Post edited to remove the first paragraph with the link to Jeanne. Now it's back on the path I had thought most logical. I'll quit bitching about yet another friggin' storm, at least until it changes again.

Speaking of storm things, my pond pump was a casualty of Frances - the circuit breaker has popped, the pump is burned out, the circuit may be bad, thank God my Home Improvement Gods are electricians - but in the meantime, I have to rig up some sort of temporary power off the patio to a new pump. Could I simply BUY a PUMP that actually would work with my existing filter system? Oh, no. It's as old as the pump, they don't make 'em anymore. So, okay, could I buy a new pump and filter for my measly little 300 gallon glorified goldfish bowl of a pond? Nyet. I went to Petsmart and Lowe's, both stock pond stuff, neither had compatible anything in any brand. I won't go into the gory details of gallons per hour and UV filters and tube sizes and such, but trust me, they had nothing that would work. So tomorrow I am off to an aquarium/pond store my friend L told me about, VISA card in hand, to find a new pump and matching filter if necessary, in the appropriate size, and come home and rig it up with an extension cord until I can get my Home Improvement Gods to come out and hard-wire it in.

My late husband, God love him, of course never imagined that he'd not be here to replace a burned-out pump, so he hard-wired it in. I am not an electrician (neither was he, but as a computer hardware engineer he dealt with a lot of power issues so he was in practice like an uber-electrician) and I don't even know where to begin to mess with the conduit and wiring he so perfectly and neatly installed. That's not true, I do know about it, that's why I know enough to know I don't know what I'm doing. I'll call the Gods and get them to come out and hook me up with a different power setup wired off the external power on the patio. They'll know what to do, but won't be able to get to it for a while, I'm sure, with all the really serious storm fixing work to be done. I can get by with an outdoor grounded extension cord until they can get here to re-work it all.

Last night, among many other weird dreams, I had a virtual yarn orgy. I went shopping and came home with bags and bags of yarn. I need a yarn orgy like Hugh Hefner needs to meet more bimbos. I woke up amused, and strangely more focused on what I want to do with myself.

I'm rejoining the gym, or another gym, this week. My company has a gym discount program and the old gym is on it, it's a bargain, $20 a month, and I'm going to use a "guest pass" to make sure the place is still what it was 3 years ago, if it is, I'll join again. If it's not, I'll move on up the road to other options. I'm hoping it's the same, because the next nearby option is a "women's gym" and I don't like those. I've belong to two of them, each time it was a hangout for women who sat on the equipment talking. No matter what time I went, early, late, during dinner hour, it was so - if the place was open, because they tended to keep soccer mom hours. Honey, move your ass, I want to actually use that machine. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather deal with men who are perhaps Way Too Intense about their workouts - at least they keep moving and you don't have to interrupt endless discussions of Ashley's last soccer game.

I am swatching for a plain black ribbon yarn pullover from yarn already in Ze Stash -I'd bought this yarn for a cardigan but it just wasn't right for the intended pattern, it needed to be knit at a smaller gauge, too drapey, etc. So it's going to morph into a drapey black v-neck plain I don't care if you think it's boring it's what I really wear pullover.

I'm finishing the apricot Key Largo shawl for donation to the Fall Festival.

I'm stuffing catnip mice for donation to the FF.

I'm watching the weather in amusement and disbelief.