Ten-Finger Exercises

details, details

Bill bought me some new teflon-coated skillets a couple of weeks ago. I am not much of a fan of teflon, but this high protein, low carb diet we've been on means lots of frying.
I usually use cast iron skillets, but I got tired of scouring eggs out of it every day. Teflon doesn't brown meat very well, at least that was my opinion, but it's terrific for eggs. Actually, it browned chicken for stir fry just fine last night. I've enjoyed the new skillets much more than I expected.

When I read the directions about seasoning the new skillets, there was an interesting warning. It did not read, "Caution, do not overheat skillet because overheated teflon can emit dangerous fumes." Instead it read, "Do not allow pet birds in the kitchen because the fumes from overheated teflon will kill them," or words to that effect.


I got a threatening letter from the state unemployment bureau, saying they overpaid me on eight occasions and I owe them $387. Bill said not to waste time fiddling with it, just send them the check. But no, I had to go over all my pay stubs and check them against the letter. Here's what I found. I got paid for my part time job at hospice every two weeks. I had to report my earnings weekly to the unemployment bureau, and I didn't always work the same number of hours. So I carefully sent in, say, 15 hours one week, and maybe 18 the next. When my employer sent in their report, based on a two week pay period, they just divided the total by two. That looked like I under-reported part of the time, thereby getting a higher amount in my unemployment pay check.

I notice that, even though by their figures I must have over-reported my hours equally often, they aren't mentioning that at all. That's one more thing I'll have to take care of next week.

This is a busy weekend. I have a meeting/Christmas party at noon tomorrow, and a funeral to do at two. Sunday, after the regular services, there's a service of lessons and carols in the afternoon, followed by a British Tea. Then a tree lighting and memorial for the hospice patients who have died this year at 7 pm. Plus it's my birthday.

The prospective buyer for our plane, who calls frequently and is-- well, let's just say we'll be glad when it's over. She emailed Bill Wednesday to say she had purchased a plane ticket from Arizona to come look at our plane and wanted us to pick her up at the airport. She was flying in at ll:30 on Sunday, not a very good time for me. She called me at home an hour later, was surprised I hadn't heard from Bill (who hadn't even opened the email at the time.) I told her we'd have to make some arrangements, but we'd be there.

The next day she called again. She was sorry we'd have to miss church, and she'd decided she'd come Monday instead. I told her we'd already made arrangements to be gone on Sunday, and we both have to be at work on Monday or take the day off. But no, she'd changed her mind. She has driven the mechanic crazy, as well as us, by calling to talk about the colors of the interior, and every other thing. We sent her fabric samples, and she called to ask him if they were burgundy (which Bill had called them) or plum colored. (They're actually more plum I think, but the mechanic didn't have a clue.)

Bill will go over Monday morning and then go straight to work from there. It will be a lot closer than coming all the way back home. I'll go on to work. Hope she doesn't change her mind about buying the plane too. She doesn't know whether she'll fly it back to Arizona or somewhere else, or have us keep it in our hangar till she's ready. She'd better be prepared to pay hangar rent.

Gotta go work on my funeral prep.