AUGUST 19 - Boring Now Stuff and What Would Have Been A Blog Entry If I Wrote A Blog Years Ago

First of all, I want to thank whoever whisked away that heat wave that's been making life difficult over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon the wind picked up, clouds covered the blue skies, and I thought it might have even rained, but it didn't. However the temperature dropped 4 - 5 degrees (depending on which dollar-store thermometer you looked at) and once again our skin was easier to live in.

Today remained on the less hot side, which made working easier. However, as you know, days I work supply me with little or no exciting blog fodder, so I guess I'll delve into my archives. Here is an unpublished- in-any-form 'essay' from years gone by. I don't even have a title for it, but it was written during summer holidays when I was teaching, and actually had summer holidays. How lucky was I. (That's not really a question. It just means how lucky I was.) But that tells how old it is.

Another pissy-down foggy summer day, and I hate the smell of Lestoil on my hands, but what can one do, the cupboards were beginning to grow new life forms, and right now I'm not into discovering a new antibiotic.

I'm completely wasting my summer, like I knew I would. This is the third week of summer vacation, I don't have a job, I can't entertain myself or keep myself in mischief. I haven't lost 2 pounds per week, I haven't sweated with Richard Simmons to the Oldies, I haven't cleaned the whole house from top to bottom. I haven't come up with a successful get rich quick scheme, which means I have to come with a mortgage payment, a truck repair bill, and grocery money when we get our respective cheques this week. 

I've reread some novels from long ago - long enough ago that I've forgotten the plot, that is. A short memory is a great way to save on your book bill. I've been knitting again, hopefully to sell to some innocent tourists who will be back in Nebraska before their brand new sweaters fall apart. I like knitting little things like mitts and caps because you can complete a project like that while watching the ASN movie. Steve was watching me work on a pink baby bonnet, and wanted to know if it was for his baby sister. I let him know he had as much chance of getting a baby sister as I myself had. And I didn't have to check with my mom to verify that. But anyway, one pink baby bonnet uses wool that costs about two dollars. I can probably sell it for five dollars, which means I make a three buck profit. Two hours knitting it - let's have a look - a total of $1.50 per hour. So if I knit 8 hours a day for the next 8 weeks, that would be $320! Assuming of course people would buy my stuff and get back home before it fell apart. 

Three hundred and twenty dollars! Wow, I never thought I'd get rich sitting on my fanny, and I guess I was right.

I made muffins last night. Blueberry/Banana. I love making different combinations, and getting my husband or my kids to test-taste them. The thing is, you don't tell them what you put into them until after the test. I doubt if many people would voluntary eat Double Chocolate Mentholyptus Coconut Muffins. Personally, I'd have to be drunk first.

The minister asked if I'd make fudge for the church sale. Now, here I have the chance to do something that might get written up in His Book, that, Oh yes, she never went to church, but she made darn fine fudge. Let her in, Pete! But it's been so long since I made fudge, years ago, and yes, it was fine fudge - every second or third batch of it was. But the inbetween stuff? The Batches That Got Screwed Up? Aha. These weren't so fine. Making fudge, for me, was like playing Russian Roulette, the only difference was one didn't get shot, one just got to eat the failures - after all there is too much sugar and butter and sweetened condensed milk to go to waste. And it all does go to waist, which is one of the reasons I quit making it. Oh, I've gone backwards - the reason I used to make it in the first place was to sell it in the craft shop, another get rich quick scheme shot to hell. So I had to say, 'No, not fudge, but muffins? Any time you want muffins, ring my  bell. Anything from Pineapple Garlic to Tomato Strawberry, even simple Blueberry Raisin, muffins I would be proud to serve the Lord.

Trinity Festival is planned for two weekends away. According to the brochure it will be a fun-filled weekend. A huge parade will open the gala event, with public service groups walking, floats, bicycles, cars, clowns and all that. Prizes for the best clown, float, decorated bike, funniest hat. Maybe I should go for these prizes! I could dress like a clown riding Steve's bike all covered with paper flowers (the real ones aren't out in bloom yet, it's only the middle of July) and doing wheelies in the back of our Ford Ranger.

One of the major events in the Trinity Festival was, and still is, the Beer and Cracker contest. I couldn't find any pictures of my own from years gone by, so stole this one from Joan on Facebook. I know she won't mind. I hope he won't mind either. He's still pretty cute. Whoever he is. (I think I know who he is. I can say that because I am an old woman way over on the other coast.)

Would you believe our lilac trees are not in bloom yet? July 7, the sun shames herself into visiting every fifth or sixth day, but is so embarrassed she hides herself in cloud and fog after a few hours. Kids wear winter parkas outdoors, the foghorn's getting hoarse from over-use, Frisbees get lost in the limited visibility. Talk about depressing. The only thing that would be even more depressing would be really hot weather where I would have to wear skimpy clothes that have no mercy on cellulite and lumps. But at least I could smell the roses.

Anyway, I guess I should go look in the freezer for something that could become supper. It's such a great feeling to cook something really special and set it out for 4 males, three of  whom are not hungry and one who sniffs and pronounces it not fit to eat. Oh well, the dogs have to eat too. They very rarely turn up their noses at my culinary efforts. And I know if I cook supper this one night, my husband will cook for the next four nights. After all, a working man needs good food sometimes!

Disclaimer: The above foggy picture came from Yahoo images - I looked through all my Back Home pics and couldn't find one of a  pissy-down-foggy day - which makes me realize we probably never had any rain or fog when I lived back home. Also couldn't find any Trinity Festival pictures - I have no reason for that though. I know we had lots of Trinity Festivals. No pictures of my muffins back then, as they all got eaten too fast.