Itty Bitty Hooves

Big or Flat or Both?

I seriously dread reflooring my living room. It needs it very very badly. I want to do it. I am thinking hardwood. I love the look of hardwood floors. Why I’m dreading it is not the work involved in actually laying the floor. I like doing stuff like that. I’m dreading moving that huge, heavy, entertainment center. It’s amazing really considering we got it at ‘that’ common store everyone goes to. You would think it would be cheap and flimsy—no, It’s big, heavy and sturdy, and IMPOSSIBLE to move. This is the year though. Perhaps it’s a sign that it’s time to go ahead and get that big screen plasma mount TV both hubby and I have wanted. It really is a hard choice. Having a flat screen mounted on the wall would save so much room, but I dearly love that big huge entertainment center too. A new TV wouldn’t fit in it though, not a big screen. I think the fact that if I have to move that thing I’m going to tear it down and never put it back again is what is keeping me from doing the floor in here. So when you hear me scream this summer it is because I’ve killed my 12 year old entertainment center, and then, well hopefully the scream will be followed by a whoop and hollar because we have a new big flat screen.

I’m A Real Twit

Do you remember when being a ‘twit’ was a putdown? Not anymore. Now it means you’re involved in the social network ‘Twitter’. You twit, twoosh, and retwit all day long in short little micro messages back and forth. It’s very active too. I was a twit back in the middle of last year and it was VERY VERY addictive, but I got away from it and once you stop doing it you wonder what all the fuss is about–then you go back. It grabs you tight the moment you ’step through the door’ (figuratively that is).

So the other day I went back, I zoomed up to 19 followers (okay that’s not exactly ‘zooming’ but it is for me last time I think I had three), and am following 66 people so far which is a big jump from the 10 or so before. I decided this time to not hold back at all–let it all hang out which is about what people do on Twit. As for social networking, unless you are seriously bombarding folks with your websites and such, which some do but unless it’s really perteinent it’s just boring, I don’t know. Twitter is more of a say what’s on your mind in 140 characters of less (which can be challenging). Then again, maybe there is something to be said for feeling closer to people and wanting to participate in their business things too. For instance, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are active, pretty active anyway, twitterers, and they don’t promote they just blab and speak what’s on their minds… does that mean I’m more likely to run out and catch their next movie or click to a TV show with them, or get involved with other of Kutcher’s media projects????????? Maybe. If I wasn’t already likely to run out and catch their shows/movies, not sure about the other stuff, but you know, for anyone not already interested in their work it might just be a good way to get them on your side. Show how ‘normal’ you are.

Well I don’t know, but Twitting is fun. Catch me on there if you enter the Twit world. I’m TParrington (not original I know, but what can I say).

What Does A Fence Say About You?

Isn’t that beautiful? Living out in the country and using fences mostly for large farm animal containment most of ours are not nearly as pretty. Since our decision to curtail the farm animals we have been re-thinking the methods used around here and turning this into a ‘rural estate’. The gorgeous aluminum fencing pictured, or even wrought iron would be truly regal. Movie star’ish’. I’m looking into what the costs of aluminum fence installation would be for our ten plus acre property surrounding the actual house. I know that unlike the split rail, or hot wire fencing we have used up until now this is not something to try on your own. Not if you want it to look nice anyway. That type of fencing doesn’t seem like it would blend well with lots of dips and off-kilter centering. To get that really perfect and polished look it would be well worth the expense of having a professional put it up. I am picturing the process now. It reminds me of the part in my first novel where Karen looks out across the fields at the ‘great wall’ being erected. I wonder how many of the farmers passing by would think that of mine? When we first moved down here from the city, being the newbies we were to country life, and having dobermans, we installed a privacy fence–a few years later at an after school event with one of the kids one parent who we’d come to know fairly well by that time approached me with a shy smile saying when she first saw our ‘fence’ she thought we were nudists. What people won’t think of.

Volume Control

I’m kind of wishing birds came with ‘volume control’. Not all of them actuallly–just Simon. The parakeets can be quite chattery all day long but it’s not unpleasant and they are cute playing around all the time. The Amazon, Goober, talks a lot but it’s sweet and sometimes quite funny. He actually often responses quite appropriately.

Simon, the sun conure, on the other hand has a quite obnoxious and shrill call that he is not shy about using. It’s mostly when he wants attention but either way it is ANNOYING. It’s worse since his cage happens to be directly behind my head where I sit so when he screams it’s right in my ear. That is one bird that needs a volume control button on his little beak. Too bad he doesn’t come with one.

