Showering is Hazardous

Some very resilient flowers, hanging in there after 3 nights of freezing weather:

Today’s Exploit:

Last night the trailer ran out of water.  This happens occasionally, usually noticed when dish water stops running or someone’s laundry never finishes a cycle.  

Every so often it catches someone in a bit more awkward position.  

Last night the water ran out while I was in the shower.  

Thankfully I had about a 90.342 second warning when the water pressure started to drop.  I managed to get most of the soap out of my hair before the water was completely gone.  

I suppose I should be happy I didn’t run out of HOT water halfway through like I regularly did on the last job.  Due to the washer being cross-hosed (?). Everyone would wash clothes on “cold” and use all the hot water, right before I was ready to get in after a run.

Conversation About a Stroller

The fitbit tracking competition has begun. After 1 baseline week we stand:

1 Dad: 92410 steps

2 PJ: 82262 steps

3 Cupcake: 71601 steps

4 Mom: 45091 steps

The real counting starts today!

Today’s Exploit:

The other day I was helping H clean out his house, because he is moving. He doesn’t have much stuff and we spent most of the time trying to get gunk off the floor and walls and (eek) bathrooms. Also, we spent a bit trying to organize the stuff that his brother and sister-in-law had left when they moved out.  

In one closet I found a stroller, some bed supports and two Army uniform skirts. I put these aside so that I could sweep.

Klay was with me at the time and asked what the stroller was.

Klay:  What’s this?

Me:  A stroller.

Klay:  What are you going to do with it?

Me:  Probably give it away or throw it away.

Klay:  Why?

Me:  Because we don’t need it.

Klay:  You should keep it, you might need it tomorrow.

He has been hinting for a while that he wants to be a big brother, and has upped his game.  He has also asked when H and I will get married so that he can have a little brother.  And has told us that he’d be ok with a puppy for a younger brother, for the time being. 

Just to be clear... this is all wishful thinking on his part.

Cupcake Had a Birthday

The dd sent me to town for hamburgers.  

Then he came in and started talking about how I’d been goofing around and going to town and being irresponsible since he arrived at the rig.

I know he was joking, but he’s one of those that’s pretty good at keeping a strait face.

Today’s Exploit:

I got to go home for Cupcake’s birthday, but I didn’t make it in time for her sushi dinner.  So we had her birthday the next day.  (She is in town for some interviews.) 

We went for a run, and I made her run really hard at the end.

Then she opened some gifts and was mad at me because I didn’t make her open them before we went running.  I got a fitbit for her, and she really wanted to know how many steps she ran.

Then we made some waffles, that I couldn’t finish because I got a migraine.  

Then I went to bed for a couple hours while she talked to my parents and my mom almost cried about the scrapbook-type pages I made to go with the fitbit.  (But don’t tell her, she claims her eye was running all day. Not that I could see, I was in the other room listening to her choked up voice caused by the running eye.)

When I felt a little better I went back out and talked to my parents on Skype.

Then, when they finished making their cookies, I brought out the birthday cake.  (I stayed up until 1 making it the night before because those tiny little cakes took over an hour to bake, and I only had one pan that size.)

I need a bigger offset spatula, my little one wasn't quite doing the trick.
Also I was trying not to use any frosting because Cupcake is a weirdo and doesn't like it.

We sang Happy Birthday to her and she told me I had pretty candles and that she didn’t remember that she’d gotten them for me a few years ago for my birthday.

She almost didn't get all six candles out with one breath!

And finally we ate some cake and everyone was happy.

Photo bombing cake pictures

Being the normal girl that she is.

Green is her favorite color, and pink is her signature color.
Duh, she calls herself Cupcake!

The end.

I’m a Loud Baker

Happy Belated New Year. 

I have been busy pretending the internet does not exist. This might otherwise be known as procrastinating.

Today’s Exploit:

The other day I made some cookies and some rolls.

We were not busy and I wanted something to do besides trying to stay awake while sitting in an office chair surrounded by computer monitors.

