The prediction is a foot of snow or more by tomorrow night.
I did something I never do before a storm. I went to the grocery store.
Somehow I knew it was a mistake, but I had no choice.
My friend, Lu, hosts Monday Euchre. Today she can't be there and asked if I would do it for her.
That meant getting something for a light lunch and snacks for the tables.
So, off the to the store I went. I wasn't disappointed. It was packed with folks picking up milk, bread, and whatever they think they will need to weather the pending storm.
I stood in line behind three people with their carts overflowing.
Something caught my eye as I waited my turn at the checkout.
The sun!
Mother nature knows how to take care of us.
She is giving us a day of sun, blue skies, and clear roads so folks can prepare for what is coming.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday Night
I didn't watch the Pro Bowl. I did check the score only to see that the NFC is way ahead of the AFC. Glad I skipped it.
The Euchre tournament was so much fun. Rosemary tied for seventh place and received $5. I won the 50/50 and took home $26.
They had quite a crowd to play cards. Scottsville should be pleased. It was a well run tournament.
There was an extra added benefit. I met a fellow Muckdog fan. We learned that we both sit on the third base side, but never ran into each other. We plan to make at least one game together this season.
I made it home in time to get in a game of wii bowling and wii golf.
Tomorrow is my last day in the shop. My hiatus begins Feb. 1. I'll be away for three months. Time to clear my head; finish a few projects; and do some traveling. I'm looking for suggestions for places to visit in the USA.
The Euchre tournament was so much fun. Rosemary tied for seventh place and received $5. I won the 50/50 and took home $26.
They had quite a crowd to play cards. Scottsville should be pleased. It was a well run tournament.
There was an extra added benefit. I met a fellow Muckdog fan. We learned that we both sit on the third base side, but never ran into each other. We plan to make at least one game together this season.
I made it home in time to get in a game of wii bowling and wii golf.
Tomorrow is my last day in the shop. My hiatus begins Feb. 1. I'll be away for three months. Time to clear my head; finish a few projects; and do some traveling. I'm looking for suggestions for places to visit in the USA.
Sunday, Sunday and a Storm is Brewing
The weather channel is predicting a bad storm headed our way. While the models show that it will cross the lakes and dump snow on us, the weather people aren't mentioning western NY as a place that is in the storm's eye.
That is fine with me.
In the meantime, life here is placid.
Isn't that a great word, placid?
It brings up images of peace, quiet, and a worry free day. I love it.
I'll be making coffee in a few minutes. While it is brewing, I'll take my shower. As my hair dries, I can savor that wonderful Sunday morning cup of coffee.
Late last night found me doing the end of month report for the shop. It took three phone calls to shop and stock to get it right. Gee, how was I suppose to know that $51 really meant $55? That four dollars may not seem like a lot, but it caused a few headaches as I tried to balance the books.
Today, I'm headed for Scottsville for a card tournament. The tournament will be fun, but having the company of Rosemary Christian and her daughter will be a delight.
Later, I hope to finish Jim Nigro's new novel, Tapestry. Our book group will read and discuss the book at the end of February. Jim is coming to the discussion. It's nice to have the author of a book join us. More about that later.
That is fine with me.
In the meantime, life here is placid.
Isn't that a great word, placid?
It brings up images of peace, quiet, and a worry free day. I love it.
I'll be making coffee in a few minutes. While it is brewing, I'll take my shower. As my hair dries, I can savor that wonderful Sunday morning cup of coffee.
Late last night found me doing the end of month report for the shop. It took three phone calls to shop and stock to get it right. Gee, how was I suppose to know that $51 really meant $55? That four dollars may not seem like a lot, but it caused a few headaches as I tried to balance the books.
Today, I'm headed for Scottsville for a card tournament. The tournament will be fun, but having the company of Rosemary Christian and her daughter will be a delight.
Later, I hope to finish Jim Nigro's new novel, Tapestry. Our book group will read and discuss the book at the end of February. Jim is coming to the discussion. It's nice to have the author of a book join us. More about that later.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Got a minute? Got an ear? Got a shoulder? Got a hug? I need them all.
This post was to tell you how great yesterday turned out.
The breakfast was delicious. The pizza sale was an overwhelming success. All 48 pieces of pizza were gone in less than a hour. The book discussion brought out a lot of comments and observations and the lunch that went with the discussion went without a hitch.