Want to Feel Good Again

I’m a little depressed because I’m not doing well on my diet. I was doing so good the year before last that I had begun to be able to wear sexy bra sets and fancy nice clothes right off the rack. I’ve even gained a little back so I am not at all happy with that but some how I just can’t seem to get back on track with it. I keep telling myself that I have those frilly, pretty little lingerie items and how nice it would be to get back to that weight, and that lasts for about 1/2 a day. It’s the last part of the day that gets me every time. Then I reason it away with, well I’ll start tomorrow. We all know how that goes. Tomorrow never comes. I’m going to blame it on the cold, dreary weather. Maybe when spring gets here, it’s not too far off, I’ll be able to feel good about exercising and dieting again. Hopefully. Nothing really makes you feel better than a beautiful set of lingerie, something sexy and slinky… I want to feel good again.

the Taxman Cometh

It’s that time again. Time to think taxes. I dread that time of the year. I used to celebrate it because when both hubby and I worked outside the house AND we had children under 18 living at home we always got huge returns. Now with me working from home as an independant contractor, no one under 18 living here, even with hubby still working his normal job that pays well and gets taxed with each paycheck we still end up owing Uncle Sam a great deal of money. I have a savings account set up so that I can put aside money every month becuase there is no way I am going to be able to accumulate the type of money we’d need at the end of the year. I’m pretty good about not touching the money saved but it’s hard. I always worry though that it won’t be enough. So far each year the amount saved has been plenty and even given us a few dollars to play with at the end, sort of an enforced savings account, but there is always that underlying fear that this year it will be more — there weren’t enough deductions for business expenses. Crossing my fingers that everything is fine. I have a date for my accountant set up on the 16th.

Simple Tastes?

I have a friend who has an amazing selection of clothes, jewelry, and accessories in their wardrobe. Everything from Victorinox Swiss Army watches to bejeweled belts. More clothes than you can shake a stick at to use an old term. Sometimes I’m jealous. I don’t know what I would do with such a large wardrobe. I think I would spend more time trying to decide on what to wear than actually wearing any of it. I personally operate on the motto that one really nice item, such as a Swiss Army watch, a few pairs of nice slacks, dresses, or shirts are plenty. I don’t need a room sized closet to keep it all in either. They need a safe for their jewelry–I just need a little box on my dresser. I think quality is more important than quantity although I can’t say they skimp on quality either. I guess it is the simple country girl in me that keeps me from adding on to my ‘collection’ of clothing. Or maybe it is my skinny wallet.

CRS and spelling

It has come to my attention that I am actually a horrible speller. I always thought I was pretty good at it. That was until I installed spell check on my browser. What a wonderful little device that is. It’s simple to use too. It works in any text box or forum area you post on and all you have to do is click on the spell check in the browser bar. It highlights the words misspelled and offers solutions much like any word processor does. Actually I wonder if it really is a problem of bad spelling, or a problem of typing faster during blog posts because when I work in my word processor I do not have the same spelling difficulties overall. A few words here and there, sure, and usually the fact that it was just a typo is apparent. In my online posts it isn’t as readily apparent that it is a typo and there are usually a lot more of them. I suppose I could just slow down, but with the spell checker I don’t really have to–all I have to do is remember to use it, which is a problem at times. So if I misspell a word and you catch it, blame it on my CRS syndrome and figure that I forgot to use the spell check. I’m sorry in advance.

Peace of Mind

I’m not really fond of doctors. Perhaps it is because I don’t want to know what they’ll tell me if I go. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to hear them harp about my weight. I don’t really know. I suppose I would need a psychologist to explain my deep dislike of doctors. I prefer to think of it as an issue of trust. Whatever my reasons I always look for no medical exam life insurance when choosing a new policy. Really I think it is unfair for insurance companies to prejudice against those with serious illnesses. Everyone needs life insurance and the premiums are high enough anyway. For most people like myself the insurance companies will cash in for a long time (I sure hope) before having to lay out the cash on the policy. With life insurance, however, unlike health insurance which is also necessary, you will definately need it at some point. Most people pay on health insurance and while they probably will need it, there’s no real way of knowing if you will or not. With life insurance it’s a pretty sure thing. That’s why is it so important. Protecting your family from the costs of your passing, and giving them some legacy is a great way to ensure peace of mind. Getting life insurance without a medical exam is a great way to ensure my peace of mind.

Weather Report

I know that blog posts about the weather are generally boring. I mean I could say that it is sunny, bright, and although brisk, not particularly cold for a February morning in Illinois and that would be boring, even though true. This post is more of an observation. This has been a truly STRANGE winter in Illinois. Some are harsh, and some are mild… rarely are they both. This year it has definitely been both. Tragically horrible weather causing power outages lasting almost a week in very large spread areas encompassed December with bitter cold and ice storms. However, in between those weeks the weather was actually fairly mild. Even here where living on the main line of the electric lines usually means power outages only last a few hours even if they last for weeks in the more back road locations the power was out for almost a week in late December. During that spell of ice storms the power went out many times besides that long period in an almost unprecedented accumulation of power outages. January in comparison was pretty mild and went by quickly and now with February looming, the short month may or may not be brutal but it is starting out pretty mild. To top that off February is one of the last of the truly nasty months of winter here in Illinois. March can be nasty but even when it is most people barely mind it because Spring is right around the corner. February for me is a pretty bright month for just that reason. November, December, and January are over and spring is right around the corner. My mood usually lifts and no matter what Mother Nature throws my way I can grin and bear it–well, anything short of another week without power.