On the first day of voting...

I luuurve voting. It is probably the most exciting day of the every-other-year for me. And this year’s change to allow early voting in Ohio means that, for me, yesterday was voting day. YaY!! Now clearly, this was not the first day of voting. But I wanted to get you all in the frame of mind for this a little song I wrote about my ballot as an Independent voter. Sing to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” pick up at the 6 jumpers jumping (is that right? That doesn’t sound right.)

On my day of early voting,

The picks I made were these:

6 assorted Judges,

5 Dem-O-Craaaats,

4 Issue “yeses”

3 Repub-liii-cans,

2 Issue “nos”

And an Independent in a pear tree…

Thanks to you, Mr and Mrs Wilkey

Ahh, the Wilkeys have done it again. Right in the midst of the maddening plumbing challenge that was keeping Heidi from having any hot water, Jenn and Justin came over and Justin figured it out right away. I was going to try an alternative union method (compression fittings) because I was thinking I'd never get the line dry enough to sweat the copper. But Justin figured out what the problem was, drained the line, and then helped me solder everything together, including making the most ridiculous copper cut ever, only to have me notice that we didn't even need the piece he had just cut (sorry, Justin!). Then he showed me the simplest way to pipe the cold water into the kitchen, showed me how to tighten the seal on my compression fittings for under the sink, explained the proper use of teflon tape, and made sure that we don't have any leaks. Plus, he checked out the seal on the fridge and helped move a stack of 16' crown molding out of Heidi's apartment and into the basement. Pretty awesome for an evening's work!! Thanks again to the Wilkeys for helping out at a moment's notice.

And not to be outdone, after the Wilkeys departed, Heidi asked me to show her how to scrape wallpaper so she could work on the bathroom whenever she has time. We worked on it while we talked about our feelings and then I filled the bathroom with dust when I turned on the shop-vac to clean up the messy little paper crumbles. DOH!

I think Heidi's place is going to be fantastic when everything is done. I was thinking today that there have been some unexpected but wonderful consequences of her staying here which include that a) I am less lonely, 2) I am motivated to do something on the kitchen project every day, and another thing) um, did you see that OBAMA sign we erected? Day-ummm.

I love this

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I heard it on the radio today and didn’t think it was true. So awesome.

If you haven't seen this already

Check out what might actually be the greatest accomplishment of my entire life:

O-BAM-A!!!

Supersize Me.

You know, everyone thinks that guy who made the movie did it to point out the detrimental effects of our fast food nation. But I am personally convinced that his whole plan actually started with an obsession to win something at the Monopoly game. Because that’s how it has happened to me. Expect that, when you see me again, I will be a bloated, pasty version of my former bloated, pasty self. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonald’s doesn’t wear well on anyone. That’s all I’m saying.

So, this is how it's going to be.

Yesterday, Heidi and I decided we were going to go ahead and erect our GIANT OBAMA SIGN in the front yard. So we’re walking around the house to get materials and tools ready, and I hear this sound that reminds me of a faint dripping. And for whatever reason, I am hyper-panicked whenever I hear dripping because I assume it’s going to be the worst leak ever and I’ll open up the walls to find the whole house frame is rotting away, and so on.

So. I hear this sound so I stop what I’m doing, stand very still and listen hard. And it gradually dawns on me that this is less of a dripping sound and more of a ticking sound, like a ticking clock. Now this area of the house is full of construction materials and trash and all kinds of tools and things, so it’s hard to figure out where such a sound would be coming from anyway, so at this point, I’m convinced that it’s something in the walls, or in the basement, that will surely cause the house to collapse. And now I’m going to switch to “screenplay” mode for the rest of the story.

Me: Hey, come over here for a sec…

Heidi (walking over to me and telling me something): What? I was…

Me: SHHH! Listen!

Heidi (listens)

Me: Do you hear that??

Heidi: What, the washer?

Me: No, it sounds, it sounds like a clock, ticking. Do you hear it??!?

Heidi (looks at me for a looong second)

Me (face completely twisted up in confusion and worry, because of course the ticking is a time bomb)

Heidi: Oh! OOHH! I threw a clock away!!

Me: What? What?

Heidi: I threw the clock away because it stopped ticking. I guess it started again.

Hee! This is exactly the kind of ridiculous conversation we have pretty much anytime we get together. I hope Heidi posts her pics of the BIG OBAMA SIGN soon, so you all can enjoy it as much as we do.

Now, for something completely different: Monday Updates

1 – Stella is fine. It turns out she got into a fight and got a cat bite. They gave her some antibiotics and painkillers at the vet’s office, plus they sent home a little vial of pink liquid that looks like Pepto-Bismol but is actually some antibiotic/painkiller combo. I have to pull it out with a syringe (no needle!) and then shoot it into her little mouth, and it splatters around every time. I mean, if they were going to come up with all this stuff, it seems like they could have made it chicken or turkey or shrimp flavored while they were at it. Oh well. She has to go back to the vet on Friday to get some shots that I didn’t even know she needed. Did you all know that you have to get them updates for their various shots every year or so? I had no idea of that.

