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In light of the fact that a plague is upon us and people are encouraged to mask up, stay at least six feet away from others when they are out in public, wash their hands frequently, and sneeze or cough into their elbow pits, I thought this bore repeating. Gesundheit!
My phone rings. I pick it up and notice that the call is being labeled as Potential Spam on the screen. Just for fun, I answer. It's a recorded message from South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds. I laugh and hang up. You see, I still have a South Dakota number. And even though I have tried to cut ties with South Dakota politics, those bastards still occasionally find me. As a liberal progressive living in a red state I never supported the lame ass Republicans there so I remain mystified why they would call me. My smartphone truly is smart! It knows that when a Republican senator from a state I no longer call home calls that it's spam. I love technology.
So. I had buttermilk that was well past its expiration date. And six overripe bananas. And enough flour for one baking/cooking session. Since chocolate chips never go bad, or at least I've never been known to have them around long enough to test that theory, I went with the bananas and buttermilk. Behold, banana walnut buttermilk pancakes. Garnished with a few walnut pieces and genuine maple syrup. I have to say they were pretty delish. But now I need a nap. Flour is on the shopping list.
After much deliberation I have named him Hobbes. It means bright fame. Appropriate for a fellow whose face lights up. He's busy watching YouTube videos on how to construct various types of PPE at home. If you have to go out for provisions, wear a mask and bring along some disinfecting wipes. Otherwise, stay safe. Stay home. Um, Hobbes, mind if I make a phone call?
Hanging the barn door yesterday was just the crowning touch to this months long project. This is the entrance to the son's office/studio/man cave. After getting water in this room last spring it was time to strip out the carpet and install some hard surface flooring. But first, identify where the heck the water was getting in and plug that up. Some sealing up around the window well and extending the downspout an additional ten feet seems to have taken care of that. Once the carpet and still damp carpet pad were removed I was delighted to find that the moisture had loosened the original tile which was likely laden with asbestos. No need to grind or sand anything down, the tiles that were still stuck down a bit popped right up using a large putty knife. Then to remove the tack strips and baseboard, clean the concrete thoroughly, and finally filling in any gouges. Once that was done it was time to install the new flooring. I used an inexpensive but stylish adhesive-backed vinyl tile, the same flooring I had used earlier in the downstairs bathroom and laundry room. Despite the low cost it had held up well in higher traffic areas for three years so it seemed a good choice. Then on with painting the room and installing new baseboard. The door to this room had never fit well in its too tight framing. It stuck so solidly at times that Reid nearly yanked it off its hinges when trying to open it. Various smaller fixes had been unsuccessful and eventually some of the framing broke away from the wall. Then a major reworking of the door frame was necessary. Repairing it on the inside of the room and removing it entirely on the outside to allow for clearance of the barn door hardware. The door itself I constructed from a wall panel that I had replaced with a louvered door. Everything was repurposed from items on hand, all that I purchased was the barn door hardware. Today is moving and cleaning day! The son will be happy to have his work space back and I will be happy to clean up yet another remodeling mess.
I've had these cute pottery measuring cups around for over a year. They're not practical for actual use so I've been moving them around trying to figure out how to display them. With things all rearranged during the ongoing kitchen update this spot became the obvious choice. So. There they are. Each with its own cheerful message. A little love, happiness, gratitude, and kindness going into what I cook is always a good thing. And now there they are to remind me.
