Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The Vatican Rag

Monday, April 27, 2009

Solar Field Project

This time, the largest field that will be built and lined with mirrors to reflect the sunshine back into space in order to cool the planet. Something like that....

The site of the new solar field in the Nevada desert, near Boulder City, was tested.
Mark did it again.

He shlepped the big load frame on the trailer and the family along, so he can have a good time riding a big ol' tractor out in the sand blasted desert for a few days and playing with steel and soil...etc...otherwise known as testing.

We all had a great time.
Mark came back to the hotel every evening exhausted and covered with dirt. Riding a tractor is tyring after all.
Buck and Spitz slept in the airconditioned hotel room for the most part and had short walks througout the day.
I made 3 of my baby quilts for my granddaughter.
That way we hung out from Tuesday through Saturday.

Saturday afternoon, daddy finished a little earlier and we all went to see the architectural wonders of the US.




















The Hoover Dam





















New bridge for crossing the river.





















Buck is more interested in the lake bellow. It's so close he can taste it, yet we cannot go into it.





















After the lake view point, we walked on a view trail that goes from the visitor center to the Hoover Dam.
It is about 4 miles long. It was a nice stroll to tire us all out for the evening.



















On the lake view trail.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

HAPPY TEA DAY !!!















Featuring the government's theme song.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Easter?

It was snowing and the flowers froze.

The Easter Bunny got a cold feet, so we had a 6 eggs omelette with bacon and fresh squeezed orange juice from Valencia Oranges produced on the Padula's San Diego Estate.
The grand, logger's breakfast was followed by oak hunting in the forest.
The boys did their usual Sabbath activities and I did mine.
Mark did the wood cutting and stacking, Buck and Spitz did the sniffing up the forest and of course I had my cooking show.
Someone has to work!?

Easter Monday! Yes, we always had that when I grew up. It was just another day to squander away with parties. The men would spend the day pouring cologne on the women's heads, thus the women stunk too much to go to work that day.
We don't have Easter Monday in the USSA yet, so we need not to worry about the smelly colognes.

That's the News From Lake Wobegon.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Buck & Spitz Birthday

Our babies had a two days long birthday party.
Yesterday, we had appointments in Hemet, so Buck & Spitz got to ride with us all day long.
They got to visit their Vet, got their annual shots and exams.
The doctor said, they are both over weight and in good heath.
Nothing new....
They went shopping to Pet Smart and they choose the ingredients for their birthday cakes.
Today, they were out in the forest logging with daddy all morning.
I've been working on their birthday presents for the past several weeks.
Both puppies got a quilt (what else?) and two matching pillows for their bedroom.
I hand quilted both blankets. They expected nothing less...
Buck's newly decorated bedroom

















Spitzers' new bedroom



















Doggie Condo

















Gourmet Puppy Cakes


















Happy Birthday to you.....



















Buck is 7 years old. He does not act the part at all. He eats like a 1 year old, smashing his face into his birthday cake.


















Spitzers has much better table manners at the age of 5.


Friday, April 3, 2009

A Dishwasher Story

Santa gave me a gift card for Christmas that said, it is valid for any dishwasher of my choice.

I picked one about two months ago. It was a stainless steel from Sears, and it was supposed to be delivered and installed on a Monday. All for $500.

The delivery man called to reschedule for the following Saturday morning.

It was 4:00 pm on that Saturday, no dishwasher, no delivery man, no phone call.

I called Sears and told them to cancel the order and give me a refund. We paid $150 for the unreliable delivery and installation service. I find that a bit high for a NO service.

So...back to the drawing board, we had to hunt for another dishwasher.

Two days ago, I had a date with my husband in Palm Desert to go to Lowe's and the machine I picked this time is the one you see bellow.

























A Whirlpool, energy saving... yadayadayada... in white this time, to make my kitchen brighter.

This time, no delivery and installation. We loaded it into the back of the truck and Mark volunteered ... hm ...with some arm twisting ... to install it.

Well....

I guess it was not my destiny to get a white dishwasher, because we opened the package and what they gave us is this:


























A stainless steel Whirlpool, energy saver, much nicer and $200 more than the white one I choose.
They forced me into it. If it were a cheaper one, we would have probably returned it, but what the heck!

So my darling husband installed it. He is so brave. He didn't even use any bad words during the painful 3-4 hours. He took a few Aspirins and considered it a plumbing challange. He said, he will not touch plumbing for another, at least, 5 years.
Too bad, because the new kitchen faucet has been sitting in the laundry room waiting to be installed since we bought the house, in 2003. I guess it has to sit there until 2014.