Making Decisions and Traditions

Yesterday was election day.

The husband and I have a tradition. We vote, then we go to breakfast. I told him that I would make homemade pancakes but he insisted that we stick to the tradition.

Here in the dying city it’s all about politics and money (people, renewals and increases). Same stuff different year. A renewal passed for the port and the people sent a message – again – of we are not giving one more dime to the rest of you with your hands out. As I was checking other near by cities I saw the same results. Renewals were not an issue but increases were a not happening for many.

I wonder why? I don’t know, the thought of financial responsibility and all that it entails comes to mind. The fact that many people have had to make adjustments in their own personal lives and feel that government should be doing the same. I find it all rather interesting that so many had their hands out. Amazing, just amazing.

There has been many decisions made over the last week dealing with woodwork for the house as well as kitchen hardware. The husband and I kept going back to this one very simple style over and over. I have a rule if you keep going back to it, go with it.

Base Molding aka Base Moulding (English spelling)
Base:

To balance the new door trim and new base moldings we are using Plinth Blocks.
Plinth Blocks:

Door Trim:

We will be staining fools in order to have this stuff up by Thanksgiving.

Another decision that we decided upon was the pulls for the new kitchen cabinets and latches. We have this tendency to mix old and new. The husband leans towards modern and I lean towards the old but a cool look. We both like clean lines and not a lot of frills. Lets face it if we lived in a Queen Ann it would be a whole different ball game.

Pulls:

Latches:

I cannot wait to actually have a kitchen that functions.

It is very hard to type with a cat in your lap – I just thought I would share that with everyone.

6:00 a.m.

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I deplore daylight savings. I laid there thinking to myself – why do we do this? I tossed and turned for the next 1/2 hour and thought screw it, so I got up.

How was every ones Halloween? Things here in the rust belt – well, there has been many shootings going on again in the next neighborhood over. Hearing gun shots is becoming a daily event. This was the 1st time in many years that the husband and I were home together. Now we had a decision to make – do we stay home and pass out treats to a bunch of 16 year old, man-child, hoodie-wearing, 22 packing, facial hair included, pillowcase carrying teens or do we go to our favorite place on the lake and grab a great burger, veggies and liquor. You know which one we chose – burgers and liquor of course.

I have a new shot for everyone to try. It’s called a “Little Beer”. I don’t like beer so you know that this is not a beer type beverage. This is a shot that looks like a beer. The owner bought it for us and another table – thanks Jim – and this is good stuff. So this is what is in it.

One full shot of Licor 43
Heavy cream – gives the head of beer effect.

Full instructions – here
Chill this or put the full bottle in the cooler – I would put the full bottle in the cooler, don’t want to dilute this yummy liquor with water.

Bottoms up.

We ended up stopping over a friends house who lives close by. He’s going through some rough times so we wanted to check on him, we weren’t the only ones, nothing like an impromptu gathering.

This by far has been the best Halloween in a long time – good food, good company and good beverages.

Over 2 miles of Urban Trails

The husband had to work last night. Boo…..

This leaves very limited quality time for us. How did we spend it?

We decided that it was time for us to try out a new-ish trail we had never been on. This trail is an addition to the 4 mile trail of Day’s Dam that stretches from Elyria, Ohio to Lorain, Ohio. The new addition is on the Lorain side and takes you all the way to Route 611.

Since we are suckers for the urban landscape we were eager to see a side of the steel mill we had never seen. Armed with one camera and two dogs – we were off.

We knew that the this trail would be beautiful, I expect nothing less from our Metro Parks here. We will go back in the winter and take more photo’s. This will be an area to watch for as time goes on this trail is going to mature.

A Different Approach

How did you spend your Friday?

Here in the Rust Belt we started off our day with a trip to my in-laws. They needed some help with stopping the leaks from their 30 year old windows in their sun room. I told the husband that we were going to spend at least 5 hours putting plastic up to only have it come off over the next couple months because of the way their windows are. Did I mention also that they are not going to be real happy when the paint on the moulding peels off when they take the plastic down. How do I know this? Been there and much cursing has been done in the past by me.

So we assessed the windows, I tightened up some screws on a window they couldn’t get closed and explained to my father-in-law what we have experienced in the past with stopping leaky windows. When the husband and I told him that we just built all these interior window storm he told us to do it before we finished what all this entails. Our list of things to do had just increased.

It was a rainy day and we were off. A stop to the vets – dogs nails trimmed. A stop to the lumber yard to check on baseboard mouldings. Went to lunch to fuel up. Off to Lowes for materials. Picked up tools at our house and off to build interior window frames for the in-laws.

