Relatively Warm

Today when I glanced at the thermometer outside the kitchen door, it said 60 degrees, and that was in the shade. Hooray! I have daffodils and crocuses blooming their little hearts out, and scads of things poking up from the ground and greening up.

So why are my hands cold? Well, I blame it on using the computer.

But I'm in the process of getting ready for spring. I'm looking at clothing that hasn't made it through this winter too well and will have to be discarded, and pulling out the things that I wore last spring and summer to see what can make it through another warm season.

So we are on our annual wheel of weather. It's a sqeaky wheel that sometimes seems to get stuck, but right now, I don't care -- the sun is shining, flowers are blooming. What more could I want? (Okay, a new outfit would be nice.)

Coming Out of Lurk

I'd been having trouble finding time to blog, and then things turned ugly.

About a week ago, we had four power surges in close succession -- no time to turn off the computer. Then the phones went out, and when the phone came back on, we couldn't get on line with either computer. Mine still (sniff) can't get on line.

Something had happened to reverse the polarity of the power coming into the house from the telephone line. Granted, telephone lines don't carry a lot of power. But still -- things got messed up. We thought that the guys who had been fussing around the pole across the street were trying to fix our problem. Au contrare! They knew nothing of our dilemma. They were working on something else!

Finally, the telephone company sent a young fellow around to see what he could do. He shifted wires around and corrected the reversed polarity, but he found that somehow one of the lines in the house was grounded and shorted out.

So son's computer could go back on line! Hooray for that, but since my computer didn't have an adequate surge protector on it as his did, my computer will have to go back to the shop when I can afford it. Our computers are back to not communicating.

The err is human, to really foul up takes a computer...you heard it here first.

Nextel's New Gadget

On the Nascar program yesterday -- okay, sometimes there just isn't much that is watchable on Sunday afternoons -- the color announcer showed an electronic gadget that allows race fans to watch what is happening on the track (closer than they can probably get), the television coverage, or interviews with drivers, etc. from the relative comfort of the grandstands. They can go for a beer and never miss a thing while they stand in line! If they are with a buddy, they can both get headsets and listen together.

The fans will rent these things from Nextel, or maybe buy one for around $400. And, of course, they are sturdy -- thoeretically.

Now, race fans who will plunk down a C-note for a fancy jacket, travel long distances, stay in hotels for long weekends, etc. might just find these gizmos are great to read an electronic book on! Maybe gal race fans can load on a couple romances to read -- when they can wrestle the gizmo from their guy.

But, gals, if you're interested, you can get other units to read on more cheaply. Your Palm Pilot is great, Blackberry likewise. And if your kid has an original Gameboy, you can get a program online that lets you load ebooks.

Now, I'm not certain that the Nextel thingie does download ebooks, but it would be nice!

Art Can't Be Rushed

No, this isn't about my long-departed Uncle Art...it's about a quilt I'm making.

My close friend's daughter was married last May, and the previous November, I started thinking about making a quilt for her. Oh, the decisions that have to go into a project like this! Pattern -- color -- fabric! Then I had to find time. I was making another project at the time, to say nothing of the writing and the gardening! It came done to several exercises in simplification, but even so....

Today, I hope to finished sewing the top together, putting the backing together, and having it ready for the machine quilter tomorrow. Yes, I know it's long past the wedding. Gee, I just hope it will be back here and bound by the girl's first anniversary. After all, the machine quilter is an artist too!

On the Subject of Politics

Okay, I know I should leave this subject alone. We live in Tennessee,which is a Red State -- and we are Democrats. Husband has been a Dem for a long time, even prior to my knowing him. I was a Republican until I saw what was happening in Watergate, and the next day started working for McGovern -- and you know where that got me.

But politics in Tennessee is a grass-roots thing, especially in rural counties. A young man who has decided to get in at the bottom rung, and whom we know slightly, announced for the office last fall -- and the election isn't until this fall. He has signs up all over the place. I won't get into the technicalities of the Tennessee system, but I think part of his campaign it to scare anyone else away from running, which is a great tactic, when you think of it.

Back to being a Democrat. Husband carelessly and against any advice from me, had he asked, sent a contribution to the Democrats somewhere. At least it keeps the mailman coming to our house. The other day, he got a lovely picture of Hillary Rodham Clinton, theoretically autographed. He actually bought a $1.50 frame and framed it. There have been some rather adventurous suggestions made, most of which have been voted down.

I'm hoarding a sticker that touts voting Democratic to possibly plaster somewhere where it will get a reaction, but I'll probably think better of it.

The President Is Disappointed

We've made it through another January. Last night we celebrated with Husband's "Walk-By Chili," so called because any time we walk by the stove, we have to stir it. It was accompanied by cornbread.

After the meal, Husband took some of the leftovers to the neighbors, leaving me unsupervised to amuse myself. I made a great discovery! I could sit in his recliner in the living room, in front of the one television that gets the WB channel, and watch Gilmore Girles. So there I was, reclining, covered with the STEELERS (Yeah!) throw he got for Christmas, chatting through the commercials with Son, comfy and cozy.

I didn't like the commercial, so I reluctantly pulled the remote out from under the throw and muted it. Then I thought, I wonder if you can zap the TV through the throw. Oh, yes! Husband, when queried at his return, hadn't known that. He had to sit on my loveseat with my quilt for a bit -- without his remote.

Now, what is going to disappoint the President at this point is that, when the show was over and I came back to the computer, Husband went to his cache of movies. He pre-empted the President's speech for Animal House. There were times when I actually heard him laughing.

At least, he didn't mute the Prez through the Steeler throw!