If you want to make your own washable, reusable cleaning pads for the Swiffer WetJet, you don't have to fiddle around with elastic or velcro strips to hold them into place.
I found someone blogging about how she made hers from scraps of fleece (polar fleece-- not genuine fleece, by the way ;o)), and found that they stuck to the velcro-y stuff on the Swiffer just fine (especially after being pushed around the floor a few times).
I didn't have any fleece scraps, but I did have some old, unwearable flannel pj bottoms in the rag bag, and flannel seemed at least as sticky for velcro as fleece, so I gave that a try. And yes! It works! No velcro! No elastic! Just flannel on one side and old towels (terry cloth) on the other, and it stuck perfectly.
And because (out of consideration for my readers) I believe this will conclude the saga of Swiffer, I'll conclude this entry with... "and they Swiffered happily every after (except for those times when nothing but a really thorough mopping would do the job)! The End."
ETA:
Argh! Well, the first one I tried worked great. Then I used a couple more today (after publishing this post, of course), and they were less amazing... In fact, the towel side stuck to the velcro fairly well (after a little doing), but the flannel's sticking ability was less than impressive. Oh well. If all else fails, I have plenty of cheap elastic to use up.
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday Random Stuff
Thoughts and "I/we did"s...
♣ It's funny how you can't help but notice which card games were popular during certain periods of history, based on how frequently they were mentioned in contemporary literature. Whist is always popping up in Austen, for example-- and in books set "between the wars", bridge seems to be the game of choice. In at least one of the E.F. Benson Lucia novels, all the characters are obsessed with it, and now I've just finished Agatha Christie's Cards of the Table, in which bridge plays an even more important role in the story. I don't guess I have any interesting commentary on this subject, though. It's just amusing to notice.
♣ The most recent (only?) TV adaptation of Cards on the Table is awful. I mean, I'm really fond of David Suchet as Poirot, so as far as that goes, I was happy, but did the writers have to change so much of the story? Nearly every aspect of the novel was distorted, often beyond recognition. This is the second time I've seen an adaption of an Agatha Christie that I'd actually read. That one was also altered significantly... and horribly. (Interestingly, both of these adaptations saw fit to inject homosexual themes where they didn't exist in the novels. I guess the writers thought that would make a juicier story for modern audiences. ...?) The downside: It's disappointing that it may be difficult to find a faithful adaptation when I want one. The upside: Maybe this means I can read all those Poirot novels I've watched adaptations of and still find the plot virtually unspoiled. (g) (My remarkable ability to forget things also helps in this respect.)
The main reason I don't understand major rewrites in adaptations (particularly in these Agatha Christie mysteries, where the plot is pretty much everything) is this: You have a carefully plotted story all ready to go. It's been proven successful! Yay! All you need to do is figure out how to transfer it to the screen. But no. You decide to change how characters behave-- their relationships to one another-- the motive of the murderer-- maybe even the murderer's identity. But why? Your audience can be divided into two groups-- those who have read the novel and those who have not. For those who have not read the novel, the original plot will be entirely new. (See? No need to change a blessed thing!) And those who have read the novel, yet still decide to watch an adaptation must've liked the original plot, right? I mean, if they hated it, why would they bother watching it on TV? It makes no SENSE.
♣ Sometime within the past few weeks, we (mostly Donald) put up a ceiling fan in the breakfast room. Last summer, we decided it would be a good place for one-- so now we're all set!
♣ I spent a portion of the morning cleaning out and reorganizing our pantry-- with the result that it is probably the most organized "room" in the house, now. (Probably ought to do something about that...)
♣ I sewed a washable pad for my Swiffer Wet Jet from a piece of an old towel and a couple snippets of elastic. It seemed to work pretty well (cleaned the floor, stayed put on the Swiffer during cleaning), so now I'm interested to see how it holds up in the washing machine. If the elastic doesn't work out, I may try velcro... but I have a feeling elastic is much cheaper (even if I have to replace it every so often.) ...Or I may try making one side of the pads out of some fabrics that tend to cling to the velco on their own...
♣ It's funny how you can't help but notice which card games were popular during certain periods of history, based on how frequently they were mentioned in contemporary literature. Whist is always popping up in Austen, for example-- and in books set "between the wars", bridge seems to be the game of choice. In at least one of the E.F. Benson Lucia novels, all the characters are obsessed with it, and now I've just finished Agatha Christie's Cards of the Table, in which bridge plays an even more important role in the story. I don't guess I have any interesting commentary on this subject, though. It's just amusing to notice.
♣ The most recent (only?) TV adaptation of Cards on the Table is awful. I mean, I'm really fond of David Suchet as Poirot, so as far as that goes, I was happy, but did the writers have to change so much of the story? Nearly every aspect of the novel was distorted, often beyond recognition. This is the second time I've seen an adaption of an Agatha Christie that I'd actually read. That one was also altered significantly... and horribly. (Interestingly, both of these adaptations saw fit to inject homosexual themes where they didn't exist in the novels. I guess the writers thought that would make a juicier story for modern audiences. ...?) The downside: It's disappointing that it may be difficult to find a faithful adaptation when I want one. The upside: Maybe this means I can read all those Poirot novels I've watched adaptations of and still find the plot virtually unspoiled. (g) (My remarkable ability to forget things also helps in this respect.)
The main reason I don't understand major rewrites in adaptations (particularly in these Agatha Christie mysteries, where the plot is pretty much everything) is this: You have a carefully plotted story all ready to go. It's been proven successful! Yay! All you need to do is figure out how to transfer it to the screen. But no. You decide to change how characters behave-- their relationships to one another-- the motive of the murderer-- maybe even the murderer's identity. But why? Your audience can be divided into two groups-- those who have read the novel and those who have not. For those who have not read the novel, the original plot will be entirely new. (See? No need to change a blessed thing!) And those who have read the novel, yet still decide to watch an adaptation must've liked the original plot, right? I mean, if they hated it, why would they bother watching it on TV? It makes no SENSE.
♣ Sometime within the past few weeks, we (mostly Donald) put up a ceiling fan in the breakfast room. Last summer, we decided it would be a good place for one-- so now we're all set!
