Okay, you asked for it...

Well, maybe you didn't actually ask for it, but, you did say "Go for it" ...  and, it's raining and only +8C today, so I can't go golfing.  I had a tee time for 9:16 this morning, so I was kind of pouting ...and then... wondering what I could do that wasn't vacuuming, laundry or even baking ..although, baking is my hobby ...and, you know I love to do that.... but, anyway, all of a sudden I was searching for paint.

I know I don't have any oil paints...but, found some acrylics!  Hey! Who knew?  Well, actually I did remember that I had some but I don't really know when I last used any and had to hunt for them .. ....hmmmm..oh, maybe for painting doll's shoes...yep....that was it.... but, haven't made a doll since about '09 ....

Duane would probably have a laugh...but, hey, I kinda like my first attempt at some modern art stuff.

Look at the pretty brushes ... and, all of a sudden I'm thinking why don't I just get a photo of these enlarged and use it somewhere?

I found some small canvases I bought for the latest little art classes I did online...they are only 6 x 8 inches...but, it sort of gives a person the idea for how it could be accomplished I think.

What fun putting on some colour!   Here is my first attempt.

Here is Duane's picture that I like.. well, one of them... and, hey, did you notice that he came to my blog and left a comment?  How did he know that I had posted one of his works I wonder?  He must have spies.... hi Duane if you come back... I love your work...

When you see them together, you can see that there are more ... uh.... layers, and more colours, and more of everything really...but, like I said ...it is my first attempt...and, it sort of gives you the idea of how it could be accomplished.  Not to say that it would ever be quite the result but, ..just sayin'....

I love how the paint tray looks too.... ...

Okay...now I really do have to do some cleaning.......................but, I better start with the almost dried on mess on the tray...........

"Serenity NOW!!'

Remember that ?   George's Dad on Seinfeld ... while undergoing anger management or something.  Only he didn't say it serenely... of course.  He yelled it out loud in line-ups or wherever he was getting frustrated.  I loved it and laughed my head off.

Not laughing now... just saying it.  Every day.

But, today... for you....... I'm just going to show you something cute and interesting.

At first I was taken aback when they put on the new cold air vents... painted the trim colour... because it seemed to me they made huge holes for the screws.  So, then ...of course, the holes must be filled.  With little mushroom shaped dowel thingies.... which need painting the same colour and with the same enamel paint as the vents.

I learned a painter's trick.

He stuck them all on a piece of masking tape and dipped them, like chocolates, into the big bucket of paint.  Then just let them dry.

See how nice and shiny they look?  No brush strokes or taking ages to paint them individually..... like our contractor admitted he had just done at the previous house he was finishing.  Hahahah.....  we all learn something every day around here.  Sadly .... not all of it good.

Not much  happening this week yet...except a lot of cleaning ...and a lot of waiting....

My new bedroom ... all cleaned .... washed myself into a corner ...

But, I also dry after washing...so was able to walk on it straight away.

.....and... yesterday we forced the big mattress up the steps...with some help from the plumber... whew...thank goodness he was there...I was definitely failing on my end of the queen size.

New digs.... all clean, shiny, and freshly painted..... now where is the rest of that bed?   Doesn't even look that big from the angle does it? ... ..and with the extra length of the bedroom now that we moved walls back about 3 feet.

More cleaning today....it all seems to look worse before it looks better....

And...no stove top hooked up...no fan hooked up and trim on yet..... no oven opening fixed yet....no dishwasher panel on....no fridge panels ready yet...oh,....and ...no microwave opening fixed yet.... and nobody will be doing anything til end of week (maybe) and then hopefully..... the rest ...Dec 4.   It's well past the time we were supposed to be moving back in.  And.. not the contractor's fault.  The cabinet guys are dragging their feet and making life miserable for everybody else.  Several things got put on hold.

 Wonder if I will be using anything in my kitchen by December 25th?

Oh, well....I still have lots to keep me busy.  The plumber finished up yesterday and I have lots of nice hot water for cleaning.

Onward with buckets of soapy water and several cleaning cloths....  my poor hands are like Velcro...and I am useless with rubber gloves.  They seem to be off more than on. ...  unless I get some surgical gloves...just too darn bulky....

Second cuppa coffee...here I come.....

Only a Decker will do...

