Sorry but this is an "excuse" post, a summary of the last month or two for me as much as you. Can't believe how many times I've been getting the old "one-two" lately from that old fickle finger of fate! But my New Year's resolution is to stop sugar coating everything, so here we go.

Started late summer, maybe October? We were still in a great mood after our trip to Wyoming and feeling on top of the world. Then one thing after another made me realize I was just dreaming.

So the lawnmower was the first thing. We inherited our current rider from a neighbor when we first moved here, he knew it needed work, and Ray had a welding machine and everything needed, so he got it up and running. And every year it's something, it's a 1992 model but a Craftsman so it's worth fixing: a battery, a tire or two, never anything major, All this summer, I couldn't believe it didn't need anything at all for once. But I spoke too soon, because I crashed it into one of my raised garden beds and for some reason, even though the wood on the bed was fine, it somehow stripped the steering rod. To top it off, it was the farthest it could be from the garage door so I had to leave it out in the back yard for the time being, covered with a tarp. I really really wanted to fix it myself and was trying to research what to do, but meanwhile I found yellowjackets building a nest under there and the neighborhood cat starting to get cozy too, so I called the local repair shop and they said they would get it out of there for $50 and bring it back either way. I let them take it and then fix it, which was a big relief in the end. I was so stressed. Ray would have had it running in a half hour, but oh well. So it goes. I still can't get past the fact that the deal was, he'd fix everything that ever broke around here. Boy was I spoiled.

So by then it was almost Thanksgiving, Ray's family coming over as usual. The meal went nicely, after me going nuts all week to make it perfect (it wasn't of course but can't say I didn't try!), then the next day I go to get him some milk in the morning and the fridge was warmer than room temp, The freezer was fine so I knew it was just a motor or blower or something (I didn't live with Ray all those years and not pick up a little technical knowledge!) So I set up a repair appointment at the place I bought it, even though they said it would be in two weeks. Put everything out in the garage which luckily at the time was holding steady at 40 degrees. Then the weather went up to the 50s and I said, this isn't going to work. Went shopping at all the local places the Sunday after Thanksgiving; we have five places within five minutes so no big deal. With the Black Friday sales weekend, I couldn't get a salesman to help me at Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buys or Sears. So we ended up at the local chain and bought something for under $1000 which was my main criteria. It doesn't match the rest of the appliances and the freezer is on top, but beggars can't be choosers. They would bring it in two days.

Well the relief lasted a few hours, then I went online to look up the model we bought. I see the exact same refrigerator for $300 less at Home Depot, if we had been able to get a salesperson when we were there I would have got it from them. So I call and they're closing in 10 minutes, but he says he has a floor model so come in the morning. Which I do, but the manager tells me they don't sell floor models. But he checks and they have a few in the warehouse and I can have one in....guess what, two weeks! So I go across the street to the place I bought the refrigerator the day before and ask if they can do anything for me. Long story short, they gave me a $300 credit. So I can't say my luck is all bad! But I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack in the meantime.

Meanwhile, our DVD player in the den lost the sound. It happened right during our refrigerator crisis but now it's getting closer to Christmas, and we love the dozen or so DVDs we have and watch every year: Polar Express, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Elf, you know the ones. So after a few days, I look on the internet for repair advice and someone says that he knows it sounds crazy but a technician at Denon told him to blow into the headphone jack and that would fix it. And to his surprise it did! Then twenty people also wrote to say they felt like jerks doing it but yes, it worked. So I did it too and it worked for me too! But! Ray had been so frantic about something else broken that he went crazy on the remote and I could not for the life of me figure out why the sound was what they call "cathedral" on Surround Sound. All echo-y and compressed. I was just furious and couldn't think straight, I did finally fix it but not for a week or so, until I calmed down a little. Well at least I didn't have to buy a new unit.

Then on to my computer. It has some kind of virus/malware and I have had it to Best Buys or with the Geek Squad online four times already. They get rid of it and then a day or two later it comes back. I finally figured out where it might be hiding, in the Microsoft Excell Spreadsheet, but I can't believe this stress on top of everything else hasn't killed me yet. The internet is my lifeline to the world at this point. It's partly everything breaking at once, and part realizing that Ray will never be able to fix, or even advise me how to fix, anything ever again. Something I have to get used to, I guess. At least I have the laptop I bought Ray when he came home from the hospital, which he has never used. It sure comes in handy!

On top of the technical stuff, I am just getting over my annual bout with kidney stones, plus I cut myself New Years Day trying to put a fresh duck on the rotisserie oven spears and got duck juice in the wound ( so far so good with that), the cats both have bald spots that I have been hoping are food allergies but I know may be ringworm, I had major problems getting the latest round of Ray's Depakote from the pharmacy due to Humana delaying approval, probably hoping we'd take the generic instead, and I can't remember what else. Between the Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners for Ray's family, and the holiday cookies which I did make although only half as many as usual, well happily I can say I actually lost a few pounds over the holidays. I don't think I sat down and relaxeduntil a day or so ago. Oh well, therapy tomorrow, then after the predicted snowstorm Tuesday, Ray has the allergy doctor Wednesday. What I wouldn't give for a week or so of boredom ;-)

OK that's my story, let's see what the new year brings.