The only fly in the ointment was an invitation to attend a meeting to defend a spontaneous decision made by Shop and Stock. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. Who knew that today would be so hectic that I really had little time to dwell on it.
Did you ever wake up and just know that the day was going to go downhill?
This was one of those days.
One of my volunteers called the office to say she was admitted to the hospital and wouldn't be released for a few days.
The office called me at 8:30am and I was off and running.
Organizing my wonderful volunteers can be a challenge. They are senior citizens. Like most their age, there are health considerations that need to be addressed.
This day, the person who should have staffed our snack shop from 9am to noon was off site for a doctor's appointment. My volunteer, in the hospital, was taking that shift as a favor.
Needless to say, with plan A and B out of the picture, the person to take their places was me.
On a normal day that wouldn't be a problem.
Today, I had other things on my schedule.
We have a scheduled event every Thursday morning from 9am to noon. It was obvious that I couldn't be in two places at one time, so I went to my go to guy and asked if he could take over that event. He couldn't. He was driving his wife to Albion in the morning so she could tend to her elderly mother. He planned to spend the day there.
With no one else to take over that event, I cancelled it.
My next appointment was at 11am.
The people who were coming in tonight to do a program planned to meet with me this morning to do an equipment check. That one I couldn't hand off to anyone else.
So, I locked the shop at 11am to meet with them.
My next volunteer arrived, on time, to replace me at noon.
I quickly went through a few updates with her and specifically explained that a vendor would be coming in with a delivery. I explained that she would have to pay the vendor. Satisfied that everything was under control, I left.
On my way to the elevator, I stopped by the kitchen to make sure that refreshments were ready for this evening.
They weren't. Not only were they not ready, but they didn't have it on their schedule.
We quickly agreed on refreshments, then I headed for home.
I looked at the clock, it was almost 1pm. I had to be back in the shop at three.
I did a few things around the house, then took a pill to take the edge off the searing pain in my bad knee. The plan was to lie down for a hour to let the pill work.
My head didn't hit the pillow before the phone rang.
It was the office. The vendor was there and needed to be paid.
Hmmmm, didn't I show my volunteer how to do this?
Yes, I did.
I got up and went back to the shop. The volunteer was in a tizzy. Apparently she hadn't heard a word I said. I paid the vendor, exchanged a few pleasant words, then went back home.
When I arrived back in the shop at 3, the volunteer let me know that Shop and Stock left a check for me in "the bag".
The bag? I checked the drawers and couldn't find a check.
It wasn't until I made my first sale that I found a check in the cash register. It was from our treasurer for the event's speaker tonight. Which would have been wonderful, except I didn't need a check for this speaker. I left it in the register and planned to return it, tomorrow, at a meeting we were both scheduled to attend.
Shop and Stock arrived a few minutes before six to relieve me. He apparently had a late night appointment since he was dressed to kill. All well and good, except we are both expected at tomorrow's meeting and I hoped to go over some things with him this evening after the event. That wasn't going to happen.
I gave him a rundown on the evening's schedule and left to go home anxious to grab a shower and change before heading down to introduce our guests.
The last request I gave Shop and Stock was to arrange to have an announcement made reminding our residents of the evening's program.
I turned on the shower, adjusted the water, and was about to get in when the phone rang. It was the president of our council. He wanted to know what he was suppose to say in the announcement. He also wanted to tell me that he dialed the wrong number and carried on a five minute conversation with some poor lady who had no clue about an announcement or what he was suppose to say. During all of this, of course, the shower is running and I'm stark naked.
The evening event went without a hitch. It was well received. So much so that the book, recently published by our speaker, will be the next selection for our book discussion group. I did use the blank check, from our treasurer. I purchased two books written by our speaker for our library. He autographed both of them.
Shop and Stock did come by just long enough for me to give him a heads up on an issue soon to be raised. Then he was off for the night.
The day is over. I am resting my knee. The meeting tomorrow will come without final preparation. The outcome may not be in our favor. We'll just have to wait and see.
The breakfast was delicious. The pizza sale was an overwhelming success. All 48 pieces of pizza were gone in less than a hour. The book discussion brought out a lot of comments and observations and the lunch that went with the discussion went without a hitch.
The only fly in the ointment was an invitation to attend a meeting to defend a spontaneous decision made by Shop and Stock. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. Who knew that today would be so hectic that I really had little time to dwell on it.
Did you ever wake up and just know that the day was going to go downhill?