♣ I spent a portion of the morning cleaning out and reorganizing our pantry-- with the result that it is probably the most organized "room" in the house, now. (Probably ought to do something about that...)
♣ I sewed a washable pad for my Swiffer Wet Jet from a piece of an old towel and a couple snippets of elastic. It seemed to work pretty well (cleaned the floor, stayed put on the Swiffer during cleaning), so now I'm interested to see how it holds up in the washing machine. If the elastic doesn't work out, I may try velcro... but I have a feeling elastic is much cheaper (even if I have to replace it every so often.) ...Or I may try making one side of the pads out of some fabrics that tend to cling to the velco on their own...
Monday, December 27, 2010
Random Thoughts
• After letting the floors go for a while, I spent a good amount of time vacuuming today. (It took forever, so let this be a lesson to me not to wait so long, next time.) I'm still in awe of how well our (no longer so) new vacuum cleaner works, compared with the old one.
• I love the Trixie-dog, but if you have a problem with long white dog hairs getting on everything (making it nearly impossible to get out the door without at least one hair lurking somewhere on your clothes, even if you're very careful), the Eskie probably isn't the breed for you. Neither she nor her hair have a doggy smell, but you will get unscented dog hair on your clothes, if you come into our house for any length of time. No amount of vacuuming will ever eliminate all that fur. It's just a fact of life with American Eskimo Dogs. (You have been warned.)
• Thanks to gifts and my own purchases, I have enough hand lotion to last an average woman a few years, figuring for moderate use. And yet I keep noticing that my hands look dry, thinking to myself, "I ought to put on some lotion"-- and then getting distracted by something else and promptly forgetting all about it. Apparently I need to wear a bottle on a cord around my neck. It may be the only way I'll ever remember to use it...
• I saw someone blog about how she's thinking of doing Project 365 again in 2011, with an emphasis on macro photography this time-- and I thought, "Hey, that sounds like a fun idea!" That's right. I am tempted to do Project 365 again. This is probably a bad idea.
• The last time I made Santa Fe Stew, I made it vegetarian (by omitting the chicken). I did this because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to bother with the chicken-- and because I didn't think it would affect the stew much, since I typically use less meat than the recipe calls for, anyway. (I did add a couple bouillon cubes, though, to supply a little chicken flavor... and I also used quite a bit more beans than the recipe calls for, so there'd be plenty to freeze for later. However, I always use more beans than are called for...) It turned out fine. This remains one of my favorite dishes. Donald likes it better over rice (which I also like but don't absolutely require), and I like to eat mine with some tortilla chips on the side.
• The clothes dryer is buzzing. I could pretend not to hear it, but I don't think Molly will take care of it on her own...
• As predicted, Molly was just lying in her dog bed in the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the buzzer. She's better at pretending not to hear than I am.
• Movies we've watched recently include the following: Splice, Vampires Suck, Devil, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (with Rifftrax commentary), and others that fail to come to mind. (Oh, such as The Legend of the Guardians, which Donald wanted to see because of the quality of the cgi.)
• TV shows we've been watching together: Community (just finished Season 1, though we've already seen some of Season 2 as it aired), Monk (we're on Season 3), various sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, The Middle, Modern Family, etc.)... and probably some other things I'm forgetting. (We were watching The Walking Dead, too, but of course the first season of that is over now.)
• Those are all the random thoughts I'll bother you with for now. But you never know when there may be more. (That'll give you something to look forward to.) ;o)
• I love the Trixie-dog, but if you have a problem with long white dog hairs getting on everything (making it nearly impossible to get out the door without at least one hair lurking somewhere on your clothes, even if you're very careful), the Eskie probably isn't the breed for you. Neither she nor her hair have a doggy smell, but you will get unscented dog hair on your clothes, if you come into our house for any length of time. No amount of vacuuming will ever eliminate all that fur. It's just a fact of life with American Eskimo Dogs. (You have been warned.)
• Thanks to gifts and my own purchases, I have enough hand lotion to last an average woman a few years, figuring for moderate use. And yet I keep noticing that my hands look dry, thinking to myself, "I ought to put on some lotion"-- and then getting distracted by something else and promptly forgetting all about it. Apparently I need to wear a bottle on a cord around my neck. It may be the only way I'll ever remember to use it...
• I saw someone blog about how she's thinking of doing Project 365 again in 2011, with an emphasis on macro photography this time-- and I thought, "Hey, that sounds like a fun idea!" That's right. I am tempted to do Project 365 again. This is probably a bad idea.
• The last time I made Santa Fe Stew, I made it vegetarian (by omitting the chicken). I did this because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to bother with the chicken-- and because I didn't think it would affect the stew much, since I typically use less meat than the recipe calls for, anyway. (I did add a couple bouillon cubes, though, to supply a little chicken flavor... and I also used quite a bit more beans than the recipe calls for, so there'd be plenty to freeze for later. However, I always use more beans than are called for...) It turned out fine. This remains one of my favorite dishes. Donald likes it better over rice (which I also like but don't absolutely require), and I like to eat mine with some tortilla chips on the side.
• The clothes dryer is buzzing. I could pretend not to hear it, but I don't think Molly will take care of it on her own...
• As predicted, Molly was just lying in her dog bed in the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the buzzer. She's better at pretending not to hear than I am.
• Movies we've watched recently include the following: Splice, Vampires Suck, Devil, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (with Rifftrax commentary), and others that fail to come to mind. (Oh, such as The Legend of the Guardians, which Donald wanted to see because of the quality of the cgi.)
• TV shows we've been watching together: Community (just finished Season 1, though we've already seen some of Season 2 as it aired), Monk (we're on Season 3), various sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, The Middle, Modern Family, etc.)... and probably some other things I'm forgetting. (We were watching The Walking Dead, too, but of course the first season of that is over now.)
• Those are all the random thoughts I'll bother you with for now. But you never know when there may be more. (That'll give you something to look forward to.) ;o)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Bad News / Good News
The Bad:
The pipe taking water into our water heater broke last night, spewing water over a large part of the room and flooding the majority of the floor.
