First Snow 2015

Came out of work the other morning with an inch of slush on the ground. Drive to Gma's for breakfast wasn't too bad even though the depth of the snow had moved up to 4 inches.

Hung out for a bit with some breakfast and knocked snow out of the bushes until my hands were cold.

Needed to get home to get some sleep for my next work shift so decided to hit the road. No problems until I got closer to home where there were lots of people pulled over on the freeway putting on chains. I was behind the plow so the road was clear for me until I left the freeway.

Road was clear until I hit our neighborhood. There was 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and the weight in the back of the truck was just not enough to manage to make it up the street (slight incline). I ended up sliding to a stop down the block in front of a neighbors house. They were outside so I told them I was going to walk home and get into snow gear and come back and put chains on our tires. I had my muckalucks in the truck so I didn't get soaked on the walk.

At home, I put on snow gear, grabbed the snow shovel and a tarp and headed back down. The neighbors were super nice and helped me to put the chains on. I was able to drive up the street and into our driveway. I grabbed a broom and walked about the house knocking heavy wet snow out of the trees and bushes so we wouldn't lose too many (I found three big ones). After an hour, I decided it was time to get to bed.

That night, I left the the chains on until I got back to the freeway, which was probably a good idea since our roads were still not cleared. No more snow, but we have been kind of cold so it is sticking around for a while.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Snow

TC Summit 2015

What a whirlwind this week has been but it was so informative and a ton of fun. Google did it right, once again!!

It was great to catch up with all of the Blogger Team and to meet some new people as well. I am heading back home and so thankful to only have a short flight with no connections....my heart goes out to all our friends that have 18-24 hour flights ahead of them!!

This year they kept us in San Francisco and the hotels were in a cool part of town so we were able to get out and about a bit as well. In fact, went on a trek last night with a few friends for some great food in Chinatown....didn't end up at Chinese but the Vietnamese stirfry I had was awesome!!

Obviously we are all under NDA so we can't disclose any of the cool stuff we found out that might be coming down the pipe but Google did share some cool toys with all of us and I am excited to get a chance to play with them.

Time to start boarding the flight so I will close for now...
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Google Gift

Up And Going

View from my night swim

 Pool is finally relined and refilled. I have been spending the last two weeks getting the water balanced. The other day when it was over 100, I decided that we were close enough for a swim in the evening when it was still so hot out.

It was lovely...the water was a perfect 75 degrees and in the dark, I couldn't see how badly the backyard needs attention so it was completely enjoyable.

I toodled around on a noodle for twenty mins or so. I am still trying to get the pH and alkalinity right but for the most part, it is pretty good and the new liner looks so nice. It is great to have a pool when the weather is hot, even if it is a little bit of work.

Even though everyone I know is claiming they are ready for it to be fall, I am hoping we have a few more months of hot weather so I can get some enjoyment out of the pool before I have to put the leaf net over it in the fall.

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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...How He Got Me

Tooth Brushing

I am an avid brusher...probably too avid. I have always had a bit of a phobia about bad breath, so brushing has been my friend. Recently though, a friend of mine has had to have her gums built up because they are receding from brushing too aggressively and I thought that I might find myself with that same issue (and no dental insurance), if I am not careful.

I know a lot of people that like to use the electric brushes that spin to brush their teeth. They say they get a better clean without the wear and tear on their gums. I thought, I would try out an inexpensive electric brush and see if I like it and if my gums like it. I didn't want to jump into the deep end and spend a ton of money, in case it isn't for me so today, I got one of the cheaper Oral B versions that just takes a AA battery to give it a shot...the head is still small enough for my cover and the bristles come in soft (which is what I need).

I decided to do a Google search to see what recommendations are out there for brushing techniques and I came across this useful article. I thought perhaps it might be useful for others so I linked it.

This evening will be my first trial run...I'll let you know how it goes.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Teeth Whitening

Old Comforts

One lovely thing about finally getting all of our stuff and then getting it unpacked is seeing some of the stuff we have had in storage for years, once again.

This cup is one of my souvenir purchases before we left Japan the last time, and it is one of my faves for a big cup of tea or even to use as a soup bowl. It has a small map of the island as well as some map points of some of the major spots on the island. It also has the name of the island and country in kanji on the sides.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Two Favorite Things

Smile 99/100 Park Friends

This is my cousin and his friend heading over to the water park section of one of our local parks.

We try to hit this park each time we go to the Grower's Market so he can have some play time after being so good doing what the "grownups" want to do first.

He is going to be three this winter and he is already such a little man! Seeing them head off for their little adventure made me smile.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 in normal sunlight with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light balance and then added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Green Anole

Smile 90/100 Borrowed

So I made a little trip to see family this week and because of the cost of checking bags, I have taken to only bringing a carryon when I can swing it. A short trip like this, is a perfect example.

My carry-on that I normally use, is apparently one inch too wide to be a carry-on anymore, so I borrowed this bag from my SIL because it fits under all the requirements and I knew I wouldn't have to worry. I am going to buy one eventually, but for this last minute trip, this was a perfect fit.