2 – My foot is doing better but I still have 5 days until my next appointment with the doctor. Also, it occurred to me that I might not be psychologically ready to get out of the boot. I mean, on the one hand (foot?), I am tired of lugging the boot around and only wearing my tenni-runners because they are the only shoe with a thick enough sole to match the boot (and it’s not actually thick enough, but it’s the closest thing I have). But on the other hand (foot?), I am nervous that if I take the boot off and go back to my normal life, I might re-break the bone. I am pretty clumsy, and I have a lot going on right now where I could end up dropping something heavy on the foot, which might also break it. So, I’m a little concerned about that.

3 – The working kid did a good job on Saturday and I hope he wants to come back. I actually ran out of things for him to do because I didn’t manage to get the plywood I needed to start the cabinet installation. Oh, and I paid him $8/hour, so thank you all for your survey responses. However, there are some things I don’t feel comfortable having him help with, and I’m not sure when (or if) he’ll be back again. From you, kind readers, I could use any and all kinds of help at just about any time to get the kitchen finished. Heidi is also going to help but she has a LOT going on right now, so if any of you can come over on a weeknight or on the weekend, please let me know. There’s plenty to be done, but the jobs that I really need help with are as follows:

        Installing wall paneling and cabinets (I think the kid might be able to help with this)

        Re-routing of plumbing line to the new sink location

        Extending the electrical line for the dishwasher to the new dishwasher location

        Installation of the actual tile

        Countertop installation

So, please let me know if you can help at any time. There are lots of other things to do like painting and cleaning and other less-burly types of things. And I will feed you dinner (that Heidi will cook, because you really don’t want to eat anything I cook!)

blueis the new brown

from the looks of it, it is the new light brown and the sometime-replacement for dark brown. i mean, look at all those blues. i'm aware this might also be a left_wing conspiracy at play.

Uh-oh for Stella-doe

So, when I got home yesterday, Stella was waiting for me on the porch as she usually is. But, as she started coming down the steps, something just didn't look...right. When she got to the pavement, I realised she was limping. Sure enough, something is wrong with her left foot or leg. She's been hobbling around on it ever since then. I thought I'd give it a day to see if maybe she just cut her paw or something, but when I got home tonight, she was still limping. So. I guess we're going to be taking her to the vet to see what we can find out about this. In the meantime, she is recuperating in her room, which to the rest of us, is known as the Guest Room. Poor Stella.

Oh, it has also occurred to me the she might be faking it because she's seen all the attention I've been getting with my broken foot. Kitteh see, kitteh do.

Just general updates

Couple of things going on:

1)      I will be having the first of what will (hopefully) be two “tena-guests” coming to stay in the downstairs apartment, starting this weekend. I say “tena-guest” because they are friends, but they will also be paying me rent. I think this will be good, because it is a specific and concrete timeframe for completion of the ridiculous kitchen project, and also, it will be nice to have a little money coming in from the “tena” part of the tena-guests. Plus it will be nice to have neighbors who are also friends.

2)      As a result of the new specific and concrete timeframe, I need to get the kitchen project finished. And last night, CNKelly and Izzo came over to help with just that. I have to give mad, MAD props to Kelly for the help she gave me, because it was the particularly hideous task of sanding the drywall seams. And the thing is, I wasn’t super careful when I put the drywall mud on, because at that time, I was fully expecting that I would be the one sanding. But then the broken foot thing happened, and I couldn’t  go up on the ladder (actually, shouldn’t, I can climb stairs just fine now but something about going up and down the steps of the ladder seems like a bad idea) to finish the job. So that is what Kelly did for me last night. And that is about as good a friend as you can get – someone who will come sand your drywall – but also, Kelly is great for a lot of other reasons, like being incredibly funny, pretty, witty, and bright…you get the idea. And also for the time she brought me crutches and Skyline. Somehow, she knows exactly the right thing at the right time, and that is cool. So, she did a wonderful job sanding and after she left, I swept the walls and ceiling with a broom to knock the rest of the dust off, and probably Wednesday I will start the priming. I have a paint stick so I will be able to do the priming by myself. And then I’m going to have to ask for someone to come help do the painting, because I want to paint the ceiling white and I’m thinking of red for the walls. Now that I’ve decided that I’ll probably be living in this house for the rest of my life because I will never be able to sell it, I think red is fine for the kitchen. And just to clarify, my long-term goal for keeping or selling the house is to make it a single-family, so eventually the downstairs kitchen will be mine again. I realized when I typed that just how ridiculous I actually am as a person. Oy.

3)      Did you cast your vote (on the left side of the page) for how much I should pay this kid on Saturday? I need to know because I need to get some cash for him.

Survey Says?

Please note the survey I have added on the left of the blog. I have made arrangements for a kid to come work at my house on Saturday and, if all goes well, I plan to have him come over regularly.

He is 15, hasn't had a job yet, doesn't know how to do any around-the-house work yet, and is a co-worker's kid.

Based on all the above parameters, how much an hour should I pay this kid? I'm thinking to start out at a rate, and if he keeps working for me on Saturdays, to pay him a little more after certain amounts of time. Please put your vote in for what you think I should pay. I don't want to be a cheapskate but I don't want to overpay either.