The Good:
Donald was right there when it happened, so we were able to get the water shut off fairly quickly. (If it had broken when we were asleep or away from the house...)
The Bad:
No water from the taps (or to the toilets) overnight and about half the next day...
The Good:
At least we could still get water out at the pump, so we had fairly easy access to water for drinking and other absolute necessities (and were able to flush the toilets manually).
The Bad:
It initially didn't look like quite so simple of a fix as one might hope (weird tools needed, etc.)...
The Good:
Dad just happened to have this week off work, so he was able to help us. (Thanks again, Dad!) Also, it turned out we could use a different system that didn't require weird tools!
The Bad:
We had to move anything that was on the floor in the (crowded, cluttered) utility room (including washer, drier, and chest freezer), plus quite a few things on shelves, because they got wet.
The Good:
Cleaning / reorganizing the utility room was already on my "bigger projects" to-do list, so this is just forcing me to go ahead and do it. (Unfortunately, all this will probably push back putting up the Christmas tree by a day or two...)
The Bad:
I'm now more worried that we'll have a similar problem inside the walls, with the plumbing for our showers/baths.
The Good:
That hasn't happened so far... and maybe if we're lucky, it won't happen for many years to come... At least with the house on a slab, there's not as much wood to be potentially ruined... (Please, no-one write in the comments a reason why such a plumbing disaster is even worse in a house on a slab, because if you do, I'll have to hunt you down and hurt you. No, I'm serious. Don't test me.)
It's a good thing this happened after I took my last photo for the Month of Gratitude challenge. I had a hard time feeling grateful for a few hours afterward. Now, however, with the water running (hot and cold!) and the washing machine chugging merrily along (hardly a dry towel in the house!), I'm back to feeling appreciative. ;o)
The pipe taking water into our water heater broke last night, spewing water over a large part of the room and flooding the majority of the floor.
The Good:
Donald was right there when it happened, so we were able to get the water shut off fairly quickly. (If it had broken when we were asleep or away from the house...)
The Bad:
No water from the taps (or to the toilets) overnight and about half the next day...
The Good:
At least we could still get water out at the pump, so we had fairly easy access to water for drinking and other absolute necessities (and were able to flush the toilets manually).
The Bad:
It initially didn't look like quite so simple of a fix as one might hope (weird tools needed, etc.)...
The Good:
Dad just happened to have this week off work, so he was able to help us. (Thanks again, Dad!) Also, it turned out we could use a different system that didn't require weird tools!
The Bad:
We had to move anything that was on the floor in the (crowded, cluttered) utility room (including washer, drier, and chest freezer), plus quite a few things on shelves, because they got wet.
The Good:
Cleaning / reorganizing the utility room was already on my "bigger projects" to-do list, so this is just forcing me to go ahead and do it. (Unfortunately, all this will probably push back putting up the Christmas tree by a day or two...)
The Bad:
I'm now more worried that we'll have a similar problem inside the walls, with the plumbing for our showers/baths.
The Good:
That hasn't happened so far... and maybe if we're lucky, it won't happen for many years to come... At least with the house on a slab, there's not as much wood to be potentially ruined... (Please, no-one write in the comments a reason why such a plumbing disaster is even worse in a house on a slab, because if you do, I'll have to hunt you down and hurt you. No, I'm serious. Don't test me.)
It's a good thing this happened after I took my last photo for the Month of Gratitude challenge. I had a hard time feeling grateful for a few hours afterward. Now, however, with the water running (hot and cold!) and the washing machine chugging merrily along (hardly a dry towel in the house!), I'm back to feeling appreciative. ;o)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Minimalism, Schminimalism
Sometimes I look over a room-- or even just a bookcase or table-- and think, "Maybe I should get rid of all this stuff. We don't need all these little bits and pieces-- all these knickknacks... It would be so much easier to keep the house clean and dusted if all this crap just went away." (Yes, I think "crap". So long as I'm not already worked into a frenzy of bad temper by exhausting housework, in which case, maybe it's better I don't tell you what I think...)
...Then I usually either go ahead and spend ten minutes dusting, stand back to admire the gleaming surfaces, and think "Oh! That wasn't so bad. Why am I such a whiner?" (until five minutes later, when the dust has magically reappeared [cue the "it's better I don't tell you what I'm thinking"!])-- or I get sidetracked, forget my (temporary?) dislike of decorative clutter, and go another week or two without really bothering one way or the other.
Still, it can't be denied that if I did eliminate some of the cluttery Stuff around the house, it would be easier to keep clean. Maybe it would make the place feel more relaxing, too. (On the other hand.... meh. Nah, I don't really think it would make that much difference. Not to those of us who live here, at least. It's amazing how you tune out your most familiar surroundings. I frequently live under the blissful misapprehension that a room is, if not spotless, at least reasonably tidy and presentable-- until someone drops by for a minute, at which point offense after offense leaps to my eye (causing me to burn with shame ;o)).
Oh well.
The point of all this?
Simply that no matter how I may occasionally consider tossing this, that, or the other, I never seriously want to live in a painfully minimalist home. I suppose I'm just too traditional for the style. So many of the (magazine versions of) minimalism look stark, cold, inhospitable-- nothing like a home should look, to my mind. I mean, just look at this room... or this one... or (~shudder~) this one.
Why would anyone choose to live that way?
So, yes. Fine. I'll live with the clutter of my earthly possessions-- books, knickknacks, whatnots, CDs, endless scraps of paper, and all. Doing so seems much preferable to living without any clutter at all.
...Then I usually either go ahead and spend ten minutes dusting, stand back to admire the gleaming surfaces, and think "Oh! That wasn't so bad. Why am I such a whiner?" (until five minutes later, when the dust has magically reappeared [cue the "it's better I don't tell you what I'm thinking"!])-- or I get sidetracked, forget my (temporary?) dislike of decorative clutter, and go another week or two without really bothering one way or the other.
Still, it can't be denied that if I did eliminate some of the cluttery Stuff around the house, it would be easier to keep clean. Maybe it would make the place feel more relaxing, too. (On the other hand.... meh. Nah, I don't really think it would make that much difference. Not to those of us who live here, at least. It's amazing how you tune out your most familiar surroundings. I frequently live under the blissful misapprehension that a room is, if not spotless, at least reasonably tidy and presentable-- until someone drops by for a minute, at which point offense after offense leaps to my eye (causing me to burn with shame ;o)).
