Home Improvement Project: double the time

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

First, I took Maddie to the vet on Friday and her ears are 95% better. Right off that news made my weekend. Good thing as I finally tackled the floor in the family room

Oh boy. The carpet itself came off easily; it was simply a matter of cutting it into 4 foot lengths [required by the county for disposal], rolling and tying it the strips up before carting it to the curb. Where I ran into my first snag was the tack strips. Those had been nailed every 4-5 inches...meaning I couldn't remove any strip of significant length. I spent one hour per wall, tearing up the strips.

Next up was pulling up the carpet the owners before me had used as a pad for the concrete floor. It came up, all right, but the rubber backing had fused to the floor. What a mucky mess, which meant I needed to scrape it up.

Faced with the tedious chore, I decided to take a a break and head to Lowe's to pick up the tile primer; however, I got a flat tire [later found two nails/screws in the tire]. I ended up pulling my right shoulder [my bad one from years of swimming] while putting on the donut spare tire.

So the scraping up the rubber gook is progressing slowly. I can only scrape for a short period of time before my shoulder hurts. It's looking like I won't get to lay down the tile until next weekend. It didn't help matters much that I spent the morning at the car dealership getting a new tire. Since it was time for 5000 mile maintenance, I got that done as well, which will save me a Saturday morning.

The axiom for home improvement projects is true. Allow at least double the time because what can go wrong will go wrong. Case in point for me: tack strips and rubber gook.

:) Carol

Boo, hiss, Dolphins

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I have never been a Bill Parcells and the news that he was the new GM of the Dolphins left me leery. And the coach he hired made me even less enthusiastic. But the duo's latest pettiness over Jason Taylor may sever my cheering for the Dolphins this season. I've been a Dolphins fan even before moving to Florida, but with first Zach Thomas and now possibly Jason Taylor gone, there's no one left on the team that I would be interested in watching.

Shame on Parcells and Sparano. No sense of humor or grace. And most definitely no style.

Looking like another very bleak season. Sigh, Carol

Missed DWTS last night!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

I had a business meeting in Tampa that began last night so I missed the DWTS program. I cannot believe that I missed Jason's shirt being ripped off!!!!!!!!!!! grrrrrrrr :) Carol

p.s. When I got home, Maddie's ear looked like it was doing much better. And of course, I received plenty of doggie kisses. :)

Maddie

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Maddie here. I'm doing much better according to the vet today. I still have a way to go with this dang bacteria, but Carol's continuing to stuff pills down me. Today was her birthday and I danced with her as she sang 'happy birthday' on my behalf.

While the vet was checking me out, she went with a friend to see "Prince Caspian" and loved it. She finished off the day with a swim so I got to chill out on the pool deck. We had a few problems last night. I was determined to sleep on the bed, but every time I tried to put my head on her shoulder, this cone I have to wear got in the way. I finally took up a spot at the foot of the bed. I'll be soooo happy when I no longer have to wear the cone. However, Carol's been really good about massaging my back every night. She sure knows how to make a pup's tail wag.

Thank you for all your concern and well wishes! Maddie

p.s. I am not letting Carol take any pictures of me until my ears look good again. A girl has to have a little vanity.






Maddie's sick

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Pardon me, but I'm going to be absent for a bit. Maddie developed an ear infection that turned out to be a particularly ferocious bacteria. The vet worked on her ears and she's responding well so far to a case load of medications. But I'm a bit frantic and frazzled. I feel so bad for my baby. I'll check in later once things stabilize with her.

Carol

DWTS and stuff

Monday, May 12, 2008

Although I really, really want a woman to win this year's DWTS, and I think Kristi will take the title...I still love watching Jason. And I was thrilled tonight to see Zach Thomas in the audience. I'm sooooo going to miss him playing for the Dolphins. Both Zach and Jason deserve a Super Bowl ring. My one problem is Zach went with the Cowboys, and I've never been a Cowboy fan, especially with their current quarterback. But I will cheer for Zach except for when he plays the Dolphins.

I had a busy weekend. First off was my writing chapter's meeting on Saturday. Author Mary Stella gave a great talk on the news out of the Novelists, INC conference. Then for Mother's Day, I went to dinner with my friend Diane and her mother. Good weekend, just hotter than Hades. The weather guys are saying a cold front is coming in tonight, so I hope they are right. That ocean is warming all too quickly, which could mean for a very long hurricane season.

:) Carol

Possible sighting of the Boca Mall killer

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Ever since the slayings of the mother and her daughter at the Boca Raton mall, we've all been waiting with dread for the killer to re-emerge. Since it appears he's struck before, most have not doubted he would strike again.

An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers that a man resembling the suspected killer was at the Aventura Mall has turned out to be downright creepy. The mall's surveillance video shows a grainy image of a man wearing the floppy hat, sunglasses and ponytail as he follows a woman and her daughter. Brrr....

The local NBC station ran a segment of how a woman can protect herself while grocery shopping, so here's the link to the story in the hopes it provides useful tips. Carol

http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b40a85af-2cef-40a2-86a3-55bd738e44a8

Women's fighting chance - WPTV NewsChannel 5

Ironman

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Color me happy that the winter 'drama' season at the movies is drawing to a close. The action/adventure summer season is upon us, and boy, did it start with a bang! I saw "Ironman" over the weekend and loved it! I thought the ending was a tad weak, but overall, great flick. I never looked once at my watch. Everyone at the office who also saw it gave it a 'two thumbs' up.

We were all cheering for Robert Downey, Jr. to have a major hit, and he's got it. He muscled up well...maybe he got pointers from Jason Taylor.

***Side bar: check out Jason's picture in People's 100 Most Beautiful People. Talk about a living Adonis!***

But hurray for Robert Downey and Ironman! Now on to the next Chronicles of Narnia and then to my most anticipated movie: Indiana Jones! :) Carol

Balancing on time's tightrope

Monday, May 5, 2008

I have to admit, there are not enough hours in the day for me right now. Within the next month I have two trials plus the normal workload. I come home, really dragging. Here and there I have moments of moral victory and get a little writing done. In fact, two weekends ago I had planned to go back to the family room makeover when the urban fantasy that I've been mulling over for some time decided it was ready to be born. I wrote the first chapter over the course of a Sunday. Since then I've written another 1/2 chapter. Not much, granted, but I keep eeking out a line here and a line there.

On the nights I come home, stewing over the work day, then I chip away at the family room. I'm hoping to take a 4-day Memorial Day weekend to knock out stripping off the carpet and then laying the tile. But I'm also hoping to finish the urban fantasy proposal as I just love, love, love the story so that may be the winner in terms of time. I once wrote in my high school senior yearbook that I needed a 48-hour day...still need it. :) Carol