This time we tried a different approach – MDF. Well lets just stay it was interesting to work with and we found out rather quickly we had a design flaw.

Can I tell you that MDF is weak, just weak. These windows are big, 55″ x 61″, the size was causing the center to bow. So it was time to put on our thinking caps and figure out how to beef up the weak-ass material. We tossed around some ideas and I’m the kinda person that like to take the path of least trouble. I suggested that we buddy up the scrap on the bottom and top to give it some support. I wasn’t sure if this would fix it but it was a hell of a lot better than adding a shit load of cross sections.

We used the scrap that was left over and centered the extra support pieces. It fixed the bow and we were off again and on track. We have 2 more left to build and my in-laws sun room will no longer be freezing cold.

In embracing using a different approach last night the ghetto neighbors across the street had a little party. I don’t care if people throw parties, it’s Friday night, it was around 10:00 p.m., have a party. I do have major issues when the bass is turned up so loud that it is vibrating my basement door of our home. Our whole entire house felt like one huge vibrator – it was humming.

So I put on my coat, my boots and I walk across the street because I really don’t feel like calling the cops – I just want them to turn the bass down. A simple request, No?

There are two people on the sidewalk and I really don’t care who they are. I ask very nicely, “can you please turn down the bass”? I explain the whole vibrating thing.

The guy starts to give me a little attitude at first, the girl interjects and tells me no problem and told the guy no she right and the girl says to me “I’ll turn it down, mommie”.

“Mommie”, this is an interesting word in the urban world, it means many different things. It has not been the first time I have been called this. I had to pull up the urban dictionary on the PC to make sure that she didn’t just disrespect me.

This word means respect, the person who is saying it is being submissive. That part bothers me, “submissive”.

The booming bass stopped, they actually turned it off. The party’s noise level came way down and by 11:00 p.m. it was silent.

A different approach indeed!

Feeling the Pressure.

I’ve been away because I have been hiking again at places like this every chance I get. I love this time of the year in Ohio.

We have been working hard to put some balance back in our life because all work and no play make the people in this house and their pets grumpy.

The husband and I have been working very hard with Stella and her behavioral issues. These issues would be people, other dogs, well you name it. So Stella has been in doggy boot camp so to speak.

When I get home from work I’ve been going to a couple special places I know that are safe for walking dogs and we do at least a good 2 mile walk. When the husband and I are off together we do 3-4 mile hikes with the dogs. This routine has taken the edge off Stella’s behavior and actually for the most part she is doing very well with the occasional slip up. The best tool we use is a dog backpack along with some other knowledge that we used with our other dogs in the past.

I don’t know about you but we have been feeling the pressure to “Getter Done” of late.

Mother Nature has not been on board with us for the last month. All it has done is rain and when it’s not raining its been cold. As I checked the week forecast – part of my morning routine – I saw a temperature of 65 – 70 degrees. Shoot, its been a good month since I’ve seen temps like this. Since I’m on vacation this week – this is a busting ass, gotta a list of shit to get done in the next 7 days – vacation – If one wants to call it that.

When the weather turned to shit we worked on these, interior storm windows.

It was a victory over the English Ivy that had taken over 25′ x 10′ of area in the back forty. We also chipped and shredded an area of the yard we have not seen in 3 years.

Before:

After:

The English Ivy ran from the Burning Bush all the way over to the other side and to the fence. We took care of that last week during one of our light rainy days.

A nice cleaned out canvas for next year. The husband and I will be redoing this whole space. It will no longer be the plant holding pen. Bye the way does anyone want any fountain grass?

We sealed the side door entry on Wednesday, photo’s to come yet.

I did these Thursday. Thank You, Mother Nature!

I forgot to mention that after 4 long years we finally found a cabinet maker who is not going to rip us off. With fingers crossed we will actually have functioning kitchen by Christmas. It has been meetings and phone calls. I have a strange feeling that it will actually take time for us to adjust to having – lets say – a counter top by the sink – a place to actually store kitchen goods. Is it possible for one to forget how a kitchen actually functions?

However, and you knew there would be a however – there are two things that must happen. Here’s a clue, our kitchen is textured, B is loaning us a shop vac and a special sander. Need I say more?

The other one is a kitchen floor that is going to look very familiar to some of you out there. All I have to say about the floor is what the hell were these people thinking.

So now its back in the 50’s as I write this and its starting to rain again, I’m glad I need a rest.

