 |
Barbara
Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week
of 11 February 2008
Latest Update: Sunday, 17 February 2008 12:20 p.m.
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Monday, 11
February 2008
When doing some research on the author of the book I am reading, Cathie Pelletier,
I discovered Pelletier is the pen name for K. C. McKinnon. I had read
both Dancing at the Harvest Moon and Candles on Bay Street. Although
The Funeral Makers is funny Pelletier uses a lot of dark humor in her
characters which I guess is understandable giving the title of the
book. It's a nice change from the mystery's.
The cold front came in last night behind the wind but not nearly as
cold as predicted. We got down to 28 rather than 21. The winds caused a
lot of trees to go down, power outages, and fanning of some wild fires
due to the dry conditions.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
No update.
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Wednesday, 13 February 2008
I have had three really busy and hectic days
at work. Tonight, like last night, I was so tired when I left the
building I could hardly put one foot in front of the other to walk to
the parking deck. I thought about blowing off going to the gym but
decided to go anyway. As usual, once I get there and start on the
exercise bike I get some long lost energy. When I am real tired I don't
exercise as hard but at least I get in a workout.
We just came in from walking the dogs after dinner. The winds are
howling with the snow coming down pretty heavy most likely mixed with
some sleet and/or freezing rain. Since it appears to have just started
the wasn't anything sticking on the ground as yet.
Last night I finished the small town Maine book. Not sure what I will
pick up tonight. We are still watching some of the Inspector
Morse's.
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Thursday, 14 February 2008
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The snow showers last night turned into our
first real snow of the year even it was only an inch or so. By the time
we walked the dogs at nine for last time out the snow was coming down.
It was one of those wet snows that sticks to everything.
This morning everything was covered in white except the street and
sidewalk. School was canceled. Even though our street and driveway was
clear other side streets on the way to work had anything from frozen
snow to icy patches. Downtown streets were really bad. Only three
counties, us, one to the north and one to the east were the only three
who had snow and bad roads. Driving to work past a very wooded area
everything was covered in a beautiful blanket of show with the sun
shinning through the trees. It was really very pretty. By late this
afternoon all traces of the snow had vanished except in shady areas of
lawns and roofs.
If you would like some snow in your area just have me move to your
hometown and schedule an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. This is
the second time I have had an early morning appointment at the knee
doctors and we had bad weather. This time I went on to work, arriving
at 8:15 then called the doctor's. I ask them if my doctor would be
opening on time. If so, I would go on for my 9am appointment. I am only
15 minutes away. I did not realize I got the answering service. She
said she would have someone call me back. By 10 am I had not heard
back. When I called they said the office did open on time. I explained
the situation. She gave me a 3:30 this afternoon appointment. As with
most doctor's offices, if you do not show up or call to cancel you get
charged.
When I arrived this afternoon for my appointment I told Dr. Ritchie's
nurse what happened and why I was 6 hours late for my appointment. She
said it worked out fine anyway since they were running late this
morning even though they opened up on time. I was in and out of there
quickly with a cortison shot in the left knee. He agreed that I put too
much stress on the knee limping on it for so long from the right knee.
He gave me a six week appointment for both knees saying he was not
ready to turn me loose on the right one. I am to continue to do my
weight exercises and stationary bikes but nothing strenuous yet like
golf or treadmill work. Just as well that dad and I are both out of
commission at the same time. Hopefully the shot will fix the left one
and I will not have to have surgery on it.
I started reading a book from my TBR pile I picked up at Malice, Louise Penny's first
novel, Still Life. Marcia and I met Louise at Malice at a round table
event where authors promoted their books and I heard her on a couple of
panels. I liked her a lot which I must admit did influence my decision
to purchase her book. Also, she lives in a small village outside Quebec
which is where her fictional town, Three Pines is located. She was born
and has lived in Canada all her life. Her bio on her web site is quite
interesting. As I have been to Montreal and Quebec I am once again
visiting a place I have been via reading. She now has three books out
with her character Chief
Inspector Armand Gamache. In this first novel a well liked elderly
member of the village was found murdered in a nearby woods.
So far I am finding her book is holding my interest in both her writing
and her character development. Guess I've rambled long enough.
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Friday, 15 February 2008
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I asked Bob to snap a couple of pictures
Wednesday night of our first snow. As I said it was a very wet snow
sticking to everything. Today it was back up into the lower 60's. It's
been a long week.
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Saturday, 16 February 2008
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This morning we started working on cleaning
out Bob's office. As you know, he tends to be somewhat of a pack rat
accumulating stuff for years before he throws things away. It took
about three hours before and after lunch to get through the shelves and
floor area under the shelves. We now have eight bags of trash and piles
of stuff for Goodwill sitting in the living room. I would estimate the
poundage at somewhere around 2 to 4 hundred pounds. The stuff he
accumulates tends to be on the heavy side...computer books, parts, etc.
I took the dogs out back for playtime while we took our lunch break
from cleaning. After my shower I worked on some things at my desk. Now,
I have a bushel of work shirts and pants to iron before calling it
quits for the day.
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Sunday, 17 February 2008
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While Bob did his morning computer back up
stuff I cleaned the bathrooms and started on the house cleaning. We
moved a large bookcase that was against one wall out with the other
stuff going to Goodwill. I cleaned around the ceiling and the floor
where we moved stuff from yesterday. Until we get the stuff from the
living room hauled away we are at a standstill. His office is looking
much better.
I finished the rest of the house cleaning then took the dogs down back
to play while I picked up sticks. After putting them back inside I
cranked up the mower to do the back and side yard to get the high stuff
and leaves blown back into my yard from the neighbors since I ran the
lawn vacuum.
After I finished the mowing I let both dogs back out to run around
while I swept up some debris from the gutter and broke the sticks up to
put in the yard cart. Usually when we go down back to play I take
Malcolm down the inside stairs while Bob lets Duncan out the front
door. The main reason being Duncan can't do the stairs real good
anymore. The other reason is if both dogs go out the front door Malcolm
runs a wide out and comes flying back at Duncan who is trying to walk
across the lawn to the back. Malcolm repeated works him like a sheep
barking in his face and side swiping him often knocking him down. Being
untrained on how to work, Malcolm is not supposed to run up to
him and knock him over but go behind him and "push" him
along. At 8
1/2 he is still going full speed ahead and wide open.
Bob heard the barking and me yelling at Malcolm to leave Duncan alone
and came outside. Finally after three or four minutes of being
prevented from going where he wanted to Duncan turned and headed back
to the front door and Bob to be let back in the house.
That's it for today. The first NASCAR race of the season, and biggest,
the Daytona 500 runs this afternoon as does PGA golf. It is supposed to
start raining sometime this afternoon and into tonight with a chance of
thunderstorms.
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Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
by
Barbara
Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.