This was one of those days.
One of my volunteers called the office to say she was admitted to the hospital and wouldn't be released for a few days.
The office called me at 8:30am and I was off and running.
Organizing my wonderful volunteers can be a challenge. They are senior citizens. Like most their age, there are health considerations that need to be addressed.
This day, the person who should have staffed our snack shop from 9am to noon was off site for a doctor's appointment. My volunteer, in the hospital, was taking that shift as a favor.
Needless to say, with plan A and B out of the picture, the person to take their places was me.
On a normal day that wouldn't be a problem.
Today, I had other things on my schedule.
We have a scheduled event every Thursday morning from 9am to noon. It was obvious that I couldn't be in two places at one time, so I went to my go to guy and asked if he could take over that event. He couldn't. He was driving his wife to Albion in the morning so she could tend to her elderly mother. He planned to spend the day there.
With no one else to take over that event, I cancelled it.
My next appointment was at 11am.
The people who were coming in tonight to do a program planned to meet with me this morning to do an equipment check. That one I couldn't hand off to anyone else.
So, I locked the shop at 11am to meet with them.
My next volunteer arrived, on time, to replace me at noon.
I quickly went through a few updates with her and specifically explained that a vendor would be coming in with a delivery. I explained that she would have to pay the vendor. Satisfied that everything was under control, I left.
On my way to the elevator, I stopped by the kitchen to make sure that refreshments were ready for this evening.
They weren't. Not only were they not ready, but they didn't have it on their schedule.
We quickly agreed on refreshments, then I headed for home.
I looked at the clock, it was almost 1pm. I had to be back in the shop at three.
I did a few things around the house, then took a pill to take the edge off the searing pain in my bad knee. The plan was to lie down for a hour to let the pill work.
My head didn't hit the pillow before the phone rang.
It was the office. The vendor was there and needed to be paid.
Hmmmm, didn't I show my volunteer how to do this?
Yes, I did.
I got up and went back to the shop. The volunteer was in a tizzy. Apparently she hadn't heard a word I said. I paid the vendor, exchanged a few pleasant words, then went back home.
When I arrived back in the shop at 3, the volunteer let me know that Shop and Stock left a check for me in "the bag".
The bag? I checked the drawers and couldn't find a check.
It wasn't until I made my first sale that I found a check in the cash register. It was from our treasurer for the event's speaker tonight. Which would have been wonderful, except I didn't need a check for this speaker. I left it in the register and planned to return it, tomorrow, at a meeting we were both scheduled to attend.
Shop and Stock arrived a few minutes before six to relieve me. He apparently had a late night appointment since he was dressed to kill. All well and good, except we are both expected at tomorrow's meeting and I hoped to go over some things with him this evening after the event. That wasn't going to happen.
I gave him a rundown on the evening's schedule and left to go home anxious to grab a shower and change before heading down to introduce our guests.
The last request I gave Shop and Stock was to arrange to have an announcement made reminding our residents of the evening's program.
I turned on the shower, adjusted the water, and was about to get in when the phone rang. It was the president of our council. He wanted to know what he was suppose to say in the announcement. He also wanted to tell me that he dialed the wrong number and carried on a five minute conversation with some poor lady who had no clue about an announcement or what he was suppose to say. During all of this, of course, the shower is running and I'm stark naked.
The evening event went without a hitch. It was well received. So much so that the book, recently published by our speaker, will be the next selection for our book discussion group. I did use the blank check, from our treasurer. I purchased two books written by our speaker for our library. He autographed both of them.
Shop and Stock did come by just long enough for me to give him a heads up on an issue soon to be raised. Then he was off for the night.
The day is over. I am resting my knee. The meeting tomorrow will come without final preparation. The outcome may not be in our favor. We'll just have to wait and see.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Mudbound and other things
Today is going to be a busy day.
The kitchen volunteers will serve a breakfast this morning. They worked hard all day yesterday and the aroma of sizzling bacon and other goodies permeated every floor. That alone is enough to entice me down there this morning.
After breakfast, I have to get busy and put the finishing touches on our book club luncheon. We're having tea sandwiches, fruit compote and chocolate covered cream puffs for dessert. The book, Mudbound, is the topic for today and the book selection for A Tale for 3 Counties. It will be fun to hear the comments from our group. I liked the book. I'll admit that it wasn't one I might have picked up off the shelves but once I had it in my hands I couldn't put it down.
