Question

OK, I'm sure there is some simple solution for this. I want to save all my posts to this blog (about 200) to a file on my computer (or a thumb drive). Other than using "select all" and then "copy" to Word, one page at a time, is there any way to do this in one, so to speak, stroke? So many pages this way.

Any suggestions gratefully acknowledged.

My Evil EBay Addiction

Well, first I need to explain that I began EBaying in 1997, back when I still had to explain how it worked, and the response would invariably be "What, you send them money and THEN they send your stuff??!!" But as we all know, for the most part it does work. Or maybe I've been lucky, or naive, or too cheap to spend much over $45 for anything. Anyway, even after all this time I am constantly amazed at what you can find for so little effort.

As an example, I wanted a copy of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, you know, the three ring binder one with the red and white checked cover? But not just any version, I want the one I have, tattered, spotted, missing pages and broken spine. I check ebay and there it is, apparently unused, sitting on someone's shelf all these years (1972). Naturally I was high bidder, and it arrived Friday. I'm having the pages with my favorite recipes laminated and punched, they'll be easy to find and won't tatter so that tsp looks like Tbsp. My version looks so-- so-- abused in comparison.

But it is all getting out of hand now. I bought a wind up chiming wall clock, and then spent $85 (so far) and it still won't run, just sits there dinging sullenly on the hour-- but which hour? It needs rehab.

I bought a lovely winter jacket, even though I have 5, not counting the mink, which we won't if I have any say and I do. It was so lovely, and so cheap! Who could resist?

I bought cartridges for my fountain pens; three silk blouses; one pair of Tencel pants so the blouses would match something; a set of king size sheets; two other shirts, a loony tunes mug for N after he left his on the car roof; an embroidered jean jacket, a suede jacket, underwear, oh the list goes on and on. All the above is just for Oct.

So the only way to control myself is to NOT LOOK. Well, I do need to do feedback, but that's IT.

Though I've heard Ruby Lane has a good bit in the way of antiques....

Bumper sticker: "I bet Jesus would use His turn signals!"

We've got to stop meeting like this

It's 1 AM again; still tired; drugs soon. I spent most of yesterday painting N's bedroom, now that the stinking carpet is gone. Since all the furniture is gone, we might as well paint the ceiling, too, right? Only I ran short of ceiling white and had to get more. N was out of town (DC! As if they DO anything there that couldn't be done in a conference call, saving 7 hours on the road.) but before he left, he selected and bought the paint. No ceiling paint, didn't bring in the ladders, didn't hunt up the paint roller handle, OR even more critically, the extension pole for the roller handle. No little hand held bucket for using with paint when cutting in around windows, ceiling, etc. No brushes hunted up by me that didn't look like green enamel, including the one I bought just for this job. He bought wall paint (and left it in the car!) and 4 roller covers, bringing the household total to around ten. So needless to say, I was off to a slow start. I got the ceiling painted, one wall including trim, and one wall almost finished (slowed down by window trim). I'm feeling pretty puffed up, 'til N call to see how it's going. I honestly think he expected it to be all done; but the way I see it, I painted 3 sides of a six sided box (we will paint the floor too, to seal out kitty effluvia). So I've done my part, assembling all the tools = taking the place of the little bit of the second wall not finished. With extra credit for reaching over my head for hours to do the ceiling, once I bought a new pole extension for the roller.

So my plan today is to stay clean until after my therapy session at 11:30, and then "help" afterwards, while N does the heavy lifting.

oh yeah, and he picked the paint. It had been a blue-gray color, but he bought a teal bedspread etc., so he wanted a more aqua shade. I suggested the first one he picked was a little dark? don't you think? The color he chose is bright robin's egg blue. I think it sucks, but I won't have to look at it much either. The many benefits of separate bedrooms. At least it is covering the cat piss sprays and coffee slop. When all the old rug came out, it apparently was a record-breaker for the crew, smell-wise. What a claim to fame. N, natch, has almost zero sense of smell, and couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

Meanwhile he is sleeping in the LR, and none too pleasant in the morning.

Bumper sticker for the day: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."

Wish us luck...

One A.M.

