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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 5 August 2000 (Week 32)

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You can view the Netwidows Recipe web site for recipes from myself and the other Netwidows and Daynotes Gang.

Saturday, 5 August 2000

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I think mentioned one day last week that I was reading a short biography of a woman from Ireland that I picked up at the library. Are you Somebody :The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman by Nuala O'Faolain.  As I always tell people who ask me about a book, it is just my opinion and to read to for yourself. Well, that is the case here. I did not think very much of the writing or the content. She basically blames her shoddy excuse for an early bad life on being Irish, the daughter of a drunken mother and a violent father, and being Catholic. Her plight is poorly presented and appears to me to be trying play copycat to Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCort and did a very poor job trying. 

The NASCAR race is today from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I will get the mowing done before lunch, get my shower, and settle down to watch the race this afternoon. 

I have started working on the first chapter of the book that Bob and I are working on. I finished one photo album and need to start on mine. I cannot do mom and dad's until I get some pictures back that I sent my Aunt to take a look at.

Yesterday I picked up the picture I posted last week of the dogs that Jenny drew from the frame shop. It turned out quite good. She is coming by tomorrow to see it framed and pick up some pictures I took of her and Duncan last time she was here.

Sunday, 6 August 2000

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I put up a new edition of Cyber Hound News today. I had been pondering what I wanted to put up this month and finally decided on doing an overview of genealogy sites. 

I did watch the NASCAR race yesterday. I worked on my photo album until about 11am and then scampered out to mow the lawn before lunch and race time.

After it was over it was time to fix dinner. I fixed grilled steaks, chicken, and vegetables.  Easy meal, easy clean up for Bob. Our friend John Mikol stopped over later that evening with his pressure washer for us to use. 

Jenny is coming this afternoon to visit the dogs. I need to get started on the cleaning.

We are supposed to have thunderstorms this afternoon. The dogs may not get their walk until this evening but will getting plenty of exercise when Jenny comes. 

Monday, 7 August 2000

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If you have been trying to access  Marcia Bilbrey's website she sent a message to us to let her readers know that the server crashed. She said I'm not getting email at marcia@dutchgirl.net. You can reach her at mlbilbrey@yahoo.com and marciald@pacbell.net

We had a fairly relaxing day yesterday.  I cleaned house and Bob did the laundry. After lunch Jenny came for a visit for a couple of hours. Then I took a nap. I fixed dinner around 5pm. We had pork loin and rice. 

I am now getting pretty comfortable with my new bifocals. Some things still are difficult, one being shopping in stores. I have not gotten the range down and I either stand too close or not far enough away from the shelves. Using the computer however is wonderful. No more trying to find the exact spot in the lens and getting a stiff neck. I have the monitor positioned so that the screen can be viewed through the entire focal area. 

Off to the gym this morning. Things to work on this afternoon. It is supposed to be very hot today so the dogs may only get one walk before it gets too hot, not for me but for them. Hot muggy weather is not good weather for Border Collies.

Have a good week.

Tuesday, 8 August 2000

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I made homemade ginger bread yesterday afternoon. It was my first time making it. For some reason I was hungry for some. My sister informed me last night when  talked to her on the phone that ginger bread was not on our diet. I knew that. So, for dinner I ate a real small helping of cream dried beef on noodles and than later in the evening at a small piece of my cake. It turned out pretty good. I used a recipe in one of my new cookbooks. I may make it again another time and use the recipe in my other one. 

Dad and I are going to try to play golf again this morning. We switched mornings to try to fool mother nature. We have been rained out about every Thursday that we have been able to play for over a month. The last time we played we did not finish because of rain. 

Today is to be 100 degrees with the heat index. It will not get that hot until this afternoon and we will be finished by then. I walked the dogs yesterday around noon and it was about 90. We will also be riding which is cooler. 

We had one heck of a storm yesterday afternoon. It formed right over Winston-Salem and just dumped water on the city. We did not get much in the way of rain here, but some parts of the city got between 3 and five inches of rain in thirty minutes. 

As hot as it is, we may get more this afternoon.

Wednesday, 9 August 2000

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We did manage to get a full round of golf in yesterday with nothing more than heat and sunshine. It was not really too bad. 

It got pretty hot in the afternoon with heat and humidity combined to make it feel like 100 degrees. Today is to be more of the same. We did not get any bad weather yesterday but it is predicted for this afternoon. We took my Trooper in to be serviced and inspected, so I am driving the "hot car". The Trooper without air. Needless to say I will be heading out this morning for gym and store errands and get home before it gets too hot.

Last night we watched a movie that we had taped Sunday night, The Secret of Roan Innish. It does not have any superstar names you will recognize but it is a nice movie. It is set in post WWII Ireland. The scenery is beautiful and the soundtrack is wonderful. If you like Irish music, which I do. The plot is a little strange but it is based on a novel with a similar name. The next time I am in the book or music store I am going to purchase the soundtrack for my Irish CD collection.

That's all the news for now.

Thursday, 10 August 2000

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I am definitely sleep walking this morning. About 1:20 we got a storm that lasted well until 3:45. I was awake during most of it. Bob woke up when it hit but slept through rest of it. The lightening was so bright it would light up the entire room. The thunder would hit real close, hit far away, and then sound like it hit right over the house. I was not scared, I just cannot sleep through that much noise and lightening. I have not checked the rain gauge closely but from the window it looks like we got an inch to an inch and half of rain. 

The AC people are coming this morning to do the six month routine maintenance on the heat/air system. We use those 12 month filters but with Bob and Lenore smoking and three dogs, we need one every six months.

I may try to give the dogs their baths this morning. They don't need one but about every three months unless they get muddy or into something. 

I am doing spinning class tonight so we will have a light supper. Last night it was so hot we just ate sandwiches so I would not have to heat up the kitchen cooking. The Trooper with AC is getting serviced and we did not want to go out in 100 degree weather just to eat dinner.

Speaking of the Trooper with A/C. I took it in to be inspected and have the oil changed and do the 50,000 mile service. Tim called me yesterday morning and said we had a slight leak in the radiator and we could fix it now or keep an eye on it and replace before we would take it on a long trip. We decided to go ahead and have it done now. Good thing. When I went downstairs later to get the lawn mower to mow, there was a pretty good puddle of anti freeze on the floor. It was more than a little leak. All told, with the service, parts, labor, etc we are looking at over $1000. But, we don't need to do anything but routine oil changes for another ten thousand miles.

We may get the truck back this afternoon or tomorrow morning. It is to be 100 with the humidity again today, so I will not go any where except to the gym and right back with no A/C. Yep, I'm spoiled.

Friday, 11 August 2000

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The good news is, we did not have to replace the radiator. It was a broken connector that was leaking. We we saved $500 and blue Trooper is serviced and happy.

Not much to report. It seems like it has been a long week for some reason. I went to the gym early enough last night to do my weight work before spinning. Rather than go this morning to walk, I will take the dogs before it gets too hot. I think it is to be cooler today, anyway.

We are having Hamburger Helper for dinner. Easy and not much cooking to heat up the kitchen. I will work until late afternoon, with dog walking breaks, and then watch golf this afternoon.

Have a good weekend. 

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