Bfth's Boring Blog

  Today marks the one month "anniversary" of our purchase of our house in the Poconos.  I can't believe it's been a month!  As with many things in life it seems like yesterday (or maybe the day before) and also seems like so long ago. So what have we accomplished in less than 30 days?  (I say this because I flew to Orlando on the 21st and came home on the 26th.  Because of my work schedule, we were in NJ from the 17th until the evening of the 26th, so we lost over a week of time here.) Plumbing and HVAC:  Had the house's ducts cleaned (which took over 6 hours since they hadn't been done in a LONG time).  Had cable run from one side of the house to the other.  Had our RPZ tested. (RPZ stands for Reduced Pressure Zone, and is a type of backflow prevention device used in plumbing systems to protect water supplies from contamination...or at least that's what Google tells me.)  Had UV light installed for our HVAC system (Per  HVA

It's been a crazy/hectic week for me.  (Although I know for some of my friends this week would have been a walk in the park.) I feel like one of those wind-up toys that rushes across the floor, hits the wall, spins around, and then rushes in the next direction.  (My husband says that's a Roomba and it is, but I know there were toys that did that too...back in the day...I am old.)  I'm still not sure where I'm going, but here's where I've been.   Work week started off in the Poconos.  I worked remotely while the plumbing/HVAC guys came in and did some work.  I think I am their new best customer.  God knows I've thrown WAY too much money their way (at least in my mind), but their work is a long term investment and gives me piece of mind.  (While they get a big piece of my wallet.)  Now we can control the heating/ac system from wherever we are.   My day ended in NJ because I needed to be in the office the next day and we had to pick up some medication for my h

To say that this summer has been chaotic is putting it mildly.  Summer is coming to a close (officially as of next week), but the chaos will continue.  (When doesn't it.)  This weekend I am flying (solo) to Florida!  What am I thinking?!  (I swear, I WAS thinking!) Well,  way back before the summer even began (which feels like it was a decade or more ago) , a friend and I were talking about meeting up in  WDW .  She frequently visits her mom in Florida.  I've been missing Disney (although things have changed A LOT since my last visit all the way back in June of 2016 and I'm afraid I may have some not so positive things to say in this blog in the future, but I don't want to be Debbie Downer...at least not yet).  Over Memorial Day weekend (that was  years ago, right?) we got on the phone and started to work on a plan for meeting up in the fall.  By mid-June (before summer officially began), I gotten time off, booked a flight and (secretly) made hotel reservations.  (I did

 In addition to moving  "stuff" (aka some of our junk) out to the Poconos, I've tried to take some time (not a lot...yet) to explore Barrett Township and the general area a bit.  Even before we closed on the house, I made sure we knew where the local ShopRite  was.  I checked out the excellent little grocery store in walking distance, as well as the CVS.  Because we've been busy unloading, unpacking and organizing, we haven't had that much time to explore, but I made a concerted effort this week to check out local businesses. To that end, both my husband and I now have library cards .  I have taken out (and returned) a book already.  Over the past few days we have visited the local hardware store  twice (over two consecutive days).  We visited two antique stores (one of which I loved).  We're enjoying our explorations, just as we are enjoying turning this house into our home.  (Which is going to take a LONG time.) While we are new to the area, there are also

 I 've written about this too many times.  ( Just two examples:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/where-is-my-document-check.html ,  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-tale-of-two-packages.html ) My question is simple.  How long should it take for a letter or package to get from North NJ to Staten Island, NY?  Now back in December 2022 my son was sent an acceptance letter from the college he now attends in (you guessed it), Staten Island.  Now this letter/package was not sent first class and was mailed during one of the busiest seasons for mail.  It took 8 days to get to us.  How far is my son's campus from our home base in NJ?  30 miles.  Maybe 35 miles if you take the long way.  But that was during the busy time of year and it wasn't first class mail.  Maybe I should cut them a break? Maybe not. Now I KNOW that a letter or package does not go directly from my house to its destination.  It goes from a post office near me to a distribution center (or

  Today marks my (our) 28th wedding anniversary! How can that be?  Like many things it was so long ago and yet (in my mind) so recent.)  How did we get here? In the 28 years, so much has changed.  Some for the better (the birth of our son) and some not.  As I reflect on that evening (with its rain and then sunshine and then rain and then sunshine), I think about all the people who were part of that special day that are no longer here.  People who made the day what it was. My Mother:  who ran the whole show.  We were together when I bought my wedding dress (on sale at Arlene's Bridal Salon , which still exists) and how we had to pool our money to come up with enough cash to pay for it since it was on sale and they would only accept cash.  She found the caterer and threatened to cut off parts of his manhood if he poisoned me on my wedding day.  (He didn't, but then again neither my husband or I ate much that night...I think we enjoyed the food much more the next day when we were

  So I KNOW that CVS is supposed to stand for: Consumer Value Stores (yes, I had to Google that) and MAYBE with insurance there is some value for the consumer.  However, based on my experience(s) I'm thinking it really should stand for Caring:  Void (of) Service or Customers Values Shafted.  As you may have guessed I'm not real thrilled with CVS.  (I'm not talking about employees...I'm talking about stupidity which is most likely the result of corporate BS.) There is no CVS in my town in NJ. (There is one in my town in PA.  However, we can't seem to get our prescriptions switched over to that store. That's a whole other issue that is frustrating my husband.  I'm not going to talk about that today?  Or am I?)  CVS is my "preferred" pharmacy for prescriptions due to insurance.  (So it really has nothing to do with MY choice, but with what my insurance wants me to do, and which I will admit probably saves me some money.  Although I do miss the days of

The sky is clear as I walk this morning.  Stars are visible. The morning is calm, just as it once was 23 years ago.   As I head to the bus to go to work the sky is blue; like it was 23 years ago.  The clouds are puffy and white like cotton candy; like it was 23 years ago. The temperature is just right, not too hot and not too cold; like it was 23 years ago.   It is a beautiful day; like it was 23 years ago.   Until it wasn't.   Until the unimaginable became reality.   Lives lost; hearts shattered.   Hearts that will never heal.   The world turned upside down.   A dark end to a day full of promise.   An end that came too early...a day that was only a few hours old.   Changed us all forever.   We clung to each other.  It didn't matter who we were, what matter is that we were.  That we existed.  The cruel reminder that existence can be wiped out in seconds.  That those we love can be gone in the blink of an eye.  We clung to each other and nothing else

  We're only 6 days into the new month and already I've learned so much.  (Or have I?)  This past week (plus) has been a whirlwind adventure for me and here are a few things I've learned (most of which I probably should have already known) and a few that I'm still working on: The bus that is scheduled to leave your stop at 4:27 (as per the app when you leave the office), may not show up until 5.  This totally sucks.  On the other hand, 4:04, may show up at 4.  Go figure.  I'd like to blame NJ Transit, but I can't because traffic just sucks. They say patience is a virtue.  I am NOT virtuous.  (I sort of already knew this, but recent events have reinforced this.) How to not get fish poo splattered all over me when cleaning the skimmer.  Wear an apron and solid shoes (no sandals).  Wear not so great clothes (in case the apron fails) and sneakers that you  don't care about. Pond water evaporates more quickly than I thought.  I'