Earth Muffin's Mellow Coffee Shop

[NancysSummerSip]

Got the mulch and rocks and unloaded just in time. It is rumbling and roaring out there. Lots of red and purple on the radar. But hey...the air temperature dropped considerably.

[busymom]

Good Afternoon Kids!  I'd hoped that DH could help me move some large boxes around our basement today, but once again OT is biting him in the butt.  And me.  Which helps explain why sometimes our trying to do projects together takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  

Hope the storms in your area aren't bad ones, NancysSummerSip.  A little rain would be appreciated here, but not if it includes things like downed branches & such.  

[toomuchreality]

Jul 7, 2023 11:53:35 GMT -5 Icelandic Woman said:

Happy Friday Muffins!!!

I hate this holiday week more and more every year because of the assholes in the neighborhood with fireworks every night.
Is it bad that I secretly wish they blow off their hands or start their own houses on fire as Karma?

So far this has been the best summer weather wise here in at least 10 years. I sure hope it continues. Mild 70s and 80s and good amounts of rain.

Have a Fantastic Weekend!!!

In answer to your question about is it bad... Do you really care?
😏😉😁

I hope your nice weather continues too.
Ours hasn't been as good as yours, but as long as the A/C keeps working, I haven't hated hated it yet, this year. Usually it's been near 100°F, or over, pretty much every day, by the time July rolls around. This year hasn't been as hot, although it has been plenty warm. But when it's in the 100° range, it's too hot and dry to breathe comfortably. And when you get in your car, OMG, every breath dries out your nose, mouth and lungs. And your A/C can't catch up, to make it better. It's stifling.
We haven't reached that point yet, this year. Thank goodness!
But today was hot. My hair couldn't get dry, due to the sweat and my body was sticky. YUCK!
Despite that, I had a good day and it has finally cooled off outside. 81° at 11PM.
Tomorrow is expected to be over 100°. Not looking forward to that.

[toomuchreality]

I took my car in and had the oil and all the filters changed today. I'm glad to have it done. They suggested I have my wiper blades changed, but they wanted $40-60 to do it and that's something I can do myself. And if I do it, I can get better blades at a cheaper price.

My granddaughters and I had an unplanned sleepover last night. We watched Snow White, before going to sleep. I went to their t-ball games, this morning and watched over them, as they "swam" in the "hot" tub in the afternoon, so their parents could do yardwork and take dinner to a friend, who had a death in their family.

I consumed a crazy amount of icy lemonade today, followed by OJ when I got home around 6PM. I've enjoyed the last two days.

I'm tired.
Good night.

[NancysSummerSip]

It's too hot for a lot of brunch, so I am keeping it light.

[NancysSummerSip]

I ran this morning, in an effort to get acclimatized. It's working, but I had to switch to a 16-ounce water bottle now, rather than an eight ounce.

I am rehydrating with club soda and some lemon-lime ice cubes made from one of those hydration powder packets mixed with water. I am not a fan of just the straight hydration mix on its own, but it's a delight as a mixer.

[busymom]

Good Morning Kids!  I do miss my old neighbors in Florida, but I don't miss the hot weather this time of the year.  They're supposed to hit 111 for a heat index today.  No thank you.


We're in the low 70's right now and supposed to hit the 80's today.  Which is just fine with me.  


Thanks for brunch, NancysSummerSip!   I'm going to get a plate of that fresh fruit.  

[Sharon]

I went outside to do a little yard work but it was already too hot.  We are supposed to be 103 degrees today and then dropping down to 90 tomorrow but it will be windy.  Every time we have a swing in temperature like that we will have a very windy day.  They are saying gusts to 45mph.  Because of the wind we will be under a fire watch tomorrow.

Instead I think I will get the laundry room painted.

[ners]

NancysSummerSip Thanks for brunch.  Just what I needed before going grocery shopping.

[NancysSummerSip]

Just came back in after some rock landscaping. And back to the lemon-lime ice cubes. Glad I left myself a few.

[Sharon]

The laundry room walls are now painted.  I painted them Sherwin Williams Aged White.  It seems to be a cross between a dark cream and light ecru color.  I like it a lot and can see it popping up in other places in the house.  The laundry room still needs quite a bit of work but it is so much better to have those boards down with random nails, screws and hooks in them.

[busymom]

Well, DH finally got a complete day off from work.  Which means we tackled the basement.  We've got a long way to go, but I'm satisfied with what we sorted through.


The plan is to add a bathroom, and we cleared out an area so when a contractor comes out Friday to have a look, and give an estimate, they'll have an idea of our "weird" floorplan.  The guy who designed our house could've done a lot better with the basement (the rest of the house is pretty well thought out).  The furnace, air conditioner and water heater surrounds the laundry area, so it's squishy to get in and out when you're trying to get to the washing machine.  I'd prefer they NOT put the bathroom up against that area, but considering where the pipes are set up, I don't know what kind of options we'll have.  

