Mediocre Home Makeover

I spent at least 3 days cleaning cupboards and putting down shelf paper. Last night I was showing off to C & K: “See, all of these recycled plastic containers on this shelf have lids and the lids are in this fancy storage bin.”
Thirty minutes later, the TV happened to be on, and there was Ty showing the newest family of Extreme Makeover – Home Edition, all of the super-duper, fancy-smancy things their house could do.
Ummm...

Dreams

Like everyone else, I sometimes have vivid dreams. I usually don't remember them. But sometimes I can remember every detail. I had a dream about 4 months ago that has really stuck with me. I was working at this high school and there was a dirt ramp and a pond. Kids were flying wooden airplanes. Then we were in a very large auditorium, but it seemed like a church service or maybe a graduation was going on. Finally, as the dream seemed to be winding down, I saw the last plane take off and I knew it was going to crash. And it did and there were a lot of injuries. Two months ago, our department was asking for paramedics to assist with the Red Bull Flugtag and when I read about it, it really felt like deja vu. The event is this Saturday. I am putting this in writing so that when the event is over and everything is cool, I will feel very silly about my dream. If you don't have anything to do on Saturday, go watch. Don't watch from the landing zone end - just in case.

http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/Texas2007/default.aspx

Lattice Entertain Mom

I worked a "payback" yesterday at a relatively slow station. We had one call around 1, didn't do anything until midnight and then got up at 0530 for a serious medical call. We got "stuck" on the truck for an hour and a half past shift change (0700). During the lull of the afternoon and evening, I watched at least 4 episodes of CSI on Spike TV. While I was lazing at work, Cy and Kimberly were busy at the house... After work, I hung around the Pflugerville/Round Rock area, drinking Starbucks and reading Suzie's next book, My Sister's Keeper (only a few pages into it, and the story is a keeper - this is going to be a GREAT read). I taught a Body Pump class at the Hester's Crossing gym, stopped at the grocery store and then home. Cy and Kimberly bought me a new rose bush and mentioned it. They didn't say anthing about the new lattice over the deck. I think I was home at least an hour before I noticed it. So while I was chilling at the station, they were busy in the back yard trimming the rest of the vines, ripping out the rotted plywood and adding the lattice. The picture is at night, but isn't it pretty? Wow! C&K are soooooo cool!

Au Natural

I do take short cuts now and then, but I am careful about what I use. I can honestly say that I have NEVER bought a box of Hamburger Helper, for instance. At work the other day, in front of about 10 of my co-workers, one of them asked if the pie crust I made for the peach pie on the grill was homemade or frozen. My response: anyone have a rock?
Food is serious business.

Web Mistress

Suzy, Retta, Cliff and Tor came over for breakfast this morning. As they were leaving, they stopped to admire the spider and her gorgeous web. The web mistress was not at home, but one of her victims was nicely wrapped in the right hand corner of her web, just waiting for her. Can you tell what it is?
Clifford grabbed a branch of the bush under the web and gave it a tug and up jumped the spider! She sped right to the center and did a couple of push-ups (she is definitely part of the family). Right after Suzy and the gang left, we watched as the little lady went and got her scorpion, moved him to the center of the web, wrapped him a few more times in webbing (you know what it looks like when you take a piece of plastic wrap and pull it out and wrap something – it looked like that), and then she had a snack. The scorpion didn’t like it much, but he was not able to do anything with his stinger, it being all wrapped up. Makes me think of the song by the Fabulous Thunderbirds…

Web Update

This morning, before I left for work, I stood and watched the spider re-spinning her web. She moved it just a little more to the left. While I stood there, a nice sized bug landed in her web. She was half way around to it, spinning a thread about 3 inches from the middle. As she got closer to the bug, the bug started to wiggle around. The spider stopped her spinning, moved quickly to the bug, and gobbled him up in a flash. Then she was back to business. I will try to get a video next time.

Pure Relief

The second most exciting thing that happened today was that I awoke WITHOUT a sinus headache. It seems like I have had one for two weeks running. So I must put a plug in for Dr. Hana’s Nasopure. It’s a nasal wash and you squirt it up your nose. Paul asked if it felt like when you get water up your nose while swimming. No, it’s much worse. But the relief is worth it. Yes, you can make your own saline solution and all that, but I like Dr. Hana’s organic, pre-measured salt packets.

The most exciting thing today was working the PT part of our hiring process. I was hoping that I would see Grant come through. Fourteen people took the written and then we got the word that only six would be showing up for the physical ability course (meaning eight people failed the written). I kept looking for Grant’s car and didn’t see it. I was biting my nails and deep in conversation with our new safety guy, when the six candidates walked past me. I had to keep from jumping up and down when I saw Grant in the group.