Work, Rest; Repeat. And Better Mouse Traps: Phooey!

This last Weekend was my Weekend to Work. For those of you that don't know, I kind of have a weird schedule. I work from 6am until 6:30pm on a schedule of days that look like this: Work :Monday, Tuesday. Off: Wednesday, Thursday. Work: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then I would be "Off" on Monday and Tuesday etc.
I try to maintain a "Sabbath" day but as you can guess it isn't really strict as to what day that may be. I know my body and my Soul need it, so I try to provide it. The Mondays that I don't work are the best. I am usually so physically "wiped out" from the previous weekend, that most everyone is willing to let me rest for that day.

Yesterday was that day for me and I was suitably worthless the whole day. I did have a nice chat with my mom on the phone. I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to talk with them or anyone else for that matter. Dea went to work and the kids to school, so it was quiet and very nice. I played my guitar for a while but it wasn't bringing me the "peace" I had hoped for so I put it away.
That afternoon, when they all came home, they decided to go to town for haircuts and dinner but I begged off. I was also supposed to go to practice with the band I play with, but I didn't do that either. I kind of felt guilty about all of that ...but I got over it. The guilt came back for a moment or two when my family was nice enough to bring dinner home for me, but I was too busy eating to pay much attention.

Time warp to 6:20am this morning. I woke up in time to spend some time with Jacob as he waited outside for the bus. We talked a little about the snow. The poor guy had hand shoveled the snow away from the mail box just in time for the county snow plow to drive by and bury it again. As he started to dig it out again I decided to start up the old snow blower and help.

Fast forward to 10am this morning. Jacob was on the bus by 6:35am, Jessalyn by 7:10am, and Deanna left for work around 7:30am I think, but I am just now coming in from the snow blowing/shoveling.
I am still in my slippers for cryin' out loud!
I haven't even had coffee, never mind breakfast.
The most irritating thing (besides the fact that this was all MY idea)
is that after only 3 and half hours of work,
I am wore out and dog tired.
( I know this because Sam was out with me and he went right to bed)

I don't mind starting to look older,
but this starting to feel older really bites.
I used to sit down to watch television,
now I watch television just so I can sit down.

If you don't have an "easy chair" or a "Lazy boy" don't get one.
If you already have one, then you already know of the dangers.
There is a giant Alien suction machine that will latch hold of you and won't let you leave.
I would rather give up eating and drinking than fight with that "suction machine".
In fact, the only thing strong enough to beat the "Alien-suction -machine-easy-chair,-monster" is the need for the bathroom; but I have found I can fight that for a really long time too.

I digress.

So it's 10:30am or so and Deanna calls and reminds me we are supposed to have a "date" this afternoon. (OOPs!) She tells me we will talk about it later to see if we should still go. I tell her to call me. I get coffee. I get breakfast.

Fast forward (again) I was just setting my Phazor to "Maximum" in order to Kill the nasty Alien (who strangely resembled a chair) when the phone rings. HUH?
I reach under the couch I am sharing with Sam to find my cell phone.
The alien disappears with the rest of my dream as I hear Deanna ask if I want to still meet her in town for our date.
I asked her what time it was and she said: "Never mind."
I look at my watch and its after 1pm.
As I am trying to calculate how fast I can get showered, shaved, dressed and still have time to be in town my 2pm.
I groggily try to tell her I can still do it.
I know she knows she woke me up.
She says it wasn't important.
(a clear sign that it truly was important!)
I tell her it is, but again, she rejects my feeble attempts, tells me its OK, and is very Gracious and understanding as she hangs up.
I feel like a Clod.
More guilt.
And I can't hide under my shelter of "Sabbath"; that was yesterday.
I wonder if I go back to sleep would the Alien shoot me if I asked it? Probably not.
The Fiendish thing would probably force me to sit in that stupid chair...

