Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 1 January 2001

Latest Update: Tuesday, 14 May 2002 18:03
 

Monday, 1 January 2001

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Today is a red-letter day. It not only marks the start of a new year (and, some would say, a new millennium) but is Duncan's sixth birthday and the first anniversary of my diary page. I hope you like the new layout.

Yes, we are old. How old are you? We went to bed on New Year's Eve at 10:50. I tried to read in bed and stay awake until midnight but could not do it. However, as I predicted the fire crackers started at 12:04 so I was awake at midnight, sort of. Malcolm started barking and then growled and paced. Duncan jumped up on the bed beside me and curled up for protection. Deaf Kerry didn't move.

Back to sleep after the dogs settled down sometime after 12:30.

In addition to getting the tree down and the decorations packed up, I will watch some of the parade. I have never missed watching one. HGTV is running it commercial free. 

We are going to my sisters for dinner. She is having roast pork and all the trimmings. It is too cold to take Lenore so I will make her something before we leave and bring her back some dessert. We will also have leftovers to bring home for another meal I am sure. 

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Tuesday, 2 January 2001

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Around 3:45 I made a sandwich for Lenore while Bob walked the dogs and then we took off for my sister's house for dinner. We had a great meal with pork roast, yams, homemade applesauce, baked macaroni and cheese, green been casserole, black eyed peas, cabbage and onions and cornbread. Apple pie and cheese cake for dessert. Very good. I brought home dessert for Lenore and lots of leftovers for another meal. We had to leave around 6:45 to get back home. The dogs are fine but we don't like to leave Lenore for too long.

While we were in Canada this year we heard about something called Ice Wine. It is so strong and sweet that some people use it over ice cream rather than drink it. We were unable to find any to bring back with us. However, Frances's friend, who is one of the travel bus drivers for Holiday Tours, found some on his last trip to Niagara Falls. We had a taste yesterday. It is very good. I did not find it too strong or too sweet, but it is definitely something you want to sip and enjoy in small quantities.

I forgot to mention yesterday that when Bob did the laundry Sunday we had another flood. At least this time it was only the washer backing up and no sewage problems. It appears the back flow valve is indeed clogged too. We have the plumber coming out this morning to take a look at that.

I will finishing putting away decorations today and continue my cleaning process. Once I get the living room and foyer done I need to tackle my office. The kitchen floor got a good mopping this morning right after breakfast and I am getting ready to mop the den. With three dogs tracking water all over the place from their drinking bowls and muddy paws, I am very thankful for hardwood floors.

The house always looks kind or naked and empty for a few days when all the decorations are down. Lots to do, guess I better get started.

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Wednesday, 3 January 2001

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Yesterday was a bit of a trial. The plumber came and said the blockage was still in the main sewer line. We called the rotor rooter guys back out to do another pass through the lines. He said he can't find anything to call the guy that laid the new pipes several years ago. He called last night and said to call the city. The section of pipe he did not replaced runs from the street, under the driveway to his new pipe. He did not replace that section because he did not want to get into ripping out the drive. The city should do that part for us. So, I spent most of the morning running up and down the stairs to the basement. In between, I did manage to get the decorations back in the closet and the two rooms vacuumed. 

Today I am off to the gym and the store. This afternoon I want to start working on my office and organize some of the books in the living room/library and my office. We have so many books and they are all over the place. The shelves downstairs in Lenore's old area are now empty so we are moving some of the less used and needed books down there to make room for more of the first editions and fiction up here. With Lenore in the guest room up here, I do not have that extra room for some stuff I was keeping in there and my office shelves are about full to capacity.

The only room left to do a good clean is Bob's office and I can't do that until he is ready.

Malcolm is back into his thieving mood again. I keep little baskets on the dressers and tables for storing small stuff organized. He is standing up on the dresser and taking things, which he had stopped doing for many months now. Fortunately the basket he destroyed yesterday was an old one of no value and he did not eat the stuff that was in the basket. This morning he stole another one off Bob's nightstand and took his hair brush. We are back to having to keep the bedroom door shut until he gets through this next phase.

