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Barbara
Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week
of 25 December 2006
Latest Update: Sunday, 31 December 2006 2:30 p.m.
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Monday, 25
December
2006
Merry
Christmas. As usual, we had a wonderful day. Lots of fun giving gifts
we pick out with loving care and stories behind them. Frances and Al
again hosted a great day with lots of good fun. Al and Frances gave us
a new George Foreman, bigger and better than my old one which I have
worn out with use along with some other accessories for the kitchen.
Also, several nice shirts and blouses to wear to work and other
wonderful stuff. Bob and I also got Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers. I
can't wait to play it. I think the last time we played Trivial Pursuit
it was up at the Bilbrey's.
However, the major surprise gift was a new backpack pocketbook. I
have been on the lookout for a new one for several months now but have
not really had time to shop for one. I had intended to look for one at
the beach but forgot all about it while shopping for Christmas gifts
for the family. As you know, I am not a "fashion chick" for clothing,
purses, or shoes. Hot brand names mean nothing to me although I do read
Vanity Fair magazine which contains lots of fashion ads that I glance
at just to keep up with the times.
Mom and Frances found this cool backpack purse but were afraid I
would not like it because it is a "hot, brand name item"...a Vera
Bradley. They make those quilted purses half the women in the world are
carrying right now. They were not to be disappointed, I love the way it
is made, the design and the color; a solid, dark chocolate brown. While
were sitting around this afternoon I switched the stuff over from the
little travel backpack I was carrying to my new one. A very nice gift
indeed. I took a couple of pictures and Frances took a few with her
digital. I hope to a few to post later this week.
Bob came over around 2:30 and stayed until about 6. Right after he left
I loaded up my stuff and helped get mom and dad's stuff to the car
before heading on home. The day started out and continued a cold and
rainy one. By this evening most of the rain had moved on through with a
light drizzle and fog for the drive home.
Last night I did finish reading the Hamish Macbeth. Not sure what I will pick up next.
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Tuesday, 26 December 2006
My work day got off to a rather stressful
start. When I pulled out of the garage this morning I paused long
enough to clean my glasses. Pop went the frames right in the middle. I
have titanium frames which are not supposed to break. I have an old
pair here in the house that are two generations ago to this
prescription. But, I did not come in to get them but instead headed off
for the eye glass center at the hospital where I get my exams and
glasses. I carefully placed each ear piece around my ear and balance
the frame part on my nose in order to see to drive. Once I got to the
hospital I took them off being able to recognize the up arrow on the
elevator buttons without them.
Boy was I shocked to see they were closed today. I never dreamed they
would not be open the day after Christmas. I still had time to make it
to work on time with the light traffic due to the holidays. The driver
of the car that pulled in front of me at the pay gate had some sort of
problem. He and the gate attendant proceeded to discuss this issue for
at least five minutes while I sat behind them. I finally yelled out the
window and asked if she could let him through and pull to the side so I
could get out. The first 15 minutes are free which I was just about to
run out of due to the block head working in the booth. After I yelled
again they exchanged some money and he pulled out. I pulled up to the
booth, handed her my ticket, and took off through the gate before it
had time to come back down.
As I pulled into the left turn lane to exit the parking lot that damn
block head pulled in front of me again, poked down to the light, turn
right which was the way I was going, and drove 10 miles an hour. By
this time I had serious road rage. He turned on a right blinker so I
proceed to blow on past him. By the time I got to work, parked the car,
and got in the building it was 8:40. We have a ten minute window if we
don't abuse it. Steve was off today. When I turned the corner the doors
to the record center were still closed.
I had a message on my phone from Drew who was out sick. Here I sat at
work with my glasses in two pieces and alone to run the record center.
Being blind as a bat without my glasses I could not see well enough to
try and tape them together. After I enlisted the help of someone from
our IKON department down the hall, I managed to get them together
enough to wear. Can you say geek with a capital G with scotch tape
across my nose. I called Bob to let him know what was going on in case
I needed him to bring down my extra pair.
Progressive bi-focal lenses have a certain grinding method to allow for
the vision changes up and down the lens. With them taped together they
were not quite set right making them hard to use. After putting up with
this all morning I drove home at lunch to have Bob bring me my other
pair out to me. They are my old lined bi-focal with a magnifier in the
bottom and the top for distance. The distance correction is so weak
compared my new ones everything was a blur. The bottom worked fine
except I had to keep cranking my head way up to work at the PC. I
switched back and forth most of the day.
Since I had planned to go to the gym tonight I wanted my old pair of
glasses to wear since I taped up pair would not hold up to the normal
on and off while exercising type activity. To type this post I am
wearing my taped glasses which gives the screen and the keyboard a
concave look. I can use my old ones for reading tonight. Tomorrow
morning I will go straight to the eye center to get the frames
replaced. All and all a very frustrating day to say the least.
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Wednesday, 27 December 2006
I am still wearing my old glasses. The frames
were not in stock. By the time I got to work they had called and left
me a message to call them. The color in the frame I have is back
ordered until late January. They could get it in another color so I
told her to go ahead with that one.
Now, just a couple of pictures to share from out holiday season. This is my tree,
This is Frances' tree.
Dad cutting up with his new pot holder. I got one like it for my birthday.
Al showing off his new outdoor cast iron eagle Frances has made for him. Al collects eagles.
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Thursday, 28 December 2006
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No update.
