Recycling, here we come!

I had the day off today, as I am a nonessential state employee and all nonessential state employees in the eastern-most courts had the day off. So I ran some errands.

I cashed some checks, prepared a slow cooker soup, ran to the insurance agency, got Jay an oil change, faxed some documents, and I actually went down to the Ashland DPW and picked up some recycling bins.

Now, I've never EVER recycled anything in my life. The closest environmentally conscious thing I've done is rip apart six-pack plastic holders so that sea-faring birds don't get their necks caught in them. As if really helps... So I feel very good about myself that I made that first step towards a better tomorrow. Now the real key will be to actually USE the bins. Baby steps, is what I say. Baby steps.

Pics of the big snowstorm

How much snow did you get? We got lots here in Ashland. It accumulated about a foot before we even went to bed last night, which freaked me out. I had dreams last night about shoveling the driveway with trash bags on my feet and legs because I don't have boots or snowpants. I actually did shovel a bit with grocery bags on my feet, but they didn't help at all since the snow was up to my knees.

Our first homeowner malady

(Well, besides the huge lake that appears in our backyard when it rains.)
On Thursday morning, I had just finished showering and was sauntering downstairs to the laundry to find nylons for myself. I noticed there was lots and lots of water in the corner of the basement, right by the bulkhead. Oh, no! I thought. Rainwater must be leaking in through the damn bulkhead! But I noticed water dripping from above. I look up, and there I see the end of a PVC pipe with lots of wet hair hanging from it, and the pipe that should be attached below it is just off to the side, unattached. It was the bathtub drain pipe! So I realized that all this water that pooled in the corner of the basement is Erin shower water. Which shouldn't be icky, but it icked me out.



Flash to the present: I was on my way downstairs right after I wrote that last part to take pictures of the pipe to post. Alas, there was much more water in the basement than had been even when the Erin shower water was there!!! Could it beeee? Could this basement REALLY be flooding?? So we just finished cleaning up THAT mess. We still can't really figure out what happened... there was lots of snow melt yesterday with some rain, and yes, the huge lake in our backyard was the worst it had ever been... but the basement flooding? That's the worst. So we'll keep an eye on it. Waaaaa waaaaa...

Ah, homeownership.

By the way, here's some really crappy night shots of the lake in our backyard.

We finally got our internet up and running

Thanks, Matt, for setting it up!

I now proudly post this next picture. It should go with the post entitled "A Dog with a Job."

the dead mousie is in a plastic trash bag, which is why he's surrounded by white. you could imagine he is surrounded by puffy white clouds in heaven... but it's just plastic, people.

Corner Pub rulz!

Last night, Matt, Jay, and I went down to the Corner Pub for some Celtics action. (We were getting cable TV at the house, then suddenly we weren't.) The Corner Pub is the home of the 'personal pitcher', a fantastic invention. You get a wee pitcher of beer for yourself, and it holds about two glasses. It's great. Decent pizza, too. For all you Jaigermeister fans out there, they also have Jaiger on tap right next to the Red Bull fridge. I guess they have dollar drafts of Pabst. Weee! I think we've found the Worthen of the Ashland. (I think we all know what the Worthen of the Clinton is...)