Friday running around list of places to go:
Vets- both dogs need nail trimmed
Lumber Store – find new base moulding
Fabric Store – fabric for couches
Hardware Store – quality latches for new cabinets and knobs for drawers
Take dogs to the park

I am forgetting something I know I am.

Ahhhh Vacation

So far vacation has been work and fun. The husband and I are trying to do both. All work no play make a vacationer very unhappy.

Here’s the list of work and play.

Friday – Greek festival with our friend George.

Saturday – Worked in the yard and went to see Ed Helms in one of my favorite little cities.

Sunday – Spread Sweet peat and then dinner at favorite place on the lake for steak

Monday – Rock shopping for the right color of stone. The color I want oh so bad I cannot get here which would be Mexican Blue Pebble Stone. Dinner at Taco Bell, Ice Cream at local place.

Tuesday – Cleaned up the shade garden and our friend Steve was up for a visit.

Wednesday – My Birthday. We did a little work, very little work and had dinner at another near by city on the lake. Gotta love Czech food.

Thursday – Started to clean out the garden – what a mess. Friend Steve back with his friend Jerry to talk about, dare I say cabinets. Kitchen bloody cabinets. Could this be our man? Oddly enough when Jerry asked us what we wanted we just looked at one another because we had been living so long – since 2005 – with an unusable kitchen we actually didn’t know how to answer him. Husband and I went to lunch and for my birthday I got a new camera since the other finally bit it from being in the rain. To wrap up the night a little wine with some sausage, fruit, bread cracker, and cheese. Perfect.

Friday – We started our day with the husband back in the garden and me researching on line for how shall I say – a little psychological warfare. Since you all know what has been going on around here – it had stopped – I am preparing for when it starts again, and I assure you it will.

By 11:15 we were at my in-laws moving 3 scoops of pea gravel. One would think that we would have had enough but no – we finished the garden clean up, covered the path with landscaping fabric and laid down some pea gravel. We are trading my father-in-law pea gravel for sweet peat. Today is the first day that I actually cooked at home. Steak on the grill, tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese and Sicilian bread to complete it. I forgot the red wine.

Saturday we have a function to attend to with our friends George and Don. Can someone say clam bake?!

Day Five

Let me first start by saying to all who are checking in thank you, it means the world to us. For a very long time the husband and I have always felt alone in what we do. Meaning the kitty stuff. Here, where we live, the feral kitty problem is something that is just not talked about and when it is talked about, you wont hear about it for at least another 9 years or so. I am hoping to help change this.

The Stats for Today’s missing are ZERO. For whatever reason the sicko _____ did not put a trap out last night. Interesting! Don’t get too happy I’m sure there are reasons and he will be back at it probably by day break. Sicko ____ is now going to have to make up for lost time.

During all of this crap, because that is exactly what it is, as you know we are officially on vacation. I need to embrace this and have some damn fun and get the hell away from this damn house and city as often we can.

You have probably also noticed that we are in the middle of landscaping project that we haven’t touched in a week. Well here’s the deal, we will be shopping for stone pathway either Monday or Tuesday. The stone we wanted, we cannot get here in our region, imagine that. I really wanted Mexican Blue beach pebbles, not happening! Time to go shopping for another color. Damn it. Two more yards of Sweet Peat just arrived on Friday morning that needs to be moved and spread. You know what we will be doing early tomorrow morning – spreading sweet peat.

Tonight we went to and saw a show. A Friend of ours gave us tickets, thank you T is was a great show and a nice break. We also screwed up the dates to the outing we were suppose to go to this afternoon. I can’t imagine what we would be so preoccupied with that we can’t keep our dates straight.

So on the 1st full day of vacation I started with my traditional local Farmers Market run for a poppy seed roll. It seems that since we got the farmers market this has become a tradition. They didn’t have any – booooo – but I did bring home this cute little cantaloupe from T’s booth. Thank you, I know it will be yummy. I still may however draw a picture on it because it is really that damn cute. When one is looking for poppy seed roll one should have a backup plan. Local bakery.

Today felt like the 1st day of a vacation. Traditions were met and a fun evening came to be in spite of a shitty week.

Oh yes and our camera finally bit it. We have one of loan, thank you S until we go shopping for a new one.

Day Four – The Count

I start vacation today! Big Freaking Deal! The husband and I had so been looking forward to this time away from jobs and work. It just doesn’t seem so important anymore. We have a friend coming in tonight which we will be participating in a snacking of some Greek Food.

I’m back, the food was great, the company superb and I didn’t take any Valerian Root so I could actually have a drink or two and not want to crawl into bed.

