Just keep springing, springing, springing...

[Harriet]

Nancy, that was the only advice I was going to be able to give - just gather eggs often until she loses interest.

lucylee, I didn't realize your dmother's dental work was coming up so fast. Hope it goes well.

Both my girls have called with academic news today. Dd18 is now officially a double major. She says she was so excited she got a paper cut on her own acceptance letter. Dd37 signed up for a course - some long name, about methodology in research. I asked her about the name again but she says it's too boring to repeat.

And in really exciting academic news - the 2 oldest grandboys' science fair projects were turned in. Wilt time of cut flowers with different water additives, and oxidation time of apple slices in different acids. They are hopeful. Not to be outdone, little britches timed the cracking of the candy coating in the different colors of M & Ms candies when you heat them. (red lasts the longest) Also, he reports you get a really bad smell if you burn chocolate. (not to worry, Daddy was watching. Daddy was the one who got in trouble.)

[Nancy]

Thanks Harriet. I have let them out earlier now that the grass is growing again I can do that. It wad rainy a bit the ddog did not want to be out. But now the weather is better so I worked on cleaning the chickens run made some progress but more to do my hVe to do it in segments over the next week or so till it is done weather permitting.

H is home nearly time to start dinner.
Hen are back in now chicks are fine.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dinner is done (made, eaten, cleaned up) and a mass email sent.

Next up, is either clean bathrooms or work on getting the scanner to work with my computer. Neither option excites me.

[helia]

Congratulations to dd18, Harriet! How exciting for her! Both ds and dd21 were/are in 2 different colleges at our big U, but with minors not double majors. However, at our organizationally challenged university, that has caused some confusion for the administration over the years. I won't expound on that now. Ds was in engineering and LSA for a minor in linguistics. Dd21 is technically in the honors college (only LSA has one here) and also the art school. She has just bumped her art major down to a minor, but she loves her art classes!! I also want to say that I LOVE the boys' science projects. I hope they show well!

Ramblings -- warning. Not interesting unless you're interested in how universities organize (or don't organize) their majors. . . Earlier, I found it interesting to hear where computer science is housed at Harriet's dd18's university. That probably makes more sense than at our big U, where its' all a bit schizophrenic. There are actually 2 comp. science majors at this university, one in the college of engineering and one in LSA (college of literature, science, and arts -- math is in this one too, just for reference). I don't know the exact differences between the 2. I think the coursework is pretty much the same and mainly housed in the college of engineering. However, the college of engineering has more stringent entrance requirements and requires fewer LSA courses so maybe students of that college end up taking more engineering courses than their peers in LSA??

I had a good 4 mile jog this afternoon. I had a fast pace -- for me. LOL! Very slow for anyone else. My last mile was my fastest. Dh thinks that's a good sign, promising for longer runs. We'll see. . .

Like Kathryn, dinner has been made, eaten, and cleaned up. I should do something tonight, but I don't find any of my options very exciting. I could (1) start prep for payroll: make a quiz, make a summary sheet, get an idea of what I'll have on the test next Monday. OR I could (2) fold and put away the sheets dh hung to dry all over the playroom. Or (3) I could spiff the bathrooms in prep for dh's group coming over tomorrow.

Which exciting option did you choose, Kathryn?

[LadyMaverick]

I'm happy with my evening accomplishments.

** WW meeting attended. Weigh in showed a 2.6 lb loss this week. I tend to go big loss...little loss. I expect next week will be a little loss.
** New laptop has been completely configured. New software installed and tested. I'll deliver it to church tomorrow night.
** Church elders approved upgrading the sound system. I texted the approval announcement to the 2 people most knowledgeable about what is needed and got that project rolling. I intent to step back and hopefully one of them will take the ball and run with it.

One of the Children Church teachers asked if the church could get a pencil sharpener. She has been taking the pencils home with her and sharpening them. I also need to order a couple thumb drives to use with the church laptop. I'll get those ordered and then call it a day.

[lucylee]

UPDATE -- RX was phoned in about an hour after I left the drug store -- nurse called back and told me, so it was no problem to go pick that up. DH has taken the first one and after an hour or so, he reports, "So far so good."