Before our book discussion, I have to be in the shop at 11:30am to get ready for our pizza sale. The response to the sale was a little overwhelming. I originally ordered one pizza from Pauly's Pizza. Then, I had second thoughts. Finally, last night, I decided to go with two. I'm crossing my fingers and hope I made the right decision. I'll have to help set up the room for the pizza sale, then it will be up to the staff to take it from there.
After the book discussion, I have a shift in the shop from 3 to 6.
At 7, I'm leaving for a Euchre tournament, in LeRoy, with a friend who is an excellent card player. I hope I have him as a partner sometime during the evening.
If the wii people are still playing when I get back home, I might squeeze in a golf game before I call it a night.
It should be a productive day.
The kitchen volunteers will serve a breakfast this morning. They worked hard all day yesterday and the aroma of sizzling bacon and other goodies permeated every floor. That alone is enough to entice me down there this morning.
After breakfast, I have to get busy and put the finishing touches on our book club luncheon. We're having tea sandwiches, fruit compote and chocolate covered cream puffs for dessert. The book, Mudbound, is the topic for today and the book selection for A Tale for 3 Counties. It will be fun to hear the comments from our group. I liked the book. I'll admit that it wasn't one I might have picked up off the shelves but once I had it in my hands I couldn't put it down.
Before our book discussion, I have to be in the shop at 11:30am to get ready for our pizza sale. The response to the sale was a little overwhelming. I originally ordered one pizza from Pauly's Pizza. Then, I had second thoughts. Finally, last night, I decided to go with two. I'm crossing my fingers and hope I made the right decision. I'll have to help set up the room for the pizza sale, then it will be up to the staff to take it from there.
After the book discussion, I have a shift in the shop from 3 to 6.
At 7, I'm leaving for a Euchre tournament, in LeRoy, with a friend who is an excellent card player. I hope I have him as a partner sometime during the evening.
If the wii people are still playing when I get back home, I might squeeze in a golf game before I call it a night.
It should be a productive day.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Everyone is Talking About the Weather
School closings seem to be the topic of discussion during this spate of icy temperatures. Below zero temps are not uncommon, but they aren't run of the mill either. So, when the temperature dips below freezing there are plenty of comments about the weather.
Some are meant to be helpful.
"Dress warm if you are going out."
"Make sure to close your drapes and shades to keep the heat in.".
Others are darn right funny,
"Don't touch your tongue to metal, even if you are double dog dared."
"Don't make angels in the snow while naked." (this was prompted by a police blotter item about a local man found doing exactly that!).
For some reason, sitting here keeping warm, I remembered the first few weeks of January, back in 1961 where the temperature dipped to below freezing for days. We couldn't get out of mother nature's chilly grip.
That year started with an ice storm on New Year's day.
Ice covered everything. The road conditions were dismal. The tree limbs groaned and cracked under the weight of the ice.
The days that followed brought more below zero temps.
It seemed as if the January thaw would never come.
Another ice storm I remember occurred while I was with my Mom a few years ago.
Mom's hearing wasn't the best. We were sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard the first sounds of ice hitting the house.
I went to get the portable oxygen tanks, and a few flashlights, just in case the power went out. She couldn't figure out why I was in a flurry of activity. The storm worsened, and Mom sat relaxed in her chair as I went from one end of the house to the other, checking the conditions outdoors.
Tree limbs were crashing into the streets behind the house. I could hear them hit. Mom, heard nothing.
I made a pot of coffee and sat there envying her ability to be oblivious to the storm and the possible consequences.
The power did go out. We were without lights the rest of the night. I switched her over to the portable tanks and made sure she had a flashlight by her bed.
We were fortunate to have a gas stove in the kitchen. Mom could have a warm breakfast even without power.
She was disappointed to learn that we weren't going out for breakfast. It was something she looked forward to every day.
No matter how bad the weather, my Mom and Dad were out and about. She always said that the streets and driving conditions were okay. Of course, she wasn't driving. I remember calling them during a blinding snow storm to see if they were okay.
"It's not that bad out. We just got back from the store.", she announced.
I could hear my father grumbling in the background.
Shortly after my father passed away, Mom was going out for her morning coffee. I was living out of town back then, and my sister told me about this particular event.
That snow storm dumped quite a bit of snow in a short amount of time overnight. My sister called my Mom and warned her not to try to get out of the driveway until someone came to plow it out.
