Woe is mantle.

Yes, I know there hasn't been a blog update in a few days. Blame Telus. A port in Fort Langley went down for almost three days, leaving me in an internet-less void for a while, which was a pain. But, I'm back up and running, and why yes, here are some juicy updates:
Our mantle is gone. Gone gone. (For Trevor specifically: 'gone gone gone she's been gone so long she's been gone gone gone so long' - bonus points for anyone who can identify who sings that line.) It's a sad state of affairs around this house now, with the clutter and the reno dust still swirling around...and now this. The mantle had been sagging for a year or so, with Trevor sometimes cocking (yes, I just wrote that...MUAHAHAHAHA) his head and checking on it with a 'yup, it's moving' declaration. Well two days ago it really moved, enough that there were worries of it falling off and taking out whatever it landed on below. And we don't want any squashed or maimed kitties in this house (ditto for dvds, tvs, tables, etc.). So we sadly snapped it off the wall. It was only attached with a few blobs of glue and TWO nails. TWO! Retards who put that up need a smack up the side of the head (which I will volunteer to administer). *sigh* So yet another thing gets added to the list. This is one thing that has me really miffed, so much so that I want it fixed, and fixed soon.

I also got all 'culinary goddess' in the kitchen today and made creme caramel from scratch for dessert tonight, which turned out well...but not so well for the glass ramekins. I put them in a metal water-filled pan when I cooked them (should have been glass, perhaps?), which caused every single one to crack on the bottom. So bye bye six ramekins. Tasty dessert = all new kitchen wares. Whoops!
And why not throw in a thumb update? You'll all be glad to know that I'm going naked with it every day now. Except at night, I have a phobia about catching it on a blanket in my sleep so I wrap it up and polysporin the crap out of it. It doesn't hurt any more, but it sure isn't pretty to look at. It looks all gimped to me and I wish I had my normal pretty thumb back. One of the really weird feelings I have with it is from the nerve damage, and I either can't feel parts of it, or it feels pin-prickly. Plus it's shedding a lot of skin (yes, I know, too much information), and still doesn't bend right. But I'm slowly trying to use it a little more every day and make sure it heals fast.

Merry Thumbsgiving!

First, a weekend review, and then on to the thumb photo op (beware those who are easily creeped out). The long weekend was good, Trevor got tons of flooring done and I believe we're about 2 feet away from finishing the main floor area (stairs may be a bit longer). It's starting to look livable down there now, and I'm starting to get excited about the 'decor' part of it all. I've had some new thoughts on the furniture I want in my office and I'm scouring ebay for some good buys. It's almost like a sport! I think once the moulding gets put in and the low voltage stuff is finished I'll be moving my office down there. For now it's still kitchen table central.

We also did some cleaning up around here this weekend, for our sanity and to make room for the tv delivery that comes today. There was also a Home Depot trip as well, for some gloves, which ended up turning into gloves, low voltage supplies, winter pansies (necessity!), a window washing kit (which is more of a necessity...even when the sun shines in here it's like it's overcast outside), bone meal (planting bulbs!) and winter fertilizer. Home Depot is a dangerous place.

And now for the thumb update (cue that music that Kermit the Frog has when he's reporting on Sesame Street!):
Here's the day 17 picture - scroll down!

































I'm getting tired of the giant thumb bandage, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what I'm supposed to replace it with. I can't find a band-aid big enough, and if I just do some tape and a pad it will catch on things and fall off. I need something that won't get it dirty, and will have enough padding that if I smack into something it won't catch, rip off or hurt. Hmmm, dilemma. So until I figure it out, the giant tampon stays. But it's starting to look better. Still creepy, but it doesn't hurt anywhere near as much as it used to. Update over!!!

Starting early on my halloween costume.

So cleaning and wrapping the frankenthumb last night went okay. Gentle...veryyy gentle. And using q-tips dipped in lukewarm salt water (thanks mom!), and lots of polysporin. (Which at one point, don't ask me why, I was questioning if I had bought the right stuff and not the type of cream you put on hemorrhoids, but that's preparation H.) I also wish I had the same tool that the hospital has for putting gauze on because I've managed to make my thumb bigger, not smaller. At least I'll have a lot of time to perfect my wrapping technique, and perhaps look the part for Halloween.

Speaking of which, we went to Costco last night and Trevor got his passport photo done (oh I could have taken the high road but I chose not too!!!). Let's put it this way, does anyone know the Talking Heads song that has the line: 'Psycho killer, que'st que c'est...', well that's what came to mind when I saw his photo. We also looked at Halloween candy, debating the cost per piece and what to give out this year. On average, we get 130-180 trick-or-treaters and we usually just load up on bags of candy and hope we don't run out. Seeing as we usually do an eyeball test of having enough candy to make it through the night (we have a giant bowl, and if it's not at a certain level, we know we're not going to make it), but this year I want to go at it a little more mathmatically.

For example, in previous years we've had to buy 10 bags of chocolate candy (say 20 pieces a bag at $3 each) and another 3 bags of gum, suckers and other hard candies (maybe 50 pieces at $5 a bag), which averages out, with 150 kids on that night, to almost 2-3 pieces of candy per kid. And costing just over $50 for the night (with tax), and that's being conservative. $50 is a nice dinner and a movie, 3-4 bags of groceries, a hydro bill, two dvd movies...you see my point. I'm not out to be the crappy house on the block that gives out raisins, but I'd like to trim those costs and still give out good candy.

So getting back to Costco, we were able to find things in the regular candy aisle that are individually wrapped, and are cool! Things like candy necklaces (.10 each), gummy foods (pizzas, fries, burgers, .06 each), mini sour skittles (.05 each!) were some of the highlights. And they come in mega-huge packages for $6-7 each with 100-200 pieces in each one. So we're going to treat smarter this year and keep some of our hard-earned cash (thumb gauze doesn't grow on trees)! I'll update closer to Halloween so you can see how we did.

WARNING: If you don't want to see what a finger plus exacto blade equals, then don't scroll down to the picture!

So I took the gauze off for the first time at home to clean the frankenthumb up a bit and change the gauze. Not nice and not pretty. If you're not good with gory things, then really, don't scroll down.


























Seriously now! Turn back!









































Well, there it is. I had a hard time looking at it to begin with, it was really upsetting, but I have to realize that I'm the one in charge of this frankenthumb and making it better. Wow, are gauze and band-aids going to be on this thing forever or what?