We were supposed to go to this place that specializes in Ridiculously fantastic desserts.
We had a coupon and we thought we had the time.
As I am typing the above paragraph, she comes in the door bearing guess what?
Yup! a tray of desserts in "to go" boxes.
GREAT! More Guilt!
Of course that won't stop me from adding all those extra carbs and loads of fat to my body as fast as I can shovel it in! (I know saying that doesn't sound very manly but when you start to feel old you think about those things)

The point of all of this?
Well, it is simply to certify what a wonderful woman she is; in spite of the Clod her husband can be! (you figured that out on your own didn't you.)
I spend a lot of my time telling people how wonderful she is and how spoiled I am.
She truly does a wonderful job trying to be the Wife and Mother that the Scriptures suggest she should be and she leaves a high mark for me to attain as a husband.
She's not perfect mind you,
I'm pretty sure I couldn't handle it if she was, but I am awfully proud of her none the less and I am convinced there are a lot of wives that could stand to learn from her example (No I'm not stupid enough to give names!).
Just as I am convinced there are a lot of husbands that could learn from my mistakes.

As time passes I grow older but she grows more special.
Don't let anyone fool you into thinking marriage is a "fifty-fifty proposition" It isn't.
Sometimes it's 100% you and nothing them.
Lately it's been 100% Deanna and I want her to know that I know it and I don't mind letting all of you know it too.

OK, part two. This would be the "better mouse trap: Phooey!" part of the post.

I bought a new vacuum cleaner.
I hear by publicly ask for the Lords Blessing on the thing and give thanks for it.
This is no joke nor do I make my request lightly.
I have been going through vacuum cleaners like monkeys go through bananas.
It's been ridiculous.
Some of it I admit is because we really are hard on them.
With two cats, a Dog, and the hair and the chewed up bits of firewood and the stuff kids leave everywhere.
It certainly can be challenging to clean the carpet.
We have resorted to sweeping first to get the big bits and then vacuuming.
It Hasn't helped.
I bought a Bissel vacuum because their steam cleaners are so good.
Guess what. It was Junk. It died after a few months, right as my parents were coming up to visit.
Nice.
We've been using my great big shop vac.
Not very handy that.
My folks while they were here were fantastic and bought us a brand new Dirt Devil Up right.
Both the Bissel and the Dirt Devil were of the bag less Swiss-army-knife type of vacuums.
The New Better Mouse Trap.

You've seen the television commercials for that Really Expensive vacuum that the designer came up with because he hated how bag less vacuums lose suction?
He's right, they do.
Then there is this @#%*! hose that attaches to the bottom so you can use it as a wand.
In order for that @#%! hose to fit, they bend it and fold it like origami.
This makes the hair and everything else become clogged in it.
I really wanted it to work because it was a gift from my parents so:
I worked with the Dirt Devil.
I modified the Dirt Devil.
I allowed it to start living up to it's name and it started tempting me to do very dark things.
Until it finally ceased to work at all.
The motor runs but that's it.
It no longer does anything else.
This is a good thing because it no longer tempts me.
(by the way part of the conversation with my Mom was to tell her of the vacuums demise and to offer my apologies. She too was very gracious)

After the last four vacuums (yes there were two before those)
I finally learned my lesson -I think-
There really isn't a better mouse trap.
It's just a better way to take your money.
I have the shop vac for when I need a hose.
Bags are cheap.

I have a friend who does commercial steam cleaning.
He connected me up with a commercial vacuum cleaner that is light and only does only one thing but does it well.
It vacuums carpet.
There are no hoses.
There are no attachments.
There is only one filter that needs cleaning occasionally (not every ten minutes).
It has a bag that is easy to change and supposedly will take many, many trips around my house before it needs to be changed
(as opposed to having to empty the "bag less" container every ten minutes),
and the bags only cost about .50 cents a bag.
I've only had it a couple of days.
I would appreciate your prayers.
If I have to buy another vacuum this year I just might snap.
Beware the salesman who says he has a better mouse trap!
Later!
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Psalm 135:1 (after the first one you might need the second)
Will

The Missing Link!

...Wait a minute. That's not what I meant. I changed the name of my "Links" list to:
"Great Stuff to Click on! Well, that's what they are!
Also I added one that I should have put there long before now:
The National Weather Forcast for Warrens Wisconsin.
If you would like to know what they are guessing, uh I mean forecasting for the weather around here you can click the link to find out Anytime!
Of course that doesn't mean it's what we are really going to have....
I would love to tell you more but I just too sleepy!
I will post again later. You know I will!
Pray without Ceasing!
Will.