I am concerned about dmom's oral surgery Monday. Posted in J&C also. I pretty much have to leave her at home alone Monday night, and I'm a little worried about that, but she thinks she will be okay. I've left her before following colonoscopy, she thinks this should be no different. * sigh * I just don't know, but I can tell dh doesn't want to be left alone either... * sigh *

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Helia: The winner was scanner! I moved it from the office, where it was sitting on my childhood desk in there (not a desk in use, it is in there because it has to be somewhere - my dad built it for me and I'm not getting rid of it as long as there's room for it somewhere here) to a portable table by my desk in the living room (my normal work space.)

I got it working (it has only scanned to USB stick up until now) and also updated both its firmware and the management software on my computer.

Then I scanned the payroll file from 1999. That worked after a hiccup with a jam due to my mistake. Got the bank statements and accountant correspondence done from that year too. It takes about 5 minutes a file to prep & scan. I've decided not to scan individual receipts from trips, but will going forward into the future. But for things this old, I really don't have to even keep the files, but am choosing to scan before having them shredded.

I'm not sure how many files are in each file archive box, but probably between 50 & 100. I have 5 boxes to do plus a number of binders.

The archive boxes are blocking access to a bookcase we've moved into the office (actually the bookcase was put where the boxes used to be stacked. Eventually the bookcase will hold my current investment information and other important current binders. They are currently in a chest that serves as our coffee table (also made by Dad). Once that's cleared out, it will serve as a toy box for dgs toys here.

Also going onto the bookcase are our videos. They were moved out of the living room when I got my 3rd music cabinet and crammed into a corner of the office. Once they are on the bookcase, their media bookcases will be given away, one to be used for media at the residents' library and I have a bag of music CDs on the floor of the office to put on that.

So, when the scanning is done, much of the mess in the office will be cleaned up and the shredder, which is currently in the way behind dh's desk, will go back to its spot where the media bookcases were put. The scanner will go back on the my childhood desk, ready to be used when it is next needed for a big project or can be used without a computer if you plug in a USB stick.

All this to say, tonight is the beginning of a big project that will eventually clean up the office. In the meantime, I have a HUGE mess in the living room as I have the files to be scanned strewn about!

I'm off to bed now. The wind is incredibly fierce tonight. The temperature is dropping from high 40's to -20 tonight. Tomorrow will be below freezing but then things warm up again. I have a splitting headache that I'm blaming on the change of air pressure.

[Harmony]

How do you plan your trips?

I watch PBS. Maybe someday.

Springing...hmmm well I did get some things done today. Folded up all the clothes hanging in the laundry room. Took out the throw rug I'd been soaking, hosed it off and hung it over a chair in the sunlight. This one's too heavy for the washer. I think I might donate it now. It's a lot of work to keep clean.

I did big cleanup in the kitchen. I can see the kitchen table now and that's all clean. I also raked and cleaned up the island under the palms, got rid of a lot of dead flower plants.

We've been working on the roof the past 2 days. We've been bleaching the shingles which have long ago turned dark. Our shingles are grey/white/silver-ish. Now 95% of the black is gone. But we've put many hours into this. I've been running back and forth to the store getting more big containers of chlorine. Today I was downtown looking for more wands and fittings for DH's tank rig he made to pull the liquid up onto the roof. We use something like they use for pressure washing, but not much pressure because that would damage the shingles.

Helper has been up top, we've been doing all the mechanical work down on the ground. Huge amount of work, too much on our feet. DH's knee is bad again and I was so tired I had to sleep a bit this afternoon. We still have the soffet fascia and gutters to do. I think we should have subbed this out as it was all expensive, I don't think we saved any money. But it's done now almost.

Hoping tomorrow is better. They are pouring concrete and I don't know if I'll have to go help or not. DH lost a filling and needs a dentist, I've lost 2 fillings and I need one too, and he is asking for another shot in his knee. I hope I can forget all this and sleep tonight.

[Nancy]

I am SO glad I did the yard work & outside stuff when I did got fhunder boomers and rain just after dinner. I got the hens back in their run just before that happened. We could have a rain snow mix next Tues. according to the forecast.

Watching "Gone Girl" for the 1st time. A strange movie.