Oh well.
The point of all this?
Simply that no matter how I may occasionally consider tossing this, that, or the other, I never seriously want to live in a painfully minimalist home. I suppose I'm just too traditional for the style. So many of the (magazine versions of) minimalism look stark, cold, inhospitable-- nothing like a home should look, to my mind. I mean, just look at this room... or this one... or (~shudder~) this one.
Why would anyone choose to live that way?
So, yes. Fine. I'll live with the clutter of my earthly possessions-- books, knickknacks, whatnots, CDs, endless scraps of paper, and all. Doing so seems much preferable to living without any clutter at all.
Friday, October 23, 2009
To Anyone Considering an Eskie for an Indoor Pet
The Eskie.
As a puppy, adorable. . .
As a grown dog, beautiful. . .
A (mostly) loyal and (sometimes) obedient companion. . .
Energetic. . . Intelligent. . . Athletic. . .
And a constant source of amusement and company. . .
They are also little fur-shedding machines.
If you have an indoor Eskie, you can expect long, frizzledy white hairs on the sofa, rugs/carpet, and your clothes*. Dog-hair "tumbleweeds" will mysteriously appear in corners (particularly in hard-floored rooms). Your belongings will seem to generate not only a layer of dust, but also of dog hair. And your vacuum cleaner will fill up faster than you ever thought possible.
(A word of warning: If you're squeamish about hair and/or fur, it may be best if you just skip the next photo. . .)
This is our vacuum cleaner's canister after I vacuumed one room. (I know because I emptied it before I started.)
Admittedly it is a decent-sized room-- the room we use most-- the room Trixie spends 95% of her time in-- and a carpeted room. But still. I think you'll agree that this is. . . impressive (?)-- especially considering that it's been only a week since the last time I vacuumed this room-- and this time I didn't bother to hook up the attachments to vacuum the sofa and all the little nooks and crannies.
I guess I can't blame it all on Trixie, but she's responsible for the majority of it. It's just part of what you have to expect when you keep this kind of dog inside the house.
And yes, she's worth it.
*When dressing to go out, you have a few options. Don't wear dark colors, change at the last minute-- and don't you dare sit down or handle the dog after changing-- or have someone de-fur you on your way out the door. Well, there's one other option-- decide that you don't care if people know that you have a sheddy dog at home. Wear your dog-hair-covered clothes with pride!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Keeping in practice. . .
Time to write another post, if only to keep in the habit.
Yesterday evening, I watched the 1998 film adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles (the version with Justine Waddell as "Tess".) Having read the book before, I should've known better. The "dairy" segment of the film was beautiful (such lighting!), but the general trend of the story was much as I had remembered-- only worse. (I had forgotten precisely how it ended, so the last fifteen or twenty minutes were all but new to me.) Well, if nothing else, Thomas Hardy's depressing tales make me realize what a bed of roses my own life has been. . .
Today I cleaned out the "deep freezer" (aka "chest freezer"). It's not exactly an exhilarating job, what with fingers cold from removing ice and the race against potentially defrosting food, but it needed doing. Now I have a mental inventory of exactly what's in there, and I can definitively state that we needn't buy chicken for at least a month-- possibly two. Nor are we lacking for bread. I'm sure you will rest easier tonight, knowing that. ;o)
This strange story has been big in the local news for the past few days. It appears that an Indiana man (whose life was evidently falling apart) made a fake distress call from his small plane, parachuted to safety, and deliberately left his plane flying on autopilot, to fall wherever it may. It ended up in a residential area of Milton, FL-- but fortunately it didn't crash into a home. If it turns out that this guy did do this intentionally, he deserves to go straight to jail, and he ought to be on his knees thanking God that he didn't kill anyone with his abandoned toy.
Looking through the local story linked above, I can't help but wonder why so many journalists (of all people) don't know the basic rules of punctuation-- like, you know, where commas do and do not belong in a sentence.
If you're a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick-maker, I don't really expect you to know (or particularly care) about the language, beyond the bare minimum you need to get by in life. Ok, I'm going to go all school-teachery on you and point out that maybe you ought to care a little, if only because sooner or later you'll have to write something, and your (in)ability to do so with clarity affects how people perceive you. But even if a butcher writes "Spare Rib's - Buy 1 Get One Have Off", at least it doesn't affect his ability to cut, package, and sell meat (though he may lose some business if people don't understand his signage). In other words, it's not specifically part of his job description, so we tend to overlook his goofs. A journalist, on the other hand, really ought to make a point of learning how the language works. (Why, for instance, does that article start with "but"? It feels like we were late getting to the website, and we missed the first part of the story!)
Anyway. . . I guess I should be used to it by now, but come on! Please, folks, at least cut back on the randomly placed commas. You're embarrassing me! People are going to think we're all uneducated hicks, down here, and it's simply not true.
- - - - -
- - - - -
Until this week, we had been having exceptionally mild weather with brief cold snaps, this season, but the local TV meteorologists are telling us that that's over (for a while, at least). It's certainly chilly, now. In fact, later on I need to go bundle up the few remaining bits of exposed pipe outside. I'm going to wait until I take the dogs in for a while, though. I hope that if Trixie doesn't see me messing with the various spigots around the yard, she'll be slower to notice and mess with them. A vain hope, perhaps, seeing as she's already developed a fascination with at least one of them.
- - - - -
Yesterday evening, I watched the 1998 film adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles (the version with Justine Waddell as "Tess".) Having read the book before, I should've known better. The "dairy" segment of the film was beautiful (such lighting!), but the general trend of the story was much as I had remembered-- only worse. (I had forgotten precisely how it ended, so the last fifteen or twenty minutes were all but new to me.) Well, if nothing else, Thomas Hardy's depressing tales make me realize what a bed of roses my own life has been. . .