I have another trip coming up in a few weeks, and I will be borrowing this bag again. Hopefully I can find an economical replacement soon. I took this pic in the airport in Denver between flights, with my Fuji Finepix f50 and edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add a fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...In A Pinch

Smile 86/100 Ideal Lunch

Made pineapple curry the other day from a fresh pineapple I cut up. One of my favorite things to eat but since I am trying to lose a few pounds, I decided to bring leftovers to work and put it on spring greens rather than rice.

Great way to spice up salad, for sure. While on lunch in the breakroom, I get a few mins to read my Nook. I am working on the Harry Potter series and I have been renting them as ebooks from the local library system. It has been a great adventure.

I took this pic with my Fuji Finepix f50 in our breakroom at work with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add the fuzzy border.
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Six Months Ago on In My Words...POTD 23 Bedtime

Smile 84/100 Iced Coffee

This is something I do in the summer time. Since we make coffee using a french press, it is a bit more work to pull it off, but nothing major.

I make coffee in the press, like I would normally do, and then let it cool a bit in the press pot. Once it isn't blazing hot anymore but still warm enough to dissolve sugar, I pour it into this container with a small amount of raw sugar (the same amount I would put in my normal cup of coffee in the morning which is one tsp per cup). I shake the container to dissolve the sugar and I set to making a second batch. This container holds two of our french press potfuls. Once I have it filled up, I put it in the fridge and then I have yummy iced coffee for the week or more.

I like to add almond milk to my coffee after I pour it into my glass (and I actually don't drink it with ice), and it is a nice cool summertime wake up.

I took this picture in our kitchen with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but with the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Making A Cup Of Coffee

Smile 82/100 Clean Sink

This has always been a weird thing for me. I can't stand to wake up to a sink full of dishes, so I generally make sure that the sink is empty before heading to bed.

Obviously there are times when time constraints prevent this from happening, but I can say that waking up to the empty sink this morning totally brought a smile to my lips.

It is like a fresh start and the options are unlimited because nothing has to be washed to figure out breakfast...LOL

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Red Skies At Night

Smile 44/100 New Lenses

My cousin found these glasses and gave them to me 14 years ago. I have replaced the lenses twice now.

I have a case for them and I try to be careful that I don't put them in the same pocket as anything sharp like keys, but somehow I got a huge gouge in the right lens a few weeks ago and it ran right down my center of my vision and was driving me nuts. So I looked online and Oakley doesn't provide the replacement lenses anymore but I found some from a third party on Amazon.

I ordered polarized lenses (my first) and it is a completely different experience to look through them, but in a good way. Everything looks really crisp and some things almost look extra vivid. I guess I am the last person on the planet to try polarized, haha.

I took this picture in the afternoon in our diningroom with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...

Smile 23/100 New Feet

These are my new black laceups. I got them for work but I like them so much, I will wear them all the time too. I was looking at some Keens for work, but I wanted to try them on first because the online reviews had been mixed. I went to one of our better shoes stores for some expert advice and gave the Keens a try. The ones I tried were just not as comfortable as my other Keens, and the shoe guy recommended I give these ones a try.

They are made by Klogs. I put them on, and it was love at first sight. Sooooo comfortable and super cute too! The only issue I have noticed so far is that one the super shiny floors at work, they squeak like my Danskos do but I am hoping that once they are worn in a bit, that might stop. I wore them all day the first day and no problems at all with needing to break them in.

I took this picture of my feet at work on the carpet near my desk (not sure why the floor looks so bright) with my Fuji Finepix f50, no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Strange Gym People

Smile 14/100 Remote

Okay, this probably doesn't seem like something to get happy about...but since we have been back in our house here, we have not had a garage door opener remote and that makes unloading our truck a pain in the butt at times.

It seems that the AC was added to the house later down the road and so they put the bulkhead for the ductwork across the top of the garage ceiling. When the garage door opener was added even later, they put it in the bulkhead butted up against the duct work...which makes access to the back of the opener motor nearly impossible.

So even though I had purchased the opener ages ago, the hassle that I knew it was going to be kept me from wanting to even tackle it. Well this weekend, taking this item off the To Do list was a priority...and it was a hassle since once I opened up the drywall a bit more, it was obvious that reaching between the two was going to be almost impossible.

Sitting at the very top of the painting ladder and wedging my hand down the back of the moter from the top, I was finally able to feel the reset button and after erasing the codes, and then hooking up a light so we could tell if the programing was working, we were able to get the new opener remote programmed to work. When that door lowered after pushing the button, I almost jumped off the ladder, I was so excited...

I took this picture in our truck with my Fuji Finepix f50, with no flash but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and then added a fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Happy Endings

Smile 10/100 Night Light

So this little lantern came in handy last night. There was a car accident in town that involved an electric pole so our corner of the city was knocked out of power for about 6 hours.

It occurred late enough that it didn't affect us as bad as it could have, but it was still nice to find this lantern in the cabinet with fuel and a wick already in it. Definitely made me smile.

