Sunday, October 30, 2022

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Reflecting On The Season

Our snow is gone, except for some stubborn patches. It never hangs around that long here. (I know. you think, 'Colorado's dry?' Most of the time, yes -- unless you're up in the mountains.)

    Our fall colors are pretty much gone, too. On to November, the dreary month -- at least at night. (We generally have lots of sun during the day, thankfully.)  I plan to give myself permission to read by our electric fireplace, use candles generously...and bake cookies, apple crisp and dumplings. Those make the Brick happy. 



Meanwhile:

Scuba diver in trouble rescued by mermaids -- really!

Two Michigan players get beaten up after the Michigan/Michigan State game. (Michigan won, 29-7.) The police are investigating, thanks to a video. (Do the State players realize that their faces and numbers show up clearly on the video??)
    Update:  Several Michigan State players were suspended. Looks like some arrests are coming, too. Go figure. Update #2 -- four more suspended. 

Did she do it? That isn't in doubt. But her claims of not using oxygen, and completing the climb of Manaslu in record time? During a storm? Serious questions here about Grace Tseng's claims. Hmmm.  (I always find it amusing when these climbers claim to do it 'alone,' with obviously shoveled paths, ropes up, etc etc. So much for crediting the sherpas that made it possible.

Bodies buried under Washington Square Park? More than 20,000 of them? Shades of Cheesman Park in Denver. (If you're curious about this, my Ghosts & Legends book explains.)


Scary facts that will give you pause. In more ways than one. 

Celebrities who say they lived in haunted houses. 

More 'celebrity supernatural experiences' here.   Some repeats here from the link previous.

Ten horrror films that disturbed the crews working on them. (The Shining leads the way. What a creepy movie.)

Vermeer's Girl with A Pearl Earring -- fortunately unharmed. Throwing mashed potatoes on a Monet painting proves WHAT?!?  This incident ranks right up there, too.

Secrets of a professional negotiator.  (From Retirement Manifesto)

How to make 7-layer jello.  (From The Frugal Girl)

Or petit fours.  (Thanks, Paula Deen.)


Or air fryer onion rings!  (From Foodtalk Daily)

The person breaking into the Hobbs' campaign office has been arrested. (Oops, he wasn't connected with Kari Lake at all, in spite of statements by Hobbs campaign staff. Initially they insinuated that someone connected with her campaign broke in -- then they accused her of accusing THEM of staging it. Sigh...and the break-in, according to Hobbs, was "an intimidation against her campaign." Tell that to the guy -- with an extensive arrest record for burglary -- who did it.  Just like Watergate... right?)

An early Warren Buffet letter -- and what we can learn from it.

Now you can see the moment when the 5.1 earthquake hit northern California recently.

The New York Supreme Court strikes down the vaccine mandate as a condition for employment -- and orders that employees be reinstated, plus given back pay.  Whoa. 

A humpback whale helps rescue itself! 

Packing light -- from someone who's done it traveling worldwide.

A strange, poignant story of a leopard -- and a cow. I know, this sounds weird. But it's quite touching.

Courage -- we need it now more than ever.  A classic from yours truly. 

Cumings - my mom's clan

An $11 million estate -- left to strangers!

"What is the most ridiculous thing, as a teacher, that you had to deal with parents who thought their child a perfect angel?" More interesting answers from Quora.

Memories, a quarter-decade later, of Colorado's 1997 blizzard. We remember that one -- it was rough! The Mama and my dad were visiting...and trapped here. (Which they weren't too thrilled about.) I was more worried that it took the Brick a couple of hours to make a normal half-hour commute back home. (He and the Jeep made it in two pieces.)

A grizzly bear attack in Evanston, Wyoming!  The hunter made things worse by shooting the bear -- and himself, in the process. (Fortunately, he lived.)

Stanley Tucci:  'Assassin's Pasta!'  (And it's made differently than I've ever seen, too...)

Now this is one wacky story! A couple who disappeared after the husband called police about 9/11, FBI and CIA conspiracties, are found safe with their sons -- 300 miles from home. They're ok -- "but convinced people are still after them," the report says. Weird.