- - - - -
Today I cleaned out the "deep freezer" (aka "chest freezer"). It's not exactly an exhilarating job, what with fingers cold from removing ice and the race against potentially defrosting food, but it needed doing. Now I have a mental inventory of exactly what's in there, and I can definitively state that we needn't buy chicken for at least a month-- possibly two. Nor are we lacking for bread. I'm sure you will rest easier tonight, knowing that. ;o)
- - - - -
This strange story has been big in the local news for the past few days. It appears that an Indiana man (whose life was evidently falling apart) made a fake distress call from his small plane, parachuted to safety, and deliberately left his plane flying on autopilot, to fall wherever it may. It ended up in a residential area of Milton, FL-- but fortunately it didn't crash into a home. If it turns out that this guy did do this intentionally, he deserves to go straight to jail, and he ought to be on his knees thanking God that he didn't kill anyone with his abandoned toy.
- - - - -
Looking through the local story linked above, I can't help but wonder why so many journalists (of all people) don't know the basic rules of punctuation-- like, you know, where commas do and do not belong in a sentence.
If you're a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick-maker, I don't really expect you to know (or particularly care) about the language, beyond the bare minimum you need to get by in life. Ok, I'm going to go all school-teachery on you and point out that maybe you ought to care a little, if only because sooner or later you'll have to write something, and your (in)ability to do so with clarity affects how people perceive you. But even if a butcher writes "Spare Rib's - Buy 1 Get One Have Off", at least it doesn't affect his ability to cut, package, and sell meat (though he may lose some business if people don't understand his signage). In other words, it's not specifically part of his job description, so we tend to overlook his goofs. A journalist, on the other hand, really ought to make a point of learning how the language works. (Why, for instance, does that article start with "but"? It feels like we were late getting to the website, and we missed the first part of the story!)
Anyway. . . I guess I should be used to it by now, but come on! Please, folks, at least cut back on the randomly placed commas. You're embarrassing me! People are going to think we're all uneducated hicks, down here, and it's simply not true.
- - - - -
Well, that should be enough to keep the old digits from forgetting where all the letters are on the keyboard. ;o)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Stuff Done
Done today:
I doubt their times were really any simpler than ours, but I do envy them just a little. . . even if they didn't have Photoshop or the Internet for entertainment. ;o) I like imaging their reactions if I could go back and tell them, "One day, years and years into the future, almost anyone living in a modernized country will be able to hit a few buttons and look at this photo of you!" Would they believe me? Would they care? (g) I wonder what they'll be doing with our photos, hundreds of years from now. . .
- Laundry-- sorted, washed, dried, folded and put away: clothes, towels, and two small rugs
- Unloaded/reloaded dishwasher
- Cleaned out/reorganized two messy kitchen cabinets
- Put contact paper in those same two cabinets
- (Helped Donald) put nicer frosted glass shades from our old bedroom ceiling fan on the living room fan
- Added to "give away or donate" pile
- Did a little touch-up painting on furniture
- A little vacuuming
- General cleaning/decluttering (though you wouldn't know it to look at the place-- much more to go)
I doubt their times were really any simpler than ours, but I do envy them just a little. . . even if they didn't have Photoshop or the Internet for entertainment. ;o) I like imaging their reactions if I could go back and tell them, "One day, years and years into the future, almost anyone living in a modernized country will be able to hit a few buttons and look at this photo of you!" Would they believe me? Would they care? (g) I wonder what they'll be doing with our photos, hundreds of years from now. . .
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Vacuum Saga Update ;o)
I thought those of you who were riveted by my Vacuum Shopping Saga might be interested in an update, and today, as I gracefully guided our new machine across the kitchen floor (Ã la the perfect 1950s housewife, only in comfy sweats instead of a crisp dress-- and minus the ever-present lipsticked smile), I finally remembered that I haven't given you one, yet.
The short version:
I love the new vacuum cleaner! It actually makes vacuuming fun! (Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. How long before the novelty wears off, do you think?)
When I lovingly park Bissie (that's her name, by the way) in her place in the utility/laundry room, I cast a disparaging eye over the old vacuum. I've yet to decide how to dispose of it, so for now, it's just sitting there, getting more jealous of Bissie with every passing day. ;o) "Why did I wait so long to get a new cleaner?" I ask myself. Because I never dreamed how much of a difference it would make in the cleanliness of our floors and my overall enjoyment of life. (Well, perhaps I exaggerate just a tad.)
Here's a photo of the exact model we ended up getting--
The Bissell Total Floors Velocity Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner (in Galapagos Green):
She's a beauty, ain't she? ;o) A real beaut!
Good things about this machine:
The short version:
I love the new vacuum cleaner! It actually makes vacuuming fun! (Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. How long before the novelty wears off, do you think?)
When I lovingly park Bissie (that's her name, by the way) in her place in the utility/laundry room, I cast a disparaging eye over the old vacuum. I've yet to decide how to dispose of it, so for now, it's just sitting there, getting more jealous of Bissie with every passing day. ;o) "Why did I wait so long to get a new cleaner?" I ask myself. Because I never dreamed how much of a difference it would make in the cleanliness of our floors and my overall enjoyment of life. (Well, perhaps I exaggerate just a tad.)
Here's a photo of the exact model we ended up getting--
The Bissell Total Floors Velocity Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner (in Galapagos Green):
She's a beauty, ain't she? ;o) A real beaut!Good things about this machine:
- It is SO much more powerful than the old one. It's amazing how much hair, sand, and "stuff" this thing picks up!! Even on a carpet that looked relatively clean, it managed to gather up a hefty amount of soil. (This is of course mostly a "first few times you use it" phenomenon, since our old cleaner was doing such a bad job-- which is a good thing. If it always picked up that much, I'd have to be constantly emptying it.)
- It's quieter than the old vacuum! I expected it would be about as loud-- especially since it has so much more power. Now, it's still noisy, but I don't feel like I have to wear earplugs when I run it (as opposed to our old monster that sounded like a jet engine revving up).
- The hose is longer and more flexible than on the old machine. It's easier to reach into nooks and crannies. Oh, and because the hose is permanently attached to the base, it doesn't constantly pop out and lose suction.
- The "turbo brush" attachment is a nice feature. I haven't used it much so far-- mainly on the couch-- but I think I'll be using it more in days to come.
