Saturday

So, I woke up to the alarm on Saturday morning. I shaved, showered and got dressed. I put on my watch and went outside to spray the driveway with herbicide. I used Ground Clear, BTW. I find it does a better job than Roundup.

Sidebar: I gave up wearing a watch a year or two ago. I realized I had a phone in my pocket that showed the time and/or was sitting in front of computer that also showed the time, so why did I need a watch?

But today I did, so that I didn’t spend too much time and miss my 9:00 a.m. massage appointment.

Margaret, my massage therapist, was telling me that she had bought her first biscuit cutter. She is making a panel door (pretty aggressive) for a rolling closet door in her parents’ room (they live with her). Not a pocket door, but barn door hardware. She bought the hardware on line and promised to send me the link.

I told her about my experience with biscuit cutters and we talked about bar clamps. She, like myself, has a lot of the little 20-24 inch ones, but only two pipe clamps. I offered to lend her my two I’d bought to make Yanessa’s cradle. So, instead of continuing my Saturday chores, I went back home, got mine and took them back to her.

Hey, anybody making a panel door deserves whatever help I can give!

Then I went onto Kroger’s. From there I went to Westborn for some sweet corn. That’s when things got weird. There was a little old lady and myself, sorting through corn. I was trying not to get in her way, while selecting four ears for myself.

I took my corn right to the checkout and paid 51 cents for them.

Last stop was the Post Office. Then I went home and unloaded the truck outside and hauled everything inside.

That’s when the corn thing showed up. There were only three ears of corn in the bag. So, I went back out and looked in the truck. Nothing. I came back inside and checked the receipt. I only bought three! That little old lady must have distracted me!!!

I put my “three” ears of sweetcorn in the stock pot and covered them with water. I split the three pounds of ground chuck into one-pound packets and froze one. Then I used the last of the hard salami to make a sandwich and ate that. With lunch out of the way, I decided to take a nap.

When I woke up, I found a nice email from Jerica, my grandson Joe’s wife. She sent me some great picture of the family. Thanks!

I had asked my brother Carl what he wanted me to bring on Sunday, clam chowder or the Wendy’s chili. He picked the chili so I had to make it!

So, I did the prep work first. I diced up an onion until I had about 1 1/2-cups, 1/4 cup of green pepper and 1/2 cup of diced celery.

I browned two pounds of ground chuck in the Dutch oven. When it was ready, I drained the fat. Then I added the following:

·         - The celery, green pepper and onion

·         - 1 quart of tomato juice

·         - 1 (29-ounce) of tomato puree

·         - 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

·         - 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

·         - 1/4 cup of chili powder (use less for milder chili)

·         - 1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         - 1 1/2-teaspoons garlic powder

·         - 1 teaspoon salt

·         - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·         - 1/2 teaspoon sugar

·         - 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

I stirred that while bringing it to a boil, then turned it down to simmer. I covered the pot and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

I went outside. I drilled a 1/2-inch hole in the termite/carpenter ant wood and sprayed in ant killer (it was all I had for bugs). I plugged the hole with a wine bottle cork. I save them.

I sprayed the patio with Ground Clear. Then I dug out the pressure washer to use it on the house. In the past, I used just the hose and that Windex stuff.

I had to refer to my user manuals file box to remember how to use it. I save every manual, but never read them, LOL!

However, I got out the 100-foot extension cord, the hose, and the power washer and filled the soap bottle with car wash stuff I’d used on the Triumph. But, I couldn’t find the wand! What the hell did I do with the wand???

So, I put everything away, wound up the extension cord and reeled in the hose.

Instead, I started the charcoal lighter. I had already taken out the three small Angus tenderloin steaks to come up to room temperature. They were each about an inch thick, but small enough that together they weighed less than a pound.

I grilled the corn first, then the steaks. I came inside and ate one steak and one ear of corn. Delicious!

It was dark by then, so I buttoned everything up. I sat in the living room and read until I got sleepy and then went to bed. It was just after 11:00 p.m.