Busting my butt on Tuesday

I set the alarm for 6:30 AM (garbage day) but woke up at 5:30 anyway. I got dressed and got the garbage out to the road.

Back in the garage, I decided to deal with all the water the melting snow off the car left yesterday. So, I got the push broom and shoved as much as I could out the door. I've done that before, so it's been there, done that. I know if I leave it as is, the garage door bottom seal will freeze to the floor. So, before I shut the door, I sprinkled rock salt down where the seal touches.

Back inside, I made a four-cup pot of coffee and drank some watching the morning news and then the Today show.

I had made a little mess on the kitchen floor with those pork chops, so I decided to wash it. (On the other hand, like New Orleans Chef John Besh says, "If you ain't makin' a mess, you ain't cookin'!") Anyway, I vacuumed the living room rug and moved all the kitchen chairs in there, along with the rolling cart and the wastepaper basket.

Then I swept the kitchen floor. Since I had the vacuum cleaner out, anyway, I vacuumed the two downstairs walk-off rugs. Then I washed the kitchen floor. By that time, it was after noon and my back hurt, so I took a break while the floor dried.

I watched another of the Agatha Christe "Poirot" movies, called "Mrs. McGinty's Dead." After that, I started to feel a bit guilty, so I swept the upstairs bath, my bedroom and the office. Then I washed the sink, toilet and floor in the main bath.

While that was drying, I put the kitchen back together and emptied the dishwasher. Then I went out and got the mail. Since I had my coat and boots on anyway, I refilled a suet cage and the bird feeder. Then I came in and quit for the day.

I warmed up some of the split pea soup I'd made last fall and ate a big bowl of it with oyster crackers for dinner.

I watched the Olympics until 11:00 PM, when I wisely turned them off. So, now I only can guess at who won what. The Korean woman's figure skater looked unbeatable. The US took silver in the Nordic cross-country ski event.

I know Canada won gold in that woman's ski cross (or whatever it's called). Canada was also looking great in the woman's two-man bobsled. And unless a miracle happened, Canada beat Russia in men's hockey. Amer and CC must be ecstatic!