Prior to our outing our phone rang and I grabbed it. Mind you I have been reading laws and visiting people who are knowledgeable in these matters and yes we are desperate. We caught our friend up with what was going on out here because of my dropping the f-bomb many times one the phone.

For the life of me I cannot understand Ohio codes/laws. They cannot be to protect animals, there is no way possible. Tonight I still cannot wrap my head around all of this because there is no logic to it except when you ask yourself who is this law written for. If what was told to me is correct then they are in no why shape of form written for the animal world but for man’s world and man’s conveniences. The human world has is a self-centered, selfish place to live. You are damn straight if I am being harsh because I don’t understand how any of this can be helpful. It is okay to kill an animal, it is okay to take an animal and dump it on someone else, somewhere else because we don’t want to do what is right. Well fuck that, we are their keepers, we are their advocates . I didn’t sign up for this fight, I was a dog person, but when they look you at you with their little eyes how can a person’s heart not melt. How can a human not want to do what is right and moral?

It’s a crock of shit! All of this is a crock of shit.

So here is the count for the day: 5

Tango – gone
Rusty – gone
Booboo – gone
Ringo – gone
Gi Gi – gone

These animals that we have spent every day for the last several years with – gone.

At this rate we will be out of cats by next weekend. We should have taken the thousands of dollars we spent and threw it in the Coleman Outdoor Fire Place.

Happy vacation to us, big fucking deal.

Day Two – All accounted for – We Think

Those who have sent the animal spirits to watch over the remaining feral cats, we made it through the night. We think all are accounted for – except the neighbors other male cat. I will have to keep an eye out for him.

We definitely know that this little guy has been his victim

and this little girl.

The sick ____ still has the trap out, I am secretly hopping that a skunk gets trapped. Then what will the ass do?

What I find sad is that his kid is seeing him behave this way and probably thinks that is normal.

I am still taking Valerian root because I need to stay calm, and when it wears off I feel the anxiety creeping back in.

I think what I have found so frustrating is that I’m am so tired of trying to do the right thing, and there is some sort of mountain that is in the way. I am so tired of ignorant people. I am questioning myself over and over why even bother with anything. Then I’m quickly reminded that at least where the four legged creatures come in to play who will give a shit, who will be their voice. Like I said humans are the ones who caused this and they pay the price.

I don’t know when this is going to end but I hope very soon, I am so mentally exhausted.

Where did they go?????

I didn’t sleep at all last night and I started to have anxiety attacks through out the night.

As I said once before I would only share bits and pieces about the feral cats. I need to put all this anxiety some where and since my blog is one of my tools that I use as an outlet – here goes. I forgot to mention, if my typing becomes sloppy that means calmness has finally taken over and the Valerian Root has kicked in – that I haven’t had to take that in 13 years.

Early yesterday late afternoon I noticed something strange in my neighbors yard. This house is 3 houses away and since I need new glasses I was really was having a difficult time identify what it was. Then to my horror I figured it out, it was a trap, a live trap. I felt sick, physically ill inside.

Now this is the same house that thought it would be way cool to shoot a pellet gun at a cat and paralyze her and leave her for dead. One problem, she lived and the husband and I were the ones who did the deed. So, I don’t trust this guy already and when I see a live trap, well, think about it. Really think hard about all the possibilities. They are endless!

One of our feral males who is neutered has been missing for a couple of days. This is not his normal M.O. and he is one who doesn’t leave the yard. My worst fears came true when I got out of bed at 6:30 this morning and I saw one of the feral cats in this trap.

This also means that they are baiting the trap, cats will not go into an empty cage for no purpose – food is the only motivating factor and even then sometimes that’s not enough. It was one of the TNR females, left in the pouring rain. Sick, Sick, just Heartless!

The husband and I are scrambling tying to figure out what to do. We find ourselves in this situation where we lose at every turn. We cannot go on to his property and release the cat and yet we are now looking at this legal stuff because we technically don’t manage a colony but due to circumstances we find that this is exactly what we are doing. It wasn’t our choice, it simply came to be this way.

We don’t know how to fight this, and in my heart I know we have to let them go because I don’t know how to keep them safe from humans. They don’t know the human world only their world, which is nurturing towards one another. I am afraid he is hurting them and I know they cannot get along in the wild world, they will starve. They don’t deserve this, we humans made it this way and they pay the price. It is wrong, wrong, morally wrong.

Sorry, Valerian not working yet I have to go and find some tissue.

The sick _____ is back and so is the trap -EMPTY- and he set it again.