Sunday

My mom is always asking me long in advance of both birthdays and Christmas what I want and will I just get it and then she will send me a check to reimburse me.

Mom's getting up there in age and lugging around things that are heavy isn't her particular cup of tea, this is her answer to it. Which is cool, of course - and I usually end up getting something I really need versus something I want.

This year will be no different. I have been eyeing the different brands and models of carpet cleaning machines for some time now and have finally settled on a Hoover product that gets rave reviews on it - far greater than any other machine I have read about - on any site I see it with reviews.

The best part is the thing only costs $150 - a FAR cry cheaper than some of the much more expensive models of which I don't see getting such good reviews on them. There is a cheaper model that gets pretty good reviews - it's a Bissell - but the sites I have read say that the Hoover model I am looking at is better, the Bissell is a good second choice for tighter budgets.

Well, the budget is whatever mother dictates it is, which is always the same amount for Christmas and birthdays and if the thing I want is higher than either, she lets me combine the 2 together. If it still goes over, obviously I pay the difference.

I was glad that last Christmas I was finally able to give something back to mom that was a little pricier AND is something she has wanted for a long time: a Kodak Easyshare digital camera. Well, I didn't know what kind of digital camera she preferred, I got the same thing I am using because it's easy to use and it puts out good enough quality pics, plus takes video if you are so inclined.

I'm afraid this year Christmas purchases will be some lean pickins unless this economy miraculously turns around and my hours are reinstated. Heck, I'm still wondering if I'll even be employed at Christmas what with the layoffs that my company keeps giving out. I love the company I work for and I would hate to lose my job there.

Well, I'm going to wait until much closer to Christmas before thinking about getting the machine. I just rented a Rug Doctor not too long ago and the carpets stay pretty nice for quite a while as long as I'm diligent to vacuum often. It's nice to have one of those machines around, though, in the case of one of the dogs having an accident on the floor. Usually, an accident of that nature includes diareah and usually, if it's one of the Danes, that stuff ends up EVERYWHERE. NASTY and GROSS!

I haven't been outside yet today. The temps are still low and the high shows 100. Higher than the forecasts gave it for today like a week ago when they were saying it would be 94, but I'll take it over 110/114 temps anyday.

I am undecided for today's activities. I'm actually thinking of taking an entire day off to do nothing. Well I already got derailed on that one - I am doing laundry and just got done sweeping and then mopping the kitchen floor and am going to tackle my bathroom next, and then after that the main bathroom. I am pretty much visiting the main bathroom daily and doing little cleanups here and there to keep it looking good in there as I have found that - as normal for renters - people don't really care if it's nice in there or not. I happen to care GREATLY and will do it if no-one else will.

HOWEVER. I will get to the point where I will start hating it because I hardly ever use that bathroom and neither do the boys - and I will leave a message.

It's still strange that this older guy paid for renting out a room, filled it up with his stuff - and the ONLY time he's been here in the last 2 plus weeks is to bring his stuff over here, otherwise, he hasn't spent ANY time in this house at all! lol. I'm wondering what the future of that situation is. I can say that it is wonderful to rent out a room to a person that doesn't use it! ROFL!!!

I'm headed to the place I like to avoid mostly - but I do make a trip there about once a month, and that would be WalMart - Home and King of terrible, outrageous and unbelievably BAD customer service.

ben