The Daily Bug 

Hi, ho, everyone.

Happy Sunday.

I've been online, more or less, since 10:30. Trying to deal with outtie mail, WUmail and all those blasted Toshiba, Windows and Norton updates. After the Windows updates finished, I had to restart. When I tried to get back online, I got a blank home page and nothing worked. Restarted again and it all came back, thank heavens. Then, I got an alert to upgrade my browser. Things look OK now. I hope. I was starting to think I'd have to take the whole kit and caboodle back to the Geek Squad at Best Buy. I'm not sure how much of my problems is the difference between a desktop and the lpatop, how much is Windows Vista (which I've heard lots of complaints about) and how much is me.

Anyhoo, I think I'm up and running again.

Had a nice visit with my cousin Friday after work. She'd made reservations for me to be her guest for supper. While obviously not home cooking, the food was pretty good.

I didn't get home until quarter of 8:00. I went to bed early.

Yesterday, I pottered around the house some. Got sucked into a reread of 'T'Is' by Frank McCourt. I thought I had a copy of "Angela's Ashes' but I think I had borrowed that from my cousin.

Ogal, I've been watching the GOM. It surely looks like FL is getting a lot of rain from Debby

Ylee, I hope you were mannerly and wiped the drool off the Corvettes!

I think I did delete that post but I wanted to get that fellow off WU. The only way to get Admin to do it is to have multiple clicks from members. I'll do that anytime I see something that looks like a commercial advert blog, rather than a regular blogger. I've been seeing more and more of them lately.

Sandi, that's pretty much me and Hubby, all right. Ships passing in the night, except for weekends.

Shore, I'd never thought about our safety deposit box. Not that we have much in there that would be damaged by water. Marriage license, maybe. But I think that could be replaced. Our box is on one of the upper rows so it might escape floodwaters. We're on a bit of high ground right where we're at and the bank is on the other side of the fence at one house over.

Debby's track does look to be a bit of a puzzle at this poing. I do hope she makes up her mind sometime soon or everyone will feel more like a duck in a shooting gallery than usual.

I didn't wash clothes yesterday. Was lazy and put it off until today. I didn't get up until 9:00 and the first load didn't go in until around 10:00. I've got one load that's probably finished up and one small load of towels to do and I'll be finished.

Dinner today will be a lazy woman's dinner. A Stouffers frozen chicken and rice bake (microwavable!) some limas and some sliced tomatoes and cukes.

Better get that last load going!

I figured it might take a bit to get from Grand Cayman out to The Brac. OB will have to wait for the island hopper flight.

Man, oh man, am I tired.

After Hubby went to bed I went outside for a bit.

I've been eyeing our front walk for the last couple of years. I've been wanting to redo it. I hadn't planned on doing it this weekend. I took a notion and off I went.

It's made of pieces of flagstone. It has been in a straight line to the right, starting at the front steps. It just ends at nothing. The parking pad is a good 15 feet away from the end of the walk. When we get heavy rain, we have to splish, splash through water to get to our vehicles.

I've been pondering moving the flagstones so that there's more space between them, instead of being packed tightly together and, towards the end, curving them into stepping stones ending at the parking pad.

I got them all shifted. There were some BIG ones, too. I didn't move those too far, let me tell you! I still have to fine tune the placement and dig some in, so that they're a bit set into the ground, rather than just sitting on top. They need to be a little more level with the surface, so that we're not tripping on them.

I did leave Hubby a note to tell him what I've done and to watch his step as he leaves for work.

Happy Monday.

I didn't find Hubby knocked out cold in the front yard when I went out for the paper, so I guess he got my note and watched his step walking to his car to go to work.

I see we've got Demented Debby in our forecast for Thurs/Fri. Oh, joy....

It just goes to show, never, ever assume the tracks will stay the same from one day to the next. Last week, the models were headed towards TX/Mex. Yesterday, doubled back on herself.

It's a busy day today. I went to get something to drink and was startled by the sight of one of the 11:30 lunchers in the break room heating up her entreé in the micro. It was quarter of 12!

I guess that's better than the day going by so slow, you can't stand it.

OH, BOY, OH, BOY!!!

A hammock, a frosty drink and a book. Crab, you'll never get rid of OB now!

Looking forward to hearing about her adventures on The Brac!

Pros, I heard you mention you were reading, or getting ready to read, that book about Isabella. I've always enjoyed reading bios and historical fiction based on the Royal Families of England and Europe.

Caro, TWC has the locals up now and they're just calling for partly cloudy tomorrow with scattered showers and possible T-storms.

My pressure has dropped. The barometer is reading 29.83 or therabouts. I took some garbage out just before 10:00 and I felt a little bit of mist.

We'll just have to wait and see. Gonna go check the models.

Oh, yuck. Nothing like being in the Cone of Doom.

