I think we have a winner.

January 24, 2024 Rivergirl 35 Comments

Living room furniture shopping with my husband continued, even though it ceased being fun a while back. Nothing pleased the man and I was doubting we would ever find a set that checked all his boxes. Until we walked into… of all places… Lazy Boy.

I despise recliners and that store wasn’t even on my radar, but damned if it wasn’t where he finally found a couch he liked.

Rolled pillowless back, good length, solid arms.

It looks almost identical to the set we have now… which I didn’t really want, but he’s worn me down with his fussiness and I’m ready to cry uncle.

Miracle of all miracles you can pay a few hundred dollars more per piece and get the firmest damn cushions on the face of the planet (think park bench comfort) which is his number one issue.

They’re actually temperpedic, like the mattresses… and that sealed the deal for my spouse.

He’s not smiling, but trust me…. Goldilocks was pleased.

Up next? Fabric.

😊

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Because you know something else had to go wrong.

January 23, 2024 Rivergirl 24 Comments

Work started on the bedroom door replacement, and you know it didn’t go well.

After removing the existing door and pulling back the carpet, serious water damage was discovered.

Which pleased neither me nor my contractor.

More work. More time.

More money.

We communicated through this hole to the basement. That was fun.

Not.

Rotten floor cut out, awaiting new wood.

Good thing we planned on replacing the carpet.

🥴

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News you can’t use.

January 22, 2024 Rivergirl 21 Comments

Let’s begin…

Holy Hell. Two uteruses? I had enough trouble with one…

I’ve never had a problem with this, but okay.

For those of you who have time constraints, the trick is to store them upside down.

I’ve often said I’d like to sleep for 5 months and lose 50lbs. That’s my kind of diet.

Nuclear mutant Chernobyl dogs. What could go wrong…

This half of a 16 year age gap couple who have been married for 40 years says it works just fine.

😉

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Miscellaneous nonsense.

January 21, 2024 Rivergirl 27 Comments

If I was a dishonest person, I could get rich doing my husband’s laundry.

He’s forever leaving things in his pockets.

I think I need this book.

I have long suspected my spider plant was in cahoots with my succulents. Maybe now I can prove it.

Mr. Hawk is back.

And currently driving His Lordship crazy.

I’m not sure what makes this French…

But Martha Stewart assures me it’s a good thing.

As seen at a local convenience store.

Better than sour balls I assume.

That sums it up quite nicely I think.

😉

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Yes Virginia, there is a Hell. And it’s covered with stain.

January 20, 2024 Rivergirl 20 Comments

The new door frames have been painted and sealed..

As have the doors, which are currently blocking access to the man cave pool table.

Next on the list? Staining the new trim and sills the contractor will be putting around the two previously installed windows.

Our house has honey colored trim throughout….

So the goal was to match the existing.

And like every other renovation project we attempt, it did not go well.

The color the contractor bought wasn’t even close.

The first color I bought was too light.

The second color I bought was better but it took five coats to achieve the desired shade and no one has time for that when you’re paying a contractor by the hour.

Numerous trips back and forth to the store later, the husband got involved and came home with solid stain cans that I hated because it looked like paint and covered the grain.

He argued that the color was closer but all I saw was brush strokes.

So the contractor showed him how to apply it with a rag for less coverage … and seeing that I was not going to be easily pleased… promptly turned that job over to my husband.

I love my guy, but he’s not one to take his time with finish work and I feared the worst, picturing streaky spots and dribbles.

After some slight… and I thought quite valuable supervision of the application… I was told to get lost and kicked to the curb.

At the end of the day I compared my 5 coat sample (on the right) to one of my husband’s.

I think mine is a slightly warmer shade and a closer match to the existing color, but I can’t argue with how much time (and money!) was saved doing it his way.

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Let’s play.

January 19, 2024 Rivergirl 25 Comments

New year, same deal.

I was lucky to have some excellent teachers throughout my school years but one in particular does stand out.

Let’s call him Mr. M.

He was my creative writing teacher in my junior year of high school and due to his age… barely 30… he had a wonderful rapport with his students. Easy going, soft spoken and willing to change his curriculum from classic (and boring) to teenagers to hip and thought provoking so we didn’t fall asleep in first period.

For example… one of his poetry lessons included an assignment of choosing a favorite song and breaking down the lyrics. We brought our vinyl albums into class (yes, I’m that old) played the song for the class and gave an oral presentation on the prose. He said rock and roll musicians were modern day poets and it really did make us listen with a different ear.