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Friday, 29 December 2006
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Good ending to the week. By late yesterday
afternoon I still had not heard from the eyeglass place. I did not call
them since they said they would call me when the frames came in. I
suffered through another day of not being able to see. I did go the gym
last night. Just as we got in from walking the dogs Stephanie called
wanting to walk. We took off on our own about 8 for our usual walk.
I can't remember if I mentioned what I was reading after the Hamish. I picked up the newest Susan Conant, Gaits of Heaven. Her
character, Holly Winter, is a dog trainer and magazine columnist living
in Cambridge, MA with her newly wed husband who is a vet. I did finish
reading it last night. Holly gets involved with solving the murder of
the wife of a therapist couple after being asked to help train their
Aussie huskapoo. Conant pokes a lot of fun of therapist in general and
the amount and type of them in the Cambridge area. The couple have two
children both from previous marriages. The son is a spoiled brat which
was the dads child. The daughter, an over weight reclusive Harvard
coed, was the moms. Holly's daughter by her first marriage knows the
daughter from also going to Harvard. Holly and her family take in the
daughter to remove her from the house since the step brother treats her
badly and she dislikes her step father. All turns right in the end
including getting the obnoxious dog trained.
I called the eyeglass place this morning. My frames had not arrived but
should come in today's mail. Sure enough they called me around 11:30 to
let me know the frames arrived. I had worked through lunch in
Wednesday to combine that with my 40 minutes of remaining PDO for the
year to be able to leave early whatever day my glasses were ready. I
took half an hour of lunch time today to take the January newsletter
and upcoming annual meeting flyer to the printers so I can get it ready
to mail out this weekend.
At 3 I left work to pick up my glasses. From there I made several stops
at the Thruway shopping center then cut across town to Pet Smart and
Wal-Mart. I love the have an afternoon/evening free to run
errands, grab a bite to eat, and just be able to take my time
without having to rush home. I made it home right at 7 pm.
The weather has remained warm during the day though the nights have
dropped down cold enough to create some fairly heavy frost by morning.
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Saturday, 30 December
2006
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Saturday greetings. The first of the three
day weekend. The Christmas tree is down. The decorations are boxed and
back downstairs waiting to go in the closet. I still have my village to
take down before I can start cleaning and putting the living and
dinning rooms back together. Right now I am taking a rest. I have
been hard at it since about 9 am.
As you know I usually do my deep cleaning during this time of year.
However, some of the rooms are getting painted the first of the year so
they can wait.
Our bedroom and bath, the hall bath, foyer, and hall are all getting
painted. Gerald, our next door neighbor and contractor has my list of
of the repairs we need done. I will have to work around his schedule as
he gets thing done I will go behind him and paint. The hall and foyer
are the easiest since they are furniture free.
The downstairs will be the hardest. The textured ceilings in the house
were not applied very well. If you try to roll them the stuff peels
off. I hand brushed most of the ceilings up here after trying to
roll my office. Bob did his office with a power painter. Once
Gerald gets the new floors in the bathroom and kitchen I can paint the
little hall and bathroom. The kitchen has paper, not sure what I will
do in there. The big room is paneled. It just needs a good wiping down.
Rain is to come in tonight and hang around until Monday. I had not
planned to play tomorrow anyway in order to get my cleaning finished.
Last night I started the newest Denise Hamilton. Her Eve Diamond
mysteries are a little closer to the hard boiled type mysteries but I
love her character and her writing. Her edge of the seat plots get very
intense toward the end. As a reporter for the LA Times she finds
herself getting deeply involved in the murders she investigates as a
crime reporter. In Prisoner of Memory Eve
finds herself in the middle of the investigation of the murder of a
teenager. The son of Russian immigrant parents, he is more of the blond
haired surfer type. As Eve gets closer to the family of the murder
victim she finds her the similarities between their lives and her own
Russian heritage too close for comfort.
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Sunday, 31 December 2006
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The rain showed up by the time we were up
this morning, around 8. Wet and warm will be the weather here for
tonight and tomorrow.
The living room, dinning room and kitchen are vacuumed. I mopped the
living room floor then took a break to check mail and rest while it
dried. Before starting back to work I took an early lunch break. I may
not get around to scrubbing down the kitchen cabinets until another
weekend.
All the furniture in the living and dining rooms are freshly dusted and
cleaned ready to have "stuff" put back. I still have the book cases to
clean once I move all the nick knacks back where they belong.
Right now I am taking another break. The hardest room in the hose to
deep clean is the den. I have to move our This End Up heavy pine
furniture away from the walls so I can clean good under and behind. I
removed all the cushions in order to give the furniture a good cleaning
with lemon oil. The same goes for all three side tables and two
ottomans. With two adults and two shedding dogs that room gets totally
nasty since we practically live in that room. Even with cleaning under
the sofa and love seat periodically things still get pretty dirty from
dog hair and dropped food, both human and dog. Right now the entire
room is upside down while I wait for the lemon oil treatment to dry on
Bob's side table. I have treated the love seat but still have the sofa,
my table, and one ottoman left to do as well as vacuuming all the
cushions.
It depends on how long it takes me to finish up the den and how tired I
am as to how much more of the house gets vacuumed today. And, I still
have my desk and office to clean up as well as first of the month bills
to pay and end of the year accounting to finish.
Better get back to work. Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve. See you next year.
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Copyright
© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by
Barbara
Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.
