Fourth of July!!!

I slept terrible last night. As I noted in yesterday's blog, I was up between midnight and 2:00 AM. I probably woke up every hour after that, for some reason, until I gave up and got up at 8:30 AM.

I made myself some eggs over easy, bacon and toast for my Holiday breakfast. I decided to forego my shave and shower and get to work. Today's project? Removing all the molding in the living room and entryway. I am being extremely careful, because I don't want to touch up the paint in here. So, I am using a razor knife and cutting the paint between the wall and the molding before removing it. I am throwing the old molding with nails out on the back patio, where I will eventually cut it up and burn it in the chiminea.

I was about half way done at 2:00 PM when I realized I was hungry, and I had made no plans for tonight's dinner. So, I warmed up two hot dogs to take care of my immediate luncheon needs. Then I cut up 6 medium-sized redskin potatoes and put them on to boil for potato salad.

While that was happening, I took a good sized valadia onion and diced it. Went to the fridge to get out some celery and...

THERE WAS NONE!!! Now, what do I do? Quit, take a shower and go to the nearest grocery store (2.7 miles away)? No way! Swallowed my pride and walked my stinky self next door and asked my neighbor if I could have two stalks of celery. She said she was all out, but surprisingly, she offered to go to the store for me. I declined her generous offer and went back home.

I thought about it a bit, and then I called Tonya, my lawn cutting lady down the street. She said she was out shopping, but would call home and tell her daughter (who I have met before) to open the door (she's not allowed to open the door when her Mom's not there) and give me two stalks of celery. So, I waited five minutes, went down there and, sure enough, her daughter gave me two stalks of celery, while I apologized for bothering her. Came back home, chopped up the celery, grated a carrot, put the potatoes in the fridge to cool and made the dressing with mustard, Miracle Whip, a handful of chopped fresh parsley and a splash of buttermilk. Put it all together with the now cooled potatoes and, after covering it, put it in the fridge for tonight. Then I got back to molding removal at 6:15 PM.

I got all but two pieces of molding removed from the living room when I decided to quit for the night. I know it sounds simple, but it was cut the paint between the molding and the wall, then pry off the molding, but not damage the wall (I used, but also cracked, my small plastic cutting board as something to pry against rather than the naked wall), then sweep up any chunks of plaster, and finally vacuum up all the dust, etc., then move on to the next piece.

So, I took a long-needed shower, then I warmed up two hamburgers and ate them with the potato salad for dinner. My lousy sleep the night before caught up with me and, forgetting all about any fireworks, I was asleep before it was dark.