"How growing up poor made me a badass."  The author of one of my favorite finance books, Quit Like A Millionaire, chimes in. (From Millenial Revolution)

Ten replacements for outdated family holiday traditions. Silliness with a pointed edge (ouch!) from Babylon Bee.

Linen weights (and a little history)... as in how much different linens weigh. Yes, this is important for textile freaks -- like me and many of my Gentle Readers.  (From Sartor)

Retailers at risk of bankruptcy. Including one of my favorites: Tuesday Morning.

Weird things showing up on x-rays.  (Ironically, I read this on 'Upbeat News.')


Have a good week. Courage, Gentle Readers...



Saturday, October 29, 2022

It's Helpful to Remember...

 For those feeling uneasy about the upcoming elections... and life in general. 


"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

                                                                          -- 2 Timothy 1:7

Courage. 




Thursday, October 27, 2022

Frugal Hits & Misses: October Report

      Fall was later this year. The Brick and his hunting buddies saw fall colors they rarely (if ever) see this time of year. Why? We're not sure. It was still cooler...but we had more than our share of warm days, as well. I loved driving through aisles of yellow leaves (Colorado's primary color), then coming on wild turkeys or deer grazing in the field, all golden and tan. (It's been pretty dry.) 

     October was fairly quiet. I did some appraising, tidied up -- and continued squirreling away and stocking up for the winter. The Brick went hunting. I also caught up on some reading, and began restoring quilts again. Toward the end of the month, I went to election judge training. We 'enjoyed' a couple bouts of flu. Watched some football. (Michigan's doing great -- CU Buffs and the Broncos, not so much.)

    Exciting, huh... but it really was okay.

Michigan, 2021 --

FRUGAL HITS

(As usual, some of these are from late September.)

*The first frost came late -- Oct. 24. Which meant more zucchini, although they got pretty arrogant about it. They put up a valiant fight before succumbing, which meant a handful of delicious baby zukes before they went under. We shared some with friends, too. 

     The greens (second batch planted, after the grasshoppers decimated everything) continue to produce; a few survivor onions are putting up green shoots. (Nope - the deer munched them down before I could harvest them. Aarghgh.) I also clipped the herbs and made two batches of pesto. The plants were put in the perennial bed, where hopefully they'll revive in the spring. I also trimmed the rosemary plant, banked it heavily with dirt and ringed stones around it. Normally these are not perennial, but I'm hoping the stones will keep it alive while hibernating. (The rosemary bushes in McNeal were perennial-- and it got cold there. I'm hoping.) The rosemary trimmings produced a few spice jars full.

     (Our first snow finally arrived on the 27th. About 6"...and melting fast.)

*Kept the heat off -- with two exceptions. Our electric fireplace, and judicious baking whenever it was a bit too chilly, kept the fifth-wheel comfortable. (We're also finding that the Goodwill-picked down comforter is surprisingly warm. Sometimes too warm, in fact.)

*Three pennies found in the change machine! Another visit netted two more pennies, plus, of all things, a French five-france piece and a German pfennig. I'm sure there's a story behind this. 

*Attended the Open Door Ministries banquet with friends. (Didn't buy anything at the auction, but I made a donation. This is a very worthy cause.)

*Found one final peach hidden in the vegetable crisper! I'm sad to see these go. In the process of cleaning out the crisper, I also realized the bag of Italian cheese, now almost finished, had a few blue spots. We quickly had homemade mac & cheese to solve that problem. 

*Some appraisals done. This season, appraisal commitments usually slow down. (And speaking gigs for the Ghosts & Legends/Curiosities books speed up.) For some odd reason this yearm it's been the opposite. Go figure.

*Chores done around the ranch:  spreading mulch, doing a garbage run, mowing the lawn and washing windows. I also tidied up the fifth-wheel, got rid of a lot of trash, and organized some areas. 

*Tomatoes, leeks and greens from a friend. Processed some of these for the freezer.