Checking anything much outside WU is tricky. I'm having to recreate all my bookmarks. This time, I'm putting the important ones in Google.

I've got most, if not all, of the weather sites I use bookmarked at work. I just haven't had time to copy/paste them all and email them to myself.

Hey, Karen!

I'll have to check out that Larsen book. For whatever reason, I've never looked to see what else he'd written.

I'd been browsing through my copy of Walter J. Fraser, Jr's Charleston, Charleston, The History of a Southern City. Esp fascinating for me, with all the local history from the founding up thru about 1989, when Hugo hit.

He has written a book about Lowcountry Hurricanes, one about Savannah and several other titles. I've read his book about the hurricanes and want to read the one about Savannah.

Sheesh... time for me to shut down and head to bed or I'll never get up in the a.m.

I'll check in tomorrow.

G'night!

Hi, ho...

Watching the model tracks and it looks Debby Deluge will head almost directly east across FL and out to sea.

It is always the Cone of Doom. You never know with those things; they have minds of their own.

Ylee, you're right; Sandi may wind up seeing some effect. Like she needs more rain....

No, Hubby has not crashed and burned. So far. I think he stumbles out of the house half awake,anyway, so there's plenty of time for him to take the plunge.

Sandi, I'll probably be walking those stones for a few days to make sure I have them the way I want them. I am not going to set them in on a weeknight, anyway.

Hi, Pros and Sandi.

It's Wednesday and, normally, I'd be looking forward to the weekend.

Not this week.

Temps are expected to reach as much 100F for several days, starting tomorrow.

Simply put: I won't be doing much of anything outside until it cools down a bit.

Hi, Shore.

Yes, we're headed upwards with the temps. This weekend ain't gonna be fun, at all.

Hubby won't be hearing me nag him about mowing the lawn this weekend, that's for sure.

I can't believe we were down to low 60's yesterday morning. From one extreme to the other in just a day or two.

Really, really busy today.

Yesterday after work, I headed further into town to The Vegetable Bin. Their advert in the paper sucked me in. Boone Hall heirloom tomatoes 1.99 lb. Johns Island and Boone Hall regular tomatoes, .99 lb. Shelled butter beans from Manning, SC (green and speckled heart) 4.99 lb. SC tree ripened peaches 1.29 lb. Yellow crookneck squash 1.29 lb. Boiling peanuts, 1.99 lb.

I spent 23.10 but came home with a stuffed canvas tote. I didn't see the cherries and I wanted some but I guess I can go back next week. They were 2.99 lb vs the 3.99/4.99 at the grocer.

Put the peanuts on to boil as soon as I got home.

I did have to spend some time cleaning the butter beans. That's the only issue I have with those machine shellers: they leave the beans dirty. Lots of leaf, stem pieces and misc bits of dirt and whatnot.

Once I had them clean, I put them in containers, shook some kosher salt over them and covered them with water. Put the lid on and into the freezer they went.

No, I did not blanch 'em. It's what I do to keep them fresh for a week or two. If I was 'putting them up' in the freezer for long term storage, yeah, I'd blanch 'em, use the ice bath and the whole nine yards. But I don't have a separate freezer; just the one with the icebox.

By the time I got out of the kitchen, I was ready for bed.

Hi, Ylee.

I doubt that health/food experts would recommend freezing veggies like that but I'll be cooking both batches asap. One this Sunday and probably the other one next Sunday. They just wouldn't keep fresh in the icebox for that long.

So far, it doesn't seem too bad out there. The high temp forecast differs from site to site. No matter ...it is going to be hot.

As long as the humidity doesn't get too bad and the lows at night get back to upper 70's, I can manage for a few days.

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Temps will reach triple digits again today and the heat index is expected to possibly be as high as 115, according to today's paper.

I'm not sure what it topped out at here late yesterday but it was like an oven out there.

Am just doing a quick check in, before heading out to get the oil changed on the truck and to see about having vent visors installed.

I want to do this early, so I can get back home before the heat hits its peak.

I do need to make a run to the grocer, so will try to do that after finishing up with the truck.

Once home, I am planning on keeping the blinds and drapes closed, lights off and avoid opening the doors any more than necessary. I'll wash a load or two of clothes but may just hang them inside. I can finish them up early tomorrow morning.

Yech....

It has cooled down rather nicely outside. It was
murder out there from about 10:30 until, maybe, 4:00.

Got my truck tended to. The vent visors look good and I know I'm going to enjoy having them.

This truck does not have auto windows; they're manual. If I'm driving with the windows down and it starts to rain, I can't reach over to roll the passenger window up. With the vent visors, I can crack that passenger window in iffy weather and not worry about it.

I don't tend to use the air con in the truck unless it gets really hot. I prefer to have the windows down.

