Much Better Day Today!

Wow!  Today was a perfectly "normal" day in the Mik house!   Actually, it was kind of exciting, too (in a good way!).    

The chicken coop was still standing when we woke up and there was no smoke coming from it, so we did a good job making sure there was nothing more smoldering in there.  Whew!    All the chickens and Quagmire (the duck) are still alive, so it looks like we dodged a BIG bullet there!   Again, whew!   I need one of those smileys that wipes the sweat from your brow!     The goats also seem to be fine today.  We'll probably never know what happened to Spud.  I'm still quite sad when I think about it, and can't really even talk about it.

There's a couple of GOOD things today!  We are NOT part of the area that got the HUGE winter storm today!   That all stayed well south of us . . . in fact, if we were still at our old house in Sturtevant, we'd have gotten nailed!  Both my sisters live in Racine, and they got SLAMMED today!    Wahoo!  Glad it wasn't us!    

I was supposed to have a delivery truck at the store today with all the great stuff I ordered from Camp Chef at our show last month, but of course, the distributor is in Milwaukee!  You guessed it, with all that snow, none of their trucks went anywhere and we'll have to wait until next week to get all that great stuff in the store.  At least I'll be prepared for it and can make sure that Greg is there to help unload all the CAST IRON that's coming!   Ya know, that stuff's HEAVY!    

The other good news . . . actually, the BEST piece of news is that something we've been working on since the beginning of January is finally DONE and ready to be unveiled to the world!   Yup, our new website, Dutch Oven University.com is DONE!    We've done a LOT of work on it and have a lot of FABULOUS information on that site.  Information on outdoor cooking -- everything from Dutch oven cooking to Pie Iron Cooking -- can be found there!  We also have a FABULOUS cookbook filled with Dutch oven recipes, foil recipes and pie iron recipes.  It's a FABULOUS addition to RVing Outpost and we look forward to helping folks learn about this fabulous way to cook and enjoy the great outdoors!  

I had to take Abby to the doctor today for a checkup on her "exercise induced asthma" and because Erica is still sick (did I mention that yesterday?) and may have the flu, they suggested a flu shot as folks with asthma tend to have bronchial problems if they get the flu.  Abby was NOT happy with me for agreeing to the shot!   We tried to convince her that it was to keep her healthy, but she was having none of it . . . she got the shot, though, and it was done before she even realized it!

If Erica's still sick tomorrow, we'll head over to the doctor to find out if it's for sure the flu.  They say they can give her some meds if it is the flu, so we'll have to see.   The doctor also said that if she DOES have the flu, they can give all of US meds to take to prevent US from getting the flu from her.  That's cool!  Goodness knows, I have way too much on my plate to be able to take time off to be sick!   If I'm going to take time off, it's not going to be for the flu!    

That's about it for today.  It's great to have a nice, "normal" day around here!    

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that was in the path of yesterday's tornadoes.  

Julie

Going from Bad to Worse

I don't even know how to begin this entry.   I've been trying to look at the bright side, and thanking God that things aren't worse . . . and then there's today.

Let me start this out by saying the Mik Chickens and Mik Duck are all OK.  

When I woke up and came down to my laptop, I checked out the patio door (like I always do), and saw what looked like snow blowing from the top of the chicken coop.  OK, it's windy out.  No big deal.   Half an hour later, Aaron and Abby went out to care for the chickens before going to school and found something that would stop anyone's heart!   There was a FIRE in chicken coop!       That "snow" that I thought was seeing was actually SMOKE!   Aaron opened the door and smoke poured out.  He saw a small fire in the straw and was able to stomp it out.  He then took a shovel and shoveled some snow onto the smoldering straw.   Next, he took the windows out so the smoke could clear and tried fanning it out.  Greg went out to take care of the rest, as the school bus was coming.  

We know what happened.  Sometime during the night, one of the "warming lights" that we have in the chicken coop broke from it's holder and fell to the straw-covered floor of the coop.   These lights get VERY hot, and it apparently smoldered a LONG time, at least long enough to fill the coop with smoke.  The actual fire appears to have only recently started by the time Aaron went out there to take care of them.  

As I said in the beginning, the chickens and duck are fine.  They were huddled in a corner on the floor of the coop as far away from the smoke as they could get.  It remains to be seen if any of them end up with respiratory problems  . . .    The only good news is that this happened in winter, when the straw is somewhat damp and the coop cannot be thoroughly cleaned out like in the summer.  If that straw had been very dry, the whole coop (and the animals) would have gone up in flames.  