Raise the Roof

On my house, if you would. Anyone? Anyone? It’s been confirmed that I need a new roof, which I’ve actually suspected for a while, but thanks to Windstorm 2008, the timeline has been accelerated by a good 6 months or so.

I really don’t want to tap my savings or take out a loan for this (pbbbbttthhh), and what with missing my $900 a month tenants, I’m pretty much tapped these days, so right now, today, I’m asking the universe to send me Tennessee Ave and New York Ave so I can collect a cool $5 K from my good friends at McDonald’s and Monopoly. That won’t pay for the whole roof, but I don’t need a full $10 K and I don’t want to be greedy.

Dear Universe,

Please see note above.

Thanks a lot!

Love,

-Erin

For Rachel

I'm not crazy about the song, but Brit-brit looks HOTT in

her new video

That Project Heidi Mentioned

Heidi and I have been talking about this for at least a year but perhaps longer, but we are both very busy, very popular, and very low on attention span, so it's taken a long time for us to get it together. And, truth be told, it probably wouldn't have come together now save for the current election season. There's just so much society to comment on right now, and I actually prefer to keep this blog more about the personal, funny, and fun stuff as much as possible. Plus, the co-authoring option is great. We hope you will stop by, bring a cup of coffee or a shot of whiskey, and share your own observations and opinions with us. So without further ado, the formal unveiling of our new brainchild:

http://socialist-commentator.blogspot.com/
Social Commentary by a Socialist and a Commentator

FW: I wrote a joke

From: [Name Withheld]
To: Erin Blackford
Subject: I wrote a joke

 

 

The 2 scariest words in America are not “Wall Street.”

 

 

They’re “President Palin.”

 

 

 

 

This artist's work

Is sublime:

http://little-people.blogspot.com/

I’m not just saying that because I love miniatures.

crushing my cynicism

i volunteered for about 45 minutes last night at one of the obama campaign locations. in addition to all the inspiring signs created by kids, i was amazed at the numbe of young people there. not just college kids, but high-schoolers and even a kid making calls with me who is TWELVE years old. when i asked him his age, he said, "12, but i'll be 13 soon, if that matters". um, if a kid who can't even vote for 5 more years can get out and make phone calls to support a candidate, then we should all consider what we can do to make a difference. regardless of who you support, there's something about getting involved that i had really forgotten about since i gave up all the rallying and protesting i did in my college years. it was inspiring to spend even a little time in the midst of that kind of energy again.

crushing blow

It is particularly crushing because the Physical Therapist said I am doing really well with my range of motion and the x-ray tech said that now, you can't even tell from my gait that I have a boot on (which one of my co-workers also pointed out yesterday). So, I came in to the office expecting to get an order to start wearing my gym shoe a little longer each day. And while the doctor actually said that I'm healing normally, and exactly as he expected I should be, he wants me to "keep doing the exact same thing for the next THREE. WEEKS."

This is seriously driving me insane. I know I could just say "screw it" and do what I want to do, but I am actually quite nervous about breaking it again at this point. So I'd rather play it safe, but I am so ready to start wearing a regular shoe again and just be able to walk normally. Particularly when I'm on my feet a lot, my back starts to hurt because the left foot is higher than the right foot, so I get out of alignment and then I have a backache on the right side of my body.

I have a picture of my x-ray from yesterday. You can see that I really did break that mutha.


I know there are tons of things I can find to do while resting, but it's hard to find stuff to do while my leg is resting and elevated. And keeping it elevated is what's keeping it from swelling. So, yeah, by the time I get done with this whole ordeal, I am going to be quite the couch potatoe.

I'm trying to not get overly excited...

…but I just came back from Physical Therapy and the lady said that I might be able to start weaning out of this boot today. I have to go back over there at 4:00 to get some x-rays of my foot and then the doc will decide if I can start the weaning process - whatever that means.

I have to say that I feel much better now about all the lying around doing nothing I’ve been doing lately, because she also said I had done a great job of taking care of the foot and that a lot of people have extensive swelling and soreness around the foot when they break the metatarsal. This really makes up for all the forced inactivity of the past several weeks.

Something funny that happened is that, when she had her little measuring stick and wanted to see how much I could point and flex my foot, she did the left foot, then she said, “I want to do the right foot to see how they compare” and then when I pointed my right foot, she kind of jumped back and I thought I had kicked her in the face or something, so I apologized, and she said “no, I was just surprised at how flexible you are. Are you a dancer?” which of course, made me laugh, because most dancers, I daresay all dancers, do not have quite such a portly look as I have. But, I am flexible and strong, as I have been told by many people who watch people bend or stretch or lift for their living, for example, yoga instructor, horseback riding instructor, physical therapists, and the couple of trainers I’ve worked with at various points in my life.

So. The moral of the story is, 1) even if you are portly, you can still be strong and flexible, 2) even if you have to sit around doing nothing for several torturous weeks, you might find that it was the best thing for you at the time, and 3) don’t eff with me, because I am not only strong enough to kick your ass, but also flexible enough to kick you in the face.