Stinky Sweater Story

I am wearing my favorite lemon-green sweater. Craig keeps telling me I need to throw it away and here's why:

It's a few months ago and I am wearing my favorite pink-striped pj bottoms, t-shirt and green sweater. For some reason I decide that I need something in the cupboard above my fridge, so I rearrange some items, including this pot of used frying oil that is sitting on top of the fridge. Why is it there you ask? Because Craig likes to make home-made french fries and then he leaves the oil in the pot for FOREVER. I got tired of it and moved it to its present location.

So, I retrieve my wanted item, but not before moving the Fry Daddy to the very front of the fridge area and forget to move it back to the back where it was. Then I think I need something in the freezer, so I open the door, and lo and behold, the entire pot of used, nasty, stinky vat of oil comes raining down on my head. I scream. Oil is everywhere! I am drenched in it, it is sooo gross!

My first thought is about my new hardwood floors, and so I get a few thousand towels and start soaking up the grease. When that chore is done, I must mop, so I go searching for the mop. Well, Craig had removed the mop head and I can't find it, so I find the old mop, it is gangly to be sure. I decide that a quick way to get the mop head wet, is to reach over the bar with it, and then I can turn on the sink without having to walk over the smeared oily floor, great plan? NO!

Instead, the mop knocks my glass fruit off of the bar which then smashes down onto said hardwood floor and 2 of them break into a million pieces. So now I am covered in oil, barefoot, and have shards of glass all over my living room. Needless to say, I am not a happy mama.

Well, I finally get both messes cleaned up, got myself cleaned up, and get the clothes in the washer. But, does the smell come out? NO! Let me tell you that used french fry cooking oil is so stinky, it will cling to every fiber of your favorite sweater and refuse to come out. I have since washed the sweater like umpteen thousand times, and it still reeks.

I read online that if you freeze stinky items and wash them, that the bad smells will go away, NOT TRUE! I froze my sweater two different times for days at a time, and still they reek! Actually the smell has improved, but not enough for Craig's olfactory senses, he kicks me out of bed if I have the sweater on and I wear my sweater all the time. Maybe that is why he got me a new sweater for Christmas?

Snow Wonder

I was raised in a snow state, yet I do not enjoy the snow. I am not a skier, having only gone 3 times ever, I don't like sledding, I don't love driving in blizzards, on black ice, on frozen slush, you name it. I also do not like to be cold.  I remember as a kid walking to school atop 4 foot snowdrifts, and it would be so cold that the snot in our noses would freeze. I even learned how to drive a stick-shift on hard packed ice with snow on top. But alas, I have no plans to move to Florida or anything like that. I adore N. GA. I think I have adopted the Southerners mentality when it comes to snow and ice; I stay home.

Around midnight on January 9/10th, it started snowing.  At 11pm there was nothing and an hour later, the snow was coming down like crazy. North GA received 8 inches just like that. Now the South is not equipped to handle snowstorms like this, as we usually only get one snow a year, mainly in Feb. and it melts before the day is thru. Outside it looks like the winters of my youth. My kids are loving it though; can't get enough of it. I just wish we had a real snow shovel and that the kids had a proper sled.

My house is the cape cod at the top of the blog. I love my house. Stay tuned for reno pics. We have redone the house from top to bottom. This is mine and Craig's first home together. We bought it in Feb. 2004. We also purchased a home in Alabaster, AL in 2007 and lived there for 3.5 years until we sold it and moved back to N. GA. It was twice the size and twice the price, but this house has my heart. (See previous posts-Downsizing and Sleeping Beauties.)

Redneck Solution

These are pics of our french doors in the dining room. 2 weeks ago Craig removed them to put in a new set of doors that he found at Lowe's. The doors were special ordered but never picked up, so we bought them for a deal. Unfortunately, they did not fit our space properly, so Craig hastily put back the old ones sans moulding, insulation, and rubber seals. Then the storm came; we had snow coming in thru the cracks and it was miserably cold to sit anywhere near them, so my hubby came up with the idea to nail up a tarp on the outside of the doors. It may look rednecky, but it definitely helps keep us warmer. Craig did order new doors and hopefully they will arrive soon.

CHIPS

I just love this picture of the boys. We were in Naples, FL in August visiting Craig's mom. The kids were having a ball. Grammie gave them some chips for a snack and then they both ran out to the water to enjoy them. I couldn't resist snapping their photo. This pic is my wallpaper on my computer.

'Tired' of Sleeping on the Floor

Here are pics of the furniture Craig and I ordered for our bedroom from our favorite furniture store of all-time, Alabama Furniture Market in Calera, AL. They have the most beautiful furniture at the most amazing prices. Our house is a Cape Cod, so this furniture does it complete justice. We are doing all of our new furniture in either bisque or black. We also purchased a new dining room table and 6 chairs and a hutch/sideboard for the dining room last summer that are also in the cottage theme. The company that produces the bedroom furniture is Liberty and the style is called Ocean Isle. It should all be here by Feb. I can't wait!

Good High

I finally started back to Curves on Monday the 3rd and I was able to work out yesterday as well. The owner took my measurements but the only information I got was my weight which was an astounding 176. Not pleasant, but not unexpected either. The only thing I am sure about is that that number will go down, it must!

It felt really great getting back into the swing of exercising. I am motivated to do more exercise throughout the day. I am thinking about training to run a 5K. Everyone I know runs in some kind of race or other, and I think I would like to try it myself. First, I need a good pair of running shoes.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's! We shot off fireworks last night with some friends. Peyton slept thru the whole show.

We enjoyed a white Christmas. Sunday we had snowball fights with the neighbors.