Saturday, October 29, 2011

Toilet Paper Do What Comes Naturally, Make Something

I can understand that because money is tight these days, it's important to recycle.  I've heard over and over about how my parents had this saying, (and I'm sure tired of it) use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!” I know that reminder was a Depression saying and I think that causes so much guilt in so many of us us that we feel that we can't actually throw stuff, trash even, into the garbage/recycle/trash pail. Sheesh, I don't want to be a "hoarder."

My husband, Steve was a trash hauler for a number of years and he had the contracts for Santa Paula and rural areas, Bardsdale, Fillmore, and Piru. I have to say running our trash business was hard and we learned so much. I'm so glad he sold it the trash business because people don't pay their bills even without a recession. Many people held on to way too much junk in their homes and my husband was called-out to provide huge bins and carry large amounts of trash out of homes to the dump.


One time in Fillmore, and this was a great lesson to me ... a grand lady that was well-known in the city and a great philanthropist died, and her only son or daughter came down to help with managing her affairs and prepare her home for selling. No one ever expected or knew what her home was like inside. She had hundreds and hundreds of old photographs with no names (oh, that killed me) but she also saved every single empty, toilet paper cardboard roll. There were boxes and boxes of really important items to her and everything was neat, but no room to walk. One particular box held small pieces of string that weren't long enough to tie around a person's pinky finger.



I never forgot the cardboard TP holders she had. My own mom told me that I needed to use them for holding rope. Not that Fillmore lady's rolls, but ours. I did use them to hold electrical extension cords or cords that are used for appliances and had to be kept separate from the appliance. I even covered them with contact paper so they would match my kitchen. That's it, no more ... I use fat rubber-bands now.

Isn't it obvious what is hanging on this wall?

Steve used to say to our little kids that all they were getting for Christmas was a "Rootie Toot" and that was the T.P. cardboard and a child would have to hold one like a kazoo and toot pretending it was music. That's the Southern California version, "If you're bad the only thing you're getting for Christmas is ..." Everywhere else, I guess ... it's a lump of coal. I'm sure most children raised in Southern California wouldn't know what coal was. This is the truth: I went up to UTAH at Snow College, winter before last, I was 59 years old and I said, "Oh Steve, I can smell it, can you?" He said, "Ye-ah, what?" "Oh, no there's kids smoking grass up here, on campus!" He was laughing and almost couldn't tell me -- choking because of laughter, he kept saying, "Coal, coal .... coal." "What?" He almost fell-down in the snow and was trying to tell me that's one of his favorite smells. Okay, I'm so confused. "Pot?" "Coal?" I thought people didn't use coal anymore, except to make oil, Bar-B-Que fuel, or something. No one told me that it was used for heating, still!

*** Here's how to make a naughty coal present, HERE


Chick the stinky baby!


Recipe:

What you’ll need:
1/4 cup butter
10.5 ounce bag mini marshmallows
4 cups rice krispie cereal (this is cut down from the regular rice krispies recipe)
black icing color (can be found at most craft stores)
bags or containers
ribbon or tulle
cardstock
tag – download HERE
What you’ll need to do:
melt the butter on low and then add your marshmallows. once that is all melted add your black coloring. (it took a bit of coloring to get it to go from purple to black for us) then stir in your rice krispies until they are all covered with the marshmallow mixture. then just take out small handfuls and mold them into odd shapes.  voila… yummy Christmas coal.


I didn't know coal was shiny and hard and smelled when it was burned. I thought it would look like uneven brickettes similar to what's used for Bar-B-Ques. There it is! Black, hard, shiny coal vs. the Southern California "Rootie-Toot" Christmas present for bad kids.


Not Iron, Not Coal, but Cardboard T.P. Rolls
 I  like this wreath, good job hiding it's original use.

I suppose the coal is worth more. While I'm on the cardboard recycling brainstorm, actually I should have used a lot of brainstorming BEFORE I wrote this post. Has anyone noticed how many people are interested in plain old toilet paper? I don't have television, so I'm hoping it's not as common on TV as online. I suppose there are just too many minds buzzing along and when they go to the restroom their mind just keeps going, especially if they didn't take their phone, tablet, IPad, book? with them to pass the time.
Okay, "smart" idea. Don't let your legs fall asleep.


