Go East, Irene

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail." — Benjamin Fanklin

Looks like Hurricane Irene is tracking just right to hit us head on... granted it will only be a "1" hurricane, but even so, they're predicting high winds and 6 - 12" of rain. That's a LOT of water.

We'll be fine. We have no trees close enough to the house to hit us, save one. We have a generator. Plenty of food and water. But I'd really prefer NOT to lose power.

*sigh*

Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Tornadoes.

God is really displeased with the northeast right now.

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Yesterday, when we returned from the movies (LOVE Regal Family Film Festival) to find what looked like an exploded dog in the room with Dakota. There were piles of fur everywhere!!

I took her outside to spray more hot spot stuff on her, lifted her head and her throat was totally naked and bright red. So ... off to the vet we went.

She has bare spots on her head, her throat, her back legs ... rash is pretty much 100%. She has an ear infection from the scratching, too. So, she got a steroid shot and ear ointment.

She's feeling better today. Not well, but better. A little.

Now we just need a good, hard frost.

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You Are Quiet

You focus on fantasy more than reality. You have your head in the clouds. You're incredibly introverted and introspective. You live inside your head, and it's a pretty comfortable place to be. You may seem quiet and withdrawn, but you're paying attention to every single thing around you. You are secretly sensitive, but you often put up a front. Shy and private, you yearn for security.

The Single Flower Test

Um ... maybe 50/50...

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Yadda Yadda

You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. ~Steven D. Woodhull

Not much to say today. Yesterday was busy but uneventful, and hopefully today will be the same. The dog is miserable with allergies: runny eyes, rash, and SUCH bad itchiness. I bought a pile of new medicated shampoos, tea tree oil and oatmeal spray, etc., that we'll try. I despise steroids with an all-consuming passion (which is what the vet suggested), so we're just going to have to stick it out until it freezes (which considering it got down into the 40s last night, might be sooner than later).

My garden is pretty well done -- the chipmunks are eating the few tomatoes I have before they even get more than a blush of pink on them, the cucumbers are doing their "fat butt" game where they are bitter and full of seeds, and the squash borers did a number on my summer squash. My eggplant never grew one blossom. The butternut squash is still going gangbusters, but the rest? Finis.

Six days until school starts, and I'm ready to go back to homeschooling.

I've decided that the stores have figured out that people are coming in to buy their loss leaders only and have quit offering the really amazing deals. I haven't done much couponing the last couple of weeks because the bargains just aren't there.

So are the days of my life.

You?

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You Are as Laid Back as They Come

You are a risk taker. You love to roll the dice on everything. You are surprisingly easygoing. You like to keep everything as low-pressure as possible. You like to be in the middle of the action, although you don't purposely seek attention. You are an easygoing person who feels very comfortable about others.

The Park Test

Mostly right.

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Attack of the Killer Pollen

“I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.”
James Thurber

I'm so incredibly glad I don't suffer from allergies, because the pollen lately has been nuts! A heavy layer of yellow coats everything, indoors and out. On Sunday, I'd mopped upstairs in the schoolroom (DD had spilled some grape juice and tried to get it up, but had missed some spots) and expected the mop to come up purple or brownish ... but it was bright yellow.

I swore right then to declare war, because while I may not have allergies, my DH does and DD has been complaining of severely itchy eyes the past few days.

Yesterday I spent hours and hours: sweeping, mopping, dusting, wiping things down. I did the entire downstairs, moving EVERYTHING and even wiping the tops of the cupboards. I shook out and washed all the throw rugs, vacuuming the furniture and lampshades and blinds. The saddest thing, though, is that it doesn't LOOK all that different. After so much work, I wish I could sit back and SEE the change.

Still, based on the number of rags I went through and pads for my Steam Shark (all of which were YELLOW) and how many times I dumped dustlike particles out of the vacuum, I know I accomplished a lot.

Now, if I could just get the car to stay clean for more than five minutes ... it's wearing a coat of yellow dust, too.

Ugh.

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I was going through some old pictures yesterday and stumbled across my drama ones. Here's a funny for you -- me at seventeen (and the guy from whom I'd get my first onstage kiss)!



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You Are Civilized

You are mild mannered and even a bit shy at first. It takes a while for you to come out of your shell. You are conscientious and savvy. You enjoy the healthy things in life. You are a person of complex taste. You like how different elements go together. No one would describe you as boring. You have a fresh and interesting outlook.

The Taco Test

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Pretty close!

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