Wednesday, May 22

Today, a niece and a nephew have birthdays. Happy Birthday to both!

Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Sat around for a while after we came downstairs, until Hubbie asked if I'd taken a medication I'm supposed to have before I eat. I assured him I had taken it earlier in the morning when I got up to visit the bathroom. At least I thought I did...or maybe I just dreamed I did. I should go check. No, I had not taken it.

So breakfast was delayed 30 minutes. Since we had to wait anyway, I decided to go ahead and do stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. After breakfast, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we watched last night's finale of "Dancing With the Stars." Hubbie and I made sure not to turn the TV on for the morning shows this morning, so we didn't know who won the competition ahead of time. We were glad when our choice of contestants took the trophy.

This was a two-hour show...a little less when I fast-forwarded through commercials...so it was lunchtime when it was over. After lunch, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands.

Or at least we set out to run errands. Not far down the road, all the dashboard indicator lights flashed on, and the windshield wipers mysteriously and eerily engaged. We headed immediately to the auto repair shop, where a mechanic inspected the van.

He pronounced that he thought the alternator might not be functioning, so that the system was operating solely on the battery and was shutting down various functions. To continue driving it would risk the system completely failing at a dangerous time. Naturally, we had no intention of continuing driving it.

The shop had a staff member drive us home in the business's very colorful billboard van. Earlier, as we were headed to town, the van passed us, and Hubbie joked that I might like run around town in a vehicle like that. Premonition, I guess, since we were destined shortly to ride in it, if not to own it.

A young woman, on break from my Alma Mater college, drove us home. In chatting with her, I learned that she is a math major, and hopes to teach. I told her that my niece is a math teacher, but that math and I are not friends. She laughed and said her sister is not math inclined, either, preferring English instead. We both wondered why most folks tend lean either to math or English, but seldom are adept at both (though we are perfectly capable of learning enough of both subjects to get by).

I told her I'm a graduate of the same college, majoring in media arts. Years ago, the college dropped that track, and today, the young woman said next year theater arts will also be dropped. The professor of that track retired this year, and maybe that's why. The young woman said theater appreciation will still be taught, but there will be no more play productions at the college. What a shame.

Anyway, at home, Hubbie and I hopped in the truck to continue our errand-running, but since it was nearly 3 p.m. by this time, we went only to a couple of places and then returned home, because I needed to get supper started.

My menu plan was beef stroganoff over noodles. So Mother sliced the beef and onions. I seasoned the beef with no-salt seasoning, pepper, and paprika, then rolled it in flour and browned it. Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic, plus beef broth, and let it simmer for about an hour.

In the meantime, I made a sauce from melted butter, flour, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth. Boiled a pan of noodles, and opened cans of spinach and green beans for the oven, and then added the sauce to the meat. Added sour cream to the mixture, and lastly the cooked noodles.

As supper was cooking, Hubbie got a call from the auto repair shop. The mechanic said he found the problem with the van...seems a wire had become disconnected. We were glad to hear we won't be paying an arm and leg to get it fixed. We already paid an arm and a leg for the wheel bearing repair to the truck. There are only so many arms and legs to go around.

Supper was ready by 5 p.m., and it was particularly yummy. Mother even ate two helpings. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV....a couple of Lifetime Movie Network mysteries.

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I'm becoming more of a klutz all the time. Yesterday, as I was trying to take a vitamin tablet at the kitchen counter, it slipped out my hand. I tried to catch it, but it bounced up off my palm and went down the front of my shirt. In my fumbling, I knocked over a full glass of water. I grabbed a paper towel to mop up the water, and this motion dislodged the vitamin, which fell to the floor.

This evening, I hooked up my laptop, and then in trying to open it, I ended up shoving it forward and off the new laptop cooler. It sailed top down onto the floor. Fortunately, the floor is carpeted, so no harm was done, but I held my breath when I booted it, and was relieved when it worked just fine.

A plus of bouncing it on the floor is that it dislodged a lot of flotsam from between the keys that clung to the screen. Used a microfiber cloth to clean it. I don't advise bouncing a laptop on the floor as being the best way to clean computer keys, though. I'm personally going to try not to do that again.

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Note: twice this week, I saw groundhogs scoot across the road. I nearly hit one on my trip to town the other day, and today the young woman who drove us home nearly hit one. I wish those little guys would stay off the road, but I guess it's mating season, and they are compelled to seek out the ladies.