It's that color for a reason

That is our setting sun. It's not foggy, it's hazy and smokey. And the sun is that color cause of the smoke. The main fires are about 150 miles north of here, but there are times when we can smell it. The fires have burned about 14,000 acres from what Ihear, but lately I don't believe everything I hear. That acreage is only from one fire. The one I was most concerned with, because it is at Lake County where my dad's cabin is, and has been for the last 52 years. Of course our property would still be there, but if the cabin went, there would go all the things my dad has gathered there over those 52 years, stuff my mom took up and left there, and my mom isn't with us anymore. It would be a shame to lose all that.

It looks like we won't though. Thank God. The fire is across the lake from my dad's cabin and burning towards the opposite direction. It has only burned one building, and I don't think it was a home or cabin. So we lucked out this time, but the summer has just begun. And I am praying that the hot shots who bought property just up from my dad's will be respectful and leave their gosh damned illegal fireworks at their own homes...maybe even stay there too, cause until they moved in, the place was peaceful. I have left my home here in Pacifica to have the peaceful existence at Clearlake for the 4th of July. There are only fireworks allowed that are done by professionals up there in three different towns and when those are done, that's it. Beautiful, awesome and then done. Here where I live, they allow the "safe and sane" ones, which are not safe and drive a person insane. It's like a war zone here for two to three weeks before and then afterwards. My poor big dog goes nuts.

Two of the years I went up there, the neighbors brought illegal stuff and shot them off up until about 3 AM. I have called the police and the fire department, but was told it wasn't a priority! My response was, "So, it will be a priority when the cabins go up in flames then?" Those fireworks would go willy nilly all over the place. It was just a God send that the place hadn't gone up before. I stayed home last year. I had to work and it actually ended up being more peaceful here. Not quiet, just less noise.

I have to work again this year, so I will be home, and I am hoping that with all the danger going on about wildfires, they will clamp down on any fireworks here. How about popping a bottle of champagne or sparkling cider in celebration of our nations birthday. I don't see any reason to burn the damn thing down cause it's a year older!

Comfort...in a strange way...

There is something comforting in getting the dishes done, even if you have to make several trips from the kitchen to the bathroom. And back.
There's something comforting in packing those dishes, pot, pans, glasses and silverware up in a box. And putting them in the back of your truck. And locking it.
There's something comforting in knowing that there is nothing to cook with or eat off of, unless you have the key to that truck.
I will save some money by not having to buy food, that I will not get to eat. And that is comforting too.
YD's on again, off again boss at one of the ranches she works at occasionally, is an attorney. She and I had a conversation mostly about YD, but some about MD. She wanted to know why I hadn't kicked her out yet. I explained, she understood. I told her I have the paperwork to evict her legally, but I am really legalese challenged. She's going to help me fill out the paperwork, my girlfriend (the generous one) is giving me the money to file. I am on the home stretch...or homeless stretch, depending on which side of the fence you are on. Comforting.
I unclogged my kitchen sink/laundry tub this afternoon. YAY for me! I saved about $150 doing it myself. I bought a 25' snake for about $10 from work, took the pipes apart under the kitchen sink and stuck that snake in there and cleaned 'em right out. You can't believe what a glorious sound sinks make when the water finally runs out of them. Righteously comforting. (Cause when I do bring the dishes, etc. back in from the truck, I can wash them where they are supposed to be washed.)
Now all I have to do is get my dryer running again. That will require me to become a detective of sorts. And I will have to make several trips over the hill and possibly I will have to wait for parts to come in, but that is not as big a deal as the clogged sinks. I can always go to the laundry mat with wet clothes. Or on our better days (few and far between) I can hang stuff on the lines in the back yard.
The dog bed has made no progress. I seem to be pulled away from my sewing machine on my days off lately. Yesterday was a total waste of time, cause I had to be over the hill. (I should explain "over the hill"...)It doesn't mean that I am old, I am, but when I go over the hill, I am doing just that. In order to be off the coast, a person has to drive over a hill. No matter which way you go. And that's at least a 30 minute drive. And while there's a lot here on the coast for us to do, purchase, see, there's a lot we have to leave the coast to do or get.
Back to work tomorrow. It's my late day, order day, so it will fly by, cause I go, go, go from the minute I walk in the door.
I hope your day is good!

Dog Bed

This will soon be a dog bed cover. It would have been yesterday, but my couch was calling my name and I had to answer. It was a long answer...I slept for a few hours yesterday late afternoon and evening. I have the bed itself nearly finished. The batting is sewn inside of muslin, I just have to put another layer of muslin on, so that I can turn it inside out to make finished edges. Then on to the cover. Today is my late day at work, so nothing will be done on it til tomorrow. The fleece (pictured above) was only $3.99 a yard. I am so tempted to go back and get more and make more fleecey things, but I will most likely not do that. I have enough projects in the wings waiting for my attention. I just have so much admiration for those who can get major amounts of things done in a day. I guess if I hadn't bought these damned couches months ago, there would be nothing calling my name in the afternoons, and I would get stuff done. Oh hell, who am I kidding? The floor would be calling my name if I didn't have those couches.

