Christmas in August?

I know its August but I could use a little Christmas in July!

This year has been rough on the household and several things could use replacement but as usual there is no room in the budget.

My GE refrigerator panel went so now there is no controlling the temp in my fridge never mind getting ice or water from the door. If you want something to freeze put it on the top shelf of the fridge. If you do not want something to freeze use the top shelf of the freezer. Did I mention its a side by side. Never again! I will never buy another GE appliance or another side by side refrigerator ever. One week before Christmas 2009 the GE cooktop stove had its panel go. We ordered a replacement part plugged it in and it immediately shorted out. A nice $150 down the drain plus the cost of a new stove right at the worst possible time of the year. I have had the panel on my dishwasher go twice. All of these appliances were purchased within a short time frame of one another and none of them all that long ago. Several calls to customer service have gone unanswered.

Earlier in the year I pulled out of the parking lot after just having our taxes done and found my car would not move after it was straightened out. When I got out to investigate it immediately struck me as odd that one front tire was facing forward while the other was completely turned to be facing the back of the car! So much for that refund. A few months later my husband's radiator blew. Hello debt? I guess it is to be expected when you are driving cars that are at in the range of 14 years old.

One of the bathroom faucet's burst leaked all over the floor and caused the fire alarm in my son's room to go off as it filled with water. I never realized just how convenient and how accustomed I would become to having dual sinks in the master bath. For those of you who would be rightfully concerned given our families past history, you will be glad to know the smoke alarm has been replaced and is functional.

My husband's TV went up in smoke. He went downstairs to grab a bite to eat came back and found the room filling up with smoke. He thankfully was able to unplug and stop any further incident but none the less the tv was gone. Of course his was the biggest set in the house and he now has high hopes for a large flat panel. I haven't the heart to burst his bubble.

My son's bed and desk collapsed. He is now sleeping on two mattress on the floor which still needs new vinyl or wood. He is currently using a microwave cart for his computer desk. It might be nice if we could at least get curtain rods so he can hang the drapes he got for Christmas. Did I mention he turns 18 in August and would like something we would even consider letting him drive.

Last straw was a week or so ago when my comfy computer chair broke. Seeing how much time I spend in this thing, this is MAJOR! A replacement must be found as soon as possible. Knock knock CL.

Then there are those things I simply just desire. Topping the list:

A laptop computer. Maybe if I don't replace the chair I can get a laptop instead that I can be more mobile with. Opportunity available for right model: Looking for replacement for desktop workstation. Must have the ability to handle the demands of a computer/internet junkie with strong graphical demands for both work and entertainment. Desire a large screen for severe multitasking and a separate number keyboard for functionality. Please send specs and references to g.s.w.

A digital camera. Starting this blog has only served to further my desire to take more pictures. Yet another hobby just waiting to blossom. The cell phone camera just doesn't cut it!

A grocery shopping spree and a new food processor would be nice. I know I know I've always claimed not to be a cook but the truth of the matter is I really love to cook. I just want to be able to cook whatever I want and keep everyone else out of the kitchen.

Could the real Santa Clause please stand up and bring gifts!

Festival Fun - Part II

Okay one more long post and we’ll be all caught up on my Irish summer adventures.

I’m getting used to being drenched in sweat during our set ups. Quite the workout I get I must say. Last Friday night and Sunday afternoon, however, I got to fully appreciate the meaning of drenched. After much rushing to protect the merchandise, we returned to our hotel on Friday night completely soaked from a heavy rain that had come up quite suddenly in “the valley”.

Saturday was once again brutally hot, the type of hot under which you melt just sitting still. We closed at dusk with warning streaks of lightening flashing in the distance. Back in our hotel room that evening we never did hear the storm come through but accounts from the locals the next day indicated it had not been gentle.