*I made several batches of apple crisp, pie and dumplings from the sale apples. (More apples are waiting in the crisper for the next Susie Homemaker urge.)

*Video buys: The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Cheyenne (Season 1 - surprisingly good), Sherlock Holmes, Baa Baa Black Sheep, three seasons of The Virginian. Gilbert & Sullivan performances were $12. The rest were $2 (a few $3-5) -- with another 10-20% off at the thrift shop. Darn, they don't do this at the library's used booksale room, but I did get several classics there, including Escape from Alcatraz and Bruce Lee's Game of Death. 

This is "I've Got A Little List" from G&S's funniest operetta,
The Mikado

*Stayed home while the Brick was hunting. (We've been using only one vehicle for more than three years now.) Paused any library holds, made sure I had plenty of milk and eggs beforehand...and just enjoyed myself, keeping odd hours, working, eating whatever I pleased, and watching (gasp!) romantic movies. A friend brought over some delicious rice pilaf.

*Took advantage of a Goodwill Books sale: 20% off, plus free shipping.

*Grocery specials:  Kraft mac and cheese 25 cents each; cookies for 77 cents;  Chunky soup 97 cents and Progressso soup, 87 cents.  (Safeway) Packages of cookies (25 cents each) and beef tamales (a hunting favorite) for slightly more than $1 each. (Amazon Warehouse) Free bread from our local thrift shop is always a pleasure.

*A nice Safeway double-special: the store had buy 2/get 2 free on Tostitos chips, with a total of four allowed. I bought 4, then realized the bags had "buy 2, get a dip free" coupons on the front. So... 4 large bags of chips, plus two jars of dip (which I also use for sauces) for $11.87!

    I managed to do a second riff on this same theme: buy 2/get 2 free Tostitos, PLUS buy 2/get 2 free dips. Plus one more coupon discovered, which netted me a fifth jar of dip for free. Again -- a great deal. (They're all stashed away for coming months.)

*We had frozen pizza a few times -- instead of stopping at Little Caesar's. Just didn't go out to eat that much this month.

*I cleaned up the trailer, threw out a bunch of cardboard...and donated a bag of clothes. The girlies got another installment of items from their Grams' estate. 

*I ordered One Big Night, an amazing cooking movie, from Amazon -- $5.50 plus shipping.


*Royalties from the Colorado books  = Ghosts & Legends is still selling well, up there with Curiosities! (The kids book, Spooky Tales, is doing well, too, though I get less of a percentage with it.)

*Got to see my favorite opera of all time: Puccini's La Boheme. The price: $19! Talked two dear friends into going, as well. The music is just lovely, though I was surprised to find out that the lyrics weren't that exciting. Kind of the 19th century version of "Hey buddy, let's go down and get a beer." Did you know you just let out a faint, delicate cough now and then, to signal that you're dying of consumption? Hmmm. Madame Butterfly made more sense. 

*Fixed an Amazon problem for a friend. (Persistence...that's the key.)

*Shared lunch and supper a few times with friends, potluck-style. Treated a friend to breakfast.

*Started training as a 'ballot aide' for the upcoming elections. More on this in early November. The Brick signed up to be an observer.

*The Brick replaced the gaskets & cloth toppers (on the pull-outs) on the trailer. Parts cost a few hundred dollars -- but labor would have been much more. 

And Colorado -- 2022.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Some silly zinnias, seed planted back in the spring, finally decided to grow -- but were killed by frost before they flowered. (I did cut other flowers for us and friends.)

*A dollar back from a half-priced gallon of milk -- I should have gotten it automatically at Safeway, but had to really argue at customer service to get what was owed. Ironically the second buy 2/get 2 special had the same problem -- and that was cheerfully (and quickly) refunded! Go figure.

*Missed out on another Amazon Warehouse bargain order -- because some brilliant soul at Amazon shipped the package to Silverthorne, instead of Sedalia. The order got cancelled.

*Ordered more photos for the in-progress book on Michigan curiosities. These were still cheap at $8 and $9, compared to 'renting' the photos -- but more than the $2-or-so postcards I've mostly been collecting. (Yes, I'm working on a book of odd people, places and things in Michigan.)

