IT IS SAFE TO ENTER MY HOUSE ...

No, didn't clean (wishful thinking though!) - but thanks to some warmer days and NO SNOW for a change - we no longer have several inches of slippery ice lingering outside our door.  I think it leaks over the gutter there and drips, drips, drips and then freezes, freezes, freezes. 

I have some plans for some warmer weather.  One of the first (work related) things I want to do is take some chairs, from my Fulton Place building, on a trip to the car wash.  I was looking at them yesterday and ewww! - they have pee-pee (I love that word - say it ... "pee-pee" ... it's fun to say, isn't it!)  spots all over them.  They are metal chairs with fabric seats and backs. 

I figure a good high pressure car wash isn't going to hurt them.  And if it does - they won't be any worse than now.  AND if it works, I have devised a new way to take care of this on-going issue.  Many of my residents have pee-pee problems.  They'll be sitting on a chair and when they get up ... it's wet/damp.  Ewww!

And also, as soon as I see my first robin (not cousin Robin) but bird robin.  I think I need to haul everything out onto my front lawn ... empty my house and clean it from top to bottom.  Then SELECTIVELY move things back in.  I figure by the first snowflake I'll have it back in.  Seriously -- I don't think this will happen.  Who has that much energy?  But I do have to start geting rid of clutter or I'm going to go berserk.

Ever feel like you've lost control of your life?  Sometimes I feel like my college roommate, gasping for breath and wriggling helplessly on the floor.  (One of my college roommates was a goldfish who jumped out of it's bowl onto the floor a lot.)  Like my roommate I find myself thinking about solutions -- if only I could leap back INTO the bowl.  Maybe if I ... but in the end it doesn't seem to work!  (Boy do I sound pathetic!)

WAYS I'VE THOUGHT OF TO GAIN CONTROL (or feel 'in control'):

Maybe the getting rid of the clutter 'brainstorm' (see above) would be some form of control.  Organized (which my complete mental picture of the 'brainstorm' includes) always feels more controlled, wouldn't you agree?  Albeit, that type of control requires, like I mentioned, more ambition than I have (shoot!). 

Jelly beans seems like another good way to gain control.  I don't really know why.  But there is something wonderful in knowing those little colorful (and tasty gourmet) beans are totally helpless against me!  What can they do to me?!  I'm IN CONTROL of them.  CHOMP.  (Oh wait - could it be that my pants had to be sized UP to accomodate THEM?  Those little rats!) 

Speaking of little rats.  Another place I could gain control would be to shave both of the dogs totally bald.  It's "that" time again - coat blowing.  How in the world can you have one compact little being that could fit in a Walmart bag (I didn't try it you guys --) blow enough hair to fill up a couple of TRASH bags.  Times that by 2 dogs and you'll see why everything I sit on, wear, look at, walk on, etc. is covered in dog hair.  To control that situation I bought TWO of the roller things with stick 'em on it to take hair off my clothes at least.  UGH.

And there are some things I just don't have a clue how to control.

ROAD TRIP!!  I'm so looking forward to taking a few days off from work March 15-16-17.  At my evaluation here at work - I was told I need to take some of my vacation as I have over 6 weeks of time to take.  SO ... while Ryan is in Haiti ... Rhiannon is going to come here and then off we go on a mad-dash to Chicago.  IKEA here we come!  I think we're leaving on the 15th and coming back on the 16th. 

I may not have control.  But God does.  And oh how glad I am that He does.  Here's an example Nick told me about a couple of days ago.  He said he almost died that day.  Yeah, sure.  No - seriously.

He was on his way to work.  He started to pull out onto the by-pass (4 lane road).  There was a car coming toward him from the opposite direction.  That car did something goofy - which made Nick hesitate.  At just that time a semi whooshed by Nick's car - blowing through a red light - and missing his car by INCHES.  He said he was so shook - he sat through the entire rest of the green light.  PRAISE GOD that He is in control.  I couldn't stand if something happened to my boy. 

MARY ANN - thanks for calling.  Recipe needs - I would love to have more one dish casserole type (easy to prepare) main dishes.  And loaf dishes.  Don't get me wrong on the other loaf - it WAS good.  Not one bite went to waste.

DEB - I appreciated the GLOG info -- now to put my head to it.  Think I would need more than one session, don't you?  How many sessions would you suggest? 

I have to run -- Blogged you into the ground today, didn't I?