We Done Good!!!

Well, the shopping is over for the most part........Yahoo! I lived through it. We found a great sale and got $400 worth of clothes for $55. Not too shabby a job. Of course they are "fancy shmancy"and that makes them not "me", but I can live with that. Hair is about 3 inches shorter. Color and make up comes this week. The things we do to ourselves is unbelievable. I just need to buy a couple of pair of jeans and some tennis shoes and I'm good for a whole "nother" year.
The winter storm we are having is really pouring on the snow right now. We are supposed to get from 3-7 inches tonight. There are already 3 inches on the ground and it just started snowing with an attitude. It should make for a fun time on the mail route tomorrow. The wind is really blowing so it is what we consider a "white out". It is supposed to ease off a little tomorrow and then really start snowing tomorrow night. It looks like we could get more than 18 inches in some areas.
I'm heading to bed and sleep for now. That shopping is mighty wearing on a person's nerves.

Quick type and run!

I'm just stopping in for a quick hello! Things are really busy here this morning. Today is the last day of decent weather we will have for awhile. It seems that after 2 days of temps over 50 degrees and 2 more in the high 40's, we are about to get a severe storm. Of course our friend Seth will be overjoyed because he has a contract to plow out all of these cell phone towers, but the rest of us are pretty much dreading the idea. I just read a weather watch report from NOAA and they say up to 12" or more with possibility of ice accumulation. The snow does not bother us much around here, but the ice can get kind of tricky. Although this is much better than what they had thought at the beginning of the week. Back then they said rain and were warning that it would cause the ice to break on the rivers and that would cause ice dams/jams and floods all over. This is much better!
Tonight I go to LaCrosse with my sister and Aunt before the storm gets here. I have that Governor's conference this next weekend and need to update my look (buy new clothes). Now that is a problem for me. I love to shop for my family, but I really, really hate to shop for myself. I have a hard time buying anything new for myself. I would much rather spend the money on Will or the kids. I am forcing myself to go and buy a new dress outfit for the banquet part of the conference. It is formal and they do it up right! Only problem is that I don't do dressy any more. There was a time when I had a closet full of dresses and "good clothes". Those days are gone. I don't use them for work or here at home. The only reason I have to dress up during the year are church and the occasional Cranfest function (around here dresses in the winter can be dangerous, "wind" you know. Not to mention FROST BITE)
This should be interesting. They both have fashion sense while I have common sense. It should be a hoot! I even have to wear makeup! Something I have not really done in years.. poor Will. Hair cut today. Color tomorrow. Clothes tonight. I'll be a whole new woman.....now if I could lose a fourth of the weight that the "old woman" weighed, it would really be something!
Well I need to get Jacob on the bus and Jessa awake. Will is already gone to work. I'm half way through the house with my new cleaning system. Some days the 10 minutes in each room is wonderful and works great. Other days not so good. I just wish that I could get the kids to cooperate with my system. We're working on it though. I think I need a robot sweeper, robot mopper, robot duster and robot clothes washer......you know the kind that work all the time everyday doing the same thing so that you don't have to. What about a robot toilet cleaner? Now that would be a wonder!

Here a meter, there a meter part two!

I just wanted to add my two cents worth here. We had to leave go out again after church yesterday to try to finish reading all the electrical meters that our on the list. Not the way I wanted to spend my Sunday, but we have a commitment to keep. It actually has been a lot of fun! It IS work, don't get me wrong but with Deanna beside me playing navigator and just generally being "cute" we have really had a good time together. Who ever it is who decides just exactly where to put these meters must be some kind of practical joker though! We found one yesterday that is at least 100 yards (meters) from anything man made. It was sitting on a little post sticking up from the ground about 3 feet (again, a meter); In the middle of the woods! I mean there is no way to get to this thing except to walk it, and it obviously isn't powering anything. It also appears to have been there for a while too. I was glad that Dave and Dottie had been able to clue us in as to where to look! Whew!
There was another that was on a pole in a Ditch. You had to hang on to the pole to keep from falling in. I bet the guy who put that there is still laughing!
We have been Driving Dave and Dottie's little 4X4 down some pretty skinny, snow covered trails that seemed to go on for miles. (because they do!) I thank the Lord for their little car. IT has taken us everywhere we've asked it too and let us have fun doing it.
Well, I have to go to my other job now but may the Lord continue to Bless You and Fill You with ALL the Fruits and Gifts of His Holy Spirit!
Will

