Sunday, September 13

Sunday Odds and Ends


Text for this photo is (way) below.***


On Friday, mr. kenju went out with a friend about 8:30 am. They usually go to breakfast and sit around and chew the fat for a few hours. I was busy cleaning the house, so I wasn't paying attention to the time - until I realized it was 12:30 pm and I hadn't seen or heard tell of him. I called his cell phone but (as usual) it wasn't turned on. I left a scathing message; knowing he wouldn't hear it anyway (it's a new phone, and he's clueless.)

When he got home, he said "What's the big deal? Don't be such an alarmist." And I said..."With your medical history (stroke) and Stan's recent dizzy spells, I imagined you both lying upside down in a ditch somewhere. It's a good thing your kids didn't know you were "missing" for four hours or they would have called the police."

He explained that they went to breakfast, and then Stan, who is in charge of the building for the Masonic chapter to which he belongs, had to go to there and wait for a guy to give him a quote for new gutters. Stan's wife is in Europe visiting family, so he has no leash on him for several weeks. I think I finally convinced mr. kenju that he was being very inconsiderate by not calling, since when he left here a few minutes ago (with another friend), he made a big show of turning on his phone.

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My zest for cleaning up around here hasn't abated this morning (Sat.), so in a few hours I will tackle the kitchen, including mopping the floor. I wish I had a new mop, but I keep forgetting to buy one. Do any of you use the new Sw*ffer mops? I don't want to buy one unless I know they are worth the money.

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***The ivy that grows close to the pool is running (yes, running) out over the concrete walkway, so it has to be trimmed before we close the pool for the winter. I like looking at the ivy, but I think I should have thought a bit more about maintenance when I planted it 27 years ago. It has overtaken nearly everything in its path. See the bridge and steps on the right in the photo? Until last month, the ivy had completely overgrown the two steps and up the posts on the bridge railings. Keeping it trimmed is hard on my back, but it's a little easier this time of year when the temperatures are a bit lower. Cutting it is next on my to do list, and since the temps are hovering around 70 right now, I think I should get off this infernal machine and go trim the ivy. Don't you?

Update: I trimmed it (as you can see, above.) Oh, my achin' back! There is very little room between the ivy and the edge of the pool. I trimmed eight inches off and in some areas, a little more than that. Now we'll be able to cover the pool without overlapping ivy as well. That is, assuming we close it before the ivy has a chance to cover the walkway again, which should only take 4-5 days.....LOL


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You may have read about my recent computer troubles. Among other things, I need more memory. I don't know if it is prudent to add memory to a computer that is already pushing six years old, but we may do that. One thing that has been bothering me for a week or two is that getting a comment window open is taking much longer than it ever did before. I click on 'comment' and I have to wait (in some instances) 10-15 seconds before the window opens (and that's too long for computers on cable fast access.) It doesn't sound like much time, but when you have over 150 feeds in your blog reader, it takes a long time! I prefer blogs that have comments all on one page (not opening in a separate window), but somehow y'all didn't ask me when you were deciding on your blog settings. Why not??? On the plus side, Blogger has made it possible for me to comment on blogs I could not previously comment on. Maybe my constant fussing about it led them to fix the problem. Hush! It could happen.


15 comments:

Gilly said...

Ivy is a great round cover, but it does have its own agenda!

I have a good old fashioned mop for my kitchen floor - lots of dangly bits, and I have a bucket with a sort of strainer into which I drop the mop head, twist and push.

Lots cheaper than the fancy ones!! ;-)

Gilly said...

PS Mr. G never turns his phone on, either. Says it is for emergencies only. Never mind if its ME has the emrency and needs him in a hurry, or if he is badly injured. Oh no, that darn phone stays off

bobbie said...

Ivy does have a way of creeping! Mine is threatening to take over the front steps.

I too have trouble with some commenting, but always the same ones, so it could be on their end rather than mine.

Pat said...

Re naughty boys: do they EVER grow up? Good that he has pals to see. Most men aren't very good at that.
I think you should get - at least - the occasional help in the garden - if only for seasonal stuff.
That and an hour a week's help in the house has transformed my life.