Yea, that's scary!  

OK, so this has totally freaked me out today, but unfortunately, there's more.    

When Aaron came home and finished cleaning out the coop, they went to the barn to take care of the goats.  Our beloved baby goat, Spud is gone.   We don't know what happened or why.  I'm just so thoroughly heartbroken that I can't even think at this point.

I've been trying so hard to keep a positive note, and I'm thanking God that the entire chicken coop did not burn down, but it's getting difficult, to say the least.     In the past, when we've gone through difficult times, I've always tried to remember the saying "God doesn't give us more than we can handle."   Well, I'm DONE.  I've had enough and been tested enough.  I told God that this morning and REALLY said that again this evening, after learning about Spud.    Sometimes, I have this feeling that you just have to say "STOP!"   So, that's what I've done.  STOP!   I've had enough!  

If you wouldn't mind, a prayer or two for things to turn around for the Mik family would certainly help!   I know things can always be worse, but goodness, I may end up in a rubber room if they do!  

Hope everyone's having a better day than we are!  

Julie

My Baby's Back!

Yesterday morning, we drove to the dealer in Marshfield to pick up my truck.  Oh, what a happy day!   Not only does my truck look absolutely GORGEOUS, but they even cleaned the INSIDE of it!  Yep, vacuumed it out, washed the floor mats, straightened up my pile of stuff on the dash, did the windows and wiped everything down!   WOW!   My truck hasn't been cleaned inside since about October.   After driving Greg's Santa Fe for a week, it sure was nice to have my truck back.  I must say, I forgot how BIG it is!        I had forgotten how high up you are when sitting in it!  How AWESOME!  I was just so happy to have my truck back and all fixed!   

Doing the happy dance! 

                   

Tonight, my parents are taking us out to dinner for our anniversary.  Our anniversary was in September, but we haven't been able to get together until now.  My brother, Johnny and his wife, Annie are also joining us.  This will be the first time in a LONG time that we've gone to a restaurant without the kids!  Heck, it's the first time in a long time we've done anything without the kids!   Wahooo!  A night out with adults only!!!!!!   

Even though we are closed today, we still have to go into the store.  We have to start getting things ready for my first cooking class next week.   I'm really excited about the classes.  It should be a lot of fun.  Greg was worried about me using charcoal indoors, but he had the local fire chief stop in and I explained what we're going to be doing.  He's OK with everything, and seeing as I don't use lighter fluid, there won't be any fumes.  For these classes, I'll be using my double propane burner.  For the charcoal, I always use my charcoal lighter basket. I just pour some charcoal into the basket and put it on one of the burners to start it.  Normally, folks are told to put some crumpled newspaper under the lighter basket to start the charcoal.  Using the propane burner is much simpler and cleaner, as there's no ash flying around.   All we have to do is get a big piece of scrap sheet metal to put underneath the burner in case there any hot ashes from the charcoals that drop, or I drop a hot piece of charcoal, etc. on the carpeting   We certainly don't want to burn the mall down!    I'm thinking the landlord would probably frown on that!   

The furnace in the store was FINALLY fixed yesterday . . . about 1/2 an hour before we closed!  THREE days without heat in the store!  Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!   I was REALLY tired of being cold!  My feet were frozen, and my fingers were numb!  I DO have a little space heater, but that's only useful when I'm sitting at the computer at the store, and I still had to keep moving it around to warm different parts of me.    I'm sure glad that's finally fixed!   It really stinks when you don't have any heat on the COLDEST days of the year! 

This is our last Saturday off for a while, so I'm going to enjoy it and get some work done!  I have to do some menu planning for the Superbowl tomorrow, too.  I'm not sure what I'm going to make -- we'll probably put some kind of roast on the rotisserie, but I want to make some special munchies, too.  Going to have to dig out the cookbooks and see what I come up with.     It'll be just me and Erica home tomorrow as Greg is going ice fishing with Aaron and Abby.  He's meeting his friend Tom, another manager at County Market over on the Eau Pleine Reservoir, not far from my parents' house.  Dad is probably going to go and meet them there, too, seeing as they're so close.   Greg is looking forward to it, and I'm looking forward to spending some time cooking with Erica!  Should be a fun day! 

Hope everyone has a GREAT Saturday!

Julie

Oops, forgot this!

I forgot to mention this, and this is actually kind of funny!   As I mentioned, I recently paid off my truck (finally!).  Today, I received in the mail a letter from the bank. 