Part of the problem is he is a bored Border Collie. I have been so busy the last few days with the house cleaning and stuff he has not gotten enough play time and attention. And, a bored Border Collie is a destructive Border Collie. So, I will try to give him more play time today and keep him a little more busy and me too for that matter. 

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Thursday, 4 January 2001

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Okay, Bob and Lynne this is totally coincidental since I started the book before you posted about seeing the movie. I am presently reading House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and had planned to put up a review on my favorites page later this week. Somehow I missed reading this one and picked it up in the library book sale. I am also reading a history of Kingston, Ontario that I bought last fall on my trip. It is written by James A. Roy, a professor at the local Queen's University in 1952. Since it is a first edition I only read it at night in bed to ensure it does not get damaged.

Thanks Marcia for posting a new appetizer recipe up on my recipe page. My sister gave me the recipe and had some for me to taste on New Year's Day. It is very simple to make and is good as a chip dig or to make nachos with. I bought the ingredients for us to have on corn tortillas for dinner this weekend. You make it in the crock pot.

The saga of the blocked sewage pipe continues. This morning the city has been out and the problem is definitely on our side. Now, we have to find out where it is and what we need to do about it. 

Too cold for golf today. It has been weeks since we played and I do start to miss getting out. We were going to try to play today but the temperature is not to get as warm as they predicted. Nothing new there. Maybe next week it will warm up.

I need to pay bills and continue working on the book shelves and my office. It look pretty good except for both my desks need cleaned off and dusted real good. 

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Friday, 5 January 2001

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As you all know, Bob celebrates Winter Solstice. Yesterday I got two Winter Solstice gifts or you could count them as part of the twelve days of Christmas, since today is the 12th day. One is a DVD edition of Encyclopedia Britannica which will come in very handy for our books. We have to install a DVD drive on my system before I can use it.

The other gift is a new jacket. I have this very old, beat up Lands' End baseball style jacket that I love. I like to wear it when I run errands in the car rather than my winter parka. I am very warm natured and don't really need the parka except out with the dogs walking or playing in the snow (when we get some). Bob ordered me a new Lands' End jacket and this one comes with a hood, which my other one did not. It is really cool and I will enjoy wearing it when I am out and about. 

We are going to the library and dinner this afternoon and then I guess spend the evening reading and listening to music. Bob is working on the outline for our book while I continue with the research aspects. 

I hope everyone has a good weekend. 

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Saturday, 6 January 2001

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I guess today will be more of the same. Organizing book shelves and computer work. I need to pay the bills. Postage is going up again tomorrow. I ran out of stamps a week ago and decided to just wait until next week to mail out this batch and pick up a new roll. 

It is a beautiful sunshiny day but cool. The wind is supposed to get up this afternoon so I imagine the 40's are not going to feel like 40. The Winston Cup Preview is today at the Coliseum. I usually go but I think I will give it a miss this year. I am not interested in sitting for hours waiting on an autograph but I do enjoy seeing the new paint schemes. It's fun to sit and watch the auction where people bid to buy sheet metal from the cars, tires, uniforms, etc. In the Coliseum annex they have booths with posters and products giveaways and the souvenir trailers are all lined up outside. Its fun to go and wonder around. The money they raise goes toward the children's hospital here in Winston. 

Have a great day. 

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Sunday, 7 January 2001

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I have a couple of pictures of the before and after. Here I am packing all the decorations up. The next one is still the cleaning process going on. The third one has the doll cabinet back in the corner where it belongs. Yesterday I finished reorganizing the book shelves and getting the ones off the top filed in with the others on the shelves. All the nick knacks and stuff that go on the tables have been packed up. I have a lot of my cottages and birds that will not all fit on the shelves and mantle in the den that I can move to the library table and long book shelf.

Here is my newly cleaned desk and work area.

   Today we are going to install my DVD drive and audio cable for the speakers. I don't know if Bob has found a cable for the scanner or not. 

Today is regular house cleaning morning. Bob is doing the laundry. We still have the back flow problem but we found if we do small loads using the extra small water setting, it does not back up as bad. With the three dogs I have to vacuum the rest of the house. Guess I better get started.

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