Gilly: how does he know there is an emergency if he's switched off?
I'm speechless:)

Arkansas Patti said...

Kind of understand mr. kenju.I am also guilty of only using a cell for an emergency(my emergencies), such as 911, AAA, or police about a mugging in progress. Heaven help family and friends who need to contact me in "their" emergency. Something about old dogs and new tricks.

Rick Rockhill said...

I think you are reasonable about worrying for mr kenju.

we have a swiffer mop, it does attract dirt well but I dont think its worth the money to be honest

LZ Blogger said...

Judy ~ I am glad that you can psot comments now! Shhh! I won't tell! ~ jb///

rosemary said...

husbands are like that....Steve always wants me to call him no matter the hour when he is traveling and I have a night out...but he leaves his phone on vibrate when he goes to bed, so I could be in a ditch and he wouldn't know for hours. As for the swi$$er floor thing....depends on the floor....on laminate it streaks badly, on tile it is OK...it is costly to buy those pads and the cleaner so i just went back to a damp towel rubber banded on the end of my broom and I squirt a mixture of vinegar and water and mop....every day. Sorry, but I hate ivy...it harbors spiders in Idaho that are as big as my cat. i always have computer glitches but i am a real computer dummy so i figure it is just me.

Looking to the Stars said...

When I look at our backyard, I think to myself "what were we thinking?", its a lot of work and we are older now so backs and muscles get sore easier. So I know how you feel.

I love the dry swifter but the wet one doesn't clean like I like (it doesn't get up the dirt very well but you could use 4 of the pads to clean I guess). I went back to my pine sol, water and rag.

Guys never think, they are like little boys that you have to remind over and over :)

Darlene said...

After my back started bothering me I bought the Swifter for dry floors and the one for mopping. I liked the first one because it is easier on my back than a broom, but the one to mop with meant buying expensive solution often. I finally quit buying the solution and sprayed vinegar water on my tile before mopping. It, too, is easier on my back but doesn't do a great job. I had to go over the tile twice to really get it clean and do it daily. The pads get expensive, also.

About your computer; I had new memory installed in a 6 year old computer and it didn't help much. I ended up buying a new computer and I'll bet you will have to also.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Ivy is great - in the beginning and then it needs a lot of maintenance as times goes on.
The dry swifter - I love. I buy the generic type at our grocery or the Dollar Store. Half the price and I can tell no differance in the way they pick up.
I have something I bought that is a towel like pad that I squeeze dry with water and vinegar and insert on a handle and go over my hardwood floors after using the swifter. It is easier to squeeze out then a mop. Also use on bathroom floor. Hope I am making sense. Purchased at our local Walmart. Everyone brags on my floors!!!

Anonymous said...

Big hugs to you Kenju. I've been off the blogging scene for a while and your post is a real breath of fresh air and a dip into reality.

Ginnie said...

I couldn't wait to get ivy planted and then was so disappointed when it barely grew the first year. But by year two it took off with a vengeance and now, like you, I can hardly keep up with it.
I still like the looks of it, though.

Fran aka Redondowriter said...

Sounds like your concern has made mr kenju more aware of being responsible. I can imagine not getting hold of him would make you nervous.

That's right--you Easterners have to close your pools, but it sounds like you gave the ivy the old heave ho.

Peter said...

Mr Fixit is here to help you Judy....
If you Ctrl X on the photo when you are writing your post then put the curser or cursor where you want the photo to appear and Ctrl V it will reappear there.
In your later post with the underlining, I have no idea why this happens sometimes.... but you can get around it by pressing enter a few times and starting to type again or Ctrl V if you are bringing text in from Word, then backspace from above the new text until you clear the corrupt text.
My mobile phone is to call for a tow truck if I have an accident, when I had my recent accident I had forgotten to bring my phone with me, so much for the best laid plans.
I recently bought a steam mop, it cleans hard surfaces brilliantly, but then by the time I get round to using it they NEED cleaning and I can easily see the difference.
Signed Dorothy D