Sis drove by Mom's house when she drove the kids to school.
"There is the car teetering on a snow bank!", exclaimed my sister.
"Mom tried to drive through the snow piled up by the city snow plow.".
My sister suffered from MS. Yet, she managed to get out of her car and helped my mom out of her's.
Sis laughed about it later, but she was furious at the time.
I do know that Mom learned that her car didn't have the power to bust through the snow.
Funny, how the weather can trigger memories.
Mom and Dad are gone but their winter adventures would fill volumes.
Some are meant to be helpful.
"Dress warm if you are going out."
"Make sure to close your drapes and shades to keep the heat in.".
Others are darn right funny,
"Don't touch your tongue to metal, even if you are double dog dared."
"Don't make angels in the snow while naked." (this was prompted by a police blotter item about a local man found doing exactly that!).
For some reason, sitting here keeping warm, I remembered the first few weeks of January, back in 1961 where the temperature dipped to below freezing for days. We couldn't get out of mother nature's chilly grip.
That year started with an ice storm on New Year's day.
Ice covered everything. The road conditions were dismal. The tree limbs groaned and cracked under the weight of the ice.
The days that followed brought more below zero temps.
It seemed as if the January thaw would never come.
Another ice storm I remember occurred while I was with my Mom a few years ago.
Mom's hearing wasn't the best. We were sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard the first sounds of ice hitting the house.
I went to get the portable oxygen tanks, and a few flashlights, just in case the power went out. She couldn't figure out why I was in a flurry of activity. The storm worsened, and Mom sat relaxed in her chair as I went from one end of the house to the other, checking the conditions outdoors.
Tree limbs were crashing into the streets behind the house. I could hear them hit. Mom, heard nothing.
I made a pot of coffee and sat there envying her ability to be oblivious to the storm and the possible consequences.
The power did go out. We were without lights the rest of the night. I switched her over to the portable tanks and made sure she had a flashlight by her bed.
We were fortunate to have a gas stove in the kitchen. Mom could have a warm breakfast even without power.
She was disappointed to learn that we weren't going out for breakfast. It was something she looked forward to every day.
No matter how bad the weather, my Mom and Dad were out and about. She always said that the streets and driving conditions were okay. Of course, she wasn't driving. I remember calling them during a blinding snow storm to see if they were okay.
"It's not that bad out. We just got back from the store.", she announced.
I could hear my father grumbling in the background.
Shortly after my father passed away, Mom was going out for her morning coffee. I was living out of town back then, and my sister told me about this particular event.
That snow storm dumped quite a bit of snow in a short amount of time overnight. My sister called my Mom and warned her not to try to get out of the driveway until someone came to plow it out.
Sis drove by Mom's house when she drove the kids to school.
"There is the car teetering on a snow bank!", exclaimed my sister.
"Mom tried to drive through the snow piled up by the city snow plow.".
My sister suffered from MS. Yet, she managed to get out of her car and helped my mom out of her's.
Sis laughed about it later, but she was furious at the time.
I do know that Mom learned that her car didn't have the power to bust through the snow.
Funny, how the weather can trigger memories.
Mom and Dad are gone but their winter adventures would fill volumes.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Pauly's Pizza, A Lunch Time Treat for The Snack Shop at 400 Towers.
I am so excited to announce that Pauly's Pizza is coming to The Snack Shop on Wednesday.
We are offering pizza by the slice at lunch time on Wednesday. This is our first attempt at offering fresh baked pizza as a lunch item.
If all goes well, and I don't see why it shouldn't, we will be adding Pauly's Pizza to our list of local vendors.
This will be a welcome addition, especially on cold wintry days when no one wants to go out for lunch.
Pauly is a great guy. He will bend over backward to accomodate his customers. I know, he has been a lifesaver for me several times.
Hopefully, we will offer Pauly's Pizza once a week as a lunch time treat.
We are offering pizza by the slice at lunch time on Wednesday. This is our first attempt at offering fresh baked pizza as a lunch item.
If all goes well, and I don't see why it shouldn't, we will be adding Pauly's Pizza to our list of local vendors.
This will be a welcome addition, especially on cold wintry days when no one wants to go out for lunch.
Pauly is a great guy. He will bend over backward to accomodate his customers. I know, he has been a lifesaver for me several times.
Hopefully, we will offer Pauly's Pizza once a week as a lunch time treat.
Pauly
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