It's Friday Night! Darn it!

Do you remember the two pair of slipper socks that Luanne and Sadie gave me for Christmas? Well, last week when Jake and Carla were over, they pointed out that one slipper of the first pair I am using is getting a hole in the sock part near the toes.

So, after lunch today, having no real missions, I suggested we stop at JoAnn Fabrics and get some darning needles and thread so I can fix them. Every year when I was a small lad, my Mama Rene (pronounced "Reen" as though you just left the "I" off of Irene and that's probably why my oldest brother George started calling her that as a child. Whatever it was, it stuck and we all called her that! She was my Mother's Mother) would come and stay at our house for a week or two. While she was there, she'd sit in the living room and darn all our socks that had holes in them. Even though that was 50 years ago, I watched her closely (fascinated) and am pretty sure I can duplicate her efforts. Although Mama Rene used a wooden "thing" that you stuffed inside the sock that I'll have to try and fabricate.

We looked through the "notions" section but didn't see anything about darning. So, I asked a passing saleswoman (around my age) where I might find supplies for darning socks. She stopped in her tracks, opened-mouthed and said, "Nobody darns socks anymore!" I said, "Okay, then where would I find supplies if I wanted to darn socks, even though nobody does it?" She said, "Well, they don't even make darning cotton anymore, but I guess you could use the thicker embroidery thread and a large-eye needle, and that's in the rear of the store in the right side."

I went back there and found a thick (No. 5) thread in the right color and a No. 14 set of needles, a couple of which looked long enough. Walking back to the checkout, I spied an unfinished plant stand (I need a plant stand) that was normally $30 but was on a close-out sale for $14 U.S.! So, I grabbed that too. On the way back, the saleswoman (who was waiting on several other women) called out loudly, "Did you find what you needed to darn your socks?" and then laughed. (Now, that was just mean!)

But, I did get what I needed! Ah, nothing like a cold, snowy weekend and socks to darn by the fire...

Funny story: I had to call my mortgage lender about a question I had for my taxes. While we were talking, she said, "Hey, because of the current mortgage crisis, FHA (the kind of mortgage I have) has come out with a new program where you can refinance, without another appraisal, without a credit check and with no closing costs. In fact, there is no cost to you at all. You just need to come in and sign all the papers again." She said the current rate is 1 1/4% less than I am paying and, if I'd like, she'd call me if it drops another 1/4% as it would be a significant cost saving over the length of my loan.

I said, "Sure, put me on your tickler list!" She said, "You should see the size of my tickler!" Then dead silence for a moment. Then she said, "Oh my God, that sounded... obscene! I apologize!!" I laughed and said I hadn't even thought about it that way, I was just picturing the length of her list she must have (which is true). But after we hung up, I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes!

Now, a caveat. I told this story to a much younger co-worker, thinking it was one of the funniest things I'd ever heard. He looked at me with a blank expression, and said, "What's a tickler list? It sounds dirty!" So, I am guessing that expression belongs in the realm of us old fogies. But, to explain, it is (was) any list you made of things you wanted to remember and the list was supposed to "tickle" your memory. (Kid's, today!)

Anyway, I arrived home to the accompaniment of "Bang the Drum" which, as you should know, officially starts my weekend! After giving the cats their treats, but before changing, I went out into the garage and carved a quick, down and dirty, darning "thingie." I am sure the one my Grandmother used was made out of hardwood, but all I got here is 2 x 4 pine. And, if I remember correctly (I should call my brother Joe on this - he remembers EVERYTHING) that darning tool had a round, stubby handle. Instead, I measured my grip and made a long, tapered, rounded handle. I sanded the piss out of it, wiped it clean with a tacky cloth and then applied a coat of linseed oil to it. I'll let it dry and hit it with another coat of oil, then take a picture and post it. Hopefully, someone older than me will let me know if I'm close. If not, I'll call my Mom after she reads this week's Blog and get her opinion.

Now, I changed clothes and took a four-cup container of chili I'd thawed last night and put it on the stove on "Low" for my dinner. I opened up the "plant stand" (I belatedly read the box and it said it was a "pedestal tea table." Well, call it what you will, it's gonna be a plant stand!) and started to assemble it when the phone rang. Seems I've won a free trip to Costa Rica to look at retirement property. But, the recorded message hung up before I could find out anything. So, unless they call back, I won't be going to Costa Rica anytime soon... Damn, right about now, a sunny, sandy beach sounds pretty damn good!

Back to the plant stand/pedestal tea table: I easily got it most of it together (took photos for your viewing pleasure) but I am not sure the wood is good enough to get away with just staining and varnishing. I might try it and, if it doesn't look good, then just paint it. I got to where I glued in the dowels and then had to stop and let them dry.

The chili is still heating up, so, at 7:00 PM, I went into the living room to read my last library book a bit. I'll be taking them back tomorrow, and I'd like to drop them all off at once! Still listening to WCSX Classic Rock (Saturday and Sunday Morning, Over Easy - that one) and relaxing.

Then it was dinner time. I filled a bowl with chili, topped it with sliced scallions and shredded sharp cheddar cheese and added a dollop of sour cream. Very good, especially with a Labatt's!

I went back to reading my book, although I moved locations. Now I am reading in my bed, which turned out to be lucky for me as I fell asleep. I woke up at 2:30 AM and decided to post this. I'm on the last chapter in the book so I'll finish that and go back to bed.