Happy 9/11 Day

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Grandma Trip

Yesterday I made a road trip to Grant county to see my 95-year-old paternal grandmother.  (My maternal grandmother passed last year at 88, I think.)  It was nice, I met my mom there and we visited and took her out to lunch.  I was glad to have my mom there, she's a talker and I'm not really so she kept the conversations going. 

Grandma seems well - old and frail, but well.  She doesn't hear very well and she is very slow moving about but she was interesting and would liven up when she would start telling us stories of the farm where she was raised.  I, rather unstealthily (isn't that a word?), made a couple videos of her talking, trying to catch one of those stories.  After all, each time I see her I fear it will be the last.

Cabin Weekend

We spent last weekend with my wife's family at a log cabin, above, as we did last year and the year before - different cabins each time.  Food, campfire, games, etc.  Well, that's that, then.

Sting - Stang - Stung

Yesterday I was under the impression that August had only 30 days.  I had nothing to really write about, thus the quick post in the few minutes I had after my nap and before going to the neighbor's party.  Today, what was something little turned out to be a bigger deal.  Now I have something to write about.

I think it was August 14, about two and a half weeks ago, I got home from work and was mowing the lawn when it felt like I was getting poked with a needle on my foot.  I shook it and then looked down and saw a bee in between the leather on my (toe covered) sandals.  I let go of the mower and ripped my sandal off my foot.  I didn't see where the bee went, but the immediate threat was gone and I had a lawn to mow so I put the sandal back on and continued.

A few minutes later and on the other side of the yard I started to feel like I was getting poked again, same as before.  This time it was at the very top of my left ass cheek.  Again I let go of the mower, then I ran to the garage while grabbing at various parts of my shorts.  I got to the side door - locked.  I ran around the corner and in the open garage door but there was one problem - it was daytime and the open garage faces the street (and neighbors).  Quickly, I hit the button to shut the garage and turned on the light.  I continued dancing around until the door was mostly down then dropped everything right there in the middle of the garage.  By then the poking had stopped and no bee was found.  Back to mowing the lawn. 

At least two stings, minutes apart.  They itched like crazy - and continued to itch for about a week and a half - but no swelling whatsoever.  None.

I kept my eyes open as I finished mowing but saw no bees flying around at all.  It was a few days later we found their 'nest'.  They were coming in and out on the edge of the lawn under the wood that separates the tree area.  I sprayed their entrance several times and eventually saw no signs of bees and thought that was that.  I was wrong.

Yesterday morning I mowed the lawn before the rain came.  I wasn't even thinking of bees, but I should have been.  Not long after passing their area with the mower I felt that same sting, this time on the back of my right arm just above the elbow.  The perfect spot that I couldn't reach on the first try and he got me good.  I saw activity in that same area that I had sprayed before so I sprayed it again.  That quieted them down for the moment and allowed me to finish the lawn.  When I was done mowing I sprayed it again and put some spare wood over it.  I doubt it was a good enough fit to trap them inside, but maybe making them burrow through grass would make them leave.  I had one more shot at spraying left in the can, in fact I still need to get more to try to finish the job.

Not too long after I noticed that I was developing a welt, red and puffy and itchy.  I put some Afterbite on and tried to forget about it.  Just a couple hours later it was getting hard to ignore.  The swelling had spread, it was red and hot to the touch.  I put a compression sleeve on to hopefully keep the swelling down and carried on with my day.  By the evening my whole arm was swollen.  Not too grotesquely, mostly the back and inside of my arm from just below the elbow to below my armpit, but even my hand was a tiny bit puffier than the other.  It was uncomfortable because my skin was taut around my elbow and bicep and it itched - oh, the itching!

Today the redness has spread almost to my wrist but thankfully has not moved up to my shoulder.  The skin is still tight and the red areas are still itchy and hot to the touch.  I've tried ice packs yesterday and they really don't do anything.  It has not been painful, really, just very uncomfortable and has made me a bit grumpy.  I guess I am allergic to bee stings now.  I'm not sure how that works, but if it happens again anytime soon I may make a beeline for the urgent care, pun intended.

