Final Fickle Friday of 2011

Yup, it’s the final fickle Friday from MsMouse for the year 2011. And how fickle can it be? Read on!

Am I Psychic or Psychotic?

No need to answer that question; it was just rhetorical. But really I do think I’m psychic. I few minutes ago I was reading a blog about chocolate and discovered that December 27 was National Fruitcake Day. And that was the same day I posted Traditions – Fruitcake Christmas Cake. Now I realize that fruitcake has a bad rap, but I swear mine is very very tasty. Even the visiting Japanese students took some home. But in case you have any further questions, please see The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Fruitcake.

I Whupped TV Technology

It is the end of 2011 and I finally succumbed to new technology when it comes to the boob tube (TV). I have two televisions; one is at least 13 years old and the other is only 12 years old. They work well. However, I really want to watch Netflix movies on my TV (though my laptop). So I finally broke down and bought a new TV. At first I was looking at the 40 inchers, but then realized my current TV is only 22 inches, so 40 inches was way too big for what I needed. I ended up with a 26 inch TV/DVD combo.

For me, the important part was to get it home and set up by myself. Thank goodness it was small enough so I could do that. Then I installed the stand (yeah baby, I can screw with the best of them, as long as I have my handy-dandy Phillips with me), got the cable plugged in, and watched the News on TV. COOL!

Then came the tricky part; getting Netflix to work. Really that was quite easy. The problem arose when I could not hear what was going on. I grabbed my old computer speakers, hooked then up, and VOILA — sound and sight! Isn’t life wonderful?!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today my dad would have been 92. He died of cancer in January 1983. He knew he was in his last few weeks of life and wanted a big birthday party to celebrate his birthday. So that’s what we did. I remember attending with my foster daughter, Linda. Something happened and poor Linda ended up with whip cream on the tip of her nose. How we all laughed, especially my dad. Less than a week after that day, he was in the hospital, never to leave again. I talked to him several times on the phone for the first few days, but he knew the end was near and he knew how I felt about hospitals. Finally one day he called me and said that I should stop by the hospital and pick up his cane. That’s when I knew it was real; him asking me to come to the hospital and giving me his father’s cherished cane (which is still have and have used since 1983). Anyway… Happy Birthday Dad. You would have loved the fact that I set up the TV by myself!

Christmas Clean-up

I thought it would be sort of warm today (in the 40s F) and the snow was melted, so decided to round up the outside Xmas decorations. Brrrrr… wind chill is a nasty thing! But I put away everything except one spiral tree; my hands were too cold. Daughter helped a bit by carting 2 cases of flushable cat litter out to the shed. I don’t need them now (read more below) so best to put them elsewhere.

Cat Toilet Training is Down the John

Yup – I’m afraid that Sunni (the little rug pooper) got the best of me with her shenanigans and I have restored the standard cat litter box back into the laundry room. Three months of trying was good for MeiMei as she was a full-time advocate of toilet usage. But Sunni was not on board with the program and after spending several hours shampooing the carpet in the living room, I too was prepared to give it up. Thus the 2 stored cases of flushable kitty litter; expensive stuff, so I’ll keep it as I might try again later.