So I made some Amaretto Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and was told that I know what I’m doing because the cookies were not to chewy and not too crispy.  Not sure how I managed that, but I am getting better at pretending it was on purpose.

After I finished kneading the bread and washing dishes the directional driller, Dane, who had been sawing some serious logs the entire time I was in the kitchen told me I was too loud.

Dane: I wanted to take a nap, but you guys were being too loud.

Me: (trying not to laugh) Oh, I’m sorry.

Chris: It sounded like you were sleeping pretty well.

Dane: Why, was I snoring?

Chris: Yes, a little.

Dane: I guess I might have fallen asleep for a while.

And later to the other directional driller:

Dane: I got a good nap this afternoon, I missed the whole [football] game.

The Race is On

5 dozen cookies gone in 4 hours.

Today’s Exploit:

Have I ever mentioned that Cupcake and I have fitness competitions? Sometimes it’s just a challenge from me to her, with prizes for meeting certain requirements, sometimes it’s fighting for the most steps of most miles.  

This time we are going for time. 

Six days a week.

At least 40 minutes a dy.

I bet I win the first 2 weeks.

Happy Christmas

May your holidays be as goofy and strange as our Thanksmas.

Thanksmas in Texas

I made marshmallows!

Today’s Exploit:

My parents came to Texas for Thanksmas this year. I told them it was going to be really nice and to bring some shorts. And then the weather changed and we spent the week with windy mid 30* weather. However, they were not too disappointed because they left -30* weather when they came here.

We went Thanksmas shopping and failed to complete any of my well organized plans for entertainment. We had Christmas Sausage and Bran Muffins and my dad ran the Jingle Bell 5k with me. I think it was actually called Sights and Sounds, but everyone was wearing jingle bells. 

And then we opened gifts and everyone was happy and Cupcake and Arley procrastinated going back to Albuquerque because they were afraid of ice storms. 

SO EXCITED!

I have a new helper:

Klay is wearing his PPE for cooking bacon, and ready to demolish some waffles

Today’s Exploit:

I got a package in the mail the other day. It came from my second mom, Tammy. I was really excited because packages are fun, but I made myself wait until I finished my errands to open it. 

When I finally got home I dropped everything by the door and got my scissors out. She sent me so many fun things. 

So many new toys!

I got pieces for another quilt, Grandma Catherine’s cake pans and so, so many icing tips and toys for making cakes pretty. I immediately threw them in some soapy wanter and cleaned a few years of sticky coatings from them. I had to scrub a few of the better used ones a lot and use baking soda to cut through the grease. But now they are all shiny and clean and ready to decorate some cakes. Now I just need to decide on an occasion.  

Some baking soda and water, after scrubbing a bazillion icing tips.

All shiny and clean and drying in the sink.

The cake pans were still in the original box, one that has definitely seen its share of use.
However, the instructions for making a party cake are still in good shape.

About My Babies

It’s raining, raining, raining here. So much rain.

Today’s Exploit:

I have a new mint baby. His name is Max. He is a transplant from Wyoming and the grandchild of the Saratoga mint bush that wanted to take over the yard, and the garage.

Natalie and Max's future homes, and Max hanging out in the water growing some roots.

I also re-potted Maya Mint, and cloned Myrtle. (I pulled her out of her pot and broke the resulting mass in half and planted them in separate pots.) I still have Myrtle, she is doing quite well again, finally. And her clone is Myra, who looks more like Maya. 

Maya, looking all spiffy in her new "real" pot.

I also have a new nasturtium called Natalie. I planted her at the end of September and then neglected all the babies on my porch while I went off and made caramels, fudge, cookies and met H’s new nephew. Thankfully the Mint clan is pretty hardy and I remembered to leave Natalie on the wall to catch the rain. 

My Babies!

Ally and Jack now live on my patio wall since they can survive off the minimal Texas rain, and are too big to carry around in a milk crate with all the other new babies.