Sunday morning coffee chat

The hired carpenter guy got the 4 access panels cut in installed into the ceiling of the garage. They look nice and better than dh would have done, LOL. DH would have just cut the openings in the drywall and then framed that piece of drywall back as the cover. This guy bought some nicer looking sanded plywood and the whole cover is wood (which will be stained) with a wood frame. He's a nice guy - mid 30's, I'd say. His parents live up on the mountainside across us. They are all also from where we used to live and moved here shortly before we did and built their home up there. A flat out spectacular amazing view....but in the winter....right now there's 40" of snow up there and it's a very long dirt road up there. Almost impossible to get in and out in this weather. He said they both retired this past year and right now are down south traveling because they are tired of the snow and trying to get in and out of their place, LOL. Son said he told them, then why'd you build on top of a mountain?? LOL. 

Son lives down in the valley, near town. He had a little flyer where his son, in elementary school, is selling candy for his music class, so I ordered a couple different ones. DH had brought the folder inside to show me to order and I took it upstairs to look at and where my checkbook is. As I'm filling out my name and address and what I am ordering, I realize the papers smell like cigarette smoke. It brought back memories of my in-laws, who both smoked. Every single thing that came from their house smelled like smoke. Blech! LOL. When we used to spend any length of time at their house we'd get home and take showers just to wash the smell from our hair and change our clothes. While both lived pretty long lives (she was 85 and he 80) with all the smoking, needless to say, she spent the last 5 or 6 years of her live with one lung and on oxygen. He had a couple heart/artery surgeries.

I was able to get my snickerdoodles made and done by 1:30, which is good because by then I was out of zip. I have decided to give up trying to make cookies anymore. No matter what kind they always turn out flat. They taste great - just all flat. I remember I used to make these cookies a lot in high school and the were not flat - and they crinkled on top. I guess I just need to stick to brownies, cakes, and banana bread, which I'm good at. I also texted young neighbor down the street for her recipe of the "Toffee Butter Crunch" that was so good. Looks a bit more difficult then the white chocolate bark I made, but it was so good, I'll have to give it a try. This recipe needs a candy thermometer or do the cold water test, neither of which I have ever done, haha. DD also wanted the recipe, so maybe I'll let her try it first and let her tell me how hard it is, LOL.

Plus, I think I ate too much cookie dough and cookies while baking. Ended up the rest of the afternoon and evening not feeling so good.  

We are considering having this carpenter guy put in the bookshelves I want upstairs along the wall in the walkway between the rooms and the bonus room. He said he loves doing bookshelves. I don't need anything fancy, I just want a long (very long) bookcase built in on the wall and dh just keeps pushing off doing it himself because he really doesn't know how to do much woodwork type stuff. I have tried to find some to just buy, but it's a weird height there, as the wall is short and the ceiling is low on the sides, as basically everything upstairs is really just attic space. In dh's re-organizing in garage and shop he also got together a bunch of the leftover building supplies, about 2 bins worth, together and is going to give to this carpenter guy. Boxes of nails and what not. At the time we were building dh figured, hey, we paid for this stuff, I'm going to keep it, rather than just letting the builder take. We did use some of it in our projects, but mostly we are done now, so have no need for what's left. The carpenter guy didn't have room for it in his truck, so he will come back another time and pick up. DH said he seemed really appreciative that dh would just give him this stuff for free.

After dh cleaned up all the mess in the garage from the construction, dinner was just some clam chowder soup, a ham and cheese sandwich and some pears. I just had the soup, as my stomach was already full of cookies, haha.

I read some more of a long book I'm reading. Then watched a couple episodes of Who's Line is it Anyway. Not sure if this show is still going on or these are just old reruns, but always enjoyed this show for laughs.

I don't know what I'm doing today. I got my laundry done yesterday, too. I might see if dh wants to go into town to the grocery store. We are out of bananas and almost out of milk. Maybe we'll go later afternoon and then can pick up some of their baked chicken from the deli to have for dinner. Their chicken has always been good, but I'm noticing with the new owners, they are getting even more food offered in their deli, which is nice. Baked chicken is a newer addition. 

I've been checking back online with Kohl's to see if they are offering any free shipping to use up my gift card and $10 Kohl's cash and I see this morning they are offering with $35 purchase, so now is the time to figure out what to buy. I guess that is what I am doing today - as Lord knows, it will take me all day to figure out what to buy!