My first little guy was a Black and Decker... and ticked on for a very long time.  So...when I saw this one on sale for only $49....I had to get him.

Easily twice the size of the original, so pretty tough to call him Decker Junior.  Maybe he will have to be Mister Decker.
There is a bump out at the back so that a large pizza can fit in there.... the rack is even curved to allow all of that.... wow....

...hahahha...and.... look....  the elements are also covered with protectors.  For $49! You would think they might all get onto that....but, even some pretty expensive ones don't have them.  I checked.  I'm sure it prevents bumping the elements when taking things in and out and also helps somewhat to protect against unfortunate spills and splatter, which in turn must extend the natural life and efficiency of the machine.   Oh, just a minute....maybe that's why nobody tries to protect things.... planned obsolescence..... our throw away society...and the almighty bottom line.   Just for that, I'm supporting Black and Decker.

I still want to be back in my kitchen though, .. with my real oven.  Hahahhaha.... right.......silly me... there is no oven....and the place still looks like this...so ...not for a few weeks yet ... I guess .... looks like it will be close to tree trimming time as I suspected.

Good thing Decker makes great muffins.  I may even have to mix up a batch of no knead bread.... that will keep a fairly low profile ... and try baking a small amount....I bet it will work..... ooooh, yeh....fresh bread.  That'll be great to smell...as long as nobody sprays any more lacquer on the same day...ick..... that'd be 'orrible.....

.... look at my ingenious idea to do only one baking at  time ....

Two of the foil disposable/reusable muffin pans wouldn't fit into it at the same time...   so I cut one of them in half and put three more dollops of muffin mix into the cups  Voila.  9 smaller muffins at one time...don't want to overfill the cups and cause havoc with the top elements when they rise.

As you can see....the centre row gets a wee bit browner than the rest...but, ..eh..... it's all good.  Greg likes them a bit browner anyway....and if I want the others brown....just pop out the middle row of muffins and put the rest back in for a few more minutes.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins..... mmmmm...... no painters showed up to work yesterday....their loss.....

I killed it.....

.... my poor little toaster oven.

It just couldn't handle being on at 400F for half an hour .... and then again a second time.
It was pretty tiny and old.... and, I had to do two separate bakings to use the muffin mix I had made up.

But, look at the first batch....they were great...

Quite a bit tinier than I'm used to baking...but, eh ..  ...I found some foil containers that fit the oven exactly ...so they had to do....

How I miss my kitchen and doing some proper baking....

Yesterday... instead of hanging out in the stinky, smelly garage ...cuz it was even worse in the house and basement than it was out in the garage ...I went shopping.  Bought a new toaster oven...on sale for $49.... down from $79....  the cheapest thing I have bought in the last 3 months.  There just aren't any bills that low in Reno Central, believe me.

We were forced to evacuate the premises (even had to stay in a hotel for a couple nights) by the eye watering fumes of the lacquer they were using for door and window casings..... how do they stand it, those poor painters?  And...they don't even wear masks!  NOT a good thing.  That stuff has to be totally toxic.  It doesn't seem to bother anybody else quite as drastically as it does me..... and I know my sister has the same problem with horrible odours ... she declared that the two of us are like the canaries of the world.... others should take heed if we begin to feel faint...or drop off our perches......

Here is the story for those who may not know about such things.

"""Life for an actual canary in a coal mine could be described in three words: "short but meaningful." Early coal mines did not feature ventilation systems, so legend has it that miners would bring a caged canary into new coal seams. Canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, which made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as the bird kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. A dead canary signaled an immediate evacuation.

Even as gas detection technology improved, some mining companies still relied on the canary method well into the 20th century. Other animals were used occasionally, but only the canary had the ability to detect small concentrations of gas and react instinctively.

Today, the practice of using a bird to test the air supply has become part of coal mining lore, but the ideology behind it has become a popular expression. The phrase "living like a canary in a coal mine" often refers to serving as a warning to others. The actual canary had little control over its fate, but it continued to sing anyway. In one sense, living this way indicates a willingness to experience life's dangers without compromise."""

poor little birdies....  I bet it wasn't meaningful to them.... 

and... I don't know about the willingness to experience too many of life's dangers part either ..... especially without compromise......that just seems plain silly doesn't it? .... but, then what do I know?  I'm just a canary.