- I'll never have to buy a bag for this vacuum cleaner. (And with the amount of hair, dust, and dirt this thing picks up, it's a good thing. At the rate this vacuum cleans, I would already have gone through a few bags, I'm sure.)
- With an on/off switch for the brush and an adjustable brush height, it's designed to work not only on a variety of thicknesses of carpet, but also on smooth floors (tile, wood, vinyl). With the brush switched off and the "scatter shield" down, I can vacuum bare floors without simply scattering the sand across the floor. I've already used this feature several times in the breakfast room and kitchen, and it works very well. I'm thrilled with it, actually, because those two rooms, along with the carpeted "main room", get sandy/dirty the fastest of the whole house. It's nice to not have to break out the broom and dust pan every time. (And I'm more likely to clean it regularly if I can just use the vacuum.)
- Like most vacuum cleaners these days (or at least the ones in my price range), this one's mostly plastic. This may make it lighter, but it also makes me feel that it's more breakable.
- The on/off switch for the brush is really more of a foot-controlled lever down at the bottom of the machine. I think a switch up near the power toggle would've been better.
- When you have the scatter shield down (for bare floor vacuuming), you're prevented from (easily) picking up larger things. For instance, there will be the occasional piece of kibble on the kitchen floor. The vacuum will usually just push these around. I've been able to make it pick up a piece or two with the shield down, but mostly it's not worth the trouble, so I'll go back and pick those up by hand.
- When using the hose/wand, I've noticed that it doesn't do well with pieces of paper or plastic (such as bits of a plastic bag). They tend to not want to go into the hose, so I have to remove them before I can continue vacuuming. Fortunately, I'm not often vacuuming those things. (Technically, you're probably supposed to pick those up before starting to vacuum, but it was back in a hard-to-reach spot, so I gave it a try.)
- While researching vacuum cleaners, I read that when you empty the canister on this model, there is often a little hair or dust up above the removable part. It's true, and some of this dust regularly falls down onto the machine when you empty the canister, but it's not much-- not enough to worry about, in my opinion.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Vacuum Cleaner Shopping Saga
What do you mean, people might not really care to read my (not so) exciting tale of vacuum cleaner shopping? Well, in that case, people might want to skip this entry.
Edit: In the middle of writing my harrowing account of vacuum shopping, I decided that not even I cared enough to finish it, so I'm pruning it (in a rare act of charity toward my handful of devoted readers). As you continue reading, you may begin to wonder, "If this is the pruned version, what in the name of verbosity was it before??" {shakes head sadly} You really don't want to know. . .
When our vacuum cleaner stopped working, nearly a week ago, it was obvious that a replacement would be needed soon. Particularly now, since a large patch outside our main entry is nothing but orange sand, a surprising amount of which is tracked in by our twelve collective feet.
After talking to Mom about her recently-purchased vacuum cleaner, I'd pretty much decided to get the same model. However, checking a few websites revealed that none were in stock, locally, and the shipping costs were prohibitive. (Enough that I might as well just buy a slightly more expensive model that was available in the local shops. Yeah, I have issues with shipping & handling. The main "issue" being that I really resent paying it and will only do so if there is no other possible solution.)
Or in other words, let the online comparison shopping begin!
I looked here, there, and everywhere. I read reviews. (It's amazing how there are always a few people who seem to have personal vendettas against every product or manufacturer. If you paid attention to all the "Never buy from ABC!!!" and "You might as well flush your $$$ down the toilet as buy XYZ!", you'd have to resign yourself to dirty floors. None are without detractors.) I compared prices and checked availability in local shops. I tried to puzzle out why some (all?) manufacturers have twenty zillion models on the market at the same time, then struggled to identify the differences between said models. I pored over vacuum specs and studied diagrams of features. I questioned the sanity of the person whose bright idea it was to have vacuums called "PowerTrak", "PowerForce", "PowerClean" and "PowerGlide". (And they're all from the same manufacturer!)
So, time for a little "brevitization":
Edit: In the middle of writing my harrowing account of vacuum shopping, I decided that not even I cared enough to finish it, so I'm pruning it (in a rare act of charity toward my handful of devoted readers). As you continue reading, you may begin to wonder, "If this is the pruned version, what in the name of verbosity was it before??" {shakes head sadly} You really don't want to know. . .
When our vacuum cleaner stopped working, nearly a week ago, it was obvious that a replacement would be needed soon. Particularly now, since a large patch outside our main entry is nothing but orange sand, a surprising amount of which is tracked in by our twelve collective feet.
After talking to Mom about her recently-purchased vacuum cleaner, I'd pretty much decided to get the same model. However, checking a few websites revealed that none were in stock, locally, and the shipping costs were prohibitive. (Enough that I might as well just buy a slightly more expensive model that was available in the local shops. Yeah, I have issues with shipping & handling. The main "issue" being that I really resent paying it and will only do so if there is no other possible solution.)
Or in other words, let the online comparison shopping begin!
I looked here, there, and everywhere. I read reviews. (It's amazing how there are always a few people who seem to have personal vendettas against every product or manufacturer. If you paid attention to all the "Never buy from ABC!!!" and "You might as well flush your $$$ down the toilet as buy XYZ!", you'd have to resign yourself to dirty floors. None are without detractors.) I compared prices and checked availability in local shops. I tried to puzzle out why some (all?) manufacturers have twenty zillion models on the market at the same time, then struggled to identify the differences between said models. I pored over vacuum specs and studied diagrams of features. I questioned the sanity of the person whose bright idea it was to have vacuums called "PowerTrak", "PowerForce", "PowerClean" and "PowerGlide". (And they're all from the same manufacturer!)
So, time for a little "brevitization":
- I mostly just wished I could get the vacuum that wasn't in stock, since at least I knew someone who liked it. Plus, it got mostly good reviews.
- When I finally went shopping later in the week, I didn't even go to the store where Mom had bought her vacuum, because it was still listed as "out of stock" on their website.
- Instead, I took notes on a couple different models on display in the store where I did my grocery shopping, and went home, with the prospect of yet more vacuum research to brighten my outlook on life.