*Bought an 1845 'steamboat' jacquard coverlet.  I spent hundreds, but got it for hundreds less than what it's been selling for at auction. (And mine is in better condition.) Also bought a coverlet book on Amazon with my allowance, too.




     I have always wanted one of these. Now on to find a 'railroad' coverlet!


*We overspent in September -- lots of extra expenses, including a book order, cruise deposit, hunting boots, fruit purchases, stocking up on canned goods/groceries and birthday celebrations (not to mention some Christmas presents), etc etc. Other than the steamboat coverlet, we actually did better this month... except for (perhaps) hunting. Although the Brick was careful.

*Lost out on the remnants of a Siena gift card. (The restaurant closed this fall. Permanently.)

*A check from a class-action suit: 17 cents. I am not making this up -- it cost more to mail than it was worth.

*Our rent went up slightly -- but it now helps cover internet costs, too.

*We still haven't found an easy way to watch Michigan or Colorado football games this year. The Brick has managed to grab a few minutes before we lose the internet connection...but that gets old. We'll be watching the Michigan/Michigan State game at Red Robin this weekend, so we can actually see it. 

*We had to cancel a hotel reservation in Wyoming when my gig at the Higher Ground Fair was cancelled. No money back, in spite of a letter asking for it. (Legally they had the right. Darn it.)

*The federal tax refund is STILL not here. (Ironically, after being forced to pay $79 in state tax we didn't think we owed -- we got it refunded. Without even asking for it!)

*Paid full price for some groceries for hunting -- including lunch meat, cheese and bread. (Groan) We've also had to pay full price for eggs most times. A dozen eggs is now past $3.99, and edging up; even the 'B' dozen is $2.99. (One Sunday night I stopped in at our local Safeway, and there were ZERO eggs in the case -- except for a few dozen of the extra-expensive organic type. Is this a warning of what's coming during the holidays?)

     Fortunately, the Brick was also able to take some of the canned goods I'd been stocking at a lower price, thanks to Amazon Warehouse: beef stew, tamales, corned beef hash and such. ('Tamale surprise,' a gas-producing mix of chili, tomatoes and tamales, is one of the hunters' favorites.)


The heartstopping fall colors have faded, but perhaps that's a blessing. How could I really appreciate such amazing shade and nuance, if I got to live with it for a month or two, instead of just a few weeks? Yes, November will be somewhat more dreary -- but at least we've got sunshine to compensate.  Last year, we didn't have that comfort.

Last month's report is here.  Last year's October report is here -- and the year before that.





First of the Season

 ...and definitely not the last. 


First, it was snow. Then it was for rain. Then we were supposed to get only 'a few inches.' As of noon today, at least four of those inches are covering the ground, and the flakes are still coming down like crazy.

Cheers for the Colorado weather team. 






Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Halloween Things I Don't Understand

Yet another submission in this silliness...Things I Don't Understand. Everything from UFOs to cats to dogs and cats...and.Kathy Griffin. Or even more Halloween stuff!    (Here, too.) And it's all sugar-free. Have fun. 

But do you want to move in?









Venice Beach, California -- 1938.




Coronavirus costume



Cousin It, of course...










You might have to think about this one for a bit...



Ten people. Buried alive. Yeecth. 


Bring out your dead. Better than zombies, if you enjoy Monty Python. 



Walking-around art


Amazon Prime - literally



I don't want to know. 







This is not what it seems. Nonetheless: ewwwww.


A bonus: frugal suggestions for celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving -- from the Frugalwoods themselves.

And finally: Dem Bones.


Trick or Treat.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Now We Know...

 Did you ever wonder whether Elvis REALLY died, back in 1977?


Ray Stevens doesn't think so. Tongue in cheek, anyways.


I guess Bigfoot will have to wait his/her turn.




Monday, October 24, 2022

Snowing? (#2.0)

 The zucchini plants bit the dust Sunday night. That's what a good freeze will do for you. 