Okay, I'm guilty. I saw a few weird toilet paper pictures and then I started collecting toilet paper on my computer. Oh my gosh, I'm a toilet paper hoarder on my computer. So, now I'm throwing it all out on my blog to get rid of it. Honestly, as many as I have, I know there's a thousand other designs, alternate uses, and why not? The creative minds have this world outlet to show just amazing we all are.

I do realize that the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving is soon approaching. I am grateful for nice, sweet toilet paper. A simple thing.... and amazingly better than the Sears Catalog. Or worse....?



  NO!


We Could All Learn Origami in The Bathroom

Yes, Let's Decorate It
A Reminder To Use Sparingly and Save Trees


Oh, Please Hide It So People Don't See It
I know I have at least three crocheted toilet paper covers with flowers on the top, in the basement. Why do I keep them? "Dear, your great grandmother made them to match your little bathroom on Maple Street."


 I'm so sure my grandmother cares, now. Makes me laugh to think about how worried I was that they weren't set-out here in the bathrooms at the ranch. All four totally match my bathroom, no they don't.


 So Jeremy, are you selling a lot of that Chuck Norris 
Toilet Paper? Your mom is proud of you.

 
Not More Origami? Or is that Paper Airplanes?
 Toilet Paper airplanes do not fly!

 "Crime Scene?" After seeing that... I would only expect guilt and constipation.

Do I need to say Goth?

Of course, Damask and Polka Dots!

Knotty!

Tough Enough?

I hope it's color-fast!

Punishment?

Personal Statement on Life and Economics?

Decor off a Music Room, right?

No!

 Okay, I like this one...........


Harsh

Oh crap

Perfect  Pearl Accessories for Chuch

No duh

Why Did I add this One? My name is Susan.
 This particular bath accoutrement will probably
scare most anyone to make great use of the facilities.

Some need to be reminded of very important things,
especially if the "smart phone" or planner isn't there
with them to help. Okay, what do I do next?


For all who think that they are worth it. 14K

Games

If It's not "Angry Birds" Forget It!






Okay, I love lace, BUT(T), I would use the above T.P. to wrap presents, or line the front of my kitchen cabinets, or go around and frame with an added feminine touch to my big bulletin boards in our hallway. I love poorly written run-on sentences too.





Modern or Vintage?






Okay, This would be handy. 
There were many pictures of toilet paper and a few were naughty or maybe gross is a better word. I had them on my computer! I put some pictures up and then read the fine print while I was blogging and almost died. I had those pictures on my computer for about six months maybe longer. Acccck...people!


Lastly, out of my very own Brownie Book from Girl Scouts a page fell-out. I remember that we made these projects from toilet paper cardboard rolls. There was no corrugated paper. We made a snowman, a Santa, and an angel. The next week we put cloves in an orange and that's the same year we had all the ants in our Christmas tree. It cracks me up that we took something out of the bathroom, made ornaments out of them to be used for a Christmas table decorations. I think the craft project below didn't make it home from our dry cleaners shop in Fillmore. I'm pretty sure my dad put them in the window.




These roll are just so cute in color.


Taylor Swift was rumored to have written a song in an
airport bathroom. I don't think she used this particular
one. If I had my choice it would be the standard
Western musical notation paper with a treble and bass clef.


This looks like it takes a long time. Well?

Is This Too Over The Top?



I did find a mouse in a toilet picture, but was 
so freaked-out by it, I couldn't post it on my blog,
so here's maybe a hamster. Honestly, I sewer rat in the 
toilet would make me want to go to my neighbor's house,
To Go...I know that they would let me because 
she's my daughter. Thank you Marnie.


We have lots of rain spiders and I just found-out 
that's not what these spiders really are called. It's Camel Spiders.
They have chased my children down the hall. One was about 
the size of a silver dollar on the back of the
toilet seat. Not really upset, he got the boot. But, if 
there was a surprise from down-under, I would've fainted.


Oh yes I did! I jumped a snake down our hall, 
I pulled a snake out of the bathtub drain escaping 
to freedom. I even pulled it out of the toilet.
Thank you Dustin. The only time I think it would've 
been upset is if I didn't personalty know the snake.
 

Oh,  heck no! This is probably one animal that would
up-set me a lot if I didn't know it was in
there and decided to crawl out before I was ready.





