Pages

Thursday, January 2, 2020

No quietly into the night here.

Not that I would expect anything different, but my New Year's Eve involved dog barfing, cat barfing, and an active smoke alarm.  It is no wonder that the dogs, cat and I were under the covers by 8:30.  I figure the new year will arrive whether I am there to greet it or not.

Peanut apparently discovered something 'tasty' in the chicken yard that did not agree with him.  After stewing around in his stomach all day, he decided to jettison it while still under his freshly washed blanket, on the freshly washed sofa cover.  I'm glad I had spares of both, as I do not use a dryer and everything has to be washed and festooned on my drying rack.

Not to be outdone, Slimmie decided to join in, while making sure he hit the rug.  Lovey, as always, looked on anxiously.

I finally had taken my car into the body shop and was given a rental (using the term 'given' lightly here).  Sitting in the rental is like being thrust into a commercial jet with no instructions.  So many dials, gauges, lights, symbols!  Meghan, the rental agent - a very nice young woman of about 12 - rattled through all the attributes of the car, the rental agreement, deposits, sign-heres, initial-theres in about 3 minutes.  I think I absorbed about a quarter of the information.  Then I was thrust into the world, madly pushing buttons and dials to get the heat/defrost working.  About halfway back to the office, I finally figured out the heating system and got the windows cleared.  Geezelouise.  This car has everything but a snow scraper.  How is that possible in the northeast?

The Chevy and I have negotiated a truce, which is a good thing, as I won't be getting my car back until a week from tomorrow at the earliest.  Apparently, the front bumper now has to be pulled off (headlights and all) so that they can blend the red paint artistically with the new front hood, etc.  Little did I know that I had dropped my car off with Michelangelo.

Now to the smoke alarm.

After a wild ride home in the new-to-me car, over the mountains through a snow storm complicated by fog, I arrived home to the aforementioned barfings, raced out in the dark (on ice) to do chores, raced back in, fed the dogs, started my dinner, then realized I had not checked the Club House to see if low-hen-on-the-totem-pole was cowering in a corner.  This would leave her vulnerable and cold.  So out I went, completely forgetting the extra virgin olive oil heating in my cast iron pan.  At least I know my detector works.

After a glass of liberally spiked eggnog, I toddled off to bed at 8:30.

I believe 2019 ended in character.  Hi ho!

22 comments:

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Perfectly, exquisitely written!! Thanks for the laughs, and hey, things can only improve from there! Happy new decade. -Jenn

Susan said...

Thank you, Jenn - and hey, you're right! There's only up, right? Happy new decade to you, too.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

So long as YOU didn't barf on New Year's Eve, then all is well. Wishing you and your animals all the best in 2020!

Goatldi said...

You are an inspiration to every woman out there who is chief cook and bottle washer! You are an inspiration to go on trudging through the barf the snow the ice chicken poop and dog poop you rise above the rest of us. Could you please stand down wind tho?
You my dear are my heroine.

Mama Pea said...

I have to echo Jenn above: Perfectly, exquisitely written!! Whadda writer you are, my friend. Here's hoping 2020 starts off a smidge bit more calmly for you and your doggies.

Susan said...

Only at your house, Sue! You should write a book-I know you have tons of time ha ha. Poor barfing babies and poor Lovey, she must wonder why you inflicted those two vulgar creatures on her.

Ed said...

It could be worse, you could have got into the rental at night when you couldn't see the location of anything.

I did that once with heating oil and a faulty memory during the dead of a winter storm. Spent several hours after getting the pan off the stove laying on the floor of my apartment with all the windows and doors open waiting for things to clear out. The place still smelled of burnt oil for a couple weeks afterwards until I got carpet cleaned along with every other square inch of surface.

Helen said...

Forget the 'eggnog' just drink the 'spike' after that day! Happy New Year? Bah Humbug. Well things have to get better after all that. :)

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i could barf too thinking about another year with the donald. happy new year to you!

Susan said...

Yes, perhaps they were expressing their opinion of 2019. Same to you and yours!

Susan said...

I should know better than to be drinking a cup of tea when I read your comments, you sweetie, you. I would be happy to stand down wind.

Susan said...

So far, so good, Mama Pea. I find myself holding my breath a lot. Thank you for your kind words, my dear friend. They mean a great deal to me.

Susan said...

Yes, poor Lovey. I noticed that her worry lines are now permanent. We are starting to resemble each other.

Susan said...

That thought did cross my mind, Ed. Good golly! That must have been some smoking hot skillet!

Susan said...

Egg-xactly! It was more of a spike with a splash of nog. Whatever the ratio, I slept like a log. Let's just hope so - although, if my life calms down, I'll be challenged to write an interesting post... :)

Susan said...

Happy New Year to you and the pups!

Joanne Noragon said...

Yes, 2019 is well gone. 2020 is a nicely displayed number.

Leigh said...

No dull ending of the old year for you! lol

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Oh my gosh. I love your humor in all of it.

Ed said...

Oh it was. I remember turning the corner and just seeing a 12 inch diameter column of sooty black smoke rising up at a rapid rate. By the time I got the pan off the burner, there was only about a couple feet of relatively clear air down next to the floor. It really reinforced the lesson firefighters give about getting low to the floor in a fire situation.

ellen abbott said...

never a dull moment. and apparently I missed something, like why you need a new hood on your basically new car. were it me I'd tell him to forget blending the paint. like who is ever going to notice or care. well, maybe you but not me. I suppose I should put the smoke detectors back up but they tend to go off from the steam from the shower.

Nancy In Boise said...

OMG, that's a not-fun way to spend the day! Atleast you got home safe.