The letter wants me to complete a form explaining why I "choose to pay off" my loan and gives these options:

• Moved and/or Sold Property
• Lower Rate
• Lower Payment
• Change to Fixed Rate
• Service
• Traded in Vehicle

Now, I could understand the letter if this was an "early" payoff, but this was a normal final payment on a loan.  You would think that FIVE YEARS of payments on a vehicle would be enough of a clue that the vehicle is simply PAID OFF!  DOH!!!!!!!!!!       I'll have to think about what kind of response I'm going to give them!   I'm thinking that some sort of letter is in order!    


Oh, and for those that are wondering, here's our family chili recipe . . . it's nothing fancy and not in any way HOT or SPICY, but that's what we like:

Mik Chili

2 lbs. hamburger
2 (BIG) cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
2 G. Washington Seasonings (any flavor)
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. seasoning salt (Lawry's, etc.)


Brown hamburger with onions and garlic; drain.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes.   Serve with shell noodles.   We sometimes garnish with diced raw onion and shredded cheese.    Simple and easy! 

Enjoy!

Julie

Still cold!

When I woke up this morning at 6:30 (no alarm, mind you!), I turned on the TV to watch for the closings.  FINALLY, Abbotsford had closed their schools.  OK, cool!  Back to bed I went.   I woke up about 9 a.m. from the bright sunshine coming through the window and decided it was time to get up.   I wasn't going to go in today, but then I remembered that we may have a truck coming with a bunch of stuff from our trade show, so after checking my e-mail, I called our distributor to find out if I had a truck coming today.  Sure enough!  On the coldest day of the year, I had a truck coming!   They gave the driver my number so he could call me when he was about 1/2 an hour away, so I had some time to get ready.  

When I got to the store, the driver had just pulled into the parking lot, so I led him around to the back of our store and the loading/unloading area.   We had two pallets of goods to unload by hand on the coldest day of the year.  Even with gloves on, my hands were numb by the time we were done.  When we build our own store, we WILL have a loading dock!  

It took us 15 minutes to unload the truck, which wasn't too bad.  However, the furnace in the store refused to go on, so having the door open for that long did not help the temperature inside!   Oh well.  I had plenty of work to do to help keep me warm, and not much time to get it done.

I had to close early, as Erica had to go to the doctor at 3:20.  She's been having problems with her left knee, and the kneecap seems to be "popping" out of it's socket.  (I know, eww).   They took a bunch of x-rays and every looks good (we DID find out that based on her "growth plates" she's not going to grow much taller, so she's stuck at about 5'4" or so).   They're not sure exactly what's going on in there, and it could be something that can be fixed with physical therapy, or it could end up requiring surgery.  We have an appointment on February 19th with an orthopedic doctor to examine things further.    She did come away from the appointment with a brace that she can wear during gym class and basketball, so that should help for the remainder of basketball season.    

That's about it!   Nothing much else happening.   I'm enjoying American Idol right now and have a bit pot of chili cooking on the stove. Everyone is safe and relatively healthy, and my truck comes home soon!   Life is good!    

Hope all's well with everyone else!

Julie

Cccccold!

It's been a few interesting days here.   To start with, I'll let everyone know that I'm doing fine.  My back and neck are still a little sore, but they're getting better.  I really only notice it when I have to do some heavy lifting at the store.  I'm still considering a chiropractor, but, frankly, I don't have time, and like i said, it's not so bad.  If it doesn't get better, I'll be sure to go in and see someone.

On to more important things -- My baby is going to be done tomorrow!   I can't wait to get my truck back!  Unfortunately, we have to wait until Friday to pick it up, as our schedules just aren't working right to pick it up tomorrow.   I will be VERY happy to have it back.  

I drove mom's Blazer to the store on Monday, and I must say, I wasn't very happy with it.  Obviously, I'm a tad nervous about driving now, and especially when it's below freezing outside.   I'm sure it's just because I'm not used to it, but mom's Blazer just seemed kind of "squirrelly."  That's really the only word I can come up with to describe how it handles.  It just seems to have a lot more play in it than my truck, and seemed to "move around" on the road a lot more.  It always felt like it was going to start spinning . . . and that's the LAST thing I needed!  Tuesday night, I called Greg at work and asked him if I could PLEASE take his Santa Fe and he could drive the Blazer.  He knows I don't like his Santa Fe, so I'm sure he knew I was REALLY uncomfortable with mom's.  Of course, he said no problem, and he's been driving the Blazer ever since.   His Santa Fe is all wheel drive, so I do feel secure driving it.  Plus, it's not anywhere near as tall as my truck or the Blazer, so it doesn't get rocked by the wind as much as my truck or the Blazer.  