Here a meter, there a meter.....

I'm talking about electrical meters. Will and I are reading the meters on Mom and Dad's meter reading route until they get back from Texas and all the other places they are wandering. It has been interesting. Kind of fun, really cold and very interesting. It's kind of like a treasure hunt. The sheet tells you there is a meter there somewhere, but the where is sometimes a problem. We are now half way done and I want to read more today before my dentist appointment. Thank God the weather is better so you don't freeze quite so much.
Will went to the VA to do the concert with his country music group last night. It was the big "Valentine's Day Bash" for the veterans that live there. Will said it went better than he had expected. He was a little concerned because the practise on Monday had not been so good, but isn't that the way it goes? In our group we usually figure that a bad practise means you'll do better when you sing for people.
I was Jacob's helper last night. He had to build a bridge for his engineering class. Not a problem, except that he had to build it out of pasta (primarily angel hair spaghetti noodles). Still ok, except that it has to be weight bearing and a weighted model car needs to drive over it. Throw in the fact that he has an essential tremor in both hands so they shake all the time, especially under stress and you have a hard job. He did great! He just needed me to hold some stuff where he glued it until it dried. Now we just have to figure out how to get it to school.
Kind of fragile for the bus. Maybe I will have to take him to school.
Jessalyn helped me read the meters yesterday and that was fun. Today is "Jump Rope for Heart Day" for her. She went to people for donations and now she will jump for quite a while this afternoon. I think it's like an hour and a half or two hours. Longer than I could jump rope. She'll love it. I would fall over and collapse.
We are still working on cleaning and sorting around here, due to the apartment. It is going pretty well all things considered. It is not easy for people to all have their junk and get a place for everything. We will persevere. Conquer and divide is my Motto!
The main problem is trying to find a place for the tools that Will needs often. I don't want to put them down in the new garage. It is not in any way convenient to the house for a quick job. I'm still working on that. We hope to get done with meters by Sunday and then I will be able to get back to dividing and conquering.
I'm also working on the Oakes Family Gathering Invitations. I have to get all of my addresses in order before I send anything out. I do not want to miss anyone. There will be about 90 of those so far. I am working on another power point presentation for the gathering. It will be a little different than last year and I hope interesting for the family.
I have a meeting with someone from the Wisconsin Tourism Department on Friday and much of the rest of the board of directors cannot attend. Should be interesting. I hope someone else can show up. This is all in preparation for our 35th anniversary this year at Cranfest. It is a "military tribute" and it's going to be big. You would not believe all the protocol that we have to follow in order not to offend anyone. Our parade chair person died a month or so ago, so we are restructuring the parade committee and all that it does. New rules, new concepts etc. Lots of work, but I think it will be worth it.
I have given up quite a few of my responsibilities this year in order to be able to "trouble shoot". I wear an ear piece during the festival so that the people around me are not bothered by the radio (of course they think I'm nuts when I start talking to the air) and all I do all weekend is run from one spot of trouble to another. Last year I spend much of the weekend with Law Enforcement (we had some people that kept trying to set their booth up in the road, Honest!) I figure that with just the logistics of all of the military stuff and all of the changes that are made this year, I will be needed more the first day or so. Then after that it should calm down and I will be able to go back to working in our church booth. At least, I hoping that is what happens. I don't know though. Sometimes it's not easy to juggle my commitment and responsibilities with Cranfest with my commitment and responsibilities with the church. No matter what I do, it seems someone always thinks that I'm doing the wrong thing or shorting one of the two. I'll do my best though.
It's a tangled web I weave.
Well time to get Jessalyn off to school. Jacob rode the bus. I'm praying his bridge makes it. I am taking Amanda to work and then heading off to read meters before I go to the dentist.
Have a blessed day.