I am so tired I can't sleep, because I ache like a sumbitch. Two nights ago, I took double Ambien before bed, just so I'd finally get a solid night of sleep. But I got up to use the bathroom, got dizzy and fell on my butt. This would have been merely embarrassing, but I fell on top of a large ceramic pot (like an old style chamber pot) and smashed it into smithereens. In addition, it contained clean kitty litter. I got shapnel in my butt too, and BIG bruises. It was a Christly mess to clean up. The cats were Thoroughly Entertained. Me, less so.

Yesterday I worked on cleaning out the computer room, most especially the desk that sits just inside the door, so handy for dumping whatever papers or receipts or whatever, until the desk disappears and everything is slithering to the floor. The computer itself resides on a "cockpit" desk (I don't why it is called this, when the user can scarcely be called a pilot) which is corner shaped, with the big desktop being a drawing-board sort of thing that tilts. We built it from a kit in this room, which was empty, and I know that it will never make it out of here except with the help of an axe. But the desk--it goes. I want a double doored metal cabinet for supplies, on wheels, but I had no idea they were so expensive (to me). $300 dollars and up! For $300 I could buy a lot of Banker boxes and store them on the floor, of course I wouldn't be able to find anything, that's not too different from now. Have to check out used office supply places. Meanwhile I'm campaigning to get the desk off to Goodwill before our possessions expand to once again occupy the space. It COULD happen. I do have a metal lateral file cabinet shoved under the stairs, but I think we'd have to demolish the stairs to get it out. Such are the perils of living 28 years in the same house.

Meanwhile N has been clearing everything out of his room in preparation for the removal of the most stinking carpet I have ever seen. I don't in god's name know how he could sleep in such a stench and NOT NOTICE. We had a cat, you see, who... well, you get my drift. They rip up the old stuff tomorrow, then put in hardwood flooring on Friday, giving us time to paint, most particularly, to paint the plywood subfloor with polyurethane to seal the stains, since they resist any attempt with any solvent except gasoline and matches to de-gag them. It should improve the air quality in the house immensely. There are also new shades and new curtains and bed linen, although one comforter will need to go to a commercial laundry to be washed. This weekend has been one wild and wonderful time, rest assured.

New Bumper sticker: My mind is like a steel trap. Rusty and illegal in 37 states.

And watch out for those pollsters, they hide behind every phone pole and leap out at the unwary. That's why the call them "POLEsters".

Doing better, touch wood

My psych. dr. started me on Abilify last week, and by gum, it really seems to make me feel cheerful. Only one crying spell, talking to my manicurist (or as I call her, my second therapist). I have been going to the same lady for, oh, I don't know, 20 years? We know each other well. She is having a pretty tough time financially, fewer people do an every-two-week, it is a luxury, and her daughter and grandchild live with her. She's had to take a second job, she works as a private duty caregiver for two elderly women. I know for damn certain I couldn't do it.

Also, I went yesterday to the neurologist the G.P. referred to me, and I think I've come up a winner in this too. He told me much more about my migraines, and that the med I was taking (MaxAlt) to try and kill them at the beginning of an attack wasn't being taken as I should, they should work better now. He emphatically told me he would not give me any new 'scripts for new treatments, as I am taking too many for too many conditions as it is. He did give me a cortisone shot on my left neck for my neck spasms, which he said are directly related to the migraines, and a short (10 day) course of prednisone to hopefully stop the "rebound" headaches that lay me out in bed with a dark hot mask, no noise, no bad smells, no food, for hours. He said the sensation of an "ice pick" pain is very common in migraine sufferers, showed me a description in a med textbook that I could have written--who knew? I thought I had a brain tumor! Anyway, if any of you out there are migraine-ous, I'd see about checking with a neurologist.

And finally, we adopted two pound kittens on Tuesday, we call them Mellow (siamese) and Monet (long hair black or chocolate kitten), both females already spayed. They are supposedly 12 and 9 weeks respectively, but I'll eat the kitty chow myself if Monet is over 5-6 weeks. She is half the size of Mellow, and not too good with the litter box yet. Peed twice on my bed (sob). Confined both in the bathroom last night, and since Mellow uses the box consistently, we're hoping the little one will learn what her mama didn't have time to teach her. Photos soon.

We didn't "need" these kittens since we already have 4 house cats, but two of them are very old (not sure exactly as they were strays we took in) and the other two are getting up there age-wise, so these new ones should infuse a little playfulness and variety. Once they finish hissing and running away, that is.

That's the news (such as it is) from here.

New bumper sticker--
Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?