[TheOtherMe]

This house came with a half finished basement, as in family room and bathroom are finished.  

Laundry is on the main level which is exactly what I was looking for.

The mechanicals are in one room and the bathroom does back up to it.  Since there is no laundry room, it works fine.  The problem is there is a huge room that has the sump pump in it.  It also has egress windows.  I was told that could be a conforming bedroom. 

Not with a sump pump in it.  I hear the sump pump upstairs.  I can't imagine sleeping in the same room with a sump pump.  

[busymom]

I wish we laundry on the main floor, TheOtherMe .  In fact, DD often teases me that we should switch houses as DH & I get older.  We've got the better school district, and her house is set up that a washer & dryer can be hooked up on the main floor (hers is currently in the basement too).  But, if I moved to DD's house, I'd have to rip out her awful kitchen & redo the entire thing.  The previous owner had such a bad mouse problem that the mice actually "ate" their way into the kitchen cabinets, eating THRU the wallboard to access the cabinets from behind.      It didn't bother her when she bought the house, but that sure would've bothered me.  She got a deal, which was what she wanted.

[Sharon]

I would like to take out the half bath that is off the laundry room and turn it into a mechanical room but the cost is too great for me.  So the furnace will stay in its closet in the center of the house and the hot water heater will stay in its cupboard in the kitchen.

[TheOtherMe]

I did have the foresight when I was house hunting here that main floor laundry was on my must have list.  

Realtor showed me her in-law's house that wasn't on the market just yet but they were getting ready to sell it.  Laundry was in basement.  The house was old, like 1920's old.  I had no interest in a house like that.

I could not deal with the mice problem.  I get a few every fall and have to have DN3 come out and set and empty traps.  

There is one small step to the porch and and another one to get in the front door.  In the garage there is a higher step and then a small step to get in to the house.  

With both the gallbladder surgery and the blood clots, I found out that garage step is HUGE and painful.  

With the bathroom remodeled, I have the walk in shower on the main floor so I can do main floor living.  

I rarely go to the basement, but that's partially due to it being full of DN3's stuff.

[Sharon]

TheOtherMe is it possible that you can have someone add a grab bar in your garage where you enter the house.  My brother did that for my Mom and it has made a huge difference.  She also has one higher step in the garage.  

When I was house hunting I was adamant that I wanted a single level home and refused to go look at houses that were multi-level, even ones where single floor living would have been possible. 

[TheOtherMe]

I had not thought of a grab bar at the garage door Sharon.   I will have to see if one of my nephews can do that for me.  

That would really help during times when I don't feel well.  At this age, I know there will be more bad things happening to my body.

Dubuque is full of tri-levels and houses with walk out basements.  I wouldn't look at any of those.  Since basements are common here, I was going to end up with a house with a basement.  Actually I am glad that is in the house as when we had the torrential rains that flooded the town, I had 4 inches of water in the basement.  Houses on slabs had water 6 ft high in the main living area.  

My sister has a tri-level house and that was the reason she said mom or dad couldn't live with her.  By the time they moved here, steps were out of the question.  To visit for a meal, steps were not needed but the bedrooms are all either up or down steps.  She was also right in they were so rigid in their schedules that they couldn't live with a farmer.  

I did look at a condo that was on the second floor.  It had one of those elevator seats that took you from the garage to the living area.  It was an estate sale and whoever had lived there had wall papered every inch of wall and ceiling space.  The place could have looked very nice with renovations but I needed a place to live that was move in ready.  

[busymom]

I like the idea of a grab bar.  And, when we were in Florida I saw a few houses that had lifts & actual elevators, which would be kinda cool.


I spent too much purchasing new blinds for all 3 of our bedrooms, but we need to replace the ones we have, as they are all originals and are showing their age.  One is already broken, and for the rest it's just a matter of time...

[toomuchreality]

I've reached a place in life where I'm not comfortable going either up, or down stairs, without something to hold onto. Even just something to feel steady, or balanced. But there are times when I need my arm strength, to help me get up stairs, so a grab bar or a hand rail is preferred.

I hope you all have a good week.
I hope I am more productive today than I was Sunday and Monday (0%). Anything is better than nothing.

[TheOtherMe]

I looked the entry way from the garage to the house over and ordered a 12 inch grab bar.  One of the nephews will install it.  

If that works, I will eventually have grab bars on the steps to the basement.  The hand railing is not as secure as a grab bar.  

I had a very well to do friend who lived in the Chicago suburbs.  They had a huge house.  She was a size 6 XL and could not walk very far without resting.  They had an elevator in their wing of the house for her.  It was small but I've been in the same size of elevators in London hotels.  Her bedroom was bigger than my 2 bedroom apartment in Boulder.  

