Fireplace works!

So, my fireplace hasn't worked all winter long! And this wasn't the winter for the fireplace not to work!!!

So, today when the Heating and Air guy was here doing the annual maintenance, I had him take a quick look, and neither one of us knows what happened, some wires got jiggled (by the way, "jiggled" is a very technical term), and low and behold, the fireplace is back on! YIPPEE!!!

So, Gemini is thoroughly enjoying it!!!

Confession time...

I hate housework! I know, who doesn't? Well, I have successfully avoided the big "spring cleaning" and the big "fall cleaning" for a couple of years now. And lately, I've been barely keeping up with the weekly maintenance cleaning. Unfortunately, the budget has zero room for a maid. I'm a CPA, I've tried to be really creative with the budget and there is NO room.

So, my lazy butt came up with an idea. I will bring my mother down here for a while to do my spring cleaning. I made the offer to her, to buy the plane ticket, feed her, and buy all her smokes. (And that can get expensive, especially now-a-days!). So, she accepted the offer. Then, I made the list of things that need to be done and read her the list, giving her a chance to back out. She started to add to the list!

So, my mother is coming in a few weeks to stay for a month to do my spring cleaning.

Our latest conversations go like this:

Me: I'll leave you a list of chores each day when I leave for work.
Mom: That sounds like what I used to do with you when you were a kid.
Me: Yup! It's coming back to haunt you isn't it.
Mom: I'm your mother!
Me: Remember learning about endentured servents in the early days of America? Well, you will have to earn your passage back home.
Mom: I'm your mother! Not your employee!

Seriously, I've been teasing her a lot, and we have the type of relationship that we can do this and it's no harm, no foul.

A conversation with a family friend went like this:

Friend: What are you and your mom going to do when she is there?
Me: I'm going to work and she is going to clean.
Friend: Where are you going to take her, on weekends and such?
Me: She will be working on weekends, that's the only times I'll be home to do the heavy lifting for her.
Friend: At least she can go on your patio to see sunlight.
Me: When she is done with her daily chores.

The friend knew I was joking. I actually have some fun things planned for mom, but this teasing has been so much fun for me. Yes, I plan on taking her to the Aquarium and the the Coke Museum, two places she has wanted to go since I've lived her but we haven't made it to yet.

And if she finishes all her chores, I'll take her to a Braves game!

Catherine the Great

Family rumors swirled around years ago that my great-grandmother had documents that proved somehow my Mother's Father's side of my family could trace our family back to Catherine the Great. My mother and her cousin recently reconnected and the rumor has resurfaced.

I have no idea if it is true of not, but I told my mother that I have always thought I was a Princess. Yes, she laughed, so feel free to do so also.

Anyways, as you may know, in the history of greyhounds, once upon a time, only royalty was allowed to own them. I purchased a book for Mom on Catherine the Great for her birthday and low and behold, there was a reproduction of a portrait of Catherine walking her favorite greyhound!!! (Maybe I was Catherine the Great in a former life LOL)

Some distant cousin is researching the family lineage, but after this tax season, I, too, plan on doing some research. I want to be a princess!!!

Now, I need to get back to finding my tiara.........