We returned to our tent in the field on Sunday morning to find we had not left things as secure as we had hoped. One of our cover tarps had blown free leaving pockets in the lighter canvas tent to form dripping bellies of water over some of the clothing displays. One entrapped pool dangled precariously over the center aisle. We tried to gently persuade the water to exit this spot at a reasonable pace into the safety of a bucket which worked for a bit. Alas, the water had other ideas and released itself in a sudden gush. Thankfully the additional damage from this was minimal and to we remained fairly dry.

The sun was shining bright so we began hanging wet clothing and laying out the tarps. Now open on the sides to the elements and without top cover protection, the decision was made to begin the packing process while remaining at least somewhat functional for the day’s sales. Then things changed in a hurry.

The sun slipped away and a light rain began to fall. There was a rush to get side tarps up and merchandise packed. It was not long before the skies opened up completely driving wind and rain from all directions. We rode out the storm beneath the frames of the flimsy easy up tents held primarily in place by the heavy weight of the metal grids that were still attached to them. We spent more than an hour clearing new bellies of water from the top of the tents and standing in ankle deep runoff. Once again when all was said and done we were soaked to the bone.

We must have had the luck of the Irish with us. We stopped at a local laundromat just a few doors from our hotel to dry and fold the few things that had originally been soaked by the previous night’s rain and found complete loss to be minimal. With fingers crossed we opened every last bin and emptied its contents onto tables across the shop parking lot when we returned home. Though it no doubt looked like a garage sale gone wrong, we found that most things had been well protected in the bins and any dampness that had accumulated was quickly eliminated.

Now that we’re all up to date, I really must get packed for Dublin.

Interrupting Previouly Scheduled Post

As many of you know, I am very much an animal lover. I am currently lovingly owned by one mildly disobedient stubborn spoiled Welsh Corgi, one domestic ordinary though immensely spoiled and loveable cat, two parakeets whose job it is to drowned out dinner conversations, and seven caged (7) fancy rats.

Yes you read correctly, I have seven pet rats. While I’m sure many of you are less than keen on the idea of keeping these little critters let me tell you they have an amazing way of leaving huge footprints on your heart. My first, Ms. Touille, sadly passed away this July 4th weekend. She was a little rattie ambassador with the amazing ability to make you laugh and then steal your heart. She is the one who started my current obsession/passion for these little fur butts. She is very greatly missed.

Rats are very social and intelligent animals. They enjoy activities that stimulate them and keep them occupied. This morning I filled one of their balls with bits of granola and quietly put it into the cage while they slept. To prove that there must be some level of communication between them that humans are otherwise unable to hear, the first rat that came across the ball was quickly joined by two others.

The ball has little holes in it and they must roll it around to free the treats and thus a game of rattie soccer was underway. One of them quickly realized that if she put the ball into the food bowl that rather than having to chase a trail of treats they would remain contained to the dish. Each time she got a chance she grabbed up the ball and made a dash for the bowl. She would then quickly push the ball around the confined area to achieve maximum spillage until the ball was snatched back into play.

Who needs ESPN? Check out Cheerio Ball!

Festival Fun - Part 1

Speaking of summer let me share with you just how my summer is going.

For those that don't know, my work is heavily laced with an Irish theme. My family, my home and my life has always been strongly influenced by this place I have never been. It is among the few places overseas that I have a real interest in visiting someday. I am enchanted by the romantic nature of the castles, rocky cliffs and grassy fields you always see pictured.

Of course the people are just as intriguing, such pride for family and heritage. My work allows me to meet many of them and not a bad one in the bunch has there been. There are those who love their Guinness and those who would rather sip tea. What they all seem to like most though is having a good time and holding festivals.

This is where we return to the topic of this post. You see this summer I am attending quite a few of these events. Where St. Patrick’s day comes but once a year, these festivals…well they come just about every weekend.

Let me take you back a bit.

Last St. Patrick's day I had the pleasure of spending parade day and the holiday itself at the Albany AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians). What a wonderful group of people we met there. And we were INSIDE, the importance of this you will come to appreciate in my next post.