- Talked to Mom again that afternoon. Learned that website was in error (and apparently is often). The vacuum was in stock!
- Wished I had known that earlier that day! (Stupid website! What is the point of that feature if it gives you the wrong info?!)
- Decided I'd probably get that vacuum next time I was in that area.
- Looked online a little bit more. (Don't remember why, now. . . Maybe I just had the pages already up from when I was in the midst of research. Perhaps I'd spent so much time vacuum-researching that I was addicted. Possibly I wanted to look once more at a few more things before I made my final decision.)
- Found a deal whereby I could get a different vacuum (one that's designed for vacuuming non-carpeted floors in addition to carpeted ones-- basically the same as the other vacuum, but with a couple of extra features) for not much more than the other one would've cost-- plus have it delivered here for free.
- Dithered some more. (You know I can dither like nobody's business.)
- Was finally told by Donald that this was the one we would get-- that it was worth the difference in price to be able to vacuum non-carpeted floors because that's how vacuums always work in Sweden. (Or something like that. . . I think he was mainly just tired of watching me research vacuum cleaners for days on end.)
- So I placed the order, and now we're expecting the vacuum sometime next week.
- Does anyone know where vacuum cleaners go when they've finally choked down their last dust bunny? No, that's not the opening for a joke. Seriously, how should I dispose of the old vacuum? Take it to the dump? Dismember it and stuff it in garbage bags for the weekly trash? Bury it in the backyard in the dead of night? (Just kidding about that last one.)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
"Why, you little--! If you weren't so cute. . ."
Written on Tuesday:
Trixie must be one pretty cute puppy, to still be alive and kicking after this afternoon. ;o)
I go into "her room" (dining room, minus the table, chairs, rug, and floor-dwelling decor) and see that there are. . . things waiting to be cleaned. Oh well! Such is the life of a puppy owner, etc., etc. With a philosophical sigh, I get to work.
I begin by consolidating her stuff-- toys and blankets-- into the non-messy corner (where she sleeps, and therefore where she never leaves a mess), because she has them strewn all over the place.
Her "stuff" includes her cardboard box, which was originally meant to be a place for her to sleep-- then turned into a barrier between her corner and the rest of the room-- and lately has been "repurposed" into a giant chew toy that she frequently drags into the middle of the room.
So, I go to move the box, only to make a gruesome discovery. Apparently there were other. . . things. . . waiting to be cleaned, before Trixie began dragging and pushing her box around the room. Things that have now been artistically smeared across both floor and box.
I summon Donald to come and occupy Trixie, because clearly this job has just edged up two or three notches on the Gross-O-Meter, and it will require my full attention. (Cleaning a huge mess with a puppy biting your ankles and trying to play with the mop and rag is not exactly efficient. It's not healthy for my blood pressure, either.)
I'll mercifully skip ahead a few paces (leaving the gory details to imagination). The box is on its way outside to the burn pile, and the floor is once again clean. (For the umpteenth time. I tell you, I'm wearing through the vinyl! Lately, if someone were to ask what "scent" I'm wearing [happens all the time, ha ha (g)], my answer would be "Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner", and my exercise equipment of choice is the Libman Wonder Mop.)
So Trixie is returned to her room. The first thing she does is make a new puddle!!
Grumbling, I go right back to cleaning, wondering what her next trick will be. I can't really complain too much, after all, as it is my job to house-train her, and so far I haven't done much toward that goal.
(By this time I've come to the conclusion that my mopping solution isn't quite as fresh as I'd like, but I try to strike while the puddle is new, to prevent the little darling from accidentally stepping in it and tracking it over the whole floor. I add "change mop water" to my mental to-do list, though. . .)
And then I see them. Chew marks on the windowsill. Both corners.
Utterly infuriating! After all the trouble I've taken to put up as much furniture protection as possible! After weeks of rushing in to check on every mysterious chewing sound I hear!
It's not exactly the first time she's turned her little demon teeth on the furniture (and one wall!!) of the room (not to mention us), but coming right on top of the other annoyances--!
Good grief, that's infuriating!
I just keep telling myself that one of these days she'll grow out of the biting and chewing stage. . . One of these days, she'll be well-behaved. . . And we'll have earned that well-behaved dog!
Trixie must be one pretty cute puppy, to still be alive and kicking after this afternoon. ;o)
I go into "her room" (dining room, minus the table, chairs, rug, and floor-dwelling decor) and see that there are. . . things waiting to be cleaned. Oh well! Such is the life of a puppy owner, etc., etc. With a philosophical sigh, I get to work.
I begin by consolidating her stuff-- toys and blankets-- into the non-messy corner (where she sleeps, and therefore where she never leaves a mess), because she has them strewn all over the place.
Her "stuff" includes her cardboard box, which was originally meant to be a place for her to sleep-- then turned into a barrier between her corner and the rest of the room-- and lately has been "repurposed" into a giant chew toy that she frequently drags into the middle of the room.
So, I go to move the box, only to make a gruesome discovery. Apparently there were other. . . things. . . waiting to be cleaned, before Trixie began dragging and pushing her box around the room. Things that have now been artistically smeared across both floor and box.
I summon Donald to come and occupy Trixie, because clearly this job has just edged up two or three notches on the Gross-O-Meter, and it will require my full attention. (Cleaning a huge mess with a puppy biting your ankles and trying to play with the mop and rag is not exactly efficient. It's not healthy for my blood pressure, either.)
I'll mercifully skip ahead a few paces (leaving the gory details to imagination). The box is on its way outside to the burn pile, and the floor is once again clean. (For the umpteenth time. I tell you, I'm wearing through the vinyl! Lately, if someone were to ask what "scent" I'm wearing [happens all the time, ha ha (g)], my answer would be "Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner", and my exercise equipment of choice is the Libman Wonder Mop.)
So Trixie is returned to her room. The first thing she does is make a new puddle!!
Grumbling, I go right back to cleaning, wondering what her next trick will be. I can't really complain too much, after all, as it is my job to house-train her, and so far I haven't done much toward that goal.