Tuesday brought in the storm that had been predicted for almost a week.  We only got about 4 inches of snow, but from the winds that were 25-35 mph (sustained) and gusts up to 45 mph, it was NOT a good day!   The day started out with our high temperature of 30-some degrees and rapidly dropped as the storm front approached.   We thought for sure school would be canceled, as wind chills were expected to get well below zero.  Nope, school was not canceled, even though schools all around us were closed.   Finally about 11 a.m., I saw on the local TV website that Abbotsford closed their schools and would be letting the kids go at 12:30.  

I ended up closing the store at 3:30, after the UPS man came to pick up that day's orders.   The winds were horrible on Highway 29 and visibility was only about 1/4 mile.  There was a LOT of blowing and drifting as that part of 29 is ALL farm fields on either side, so lots of open space.  I was driving much slower than most folks, as the roads weren't good, and of course, I'm still a tad gunshy . . . BUT, I made it home safe and sound!   Every time I drive back and forth in this weather I rebuild my confidence a bit.  

The news was already reporting closings for today on Tuesday night.  They were predicting temps of 17 below zero and more, and wind chills of -35 to -45.   At 9 p.m., when they hadn't listed Abbotsford yet, I told the kids that they were NOT going to school, no matter what.   There was no way I was going to have them outside waiting for the bus in those temps if they were dumb enough to have school open.   So, I told the kids not to even bother setting their alarms, and that I wasn't either.  I probably wasn't going to go to work due to the weather.    

I was quite worried about the animals outside, though.   There's not much we can do for them when the temps get this low.   I told Aaron that he had to go out to the chicken coop and add more straw, etc., to help keep them warm.   We've had chickens get frostbite on their feet in the past, and I don't want a repeat of that.  His words to me where "mom, all the straw in the world isn't going to help if they're too STUPID to sit on their legs!"   OK, so he's got a point . . .  Still, I was worried, as we always end up losing one or two when temps get this cold in the winter.  Fortunately, we didn't lose any last night, but we did lose one a couple weeks ago.  Not sure why . . .  We also may have one roo with frostbite on his feet, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.   The geese stay outside all year round, and I was concerned about them, too, with all the blowing and drifting.   They managed to find a spot that was out of the wind, behind our house.  We always get a big drift back there (out the living room window), and there's a space of about 2-1/2 feet with little or no snow between the house and where the drift forms.   The dryer vent is also back there, and they've learned that there is some nice warm air coming from that vent!  I checked out the window this morning and they were all tucked into themselves staying nice and cozy!  So, it appears that everyone made it through the cold.   Tonight's going to be cold, too, but not as bad as last night.  I think it's only supposed to be about 30 below!  

Hope everyone's surviving the cold!

Julie

Not the Best Week . . .

OK, so the Packers lost.   It was a bummer, but hey, it was a great ride and they went further than expected.   Looks like I'll be watching the Superbowl for the commercials!   

Tuesday morning, it was VERY cold outside.  By VERY cold, we're talking below zero temps and wind chills even lower.  I was driving west on Highway 29 about a mile from my exit, when I hit a patch of black ice and my back tires just slid out from underneath me!  There wasn't much I could say or do.  I tried steering into it, but that did nothing.  I screamed the only words that could come out of my mouth "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD"   I must have said it at least four times in the three or four seconds it took for my truck to finally spin around and, with the left front fender, hit a wooden 4x4 signpost (snapped that baby like a toothpick!), and ended up about three feet from the sign post with my rear tires firmly implanted in a snowbank!     

Fortunately, there was a Good Samaritan behind me who immediately stopped to make sure I was OK.  Joe Miller was on his way to work at Freedom Homes in Dorchester, WI.   He got in my truck with me and "rocked" it back and forth to get it out of the snowbank.   It only took about 10 minutes to do that -- as he had to be watchful of traffic on the highway.  I hope they know what a great employee they have in Joe!   I'm planning on sending a thank you gift to him because he really was my hero that morning!  

In this first picture, taken with my cell phone, you can see the ruts left by my truck after we drove it out of the snowbank.



By the grace of God, I was not really hurt in the accident.   I did notice a sore back and neck, but that seems to be going away.  As everyone knows how much I love my truck, the truck can rather easily be fixed -- not so with me.  I'm eternally grateful that I wasn't hurt, but I can't help but be bummed about my truck.  So far, the damage doesn't seem to be too bad, all things considered.  