Just want all my grandchildren and children to enjoy this 
blog--you know me! Hope you have happy dreams tonight.


Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Great California Shake-Out Drill


My husband has been dreading this day for a long time, well maybe since the last one in October. He and the city manager got together and prepared a statement to be announced on our local radio. Santa Paula residents were all, and I mean all of California too, were supposed to do this earthquake drill. It didn't matter where we were today, but we were encouraged to listen to 1640 am in our radios and respond altogether as a community. It was going to even have earthquake sound effects. It sounded like static, but I figure, "Hey, that's probably what the TV would do and every radio everywhere."

I was over at my mother's house and told her about it and got online and registered both of us. I like to do drills and I like to be prepared. Mostly, I don't want to be scared and not know what to do in case of a disaster of any kind.

Me Working The Triage Area of A Drill
I decided to go home because I don't want to be in an earthquake in the heaviest house in town. My mom's house is made with huge cut rocks. She said she was going under the dining room table anyway and there's not room for the both of us.

I Grew-up Here and Felt The 1971 Quake Here. The House Groaned
My house is right next door to my mother's and 
just across driveway and the grass on the right.

The drill began right on time: I was listening to Santa Paula
Emergency and information broadcast on the dial of 1610 am
 "SHEEESSSHHHhhhhh......" And then the announcement began and it continued over and over. I had moved my genealogy over to my regular roll-top desk and made room under the library table with a little padded stool to help me get-up after the drill was over.


I planned the earthquake drill and was starting to restore my new information on my genealogy file and the drill it began (I knew that) I ducked under the library table and grabbed the leg with one hand and the other over my head. And I learned a very important lesson.

The legs on the library table had one screw in each of the front legs and they had not been tightened by the wing-nut that held them on. I grabbed the leg and then the library table was being held by my BACK. It dropped!  It came down and was a bit concerned because I didn't have my cell-phone with me... another mistake. No one called 911, thankfully. The table was very light and just "planked" around on my back until I figured this is nuts. FAIL! I guess I didn't survive the drill.

Lovely!

I should have gone under my roll-top desk, the one that I was working at when the drill started. I only thought, at the time, that I should get-away from the big picture window that isn't tempered. The place for my legs while I use the computer has is absolutely nothing to hold-on to inside that space. We're suppose to drop, cover, and HOLD ON. If the desk scooted back and forth maybe I'd get pinched. We'll have a fix more than a few things in this house.


Oh no... the pinching, it's better to get crushed 
by a table! I figured that was just par for me.
This is Danger Ranch and I was just
filling my quota of excitement for the day.

My Steve thought that my experience did teach me, so the drill wasn't a real failure for me. Now, I may actually think a little clearer, especially if I'm "home alone" and trying to be in the right spot to ride-out a quake. Pretty weird that Berkley, California had an earthquake early this afternoon on the same day as the drill. It was a 4.0 and that's not exactly tiny.

The broken desk did give reveal some surprises while I was looking for the parts to fix the it. I found a new box of Ticonderoga pencils and my old IPod ear phones and it's the tiny ones that FIT IN MY EARS! I wish I hadn't thrown the player away. I think it'll fit my phone... sooooo, it wasn't a wash. I found gold! (gold pencils and stereo!) Dang, glad there wasn't a spider under the library table. I didn't even think about that. But, while digging out the good stuff there was "web evidence" of spider(s). We would have scared each other.

This afternoon I took my mom to have some skin cancer biopsied and the places that were checked, had to be burned on face and hand for excessive bleeding. Oh gee, it was awful. It smelled just like the odor of disbudding goat kid horns. I hate that. It smelled exactly like a burned hot-dog and you know what? Bar-B-Q hot dogs are on my "yuck list". I almost threw-up in the doctor's office. Smell, plus my little mom. I know it hurt me more than it hurt her. It didn't bother my mother at all and the doctor did that TO HER! My mom wanted to go out to eat. I will not comment my thoughts on that.

Cal Poly Quitters
Since this is somewhat like "one of those days" I really, really hate "Quitters." It's those socks that are real soft and the top edge of the sock runs around ankle just where the shoe ends. "Quitters" are those socks that don't stay there, they want to sneak-down under my heal and make me crazy. I have a pair and if anyone wants some Cal Poly Quitters, let me know. They're free.