MD and I managed to get the kitchen sparkling. I think she is finally getting it that she has to do something toward living here. It is still too little too late, but I am trying to get my nerves and stomach back to normal, so I am not rocking any boats. I'm just tired of the arguing and trying to expain how things should be. She not getting it and I am not getting through, so why waste the energy. For now, I am biding my time. She is of the belief that if she gets a job interview, that should be the only thing she concentrates on. She won't apply for other jobs until she does the interview and gets the results. Which I could tell her, (but don't) that she is not getting that job. I am trying to get her to put in many, I mean MANY applications, and accept MANY interviews, set them up and go to all of them. She just refuses to do this. I think one application and one interview every week and a half is just not enough. I suggested yesterday that she get ahold of CA, employment offices and apply for unemployment benefits. Then stay on that site and look at the job opportunities there. She couldn't find it! So today, I am setting it up for her. I know, I know...I shouldn't be doing for her, but I need her to move forward and out! One way or another.

I never did get to that second cupboard in the hall. Perhaps next weekend.

I just want to get through this week unscathed.

Wedding day and points thereafter

One of the brides and me. The wedding was beautiful. The place they had it was beautiful. It was in one of the girl's aunt's house which is situated on a canal big enough for ski boats and skiers. So we had a little side show to entertain us while waiting for the wedding to start. It was a little breezy...no my hair doesn't always look like that! Well, maybe sometimes it doesn't look like that. So great wedding, great reception, great food and company. We left around 8:30 and got to bed at a decent time. I did go to work yesterday, like I thought I might, and work was fun too. I guess it helps to party a little to make the regular stuff of life better.

Today the MD and I went to the laundymat to dry clothes. I was a little miffed with her cause I told her as soon as I had my clothes washed we were leaving. When mine were done I went out and told her to get up and let's get going. While I was waiting for her I cleaned out my truck. (What a mess!) She got up and started washing more clothes! I had a million other things to do today and wasn't in the mood to wait for her. Of course her answer to that was, "Well, if I don't have clean clothes I can't get a job." I told her I thought it was great that she had a smart assed answer for everything. Get done with that one load and lets go. I am not living my life by your schedule! So off we went. Got that done, dropped her and my laundry off at home and took off for over the hill. I was going to go to the workshop on the eviction thing, but the freakin' workshop was three hours long! I was not prepared for that. So I opted for the next Monday it is given. I can better prepare for that length of time. In the meantime I may just find some info online and fill out the papers to the best of my abilities. Hell I did all my paperwork for my divorce without benefit of counsel. And that went much better than my marriage.

I went over to Joann's Fabrics. They are having a killer sale! I ended up with four Simplicity Patterns, two yards of fleece (60" wide), a long heavy duty zipper, a bra extender (don't ask), a roll of 90" x 108" batting and a candy bar all for around $28! The four patterns were all for $6.00. I may go back and get more. I am going to start sewing some of my own clothes. The fleece, batting and zipper are for a dog bed I am going to make for the big dog. Unfortunately, his hips are starting to give him a hard time and he can't get up on my high bed anymore, I don't really want him on the couches, even though he sees that differently than I. I thought if I make him a cushy bed that's big enough for him, he will sleep on it. He is always trying to sleep on the little dog's bed and he doesn't quite fit. I'll try to get a picture of that someday. I will make the bed tomorrow. I am just going to fold the batting in two and then two again, and sew it inside some muslin. Then make the fleece outside and put them together. I am putting the zipper on it so I can take the poofy stuffing out and wash the fleece.

I had to wash my dishes in the bathtub tonight. (Don't worry, I bleached the tub first!) The drain is totally stopped up now, so the kitchen sink is a no go. Tomorrow my girlfriend is going to talk her plumber brother into coming by to see if he can fix it for me. I hope he can. I will have to run down to the bank and get some money out to pay him. She says he owes her a favor, but I can't let someone come over and do work and not give them something. It will still save me money. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I think I will also work on another cupboard in the hall tomorrow. It felt so good to do that one. I have four cupboards/closets in the hall, so it will take me a month if I do one each weekend. Then I can tackle the closet by the front door. It doesn't have much in it. In fact I am not even sure of what is in there! Certainly there's no room for guests' coats like it's supposed to be. I have a feeling OD's prom dresses are in there...(um, she graduated in 2000!) Now, I am curious, I have to go look...yep prom dresses, three umbrellas I couldn't find when it was raining, and some random other things. I guess it would help if I looked in there once in a while!

It's late, I am going to bed. Good night all...well, good morning all, you wouldn't have read this at midnight...