Day 381: Blue Mystery Revealed

When we first moved to Marsing back in 1987 we lived south of town. South of town meant towards the desert. South of town also meant no city water or sewer. Which then meant well water heavy in minerals and alkali.

While we had a water softener, it didn't prevent the water from developing a rusty tint. It didn't keep our bathtubs and sinks from turning orange. It didn't prevent heavy alkali deposits on everything.

Even though we are now in town and on city water we still have deposits. Nothing like that ugly orange that ruined everything back then, but we do have minerals that leave a white residue behind. It's like that science experiment I did in school - take a pie plate of water and add some salt. Let it sit on the windowsill in the sun and see what's left behind.

So for the answer to Day 377's mystery picture...

While this bowl didn't have any salt added, you can clearly see what happens when just plain tap water winds up evaporating in a blue cat bowl.

Day 380

I tried something new today (and it didn't have to do with my new shoes). It had to do with my camera.

Every day when I take my picture I wind up doing some editing. I almost always wind up cropping it. Sometimes I take out some of the shadows and sometimes I make the color more vibrant. But today I decided to use one of the pre-chosen style/color/format options.

I don't remember what I chose, but I think it makes the picture more interesting. We are having some hard rain - hard enough to make bubbles - which isn't all that exciting of a picture. But I do like it even more now.

Speaking of pictures - tomorrow I'll reveal what that picture was on Day 377. It sure has been fun seeing everyone's guesses!

Day 379

Several years ago I realized I was wearing the wrong size shoes. Ever since high school, I've been buying the same size in all shoes, no matter the style - dress shoes, athletic shoes, hiking boots, sandals. But a few years back when I was buying a new pair of shoes I tried on a bigger pair and found they fit better.

It would have made sense that if a bigger pair fit better, I should start buying other shoes in that same bigger size. But I'm not a shoe person and don't like shoe shopping. Other than that one pair about six years back, all my shoes are old, old. Like eight or nine years old, and in some cases 10+ years. So all these years I've been continuing to wear the same wrong size.

Too-small shoes worn every single day causes bruised toes. Bruised toes bring about bruised toenails. Bruised toenails (sorry for being gross here) brings about a big toe with a toenail that looks like it might want to fall off. And this week I learned that too-small shoes worn for 100+ miles of biking make a big toenail (sorry, again gross) really look like it wants to fall off.

So today was enough. When stopping to pick up prescriptions and some groceries I ran across some athletic shoes 50% off the last marked clearance price. I left with two new pair of shoes in my cart. Guess who is going to wear new shoes (that fit) for tomorrow's denim day at work?

How about you? Are you wearing shoes that fit just right?

Day 378

I think I got the message. It was one of those I never thought of it that way messages. And it was all about Pajama Boy. Between the comments on posts and the e-mail I've received, it seems that PJ boy (AKA hubby) has quite the support from my readers. Ever since I posted a picture of him on Day 374 (a picture he was more than happy for me to take - he wasn't the least bit embarrassed) I've been having to re-think the whining.

I whine about hubby never getting out of his pajamas. I whine about hubby going outside in his pajamas. I whine about hubby going into the casino in his pajamas. Guess I need to stop the whining.

When I get home from school, I change out of my dress clothes into my most comfortable clothes -sweats. When he comes home, he changes out of his dress clothes into his most comfortable clothes - pajamas.

When we walked away from the casino with $1500 back in March of last year, most of that money was won by him. In his pajamas.

When the mail is handed to me on Saturday morning, it's because he walked across the street and brought it to me. In his pajamas.

When the lawn is full and green and lush in the summer, it's because he fertilized it when he was wearing his pajamas.

When my crocuses bloom in the spring it's because he watered them in the fall. In his pajamas.

Day 377

The Sunday edition of the Idaho Statesman (the Boise paper) has a contest in the Outdoor section. They post a picture and have readers submit guesses about where the photo was taken. Sometimes the picture is a trailhead, a lake, or some other "outdoorsy" place.

Since my brain is fried after just getting home here at 7 PM, I have a guessing game for you. Unfortunately I don't have any prizes to award, but I hope you have fun seeing what everyone thinks.

What is this picture of? Leave me a comment with your guess!

Day 376

I'm still in a bummed state over my exercise bike. I've worked so hard at getting double digit miles in every day, I just can't give it up right now. Maybe the luck of the Irish will heal it?

Speaking of Irish...tomorrow is treat day at work and the theme is green for St. Patrick's day. Since typically Tuesday is my full day of meetings I might not be able to partake, but I did make a couple green-themed items. A lime jello poke cake (I love poke cake) and peppermint spiral cookies. I was planning on adding a bit of chocolate and crushed peppermints to the outer edges of the cookies, but hubby said they tasted great as is.

Day 375

I have butterflies in my stomach every day. Every morning I wake up and set a time for my biking, but up until that time when I ride I'm nervous. I try and keep myself busy beforehand, but sometimes the anxiousness creeps in.

Every day before I bike the same thoughts race through my head. Will my knees make it? Will my feet and hips and back make? Will I make it? Is my goal too extreme? Can I focus enough to get through it? Is this going to be the last day my body holds out? In the last week I've biked over 120 miles and my knees, feet, hips, and back have not been too happy about the venture. But I'm determined to exercise mind over matter and continue, with the hope that it can only get better with more exercise. Every day when I get off the bike I'm pleased with what I've accomplished and I'm looking forward to having fewer butterflies the farther along I get.

Except I didn't plan on the bike itself being something I should be nervous about. But it should have been. Because for several days my bike has been broken. Multiple attempts to repair the ten year old bike have failed. While I've been trying to continue my 15+ miles a day, the miles are starting to (temporarily) decrease. A new bike has been ordered so until then I'm limping along. (Or whatever the equivalent of a limp would be while pedaling a bike).

With the whole butterflies in the stomach thing going on, I was certain when I went outside I'd find a butterfly. The closest thing I could find was a bee at work.