Moving, Ice, and Puppies

Trying to haul heavy boxes from the house to the car down ice-laden steps is just pure insanity. We had an icy snow storm last Wednesday, and temps have stayed in the teens and low 20s since then. Unless you stood outside all day on Weds. and scraped and shoveled, there was no doing it later. It's frozen solid. The front lawn is a sheet of ice. If I hadn't already packed my skates, I could skate on the yard. Seriously.

So, I'm still getting over the virus, still achy and chills, nose clogged, and I'm trying to navigate the treacherous steps to load my car with boxes. Not fun. Somehow I managed one big load. Not as much as I could have moved, had I not had the virus, but a good amount.

And while I was risking life and limb for the move, the puppies invaded my desk. Yes, desk. And somehow locked me out of my computer. I never made a password, yet now it demanded one.

Right before bed, one of the little darling puppies decided to take a dump in my bedroom. Unfortunately, Buzz did not see the pile until it was too late, and had stepped in it and tracked it all over the carpet. Right before bed, and now I have to clean a shoe and scrub the carpet in about six spots. And toss the comforter in the wash.

Somedays I wish I just stayed in bed. Anybody want some darling, devious puppies?

Felled by the Virus!

The nasty winter virus has at last attacked the Zany family. First up: Buzz. Seemed to be doing better, then.... Second up: Lotus. Lotus has allergies anyway (likely to feathers yet her dad bought her a new feather down comforter, but we won't go there) so she's snarfly a lot anyway. But she, too, got the bug. Third up: Zany herself! Yippee! Just in time for a major winter ice storm, moving, and her birthday. Then, Buzz again. Just when we thought he had it licked, it comes back in full force. We're pushing the fluids, popsicles, and soups, to keep him from getting dehydrated. He did that last year. Not fun (for me, at least). Buzz told me that getting an IV and fluids was the best day of his life. Okay, um, sure, whatever, but let's NOT repeat that day, okay??

I've been eating Cold-Eez. I've been guzzling Nyquil. And Robitussin. And I have minor breaks in the action where I feel like, okay, this is almost done, then wham! I'm tired and achy and just want to stay in bed.

Add in a slow week at work, money worries (needed new tires this week to the tune of ::gulp:: $732, and an oil bill of $465), and it's no wonder I can't wait for spring!

Change of Address -- Why is it so hard?

I receive a professional journal related to my work. Every year, I receive my dues and subscription renewal, and every year I change the address so that I receive it at work, rather than at home. I don't work from home, and don't care to read work-related stuff at home. Still, I get this journal and related mail at home. Today I went to their website to update it yet again. There, in green and white, on the website, it clearly states that I'm to receive my stuff at my business address. Then why do I get it at home? I deleted my home address. I'm moving next week anyway. Maybe now they'll get the hint.

I also realized that this month my professional license to the state is due, but I have not received notice. Odd, as the renewal notice usually comes sometime in December. So, I call the licensing board. They apparently sent my notice to my former address of two years ago, when I've updated my address to my business address five years ago.

Lest we blame it on computers, state government agency inefficiencies, or professional organization snafus, tell me, how come I still receive mail for a business I last owned nine years ago? Seems those folks still manage to get my junk mail through to the right address, even though the business has been defunct for nearly a decade. If the junk-mail folks can do it, why not the folks whose notices matter most?

I Thought I Needed an SUV, But...

Check out this link. I found it while perusing another site and thought it was fun and true. Amazing the ingenuity of people in other countries. How spoiled I am with my gas-guzzling SUV.

These pics hit home this week, as the packing and moving begin.

ENJOY!