I have had depth perception problems since college, especially at night.  I do not like going up or down steps without some kind of railing if it's more than one or two steps.  Put me in a gym with shaky bleachers and I can't do it unless someone is holding my arm.  

[busymom]

Good Morning Kids!  We've got sunshine (at least so far) today.


I'm scheduled to get my hair trimmed today, and I need to pick up DS's prescription.  DD made some sort of yummy lemon dessert, and insists we stop by sometime to try it.  Who am I to say no to that?  


We packed the garbage & recycle cans "to the rafters".  We're still getting rid of stuff we don't need, and a lot of it is paperwork.  I've got a charity box I'm trying to fill too.

[Sharon]

I picked up another can of paint yesterday.  Next up will probably be the guest bedroom, or as the grandkids call it, the sleepover room.  I'm still trying to find what I want to use for a broom/mop holder.  The one I picked up at this weekend isn't going to work as I had hoped.

[toomuchreality]

Jul 11, 2023 12:09:07 GMT -5 Sharon said:

I picked up another can of paint yesterday.  Next up will probably be the guest bedroom, or as the grandkids call it, the sleepover room.  I'm still trying to find what I want to use for a broom/mop holder.  The one I picked up at this weekend isn't going to work as I had hoped.

I like the ones made by Command that are removable. I've always had good luck with their products. Although DD1 had trouble removing one once. It took a small spot of paint off her wall, when she removed it. I wasn't there, so I don't know if it was done correctly.
I did have a hook for a step stool break one time, but they sent me a new one, free of charge. The new one has been used for years, without a problem.

[busymom]

I wanted to mention, TheOtherMe, that now that I'm over 40 I wear no-line bifocals, and they mess with your depth perception too.  I noticed it when we attended "Hamilton" some years back.  We were in the top balcony, and I was SO thankful that we were up against the wall, because there was no railing at the theater we were in, and I was thinking how it'd be too easy for someone to have a bad fall there.  

[Sharon]

My big prime day purchase was two broom/mop racks.  One will go in the laundry room and one in the garage.

I go to the eye doctor on Friday.  It has been almost two years since I have been.  I've had a hard time finding an eye doctor in my new town.  I'm pretty sure it is time for me to give up the readers.  I've fought it for several years now, but may have to finally give in and go to full time prescription glasses.

[busymom]

Jul 11, 2023 21:56:41 GMT -5 Sharon said:

My big prime day purchase was two broom/mop racks.  One will go in the laundry room and one in the garage.

I go to the eye doctor on Friday.  It has been almost two years since I have been.  I've had a hard time finding an eye doctor in my new town.  I'm pretty sure it is time for me to give up the readers.  I've fought it for several years now, but may have to finally give in and go to full time prescription glasses.

     I hope you have good vision insurance.  If I would've needed to pay sticker price for the new pair of glasses I needed this year, it would've been over $1,000.  

[TheOtherMe]

Grab bar should arrive today.

I have no vision insurance.  I do have a dedicated savings account to pay for glasses.  The vision insurance plans I was being offered by my retiree plan are not accepted here, so there is no reason to pay for it.

I did not hear RAIN during the night but it must have rained and it's raining now.  I hope it rains and rains.  We need the rain so badly.

[toomuchreality]

Jul 11, 2023 23:14:28 GMT -5 busymom said:

Jul 11, 2023 21:56:41 GMT -5 Sharon said:

My big prime day purchase was two broom/mop racks.  One will go in the laundry room and one in the garage.

I go to the eye doctor on Friday.  It has been almost two years since I have been.  I've had a hard time finding an eye doctor in my new town.  I'm pretty sure it is time for me to give up the readers.  I've fought it for several years now, but may have to finally give in and go to full time prescription glasses.

     I hope you have good vision insurance.  If I would've needed to pay sticker price for the new pair of glasses I needed this year, it would've been over $1,000.  

Holy moly! That's a full month of income for me. I hope I don't reach that point. I couldn't do it.

[busymom]

Jul 12, 2023 10:06:45 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Jul 11, 2023 23:14:28 GMT -5 busymom said:

     I hope you have good vision insurance.  If I would've needed to pay sticker price for the new pair of glasses I needed this year, it would've been over $1,000.  

Holy moly! That's a full month of income for me. I hope I don't reach that point. I couldn't do it.

     If you need cheaper glasses, I highly recommend buying online.  The quality might not be quite as good, but you'll save a lot of money.  What they want for bifocals now is practically robbery.  Sharon, you check online sites too.  I don't even like paying the copay on my glasses, and that's around $200-$300.  But, I kinda need to see, especially when driving.