AFter leaving PEP Boys, I headed to the grocer and got a baked chicken. The Pig had some on special for 4.99 each. Depending on which grocer you go to, they can run from 5.99 to 7.99 each.

So, all I have to cook tomorrow are the butter beans, the squash and the rice. Slice some tomatoes and cukes and I'm done.

Happy Sunday and Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!

Hi, Ylee!

Heating up outside. So far, inside in comfy. We don't have central air; just a window unit in the dining room. It is usually sufficient to do the job but not when the temps get this high.

I've got all the blinds down and closed. All the curtains closed. Lamps and overhead lights off. Haven't cut the ceiling fan on yet.

Having trouble with Hubby cutting his floor lamp on, when he doesn't need it. He finished up the paper early. I cut it off, he cuts it back on and then nods off in his recliner. I cut it off, he wakes up and cuts it on and then nods off again! Maddening!

I usually cook our dinner mid-afternoon. Not today; we will be eating earlier. I've got my butterbeans and squash on and will start the rice shortly. I've sliced cukes and tomatoes in the icebox. I bought the rotisserie chicken yesterday.

I probably should have started it all earlier but got engrossed in the morning paper and CBS Sunday Morning on TV.

Still, it's better than cooking at 3:00!

Yeah, I see that, Ogal.

I was just outside and it looks really cloudy to my north. Not dark, just rain cloudy looking.

Came in and checked the radar and it's a-comin' our way. Whether we'll get much, or how much, we'll have to wait and see.

Showtime has "The Help" coming on at 7:30 and I've been wanting to see it. I think this is the first time its been on TV.

You watch: Because it's a movie I want to see, the power will probably go out. I hope not, not just because of the movie. It's too hot to lose the A/C.

Hoo, boy, it's starting to get dark to my north!

The warning says large hail and some winds are hitting 70 mph. It is fast moving, though, so I hope it gets in and gets out fast.

Ah, criminy... the power just flickered. It's really dark out there now and the wind has picked up.

Have the lappy plugged in for a few more minutes, then I'll unplug it to keep an eye on the radar, as the movie starts.

LOL..

It does look a bit like the parting of the Red Sea, doesn't it?

AFter that firest darkness and wind, there's not been much of anything. The TV jas flickered a few times. I've seen a flash or two of lightning in the last 10 minutes or so but there's not been a drop of rain.

The temps have come down nicely, though.

Hi, Pros.

We did not get a drop of rain. Like Shore observed, it looked like the storm parted before it reached Charleston, with half going below us and half passing above us. Rather odd.

I've seen a little lightning but still no rain. The thunderstorm warning has been removed but we're still under a watch.

The TV has been flickering a good bit. Wind in the lines, I expect but it seems fine now.

Gonna sign off and head to bed.

BTW, The Help was really good. I'll need to watch it again, though, as I did lose a few bits and pieces when the cable flickered.

Sandi, compared to what we've been seeing the past few days, today seems downright chilly!

It is 87F right now at the Charleston Airport and the heat index is 90F. A far cry from the 112/114 heat indices we had this weekend.

Shore, yes, I have a bifurcated week this week. Like you. And like the storm last night!

I'll have to watch for Marigold Hotel. I know what you mean about your taste in movies changing, or your enjoyment of them changing, as you age. Though I'd have probably enjoyed "Waking Ned Devine" when I was younger, I don't think I would have gotten quite as tickled as I did when I did see it about 8 years or so ago.

Hi, ho, everyone.

Really busy day here on Beetle Rock.

The office is closed tomorrow. Hubby is
even off, if you can believe it!

I'm trying to get the decks cleared, 'cause
when I come back Thursday, I'll have two
days worth of work waiting on me. I don't
need any backlog to add to it.

Hear tell that OB is having fun on The Brac
with Crab and Da Bride. Or is it the other
way around?

LOL

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

It has cooled down somewhat and Hubby has been outside cutting the lawn. I'd told him this weekend not to worry about it. It was too hot to be doing yard work, it would be there when it got a bit cooler and I didn't want him keeling over from heat stroke.

We have no major plans for today. I will have to make a run to the grocer for something for dinner. I have no idea what, since I still don't want to do much cooking and heat the kitchen up.

I still find it odd that most stores are open today for business as usual, with 4th of July sales in full swing. It is so different from what I remember from my childhood.

Businesses closed early on Wednesday. By 5 or 6 on Saturdays, everything was closed, barring a few gas stations. Sundays? Forget about it. If you didn't get what you needed by closing time on Saturdays, you'd have to wait until Monday. You'd better hope you didn't run out of gas, either. Everything shut down for any and all holidays.

I'll admit it is convenient but, at the same time, I'm filled with nostalgia for the old days, when the world went quiet and slow.

Sandi, Ylee, Pros and Ogal, I hope ya'll have a nice day and thank you for the holiday wishes.