am wanting a windscreen/bug shield for it. And a good fitting helmet or brain bucket for my head..
3rd week on the new job, 2 out so we are all working a bit of overtime to get everything done that has to be done before we all can leave for the night. I won't complain about the extra $ as I have plenty of bills to eat it up.
We did have a good weekend even with all the rain. I got some weeding done, the mowing done, it needs done again so maybe tomorrow I will get it done before work. Had some bike time, some quality Larry time, and rested up some.
Now I have to get organized, get things done, get calls made to more contractors and get bids on the work here needing done. If I don't hear from State Farm by the end of the week I will make a note to me about calling Monday.
in the meantime, I have things to get done, weeds to pull, a very small motorcycle to get used to riding...