Springtime or is it?

Trivia - Did you know?
Nero didn’t fiddle while Rome burned because, among other reasons, the fiddle would not be invented for another 1,500 years.

I have been on a high for a week or so because Spring is upon us or so I thought.  Mother Nature reminds us just how fickle she can be.  A couple of weeks ago she dangled some balmy 50 and 60 degree weather in front of us.  I got my shorts out, stored my winter weather gear - coats, caps, boots and mittens and began planning my spring cleaning efforts.  I was thinking that winter was gone for another year.  Boy, has Mother Nature slapped me in the face a few times since then.  Our low temperatures have consistently been in the 20's, our highs in the 30's.  Yes, can you believe it?  In fact, yesterday (Trashy Tuesday) I collected my trash and recyclables clad in my comfy shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops.  Tuesday is our infamous trash day in my little corner of paradise you may remember.  Out I stumbled half awake with my bags of trash.  Opened the garage door and was immediately greeted by a refreshing blast frigid air.  No, refreshing is the wrong word here, I should have said heart-stopping.  You all know that I rely on my morning French Roast to get my body going.  I found myself trying to do my trashy duty without even a sip of coffee.  Recovering from the initial blast I realized my toes were near frost bite because I was standing in SNOW!  Yes, SNOW!  Good grief, Mother, what did I do to deserve this?  Needless to say, my day started out all wrong.

My day really didn't get any better after that.  I managed to get the trash out and sat in the bathroom with the door closed to get warmed up.  I got my workout clothing on, gathered up Sue, gave Kinnick a biscuit and off to the gym I go.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are my individual workout days at the gym.  Sue went into the Silver Sneakers class and I began my workout.  I have a circuit of machines and weights that I work through.  I finished the upper body portion and strutted over to the leg machines.  On the way, my right knee buckled just a bit.  This is the knee I had scoped 2 years ago.  I knew the feeling was different than usual.  I limped over to where my coat (winter coat - see above) and hat were hanging.  Trying to look really cool, I took a closer review of the knee.  I decided the only "cool" thing to do was to pretend that I had completed the workout, grab my coat & hat and amble to the waiting area in the front and wait for Sue.  My amble was interrupted by an occasional twinge of pain and a limp.  Not certain how "cool" I actually looked but you don't look around in those situations.  Today, I had a couple of twinges before breakfast.  I opted to take a day off to allow the knee to recover.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Yes Kinnick was here yesterday hanging out during the day.  He is coming to the fitness center Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  I can't read whether he likes this internment in the Grandpaw Bailey's Doggie Fitness Center or not.  He attacks the exercises with gusto and gives us 110 percent effort.  But I did catch him outside sunbathing in the afternoon without sunscreen when he should have been running laps.  Any ideas about doggie sunscreen?  I can't seem to find any.

Flush with our $78.63 income tax refund in the bank, we have been evaluating a variety of home improvement projects.  Other than walls and roof, we need about everything.  We have been collecting estimates for a couple of weeks.  Last week we had a Window World rep out.  Our windows are original, 1976 vintage.  They were worthless when we bought the home and haven't improved any, so I want to replace them.  I may be overstating their condition.  I do know that  a 10 mph wind outside is a 10 mph wind inside.  All in all Window World seemed pretty good but this was the first window estimate I ever received without the windows being measured.  I have had a dozen or so estimates over the years and they all measured the windows first.  Hmm!  We are also thinking of replacing the carpet, a new refrigerator, landscaping and a fence.  We will have to pare down the list though because of the amount of the tax refund.  I just don't know how to choose.  I want it all.

I broke down the other day and purchased another 5 cup coffee pot.  I really hated to do that because my 5 cup Mr. Coffee coffee maker was a gift from Debby, the younger elder.  I had gotten tired of the various design problems with it.  I purchased a GE 5 cup coffee maker.  Similar features as Mr. Coffee.  Unpacked it and put in service only to find out that it requires a cone shaped filter instead of the traditional shape.  Now here I am sitting with about 3,000 of the traditional filters.  You can buy them really cheap but having Scottish ancestry in the house, tossing them out is not an option.  What to do, what to do?  I have left both of the units installed on the counter.  I can go back and forth with the French Roast and ease my guilty conscience.  Okay, the French Roast is gone for today, although I could make another pot in the other coffee maker, I should probably let you go for now.  Hope your day is spring-like!!  TA!