The story of Sam and Tater...

When our friends moved into the apartment, they brought with them their cute fuzzy little dog named Tater. He is very, very hairy like an Australian shepard, but his face is very thin like a fox. He is a strawberry blonde and very sweet tempered. Boy is he a bundle of energy.
Sam and Tater immediately liked each other through the fence of Tater's kennel, but with it being so cold, none of us wanted to stand out there while they ran around the yard. Instead we stood inside the "sun porch room" watching them, while Sam ran around the outside of the kennel. Come to think of it from the outside we probably looked strange with our faces all pressed against the glass laughing.
Well, yesterday was a heat wave. It turned 15 degrees and was sunny. The wind chill factor was only at about -10, so we decided it was the day. We let them both out and they were off. Neither one of them knew which way to run first and it ended up that Sam just kept jumping over Tater like he was a hurdle and Tater kept running in circles around Sam. We put them in Sam's big kennel and the race was on. Tater would run in big circles around hulking Sam and Sam would run with him in smaller circles. I think Tater would take two trips around the yard to Sam's one trip. We just kept laughing. Then all of a sudden they met and it looked like the circus. Tater jumped up on Sam's back with all four feet and rode him around the fence. They looked like a strange "double decker dog". Of course we all laughed harder and so they had to show off some more.
We can let them play together now and not worry. Sam is so tired from yesterday that he just wanders around from resting place to resting place (he has one in every room). He is not tired enough to let me move around the house working without him, but he is not "helping" today. Yippee! I can actually move without stepping on him. Truthfully, we have a system Sam and I. He walks on the top of my feet and I walk on the bottom. It seems to work quite well and somehow we still manage to get our work done (sort of).
I am trying to get into a system and it is getting better now that the kids are healthy and the girls are in the apartment. It was pretty scary there for awhile. My system is......
I carry a timer around with me and devote 10 minutes to each room every morning (sometimes they only need 5, but most times 10). This way I can get the house clean before I leave for work and not have to deal with it so much when I am exhausted from the cold weather and the route. Believe it or not I think that I am even getting my laundry done in the morning too. Not an easy task with a family of 6 or more. It is suprising how tired a person gets being out in the cold. It is much easier for me to function in the morning and do other things in the afternoon. I hope that this will work this summer too.
Will is at work and the kids are going to school today. If I do not have more paperwork to do at work today, I will come home and work on paperwork here. It is just piled up, but I have to have quiet to do it and quiet has been impossible around here lately. I need time to just sit and think. I think that there is some type of button or maybe a sign that flashes around here because the minute that I sit down to do paperwork or pay bills etc, the kids suddenly need me or the phone rings, or the dog wants out etc. I know!! It's a conspiracy! They all are plotting against me! Oh well, I'll live and the paperwork will still be waiting.
Time to get Jake on the bus and Jessalyn out of the bed. Have a blessed day!

The pleasures of cold weather....