Poor babies. Their dreams of  conquest, regional or even world domination, are now just a mushy pile of leaves. 

Last gasp of the Zuke Mohicans

Further out on the Western Slope, the mountains got a good foot of snow. For us flatlanders, though, it's sunshine during the day and cold at night. However, we 'may' get some snow Thursday. I always get a bit nervous when the weather people are dithering. The mountains usually do one of two things with a storm: either they protect us from the worst of it. Or they hold the bad weather in even longer. Generally the weather experts don't know which will actually happen -- 

Until it does. 

Our beautiful fall leaves are largely gone, thanks to some horrendous wind, which rocked the trailer badly. (We've talking 45-65 mph here.) The Brick grew up in a hurricane-prone part of North Carolina; it didn't bother him. While he snored peacefully, I was trying hard not to be frightened. By the time I relaxed and fell asleep, most of the trees and all of the brush were stripped bare.

Ah well.

The hunters saw an incredible amount of beautiful fall leaves this year -- far more than we usually have by now. Here's a sampling of their adventures near the Meeker area.  (Thanks to Friend Tommy, for cheerfully agreeing to let me publish their photos. You may borrow these, only with my permission.)

More soon.

The guys, from left to right: Tommy, John, Chris...and the Brick.








Scoping for game from Sleepy Cat Peak


one gourmet meal -- beans & weenies






Sunday, October 23, 2022

Monday (er, Sunday) Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Snowing?

Ha. Not hardly. 

    It's dry as a bone here, and the fall colors have faded, with a few exceptions now and then. No matter -- I loved them while they were happening. Cold temps are supposed to move in toward the end of the week, with hopefully some rain, as well. We need it.

     The Brick is still dealing with a 'friend' he brought home from hunting: the flu. (No, it wasn't Covid. He checked.) I have several things to finish up, and may well be working for elections this week. For some odd reason, I've got a lot more appraising to do this season than I usually have. Was it missing work last year, because we were in Michigan, taking care of the Mama? Is it because some of my colleagues have retired? (There are currently only two of us AQSers in Colorado now, though there are dozens of ASA appraisers.) Not sure -- but it is a blessing. Lots of work...

Better get to it.

P.S. I'll send this early -- I've got some commitments to finish up before the weekend ends. 

The Brick at Sleepy Cat Peak -- the guys were camped down below.

Meanwhile:

What -- Sacheen Littlefeather wasn't Native American AT ALL?!?  This brings up an interesting list of "Pretendians" -- people who claim Indian heritage without actual proof. (If you're thinking Elizabeth Warren is on the list -- you're right. At least she's finally stopped claiming it.)

A story of a necklace that's sad, happy...and more than a bit endearing.

The printed fortune cookies that cost New York's lottery $19 million.

What exactly are ostie piene...and why are they a tad bit sacreligious? 

The CDC director tests positive. For Covid. Oops. Talk about...

Other strange coincidences in history.   (Warning: LOTS of irritating popups on this one. The stories are intriguing, but you might want to read just a few.)

A spray-on dress?  Yes, these are a reality...

I know this isn't supposed to be funny...but I can't help it. Protestors at the Autostadt show in Germany glue themselves near cars -- then have the chutzpah to gripe about not being able to 'go to the bathroom politely,' don't like the food Volkswagen gave them...and hated it when the carshow people turned the heat and lights off at night when the show closed. Personally, I was hoping that the Deutschers would just leave them there 'permanently' -- but at 24 hours, they were unglued and hauled off.  (P.S. Acetone, lotion, petroleum jelly, oil... that will do it.)

'Abandoned places you can visit - but probably shouldn't.' But it's okay to look at photos, at least! Including a swimming pool filled with desks, chairs and televisions. 

More than two dozen discounts for seniors at restaurants.  Kewl...I don't qualify for these, except for a few -- but the Brick does. 

The world's oldest star map is uncovered -- hiding underneath more recent text.

Have Safeway and Kroger/King Soopers decided to merge?  So much for competition that helps us here in Colorado -- and elsewhere. 