Some way to spend a holiday weekend, huh?

Labor Day Weekend 2014

I noticed that I have never posted less than seven times a month, and that's not going to change now.

Happy holiday weekend to all!  I got my three day weekend started by mowing the lawn before the rain came today.  After putzing around for a while, we went out for lunch before I laid down for a nap.  See, tonight we have a party to go to over at the neighbor's and at 8:00 the Wisconsin Badgers open their college football season!  Finally.  The Packers start next weekend.  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we're supposed to go out on a friend's pontoon boat, and we'll probably do some chores so we can be restful (lazy) on Labor Day.

Goodbye August, I hardly got to know you.

Friday's Feast

Hot Ham and Swiss sliders

We had some friends over Friday night to watch the Packers' preseason game against Oakland and have a fire in the back yard.  Well, many could not make it for one reason or another and it was really hot and humid, so the fire pit got nixed.  But Kate made a great spread of food again!

Pepperoni and String Cheese egg roll wraps

She also had potato skins ready to put together but wound up not making them because there was plenty of food already for the people who did come over.  They're in the freezer now for the next get-together for a football game.  Besides the pictured, she also put out 3 different kinds of popcorn, and there were tortilla chips and a cheese dip that she made in the fondu pot.  I got stuffed - and we had plenty of leftovers that we were eating yesterday.

Both  of the foods on the right were found at Do It And How, thanks Krisgo!


It's been business as usual, otherwise.  I have less overtime next week, so that's good.  Maybe more posting, maybe not.  It's hard to post when you have nothing new, funny or odd to share.

Drinking in Wisconsin

I've loved this bit for some time now, ever since I first heard it.  This is Lewis Black on drinking in Wisconsin.  Classic because it's very true.  Yes, I'm a bit intoxicated right now, late this Friday night, aren't you?  We were out with friends and had some fun.  I hope you had a happy Friday night, too!  After all, you've had a long week - you earned it!   NSFW!



*Hiccup* - maybe it's time for bed.  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwn

GodMode

For Windows 7 or 8.  I saw this over at Bits & Pieces and watched the video.  It's really just as simple as that, copy the code and create a folder on your desktop, name it the code and... Ta-Da!  Tons of functions at your fingertips!  Thanks Jonco!

Copy this code: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Supermoon

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This And Thats

It has been a week since I posted anything but not a lot has been happening.  It must be time for a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

• Work has been keeping me busier than I'd like.  I shouldn't complain, it is only 5 hours of mandatory overtime a week, but I still do.  Especially in the summertime it is nice to be off work at my regular time.  I do have a week off pretty soon, hopefully that will relax me, maybe change my attitude.
• We have been pretty dry lately, but not dry enough to turn the whole lawn brown again.  We've also been warm this summer, but not warm enough to use the air conditioning too often.  Overall a very nice summer.  I'd like more rain but we seem to be getting by for the moment.
• Ace Frehley's new album Space Invader comes out real soon.  I'll see how it sounds to me, but as long as it doesn't bomb it just may be my next LLP post.
• Due to reasons nonforthcoming, money has been a little tight recently.  Not too bad, but there is a lot that we need and want by this fall.  Kate is going to take some online classes so we need to get a laptop for her, and I've been wanting a power washer for several outdoor tasks around here.  We know what's number one on the list, after that is the 'wish' list that greatly declines in urgency as it gets longer.  I think we've prioritized well and should be able to get everything necessary by the time it's needed.  See also the overtime above.
• I missed my sister's kids birthday.  Sorry J&L, happy belated!  I'd like to think I'm getting better by creating a list with phone numbers, addresses and birthdays, but I still should get better with cards, especially with the kids.  I've never been a card person, but I really don't get to see the nieces and nephews much.
• Nothing new on the computer front, the old one is still humming along nicely.  It's easy to get complacent but we have to have a back up plan.  There was no warning last time it crashed and I don't expect one next time.
• The Packers play their first preseason game tonight!  Yeah, it's early and we won't see a lot of the starters, but some of the kids we do see may make the team.  I can feel the season coming!

That's what's going on in my world, what's going on in yours?  I hope it's more exciting.