(By this time I've come to the conclusion that my mopping solution isn't quite as fresh as I'd like, but I try to strike while the puddle is new, to prevent the little darling from accidentally stepping in it and tracking it over the whole floor. I add "change mop water" to my mental to-do list, though. . .)
And then I see them. Chew marks on the windowsill. Both corners.
Utterly infuriating! After all the trouble I've taken to put up as much furniture protection as possible! After weeks of rushing in to check on every mysterious chewing sound I hear!
It's not exactly the first time she's turned her little demon teeth on the furniture (and one wall!!) of the room (not to mention us), but coming right on top of the other annoyances--!
Good grief, that's infuriating!
I just keep telling myself that one of these days she'll grow out of the biting and chewing stage. . . One of these days, she'll be well-behaved. . . And we'll have earned that well-behaved dog!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Old pickle relish, anyone? ;o)
Snippets are on the menu today. . .
I cleaned out the fridge a few days ago. (Anyone want some old pickle relish or past-its-prime ranch dressing? ;o) Okay, not seriously. It's already in the trash. . . . Of course, some of you may be freegans. . .)
It was a long time coming, because (brace yourselves-- a real shocker's comin'!) it's not one of my favorite things to do. All those nooks and crannies-- having to take out drawers and shelves to wash them-- said drawers and shelves all being too big to fit in the sink and therefore taking much more effort to wash without getting the whole room wet-- and all this under a certain time limit, since I don't want to leave the food without refrigeration for too long. Whew! It's a job, but it sure does look nice and fresh, now! (Next up, the freezer!)
Potential button-makers (and/or liaisons with other potential button-makers), I've been researching and making polymer clay buttons over the past couple of weeks. (Since I was researching it, anyway, I put up some related links on my other blog, if you're interested.)
I've put a handful of my buttons through the washer and dryer a few times, and so far, the results are promising. No broken buttons-- not yet, anyway. :o) Next up (I guess?)-- figuring out when's a good time for everyone to get together, if anyone would still like to have a polymer clay/button day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I cleaned out the fridge a few days ago. (Anyone want some old pickle relish or past-its-prime ranch dressing? ;o) Okay, not seriously. It's already in the trash. . . . Of course, some of you may be freegans. . .)
It was a long time coming, because (brace yourselves-- a real shocker's comin'!) it's not one of my favorite things to do. All those nooks and crannies-- having to take out drawers and shelves to wash them-- said drawers and shelves all being too big to fit in the sink and therefore taking much more effort to wash without getting the whole room wet-- and all this under a certain time limit, since I don't want to leave the food without refrigeration for too long. Whew! It's a job, but it sure does look nice and fresh, now! (Next up, the freezer!)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Potential button-makers (and/or liaisons with other potential button-makers), I've been researching and making polymer clay buttons over the past couple of weeks. (Since I was researching it, anyway, I put up some related links on my other blog, if you're interested.)
I've put a handful of my buttons through the washer and dryer a few times, and so far, the results are promising. No broken buttons-- not yet, anyway. :o) Next up (I guess?)-- figuring out when's a good time for everyone to get together, if anyone would still like to have a polymer clay/button day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I recently spied a small green lizard drinking from Molly's water bowl on the porch. I don't know why I'm telling you all this, though. It just struck me as funny. . .
Spring is in such full swing here that it's hard for me to comprehend that elsewhere in the country (not to mention the world) there are people still longing for the first daffodil. The lawn, which was fine a week ago, is now showing signs that it needs to be mown. Ah, the joys of the growing season!! :oP
Of course, on the plus side, the days are growing longer again, and there are new things to photograph, here and there around the yard.
Back to the negative side-- I somehow managed to let the whole lovely cool season pass without doing much yard work at all. This means that I now will have to do it in the warmer weather. For another month or so that shouldn't be too bad, but I know those sweltering summer days will be here all too soon. . .
Back to the positive side (to end on a brighter note)-- at least a little outside work will be good exercise. Maybe my waistline can even be persuaded to shrink an inch or two.
The other day, I started cleaning the guest room, which had turned into a storage area. We're going to a have a guest for a while, sometime soon, and I thought the bed might be more comfortable if it wasn't covered in picture frames, "raw" quilt batting, artificial flowers, etc. ;o)
I had only the best of intentions, but the flowers, which I bought on a super-duper sale back before Christmas, grabbed my attention. Because I had many other, more pressing issues to attend to, I of course ended up reworking our existing floral arrangements.
I'm making an effort to keep only the flowers and arrangements that I like best, which means that I'm going to have some left over bits and pieces. Actually, while cleaning lately, I've found several things that I want to get out of the house. See if anyone else in the family wants them-- sell them in a yard sale-- donate them to charity-- something. I'm tired of keeping things I no longer want or need. There's more than enough to keep clean without that extra burden.
I had only the best of intentions, but the flowers, which I bought on a super-duper sale back before Christmas, grabbed my attention. Because I had many other, more pressing issues to attend to, I of course ended up reworking our existing floral arrangements.
I'm making an effort to keep only the flowers and arrangements that I like best, which means that I'm going to have some left over bits and pieces. Actually, while cleaning lately, I've found several things that I want to get out of the house. See if anyone else in the family wants them-- sell them in a yard sale-- donate them to charity-- something. I'm tired of keeping things I no longer want or need. There's more than enough to keep clean without that extra burden.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I recently spied a small green lizard drinking from Molly's water bowl on the porch. I don't know why I'm telling you all this, though. It just struck me as funny. . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Spring is in such full swing here that it's hard for me to comprehend that elsewhere in the country (not to mention the world) there are people still longing for the first daffodil. The lawn, which was fine a week ago, is now showing signs that it needs to be mown. Ah, the joys of the growing season!! :oP
Of course, on the plus side, the days are growing longer again, and there are new things to photograph, here and there around the yard.
Back to the negative side-- I somehow managed to let the whole lovely cool season pass without doing much yard work at all. This means that I now will have to do it in the warmer weather. For another month or so that shouldn't be too bad, but I know those sweltering summer days will be here all too soon. . .
Back to the positive side (to end on a brighter note)-- at least a little outside work will be good exercise. Maybe my waistline can even be persuaded to shrink an inch or two.
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