Life hacks - some clever ones here. 

Surprising discoveries in lakes. Including a bar of gold, found by a 16-year-old out for a swim! Speaking of:

Old Whitey, also known as "Grandpa" -- current resident of the Kamloops shipwreck.

Rescue an antelope -- end up with one shoe! 

A humpback whale is also entangled -- and cut loose in time. (Whew)

This is a new one -- a group of men pretending to be art students, then stealing gallery staff blind of personal items like credit cards and cellphones. Hmmm...still wrong, but creative. They're not stealing artwork, though. Double hmmm...

Boy, this appraiser really blew it -- or else, hundreds of interested buyers thought it was 18th century. (The expert thought it a 20th century reproduction.)

Tie-dye a shirt...with bleach. 

Election Deniers? Here's Kari Lake's take on the subject. P.S. I looked on Youtube -- this video is not available, that I could find. But you can watch her saying this via the link.

Here are Lake's actual words. See what you think:

KARI LAKE: Let’s talk about election deniers. Here’s 150 examples of Democrats denying election results. Look at this, this is from Joe Biden’s Press Secretary: ‘Remember Brian Kemp stole the gubernatorial election from Georgians and Stacey Abrams.’ A Democrat was saying that: is that an election denier? Oh look at this: ‘just heard Republican Ryan Costello said it would be difficult for Stacey Abrams to win because she lost her state bid, but she’s still claiming she never lost.’ Hillary Clinton: ‘Trump is an illegitimate President.’ Is she an election denier? This one says ‘Was the 2016 election legitimate? It is definitely a question worth asking.’ That was the Los Angeles Times. So it’s okay for Democrats to question elections but it’s not okay for Republicans? It’s a crock of BS, everyone knows it. We have our freedom of speech and we’re not going relinquish it to a bunch of fake news propagandists. If you want a copy of these I’m sure Anthony will help you get a copy and help you learn how to journalist but look it up. It has been happening for a long time.

Since 2000, people have questioned the legitimacy of our elections. And all we are asking is in the future we do not have to have that anymore. When I’m governor we are going to make sure we have honest elections. We want the Democrats, the Independents, and the Republicans to all know that their vote counted. We want fair, honest, and transparent elections and we are going to deliver that for the people. Hillary Clinton says ‘George W. Bush was selected president not elected.’ So if you are going to start throwing around terms like election denier, let's remember who the other election deniers were: Hillary Clinton and all the Democrats.

How 14th-century Italians outsmarted the tax collectors. It's a quickie comment, from one of my favorite actors...but very clever.

A woman survives three nights out, lost in the Colorado wilderness.   She actually rescued herself...

Two gallery owners are standing trial, ten years later, for their involvement with stolen Picasso works. (Taken allegedly by the handyman who worked at the home of Picasso's second wife's daughter. Yes, it's complicated.)

Frugal tips from the Great Depression.  (From Little House Living)

The best -- and worst -- football players from every professional franchise. (Fans' votes)

The snow crab harvesting season in the Bering Strait has been CANCELLED -- an estimated seven billion crabs have mysteriously gone missing over the past four years. Authorities are not sure why. 

Four quail eggs hatch -- while on a supermarket shelf in Brazil!  (They all died, sadly.)

Olivia Wilde's 'special salad dressing.'  (Yes, this is silly, considering the role it played in the couple's separation -- but it does sound good.)

Rose Gooding and Edith Swan -- a strange mystery of obscene letters resolved...in such an odd way!

Have a good week. Don't forget to vote!





Friday, October 21, 2022

Dog Horror Flicks



 ...Ruby would agree.

"On the other hand, looking pathetic might get me something."


He's Back!

 The Brick is home, a day early: smelly, grubby and feverish. (One of his fellow hunters had the flu, and shared it around.) He didn't get an animal this season, but I don't care. 

HE'S HOME.

And he even made me coffee this morning!



Now I just need to get him to feeling better...

You Go, Kids!

  More great 'wholesome' posts via Bored Panda .. .