Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, darlings!  May 2011 be healthy, happy and prosperous for all of you.

I spent the day cleaning, doing laundry, and working on various family tree projects.  Right now I've got the Rose Bowl on the radio.  The Wisconsin Badgers are playing against Texas Christian University (what is it about Texas and teams, heh?).  When I started this post it was half-time and Wisconsin was down by 1, now it's into the 3rd quarter and we're down 21-13 so obviously TCU scored sometime while I took a short break and was down in the basement on mouse patrol.  Yes, the mice are back and I tried to plug up the hole they tunneled through CONCRETE BLOCK from the outside and through supposedly inpenetrable foam insulation I had installed last year around this time.  I discovered, much to my horror earlier today, when I trekked downstairs to put in a load of laundry, that not only did I somehow manage to grow a crop of gigantic house flies that were hibernating on the west-facing basement window right above my dryer  which were not, I repeat, were NOT there a week ago -- I also discovered a HOLE that the mice (I assume they are mice, as I have had battles with them in the past...) managed to chew into the foam insulation which was sold to me not only for its insulating qualities (and I have to admit, it is much warmer in the basement now) - but also as "mouse-proof" -- said hole being positioned on the upper left-side of the window frame and, as far as I could tell by poking around inside it, not through the window frame!  Said hole also was not there a week ago - I'd have seen it -- it was very noticeable!  I don't mind mice, as long as they stay the hell out of my house!  And so, once again, it appears I am at war.  And, you can be sure, on Monday I will call the insulation company to get a rep out here as soon as I can manage it - and that will certainly not be a fun meeting (for the rep), let me tell you.  In the meantime, I climbed on top of the dryer several times and stuffed mothballs, fabric softener sheets and the odd puff of stray foam I found around the basement into the hole to try and clog it up.  The damn thing seemed endless - probably there is an entire network of  tunnels by now around the entire perimeter of my basement - and so I shall tell that insulation rep when I get him here.  Looks like I will be having entirely new foam insulation and fiberglass batting re-installed - for free - or I will take that company all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, I am that pissed. 

The Fearless Foursome of Goddesschess will be re-uniting in Las Vegas sometime after April 15, 2011!  Mr. Don will be coming to Milwaukee to play in his very first OTB chess tournament when he and I, and perhaps Shira Evans and her significant other Crispin Sandford make our appearance at the Hales Corners Chess Challenge XIII, on April 16, 2011.  Shira and Crispin may not be able to make it - their plans are very much up in the air at the moment including planning a marriage. That is why I drafted Mr. Don whom, I  hope, will be taken down a peg or two chess-wise (he usually defeats me when we play OTB).  It's no fun ego-wise to be defeated by 8 year olds who wipe you all around the board, but - I have to tell you the truth - it is funny!  And fun!  I had a lot of fun at the HCCCXII in October.  Hmmm, maybe I should adjust my attitude to take this all a bit more seriously???

NAH!

Checking the score Badgers - TCU:  21-13 TCU nearly end of third quarter.  Damn!