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Barbara
Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week
of 22 December 2008
Latest Update: Saturday, 28 December 2008 3:40 p.m.
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Monday, 22 December
2008
We
had the arctic blast of cold air come in late yesterday afternoon. We
made a Costco run with Paul and Mary then out to dinner. By the time we
got back home it had become very windy and cold. Once again we dodged
the moisture/cold scenario unlike the mess they are having up
north and in the mid west. It was around 18 when we got up this
morning. My walk up the hill on 4th street from the parking deck was
rather brisk. I would guess with the wind chill it was in the single
digits. Needless to say I was fully awake by the time I made it to the
building.
More of the same tonight and tomorrow but not as much wind.
I started reading another Dalziel and Pasco last night, A Pinch of Snuff.
It
was busier today than I expected with most everyone out on vacation. I
had one attorney who needed some things done for him since his
secretary was out and one of the paralegals I support was working today
which kept me busy.
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Tuesday, 23 December 2008
My friend Bonnie came uptown to meet me for
lunch today. It made a nice break in a mostly slow day. I am now off
until Monday the 29th. The Firm is closed tomorrow and Thursday. We are
open Friday but I have enough vacation days to take Friday.
I have finished my Christmas preparations. The one gift I was waiting on did arrive yesterday.
Bob
and I are continuing to watch the Pallisers. The dogs loved the cold
weather but Duncan had a couple of days where he did not get around
very well. Not sure if it was the cold and dampness or just one of his
weaker in the back end spells. Malcolm is wild as ever resorting to
puppy behavior at nine years old. Yesterday morning I pulled the
kitchen garbage bag out of the can and left it on the floor outside the
can to add some stuff to it after and take it out after dinner last
night.
Bob called mid morning to tell me had found Malcolm had
rummaged through the bag dumping trash and was licking a plastic
wrapper. There was nothing in the trash that could harm him this time
but I will not do that again. Of course, as many times as he had picked
up things in the yard and or street to eat before we can stop him, my
garbage is rather tame by comparison.
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Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Happy Christmas Eve. I was up and out by 8:30
to my folks house. Dad had several errands he needed help with. The
traffic was not too bad early this morning nor were the stores packed
except for Dewey's bakery. Dad needed to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to
get a new coffee pot. While we were there I picked up a new electric
can opener for our new kitchen. I was not sure what kind I wanted but
needless to say I was not tempted by the $40 one.
Mom fixed
lunch then I sat around visiting until time to leave for my mammogram
appointment. Unsure about how traffic would be in that area I left a
little earlier than I needed to. I arrived about 40 minutes before my
actual time. The clinic where I go has moved from the second floor of
the building they were in to the first floor. In the past I have had to
wait to see someone to check me in, then do paperwork/history, wait to
be called back to a room, wait to go in for the mammogram and wait
until they check the films to see if the pictures take.
With
today being Christmas Eve I went right in, did my paperwork, and was
called back immediately. I had maybe a ten minute wait to go in for the
pictures. I guess they have new equipment because she checked each
picture after she took it. When she was finished she told me I could
get dressed and leave. All told I was in and out of there in about half
an hour. The lady at the desk said they had a lot of no shows and
cancellations.
It has been another dreary day of clouds and drizzle. More rain for tonight.
I
will spend all day tomorrow at Frances and Al's with my folks. How very
fortunate we are to all be together as a family again for
Christmas.
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Thursday, 25 December 2008
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Merry Christmas. I arrived at Frances and Al's around 9 and left their house around 7:30 this evening.
We
spent another wonderful day opening gifts, eating, and doing a lot of
laughing. There are always many funny stories to tell associated with
the gifts we exchange. Bob came over at 4pm to open his gifts and have
dinner with us. Cornish hens, wild rice, green beans, cornbread
stuffing, and rolls.
Breakfast was mom's homemade cinnamon
rolls. From there it was homemade ham biscuits, meatballs, shrimp, and
a wide array of snacks.
I am not sure how much rain we had overnight but the skies cleared by mid-morning.
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Friday 26 December 2008
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I stayed up late again last night reading to
finish the Dalziel and Pasco. I have grabbed a Tapply to start
this afternoon. Bob got up with the dogs letting me sleep in until
8:15. Before getting dressed I tried on the work shirts and
blouses mom and Frances gave me for Christmas. Declaring them a perfect
fit I grabbed what little was already in my work clothes basket to
throw in the wash. While down stairs Bob deflated the air mattress and
helped me move the things back in place since the Bilbrey's visit.
Bob
and I spend the remainder of the morning and early afternoon putting on
lower cabinet handles and catches. While I was in the kitchen I pulled
the oven racks out and set the oven to self clean. It takes three hours
for a lightly soiled oven which mine was.
It is once again a
dreary damp day. I did have the dogs out back once this morning between
periods of light drizzle before the ground became too wet. Hopefully
next weeks long range forecast will hold true and give me a warm, sunny
day for cleaning out the garage part of the basement.
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Saturday, 27 December
2008
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Malcolm let both of us sleep in until 7:50
this morning. I started working on the living room clearing up post
Christmas clutter. When I got home Christmas night I put all the gifts,
bags, boxes, etc. in the living room floor. Yesterday, as I mentioned I
dug out my new tops to try on before I washed them. Today I started
putting the other stuff away sorting gifts from boxes and bags.
I
save the nicer big pieces of wrapping paper when I unwrap a gift. Next
year I will reuse the paper to wrap a smaller gift. Each box and gift
bag had be checked to make sure nothing was buried in tissue paper.
In
between Bob needed me for hand shots for the book. Off and on all day
it was "do we have...?" looking for various things he needed for a
particular shot. Once I finished up the living room I tidied up the
wrapping paper stuff to return back down stairs.
We had yet
another gloomy, drizzly day. It did warm up to the low 50's but no
sunshine. I had the dogs out several times to play or for a walk to
allow Bob to work.
Last night we finished watching the Pallisers. I hated to see it end.
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Sunday, 28 December
2008
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We had dinner last night at Paula and
Casey's. By the time we got home, fed, played, and walked the dogs it
was well past eleven by the time we got to bed.
This morning, In
addition to doing the regular housekeeping chores, I deep cleaned our
bedroom. I moved the furniture and dog beds that run between our bed
and the wall where Duncan sleeps, took everything off the tops of the
furniture to dust with pledge, etc.
One thing for sure. You
can have a very nice pristine looking house or you can have large
furry dogs who live in your house as companions. We choose the
latter. Although our dogs are relatively clean they accumulate a
certain amount of dirt on their fur that ends up on the walls and
baseboards. I scrubbed down the walls where they sleep pretty good.
Periodically during the year I do the foyer walls and door frames just
to keep them from looking too grimy. I could vacuum dog hair everyday
but...well, no way. I love my dogs, try keep as much dust and dog hair
from accumulating each week, and ignore the rest.
This
afternoon Bob and I starting hanging upper kitchen doors. We managed to
get nine up before calling it a day. We have four left plus handles and
catches. The kitchen is really starting to look nice with the doors
going up.
I am almost finished reading the Tapply. Excellent
as usual but I guessed "who done it" about halfway through the book.
Still, it did not ruin the books as Tapply did keep enough suspects in
the running to give a hint of doubt until the end.
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Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
by
Barbara
Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.