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Sunday, February 21, 2021

long da÷m week

This past Friday was the first day with above freezing temps in a week.  Our heating is based on heat exchage, which pretty much fails when the heat exchange is covered in frost.  We have one small ceramic heater that's placed in the living room;  Disco closed the vents in 3 rooms where we don't linger.  But Friday & Saturday have worked to defrost the exchage, and the temp inside is holding at 71°F.
We have an even warmer day ahead,  but I'm still debating whether to put on street clothes, or go back to bed.  Ah the exciting life of retirement.  While waiting for the HVAC to resume normal function, we're still waiting to have an oven installed.  Imagine how much warmer we could have been, if we could have been baking cookies, or roasting many heads of garlic for the freezer.  I would have voted for casseroles for dinner, too.  Make 'em big enough to freeze half & eat half.
The oven would be key.
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I've made some progress on the fingerless mitts.   Four more rows are needed before the "sore thumb"  can be knit.  No thumb gusset,  not sure I'll like the fit but it will knit up quicker.  Or it would, if I could get to my "knitting spot" on the sofa.  We got a whole week of newspapers delivered this morning, and the Plaidman has settled in to work all the crosswords.  Except he just went outside to smoke!  HAHA, you move you lose!!


Friday, February 12, 2021

in memorium

I watch Alaskan Bush People, followed them for quite a while.  I am so sad that Bill Brown has passed.  The Wolf Pack has lost their elder alpha.  Billy always seemed such a sweet guy, in spite of all the hazards and mishaps of his chosen lifestyle.  That may support my theory that hardship tends to beat the meaness out some folks.  Yes, a "lucky" few of us actually do go from swords to ploughshares.  I don't know how comforting that thought may be, to his family, but I do wish them peace.
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The Oven Saga continues.  We had an appliance repairman out, hopeful that the door could simply be replaced.  No such luck, it's an antique for which extra parts are unobtainable.  Then the big box store called, they wanted to set up delivery.  We said either Saturday or Sunday, but they called just now.  They just left, without installing our oven.  Grrrr!  The problem is the "kick plate" on the base of the unit, which the repairman couldn't handle, and neither can the big box installer.  Basically, it's a baseboard across the front of the oven.  The installer's insurance won't allow him to dismantle it; he suggested getting a carpenter, or just pulling it off ourselves.  Plaidman is working on it.  The installer will check back with us on Sunday.  To be continued....
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Sis' wrap will not be continued in its current form.  I've decided to make afghan squares instead, which should be more interesting.   Much of it has already been frogged.  I'm watching the impeachment trial while frogging; seems a good mix.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

further developments

Our new oven was supposed to be installed yesterday.  The handyman sent by the big box home goods store discovered that he could not slide out the old oven, because it has a kickplate, which will require a professional installer's work.  I got to thinking that maybe all we need (for the oven) is a new door.  I've looked at a couple repair sites, and don't think it would be beyond the capability of the Plaid Patrol to lift off the old one & hang a new door.  So, I do some shopping for an oven door.  After about two very frustrating hours it becomes clear that an oven door can't be bought online.  One may buy all the parts of a door, but who wants to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle?  I found a repair service that specifically lists oven door replacement in their services, and expect to work out a suitable time for them/him to come help us.  Then we'll call the big box store, cancel our order & get our money back.  Piece of cake.
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Disco suggested that the Plaidman requires supervision when operating the oven.  I have to agree.  He likes to bake breakfast rolls a couple mornings each week; Disco & I will have to look for the tins in the fridge, and get him to do his baking  in the evening, since he rises a lot earlier than we do.
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Every time I pick up Sis' wrap, I want to change it.  I just can't get happy with it.  Maybe sampler blocks would be more interesting?  I've a tonne of patterns for such.  I'll think about it.

Monday, February 8, 2021

exhibits b & c

Not yesterday, but the Sunday before, Plaidman made dinner.  He made something that each of us has cooked up many times, with minor variations based on pantry contents.  We were to have a beef meatloaf, which we usually "finish" with some sort of tomato product drizzled over it.  We've used tomato paste or sauce, or commercial bottled spaghetti sauce, mixing a bit into the loaf before it's shaped & put in a baking dish.  Then we spread the tomato product over the top for nice color & flavor.  Sunday evening, he made up his beef, egg, & oats mixture and went to the pantry for some tomato goodness.  He could see none at all, not a bit of tomato sauce or paste.  We live less than a half mile from the grocery, but instead of putting the loaf fixings in the fridge & making a quick trip to the store, he decides to just do without the flavor & savor of the sauce.  Our meatloaf was dry and not tasty, for which he apologized and explained the lack of tomato.  Now, I'd had occasion to get into the pantry recently, and remembered seeing some spaghetti sauce there.  I asked if he'd noticed it.  He had, but didn't want to open a full jar for a half a cup of sauce, and didn't want to throw out the rest.  What?  Why not use the half cup, put the lid back on, and put the jar in the fridge?  He shrugged.  The idea had not occurred to him, even after literally years of doing just that whenever meatloaf was on the menu.  This piece of info had fallen out of his memory.
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Yesterday I asked for Raisin Bran, heated up in the microwave.  He seems to enjoy making my breakfast.  I had an egg scramble as well, which came to the table before my hot cereal.  I'd nearly finished my egg, when the bowl of cereal wss placed on the placemat.  I gave it a stir : yes there were raisins, no it was not Raisin Bran.  It was cream of wheat.  Good thing I like cream of wheat with raisins.  This is one example of breakfast confusion, but it's happened at least once a week for a while now.  I'm going along on his next visit to his doctor.
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I frogged & rent three rows of Sis' wrap.  That' all I've managed in two days.

Monday, February 1, 2021

Scary

Wow, where to begin...The Plaidman is not a youngster.  He's seen eight decades, if you count a few months of 1949.  We've been a team for a long time.  The last couple of years he has been showing signs of impaired cognition, in spite of working crossword & sudoku  puzzles daily.  He did improve when he got hearing aids.  Then last night he had some kind of panic attack/senior moment.  He made a boxed mix of bar cookies, waited for the oven to heat & put the baking dish inside, setting the timer.  A few minutes later, the oven beeps --- much too soon.  He goes back to the oven, to find the door locked & his baking on fire.  Now, this model oven has an auto lock function that engages when the cleaning  function is used, or if something inside catches fire.  This lock keeps fire inside, behind the door.  It is super important to leave that door closed so the fire will go out when the oxygen is consumed.  When the oven gets down to normal temp, the lock will disengage.  But Plaidman won't wait, and tries to get the door open.  He pulls the handle off, the door starts breaking, I'm trying to tell him that there's no rush to get the cookies as they're burnt anyway, and that the door needs to stay closed!  Glass starts breaking, I told him to at least have the fire extinguisher at hand; his hands were shaking as he reached for it.  Apparently his frantic pulling at the door, stopping three times to sweep up fallen glass, & getting the extinguisher, allowed time for the fire to go out & oven to cool.  He broke several layers of glass and was just frantic to get the door open.   Well, he did.  And the cookies were burnt to a crisp.  But at least the rest of the kitchen didn't BURN UP.  Guess who gets to go buy us a new oven tomorrow.   I'm glad no one got hurt, & the kitchen didn't burn up.  But his behaviora was bizarre.
He attacked that oven door like our lives were in danger.  I am very concerned.
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That was Saturday.  He was odd again Sunday, but my phone is acting up so I'll have to make that another post.