January 4, 2011

  • Cold, Cold, And More Cold Ahead


    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    I woke up to a very frosty 24 degrees outside and the inside temperature of the house was just 61 degrees.  I went around and turned on the little space heaters in the living room and in my computer room before I made the coffee.  This is the Princess's last week working for AT&T.  She goes back to college next Monday.  The humidity had to be lower because the storm door didn't have any frost on it until after I opened the regular door to let the dog out.  The humidity inside the house caused the glass on the door to start frosting.   Thankfully, Baron is a wimp so he was outside for the minimum time he needed and right back in as soon as he was done.  There was no trotting around the deck like normal to *inspect his kingdom*.  He just wanted back into the warm house.  That was just in comparison, mind you.

    We had lost our internet (again) late last night so I checked and it was back this morning.  I got online and checked the forecast for the whole week at the same time I turned on my TV to listen to the local news and weather.   I have often found the two differ, sometimes greatly.  The upshot was this:  cold, cold, and more cold.  Highs in the mid-40's.  Lows in the lower 20's.  No sign of any more rain, sleet or snow as of now.  The only nice thing I can say was that the skies were clear and we had SUN!  The dog barked his *open the front door* bark and, as soon as it was open, plopped down in the sun for his morning sun-bathing.  He does it every morning and is always disappointed when there is no sun.  He will give us the dirtiest look, a little bark and we know he wants to know just where his sun beam has gone.  He reminds me of the baby in the comic strip *Hi and Lois*.  The baby always looks for *her* sunbeam and is upset when it's not there.  That's Baron.

    I picked up Chewlee and the Princess and we dropped Chewlee off at school and then I took the Princess to work.  After I got home, the Beast was almost ready to go move the injured car to the dealer for repairs.  He had spoken to the adjuster from the insurance company earlier and knew the amount the adjuster was mailing to us for repairs.  He said the dealer would contact him if the amount was less than was necessary after he got the door off.  The only good thing is the dealer ordered the door and window today and will be getting it on Thursday.  He expects all the work to be done by the following Tuesday or Wednesday.

    The Beast went ballistic (of course) when he saw the car.  It looked to me (and I told him this) like someone had tried violently to get the driver's door open because today the inside section was separated from the door.  It wasn't like that the other day when I saw it.  He also looked at the paint job on it and was really, really upset because he said it had NOT been repainted after the tornado damage was done.  He said the Princess must have told them not to bother and kept the money instead.  I told him that she had brought it over when she picked it up and told him to take a look at it.  I didn't remember if he did or not but didn't say that.

    When I told this to the Princess, she got upset and said she DID have it done.  She had the bill to prove it was supposed to be done.  I told her that the Beast had looked on the top of the car and found damage that he remembered.  I told her that I had also looked at it and found some of the scouring that was still very visible.  If the dealer had buffed it out even, it wouldn't look like it did now.  She just said it was washed and waxed when she got it so I wondered if perhaps the waxing hid the damage.  No real clue though.  I just know that I do NOT want him not to let her use the truck for the couple days she will need it.  He doesn't know it will only be a few days (yet) but I don't want to be her taxi service any longer than I must.

    If I have to, I will tell him what the dealer said just so he will relax and give her the damn thing so I don't have to be doing this running around, especially on Thursday (her day off from work) when she has to go get her books or whatever it is she has to do at the college plus she needs to do her grocery shopping.

    I won't be picking up Chewlee once the Princess starts school.  I also won't be watching her on Saturdays until, I'm sure, the Princess gets a part-time job.  We will probably go back to this kind of schedule once that happens since most part-timers work Saturdays and Sundays.  But Johnnycakes doesn't work on Sundays (that I am aware of) so that should be HIS day with Chewlee.  I guess only time will tell.

    The Beast was supposed to be planning on going hunting but I know he won't with the temperatures being so low.  He's got his ATV already on the trailer so he's going to have to get it off of there before the Princess gets the truck.  I'm thinking now that it might be smartest to tell him about the faster repair so he knows it will only be for a few days that the Princess will need it.

    I'm just so tired of hearing him bitch and moan and not even give the Princess the benefit of the doubt.  She's always been up front with him and he is usually so much more patient with her about everything.  This time he's so damned unreasonable that I am afraid *I* will be the one having a stroke!  I'm so sick of hearing him do nothing but rant and rave.  She doesn't deserve that.  She said she is no longer going to leave it up to him but is going to actively try to sell her ATV.  When she had decided she really didn't need/want it, the Beast told her to just stop paying him for it (he never told ME that) but she had paid all but $1000. of it.  She said he either needs to pay her back what she paid him, give her credit for her monthly car payments or get used to the idea that it's gone as soon as she finds a buyer for it.  He's been using HER ATV on his little *jaunts* so I rather doubt that would make him happy even though she would pay him the last of the money she owed on it so she would have the rest back.

    What's going to happen when that comes to light makes me want to vomit.  It's not going to be pretty with the Beast in his current mode.  I swear, he's going to give himself another stroke and, right now, that idea is very attractive to me.  If you know what I mean.  I'm sure if and when things settle down, I'll feel differently but not right now.  He's making MY life miserable.

    Well, time to get this posted.  Love you all.  I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow.  Pray for me.