Here's a picture -- again, taken with my cell phone, so it's kind of small:



Now what you don't really see is that the hood has a nice crinkle in it, and there's a big dent on top of the hood, where the sign must have hit it.  The bumper is also messed up so that will be replaced as well.     It's also pulling quite hard when I brake, so it's going into the frame and alignment shop, first.  They'll put it on a machine that will not only check the alignment, but the suspension and everything else, too.  I told the body shop manager that I'm concerned because of the heavy towing we do and I want to make sure that everything is fixed properly.  The truck is going to a GM dealer as the only folks who have EVER worked on my truck besides me have been GM dealers with certified technicians.  Even my oil changes are done that way.   I take VERY good care of my truck and considering the cost of a new one, I want to make sure that everything is done according to what GM says needs to be done and by having everything done at the dealer, they have accurate and complete records of everything, should something go wrong.

We've come to the conclusion that had I not hit that sign and had there not been a snowbank there, I most likely would have gone "a$$ over teakettle" into the BIG ditch and not been anywhere near as lucky as I was!  The thought of that just scares the hell out of me, so I try VERY hard not to think about it.   I spent Tuesday night chatting with some friends on the phone and having one or two too many cocktails.  Not surprising, considering the way the day started!  

We're dropping my truck off on Sunday so the alignment shop can look at it on Monday.  On Tuesday, they'll start the body work.   They've already ordered the parts, based on the estimate from the adjuster that came to look at my truck yesterday.  They figure it will be done by Friday.  It's going to be a LONG week without my baby!   

OK, on to other news.  Yesterday, I got home about 5:30 p.m., after stopping at the grocery store and as I was unloading the truck, I saw two young men walking up the road . . . usually, that means car troubles.   I looked, and sure enough, just down the road a bit, was their car on the side of the road.  I asked if they were OK and they said they ran out of gas.  I had a 5 gal. gas can that had maybe a gallon of unleaded in it (from our lawnmower) and offered it to them.   They tried to give me a handful of change and even insisted -- "Gas is $3.00 a gallon!" -- but I said no, just bring the gas can back.  

A few minutes later, they pulled into the drive.  I guess it was enough to get their car going (they said they only had a mile or two to go to get home).  When they handed me the gas can, again, they tried to pay me, and of course, I told them no.  I told them to just "pay it forward."   It felt good to be able to help someone else out so quickly after I was helped, even if it was just giving someone a gallon of gas.  

I must say, I couldn't help what I said next:

As a mom, I'm going to holler at you.   It's below zero outside and you're walking up the road in SWEATSHIRTS with no jackets, hats or gloves!   What's the matter with you!  You need to at least keep some coats and gloves in the car.  Next, in this kind of weather, you should NEVER let your car get below half full!  Of course, I'm saying that as a mom and that's exactly what I tell my OWN kids.  Please be careful and get home safe.

I certainly didn't "holler," but you get the picture.  I'm sure those boys went home and told their parents what I said.  I can only imagine their own mom saying "SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!  Good for her!"     It brings a smile to my face, because the boys really looked quite chagrined when I said that!   I'm sure it's not something they'll soon forget and hopefully a lesson learned.

Now, it's Friday and I'm off to my parents' house tomorrow to do some painting.  With dad's gout, he just can't climb up and down the extension ladder to paint the very high parts of the walls in their great room.   So, lucky me, I get to do that!      I don't really mind, though.  They do a lot to help us out and mom comes and works in the store whenever we need her, so it's the least I can do, and it will make them very happy to have their room finished.  

Mom called me this morning to tell me that dad had an epiphany!   They have two cars and a Chevy Blazer.   They kept the Blazer when mom got her new car because it's the only vehicle they have that can tow their boat.  Well, obviously, they're not using the boat in the winter, so they said we can take the Blazer tomorrow for me to drive while my truck's in the shop!   We'll get it back to them at some point when we go there to visit, or they'll get it when they come here.  How awesome is that!   It will really make life easier, I'll tell you that!   Course, that means that Greg is coming with me tomorrow, and we don't have a lot of time because he has to work at County Market at 4, but there's not a lot I have to paint, so we shouldn't have a problem.  

So, things are going well.  It's funny how when you have an accident, one of the first things you do is thank God that you're not hurt (or not hurt bad) and that it's not as bad as it "could have" been.   Here's hoping no one else has to say that kind of prayer!

Julie