Course at this same point in time we were also running a kiosk at Colonie Center, and a heat press booth in Saratoga. Oh did I mention our annual sampling to the NYS Assembly was looming as was our breakthrough trip to the wholesale show in Secausus, NJ. Times they were a wee bit hectic.

The wholesale market provided us with a whole new adventure in April. While it too was inside, we had to cart our wares three stories up in glass elevators and feature a display window. The hotel provided four floors on which Irish vendors and buyers, both local and international, had the chance to come together. While it didn't rain on us, many attendees were affected by the ash of the volcanic eruption across the pond.

By May it was time to hit the Festival Circuit. The first festival was electrifying. No really! We were under cover in a fairground pavilion but that didn't stop us from adding some excitement to the event. Plugging in our display lights we blew several bulbs before shorting out a surge protector and causing sparks to fly.

At the next show we were initially set up just outside of a picnic pavilion, at least for awhile. There is nothing like putting up the showcase in 90+ degree weather, then the next day “rearranging” (a.k.a. dismantling and reconstructing) in 90+ degree weather. Granted it moved our goods safely under cover but water was never really our enemy here. Rather our nemesis of this weekend turned out to be the bugs. There are any number of flying, buzzing little insects that are attracted to light and they often don’t survive the night once enclosed in a tent.

The next festival brought TV stardom, boiled cabbage olympics and the case of the missing jewelry. Why is it reporters have to find you when you look your worst and then ask really stupid questions? Where were they when the contestants were chugging Guinness, kicking a cabbage, bobbing for potatoes and throwing snakes in the big tent? Too bad their cameras weren’t rolling when there was a security breach in the vendors tent during the night and things went missing. Thankfully clothes don’t make for profitable pawning.

Let us not forget the late night return to the hotel after a long, hot breakdown to find the maid had stripped our beds but then forgot to make them. I’m not sure we made the wisest choice when we decided not to accept another room and instead drive straight home. We did however manage to miss the just overturned tractor trailer that took up two lanes of the highway at 2am.

That catches us up to last weekend. Oh and what a weekend it was!

Summer Submersion

As I suspected, it is seldom that I find a creative outlet on my computer that does not soon have me spending hours on end in front of it. Today I have been a complete slug spending all of my time here finding and editing the template you now see on my blog.

Why this one? Well it shows a few of my favorite things.

I love warm sandy beaches and tall palm trees, that one of a kind smell of salty sea air. I can just imagine planting my chair, letting the waves gently roll in over my feet and watching the sunset. The thought alone is enough to “Jamaica Me Happy”.

Then there is the coconuts, pineapples, citrus and rum so useful for making wonderful fruity drinks worth sharing with friends at the beach or otherwise ~ just ask Kim. Her recipe is similar to the drink I’ve been mixing and sipping this summer. However, my version has a wee bit more alcohol, less juice and a bigger glass!

Rum Rummer
One part Coconut Rum
One part Pineapple Rum
One part Banana Rum
A splash of pineapple juice
A splash of orange juice
A dribble of cranberry juice for color

Serve it over ice or better yet blended and it is a little sip of island heaven!

Lastly what summer would be complete without ice cream sundaes (at least that’s what it looks like to me up there). I love the stuff. Coffee ice cream with peanut butter and hot fudge sauce, piled high with whipped cream and topped with a cherry. Does life get any better?

In The Beginning

There was an evening of boredom and the search for a personal creative outlet and thus here I am. I’m not quite sure just where this blog will take us or how often. I am certain it will be much like a roller coaster, lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, for that is life and that is what I intend to write about.

In other words, this space on the web has no specific purpose in mind. It is intended instead to be a sharing of life as well as an escape. It is a place for stories, tips, funnies, recipes or anything else that tickles my fancy or that of my readers at any given moment.

Besides… what is one more addictive hobby I don’t really have time for…Enter G.Whimsical's blog