Lately, I have been avoiding big candles...we have a ton of those wax smellies to use up so I have been focusing on tea lights...but then when the power goes out, tea lights aren't necessarily the best option.

We have flashlights but why use up all the batteries when this little lantern available?

I took this picture in the middle of a blackout with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Camping and Fishing

Smile 5/100 Fresh

Every three weeks there is a little smile when I get to open a new set of these...LOL. Fresh contacts feel great. I probably could go a whole month, but as soon as I start to feel that my eyes just don't feel that clean, I figure it is better safe than sorry, and I change out my contacts.

I wear Acuvue Oasys contacts which are pretty comfortable disposables. I don't wear them at night so I get a little bit longer out of them than if I wore them 24 hours. I change to my glasses right before bed, or a bit earlier if I know I am going to be doing nothing but computer work for the rest of the night. I don't mind my glasses, but I can't wear them on a daily basis when doing yardwork or exercising as they get in the way.

I first got glasses when I was in college when I started noticing that the words on the board in my lectures were hard to read. I didn't end up doing contacts until about a year later when I realized that the glasses were just super uncomfortable and inconvenient for doing exercise.

I took this picture in our bathroom this morning when I was doing the change out. I took it with our Fuji Finepix f50 and then editded it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Loving The New Contacts

Smile 2/100 Errand Treat

I think it started in Japan...because we needed to pay most bills face to face, and we were paid in USD, but needed to pay bills in yen...bill paying became a monthly errand day. This usually fell near payday and the beginning of the month since that was when rent and utilities were due.

So after payday, I would withdraw the amount we needed for bills in dollars from the bank and then go to Jusco to exchange the dollars for yen. Jusco had several machines that looked like ATMs that exchanged money and they had one of the best exchange rates in the town we lived in.

After I had done the exchange, I would usually go to this sushi-go-round place called Gorume Kaiten Sushi for lunch and as a treat for all the errand running still left in the day. We loved that place...you could get pretty good sushi for a decent price very quickly so it made for a great grab and go kind of day.

Now that we aren't in Japan doesn't mean that "errand treating" had to end. Now it has become somewhat of a Pavlovian thing for me...LOL. So I was out running a lot of errands...Target for toiletries, the mall to pay a bill, Trader Joe's and Winco for groceries, Michael's for yarn for a project I am doing for my grandmother, and REI for a county parking pass and a little window shopping. While in that area, I decided the sushi restaurant would be my stop for lunch.

I ordered the sashimi combo with edemame and ocha...it was the perfect errand treat! The sashimi combo was tuna, salmon and yellowtail...yum, yum.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro enabled.  I edited the image in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Full Feeling

Smile 1/100 First Iris

So I decided to unofficially do this for the next 100 days instead of the POTD, just to change things up a bit. When I say unofficially, I just mean that I didn't sign up on the site, but I am going to blog my pics, and share through my Twitter, my Google+ and one of my Facebook groups. I'll be using a hashtag of #findingjoytoday on Twitter and Google+.

I tend to find something to smile about each day and try to enjoy the small beauties that each day contains even if the overall day isn't perfect in any way. This challenge gives me a chance to share those items without the word restrictions of POTD for a bit. We'll see how it goes.

This picture is of the first of the many irises that are planted in this yard. This is a transplant from my sister in law's yard that bloomed last year as well. It is a dwarf iris (so it only gets about 10 inches tall) and I love that it peaks up soon after the daffodils have finished, but before any of the other irises are even budding out yet.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add a fuzzy border.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Ikebana Lesson Two-Basic Upright

POTD Day 8 In The Corner

I started this one out with a boring picture of our recycle bins sitting in the corner of the dining room, but then I was out driving doing errands and took the back roads home and saw these awesome corners and couldn't help myself.

So this one is obviously near a lot of orchard farms and I loved the lines. The leaves aren't back on the trees yet, but their rows are still very obvious.

There was a red tail hawk at the top of the electric lines looking for something to eat, and he took off right after I took the picture and he was so huge. You can see him in the pic of you look closely.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash around lunchtime. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Dead Gecko Movement

POTD Day 6 Chair

Not really a chair, but definitely a spot to sit and one used a lot since it is nice to be in front of the fire.

I am not a huge fan of the tile that was used but it is the same tile that is in the kitchen on the counters and backsplash...so I am hoping that someday when we replace the kitchen counters, I'll get to knock this stuff out. If not, it won't kill me either, but it would be nice. Also not a huge fan of the brass around the fireplace and on the glass doors but thinking of maybe spray painting it flat high heat black...as you can see, the to do list of home improvement never ends...LOL

I took this picture in our livingroom with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Kick Ass Lightening

POTD Day 20 Peace

This is one of my favorite spots at our house. Even though the posts are a little too close together for the optimum hammock location, it is better than nothing.

There is a nice shade and breeze in this spot and I love being able to take a break from projects and sit in the hammock with some iced tea and a good book.

So this is my peace spot...at least for now.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 on our back porch with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Cell Phone Free Zone