Let me tell you about "our" day yesterday. It all started when Will went out to start his truck at 4:45 am. It was -40 wind chill factor. That instantly rips all of the air out of your lungs, freezes both fingers and toes and makes every joint in your body hurt. You force yourself to keep walking and do what you need to do. You'd like to run back into the house when you are done, but you have all you can do to stiffly walk back in (your clothes even feel frozen stiff). His truck didn't want to start, but it did, but.....when he went back out at 5:00 there was anti-freeze all over the ground and the truck was not doing too well. He went to start the Festiva to take it and it was snowed in. He finally came back in. I had no idea that any of this had happened. He was frozen from top to bottom. I got dressed and ran out and started my car. Thank you God that it started. We hurried into it and headed off to Mom and Dad's house to use their Tracker. After waking my sister Dana for keys we tried the Tracker. It was stuck! Ok, no problem, it's 4 wheel drive. But as Murphy's law seemed to be rearing it's ugly head and the wheel would not lock into 4 wheel drive. We gave up and I drove him to work.
I came home and got the kids sorted out. Thankfully the schools decided to close due to the cold weather. I left them and the dog and headed back into work. Sorted mail and then went out on my mail route to deliver in this terrible weather. I wore every item of clothing I could find. My snow mobile pants kept unclipping themselves on Saturday and then I'd be standing there with my pants around my ankles. Yesterday I was not having that again.....so I duct taped them on! Worked slick. Of course getting back out was fun.
It took me an extra 2 hours to do the route yesterday, but I finished. Then I stayed at the office doing paperwork. When I got done with all of that, I went back to Mom and Dad's house and worked on getting the car "unstuck". This was not easy especially since it was on empty and I was worried it would run out of gas. I got it taken care of and parked it.
Came home and checked on kids, started the fireplace again and then went out to check out Will's truck. If it had been just a hose that needed to be replaced, I could have gone and got one, but it's one of those things that will need a little more checking. The good news it seems to be either a hose connection or the radiator. I would much rather it was that than a blown engine.
I went and picked Will up from work and then told him that since he was with the "Mamma", he would have to run errands with me. He was very good about it, of course his only other option would have been to walk home. We finally got home and collapsed. After all that cold fresh air yesterday, it was all either one of us could do to sit and watch tv so we gave up and went to bed. I guess we've turned into "old married people" in more than one way.
It makes you appreciate warm weather when you have days like yesterday. For some reason today my mind keeps wandering to what I want to plant in my garden this year. It must be the start of cabin fever.
Next week we start reading electrical meters. We are covering my Mom and Dad's route while they are on vacation. After yesterday I'm really thinking they might have the right idea. I could give up this type of weather tomorrow and not miss it. Of course it didn't help when Will looked up Anchorage Alaska and they are having much warmer weather than us. Boy that's great (for them).
Well time to get the kids off to school. Hope you all have a blessed day.

Brrrrrrrr........

It's freezing here! Literally! The temps were down to about -20 last night and seem to be staying at zero or below today. Wind chills are in the -30's and -40's from this last Thursday until Tuesday. I am not pleased, but if we have to have winter I guess it's ok to pile it all into one week and be done with it. We have been so blessed since October with warmer weather and no snow to speak of until January. Even the cold did not really start until last week. Of course this is rather on the cold, cold side, but they are saying that it will be over by this next weekend. I just pray we get through it. Some friends of ours have frozen pipes, but thank God we are all fine and warm.
Life goes on here at the Donaldson house. Everyone is healthy and for the most part happy. There are little ups and downs but life is good. Friday was the 17th anniversary of Will's marriage proposal. He asked me again and I said yes. It has been a short 17 years. Although we are now getting to that "old married couple" stage. We can get ready at seperate times and not know what the other is wearing and when we finally see each other we match. Silly.
We cooked brats and hotdogs over the fireplace for our "not watching the superbowl" party. We usually don't watch the football and just concentrate on eating.......
The furnace did not work at church this morning. When we arrived it was 34 upstairs, but a high 48 downstairs. We got the furnace started. Turned on all four ovens in the kitchen and had church downstairs. Thankfully, an electric keyboard is stored at the church so we brought that down and used it. It was a great service. Even as cold as it is we had 22 people show up. Not too bad for a church that many of it's members went south for the winter. It was kind of special to partake of communion down there in that small intimate group.
Tomorrow it's back to work for Will and I. They might call school because of the wind chills, but I don't know. I am wearing my snow mobile suit and mask to deliver the mail. I have 147 boxes that I have to stand outside and poke the mail into the large gray-green cluster boxes. Pretty cold.....
Amanda and Peggy are moved in. Not unpacked, but moved in. I'm glad. We were not all the way finished with the apartment, but enough that deadlines are no longer hanging over our heads. We can now work on it as we find time and as the weather cooperates. It will get done soon, I'm sure. At least they now have a place to live and Andy can finish working on his house that they were living in. All things work together for good....
Not much else going on except keeping warm. Hope you all are healthy and warm too.
God bless.