My choice?

I’m a Jersey girl. It had to be Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.

Another assignment was writing a one act screen play. I waited until Sunday night to complete it which turned out to be fortuitous because on Saturday night my friends and I went to a Grateful Dead concert. There we were, a bunch of inebriated teenagers grooving to the Dead …. I looked to my left and who did I see? Mr. M., also inebriated and grooving to the Dead. He saw me, looked a bit surprised, winked and turned away.

On Monday morning I turned in my screen play assignment. It was about a burnt out English teacher who tripped acid at a Grateful Dead concert, climbed up to the roof and recited Shakespeare to the accompaniment of Sugar Magnolia.

Needless to say, I got an A.

Now you.

Who was your favorite teacher and why ?

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Oh, the horror.

January 18, 2024 Rivergirl 37 Comments

As you know, I’m a big hair girl.

And whether I wear it straight or curly…

I’m in constant need of powerful hair spray.

For the past 20 years I’ve been using this:

It’s cheap, but literally the only product that will hold my style all day.

It’s perfect, and I love it.

Which is why the company changed it, adding jojoba oil and sea kelp and ruining it completely.

Oh, the horror!

I searched everywhere, hoping to find the old original cans. Nothing.

I tried Amazon, but all they only have the new. Even if they show a photo of the old… beware.

I have half a can of the good stuff left and am parceling it out sparingly.

I have girlfriends looking for it in different areas, with clear instructions.

I am bereft.

And really dreading summer humidity…

😩

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It’s nice to see good customer service still exists.

January 18, 2024 Rivergirl 17 Comments

Having nothing better to do last weekend we decided to take a drive down the coast and try another Batson River drinking establishment.

Until a snow squall moved in out of nowhere and we opted for a late lunch closer to home.

Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro has served us well in the past, so we headed there.

As did everyone else because my husband’s beloved bar was full, as were all the tables.

Thankfully a young couple was vacating a bar adjacent high top and offered it to us… because clearly we looked thirsty and pathetic.

I was thrilled to see the seasonal Apple of My Eye had returned ….

And promptly drank two.

My crab cakes were tiny but tasty but my husband complained his meatballs were “different”.

I blacked out their faces, but here’s a modern family of three… every one of them on their phone and oblivious to the others presence. Ah, technology… thou art a heartless bitch.

My chicken Marsala with homemade pasta and pancetta was flavorful if a bit thin on sauce.

But my husband … who was already upset with his meatballs… said his shrimp scampi was “different” as well. When I asked him to clarify, all I got was “different”.

Since he clearly wasn’t interested in eating his meal, I called the waitress over who then brought the manager. He was a lovely young man who immediately removed the offending shrimp, promised to delete it from the bill and offered substitutions.

After talking with the guy for over a half an hour… sigh… husband chose a bowl of haddock chowder, which I thought was an odd choice for an Italian restaurant.

But ooh la la! It was thick, creamy heaven in a bowl. Full of fish and fresh herbs and damn near perfect.

Too full for dessert we asked for the bill… and were pleased to see good customer service is alive and well in Freeport, Maine.

The scampi charge was removed, and the chowder was free.

That’s one way to keep repeat customers happy.

👍

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Goldilocks strikes again.

January 17, 2024 Rivergirl 29 Comments

I’ve discovered shopping for dining room furniture with my husband isn’t any easier than shopping for living rooms. Don’t let anyone tell you women are hard to please…

Our current dining set is a 40 year old Queen Anne style table, chairs and china hutch and though it’s served us well… it’s time for a change to something more casual.

I liked this one… but my husband didn’t like the table legs.

I liked this one…. but my husband didn’t like the chairs.

I liked this one…. but my husband didn’t like the pedestal base.

To be honest, he was more interested in figuring out this kitchen island we didn’t need.

It had a hole in the middle of the chopping block for scraps and he couldn’t figure out how you’d empty it.

Until I pulled open the drawer on the other side.

The search continues….

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Are lobsters the canary of the sea?

January 16, 2024 Rivergirl 16 Comments

We’re poisoning our oceans.

With chemicals and plastics and oil spills… and though the waters off the coast of Maine are cleaner than most, I’m afraid even they’re showing signs of the pollution.

I live in Maine and have lobsterman friends. They often post pictures of the weird and wonderful blue and orange lobsters they haul up in their traps. The colors are rare but occur naturally as a mutation of genes.

But lately?

The pictures have taken a darker turn.