As the Water Flows

Whenever I don't blog for a while I think up all the incredible, mesmerizing things I can write and share pictures of. That way you don't think, "I've waited 7 weeks for that?!?!" Well guess what? This isn't likely going to be exciting or thought provoking or spell-binding. I know, please try to contain your shock. (This is long on words and completely lacking photos.)

We've lived in this house for four years and the entire time we've had a slow draining shower. We have incredible water pressure, and depending on how high you turned on the water you could create quite the foot bath. In our years here we've tried a variety of methods to clear the drain: Drain-o, Liquid Plumber, baking soda and vinegar, some product that cleans pipe walls and is safe for septic systems, a wire hanger to reach as far down as possible and clean the hair out. We don't own a plumbing snake, and we were always too cheap to call the plumber. Some of the techniques helped, but nothing fixed the problem completely. We discussed that maybe the pipes were fitted together in the wrong way. About three weeks ago Brien pulled the stopper (somehow). We have a tub that doesn't need a plug, you just flip a lever. He did a few other things, including banging the pipe with a mallet while he was in the cellar one evening. That move surprised Zarina, who was in the bath tub. Our drain was now the best it had ever been. And then it got even better. After his shower one evening Brien came out and said that he covered the drain for a few moments when the water was building up a bit, when he let it flow there was a sucking sound and suddenly the water drained, without any build up. It's been working fine since then. I intend to use the septic-safe pipe cleaner on it to assist with keeping things moving.

Our house was a rental for almost all of it's 60 years of existence, until we move in. For a small place (not quite 1000 sq. ft.) it seems to require lots of work. Any house in this town that's in our price range requires lots of work. Even with the depressed market the houses that aren't fixer-uppers are more than we can afford. So you grin and bear it and make the best of it that you can. There are days that we love our house, and others when we wonder what we were thinking when we bought it.

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On to other things, if you're still here.

This year we chose to stay home for Thanksgiving. It was actually our first Thanksgiving at home. I made an awesome breakfast of quiche Lorraine and Hershey's hot cocoa (see recipe on the cocoa container). We brined a bone-in turkey breast, and had homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce (with orange juice to give it a little tang), rolls, and broccoli salad. Dessert was pumpkin pie. Everything was going so well we kept wondering what would go wrong. Except for burning my finger on the heating element in the oven when doing pies, there were no mishaps. Our food was so good, we don't know if we want to leave town next year. Brien and I joked that we may put conditions on our visit. Such as:

"Will you let us in the kitchen to make the breakfast quiche?"
or
"We need garlic cooked with the potatoes, no even more garlic, still not enough garlic. Step away from the potatoes and trust me with the garlic and sour cream, you'll be glad you did."
or
"We'll come to your house on the condition that you make (not just bake from a box) lemon meringue pie."

We decided that we likely saved money by staying home and being far away from the temptation of the Black Friday Sales. So good food and more money, it was a win-win this year.

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Today I was supposed to mail out the Christmas packages. We have three boxes to send. Two of the boxes have a homemade gift inside. One of the boxes will be unexpected. Even more unexpected since it likely won't arrive at it's destination until after Christmas.

I haven't made it to the post office because there's lots of fresh snow, it's been falling lightly all day long. Yesterday, during the day and into the late night, the rain was dissolving the little snow that was left from the Thanksgiving storms. Today, at 3pm, there is likely 8 fresh inches. One of my goals the last few months has been to shower and be dressed by noon. (Don't give me any crap about that being a pathetic goal. Dreary, cold, winter days don't offer much motivation to get outside. The only places to go are the grocery store and one of the few shops in town. If I try to go to a friend's house they are also likely sitting at home in their pj's, so call ahead.) Today that goal has been completely missed. I chose to type instead of bathing, but rest assured that I will get in the shower shortly after posting this, and finding boxes for the last two packages. We've all been sick the last week, so really I'm just happy that the used Kleenex have been kept under control.

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Zarina's favorite "magical words" have become "bibbidi, bobbidi, boo." No "abracadabra" for our little girl. Just now she was using a drumstick as a wand and casting a spell on a rubber ball.

Her life isn't all magic. We've starting making her work more to earn her keep. She's had to help clean her room for a while, but now she also helps to put away laundry (sometimes) and gets to select and put out the utensils (not knives) when setting the dinner table. It's so nice that she's at the stage where she wants to help.

The Park Baby Girl #2, due the beginning of April 2011, is working at creating new stretch marks on my stomach. With 3.5 months to go I feel as big as I was at the 8.5 month mark with Zarina. We are open to name suggestions. In my family we pay attention to what words the initials might spell, so no P.A.P.'s. PEP, PIP, POP, and perhaps even PUP are okay. (We have considered Poppy as a name, but then it just felt all wrong, hence the aforementioned initials. Now Poppy feels okay, even though my mom doesn't like it.) I need to find a name book. The books feel so much easier than the on-line websites. It's easier to really browse a book.

Merry Christmas!