Cellar Scribblings

[Sason]

Well done on the spring cleaning, Chuck! Very thorough!

Now that you're done with yours, what about hopping over here to do mine as well?
My place could sure need it!
I'll pay you in pearls!!!!

That's an offer I know you can't resist!

[serious crayons]

I've cleaned out three drawers and two cabinets so far. Taken everything out, discarded what's not useful, the rest wiping with a hot soapy cloth and/or a spray of bleach water. I use these drawers so rarely (but they have stuff that's important when needed -- flashlights, a book with home repair cards, receipts for repairs, etc.) that I'm not really afraid of coronavirus but I'm also spraying bleach water into places with more mouse evidence. I had an exterminator out a couple of months ago but have not worked up the courage to look in those drawers 

Getting it all edited and neatly boxed so that when I move I can just grab whole boxes instead of assorted little items.

Bleach water comes in really handy as a sanitizer. It's a quarter cup of Chlorox to a gallon of water. It's great for things like counters and even, potentially, food or food packages. Lightly spray it, let it dry. Done. You wouldn't want to drink bleach, but once it dries -- at least in a weak concentration like that -- it won't poison you.

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends.

I hope everyone is doing well, or as well as can be expected.


Work has been a little busier lately, as we are working with the CARES act for businesses.  We'll be processing applications for this, and we have a training class on Friday for it.

The family is still doing well, and I am as well.  Limiting my time outside, and doing what I can to stay active.

[Front-Ranger]

Hi brian, I watched a presentation about an astronomy trip to Australia and New Zealand during the holidays. The astronomer had 2 nights in Alice Springs and 3 nights in New Zealand planned, but because of clouds and smoke from the fires, he only got three photos of the stars and Magellanic clouds!

Chuck and everyone, glad you and your families are all safe and well.

[CellarDweller]

Apparently the big shortage now here is flour as people are home baking. I have never baked anything in my life so no problem for me.  I stewed and froze some rhubarb from my garden yesterday, that is testing my culinary abilities.

Interesting.  I haven't heard of that being an issue here, but it could be because I'm not looking for it.  Fortunately, most of the stuff I've needed to get, I've been able to buy it.

That is lovely, you found a good way to do this.
I will sure miss our extended families this Easter.

Yeah, I will miss seeing extended family at the holiday, perhaps someone will do a reunion of some sort after the isolation is over.

You would make somebody an awfully good housewife. Or at least housekeeper.

LOL!  Actually, I most likely wouldn't.  I tend to clean in bursts.  Meaning I do the usual stuff to keep the place looking neat, but I wait until I get a burst to do other things like scrub the bathroom or clean the oven.  The reason I did that spring cleaning that weekend is because I the urge to do it, so I went with it.

Well done on the spring cleaning, Chuck! Very thorough!

Now that you're done with yours, what about hopping over here to do mine as well?  My place could sure need it!   I'll pay you in pearls!!!!  That's an offer I know you can't resist!

Oh, I'm sorry, but the urge has passed, so you missed it.  And since flying is out of the question now, you're even more out of luck. 

I've cleaned out three drawers and two cabinets so far. Taken everything out, discarded what's not useful, the rest wiping with a hot soapy cloth and/or a spray of bleach water. I use these drawers so rarely (but they have stuff that's important when needed -- flashlights, a book with home repair cards, receipts for repairs, etc.) that I'm not really afraid of coronavirus but I'm also spraying bleach water into places with more mouse evidence. I had an exterminator out a couple of months ago but have not worked up the courage to look in those drawers 

Getting it all edited and neatly boxed so that when I move I can just grab whole boxes instead of assorted little items.

Bleach water comes in really handy as a sanitizer. It's a quarter cup of Chlorox to a gallon of water. It's great for things like counters and even, potentially, food or food packages. Lightly spray it, let it dry. Done. You wouldn't want to drink bleach, but once it dries -- at least in a weak concentration like that -- it won't poison you.

I did a drawer thing as well.  One of my drawers was getting very full, and when I went through it, it was all my taxes for the past 7 years, my birth certificate, insurance paperwork, car paperwork, and stuff like that.   I found a storage box sitting in my closet, unused.   It looks like this.




I put all the paperwork in here and stored it away, and now the drawer is neat, and I know where to find all my paperwork.

Chuck and everyone, glad you and your families are all safe and well.

Thanks Lee!!!  How is everyone on your end?

[Jeff Wrangler]

I did a drawer thing as well.  One of my drawers was getting very full, and when I went through it, it was all my taxes for the past 7 years, my birth certificate, insurance paperwork, car paperwork, and stuff like that.   I found a storage box sitting in my closet, unused.   It looks like this.




I put all the paperwork in here and stored it away, and now the drawer is neat, and I know where to find all my paperwork.

What is this box made of? It looks like plastic. I suggest considering getting something fireproof for important documents like your birth certificate, car title, insurance documents, and so forth.

[serious crayons]

What is this box made of? It looks like plastic. I suggest considering getting something fireproof for important documents like your birth certificate, car title, insurance documents, and so forth.

I have a metal one with birth certificates and a few other things. Car title is pretty easy to get a copy of -- you can walk into AAA (when there's not a pandemic), for instance, and walk out with one a few minutes later. Insurance documents I can also get pretty easily from the company's website.

I have ordered birth certificates, however, and they're more of a hassle. My passport is also expired, which is even more trouble to renew. I'm going to have to start collecting stuff like that in order to get my "real" ID by October, when it will be required to board a plane. Assuming anyone is flying by then and the airlines are still in business.

Chuck, do you get a discount on a safety deposit box? I've also used those for stuff like that.



 

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends.

Easter weekend is here. 

Another week down in isolation.  As of yesterday it's been 22 days working from home (business days).  If you include weekends, tomorrow will be a full month of pretty much staying indoors, only going out when necessary.

I'll be going over to mom and dad's place tomorrow for Easter.  They've decided to support a local restaurant and we'll all be ordering Easter lunch from them.  I told my parents that I would bring dessert, and when I was at the grocery store last night, I got a 'variety cake' from the bakery section.   Of course, it's not as nice as a proper bakery's cake, but it will give everyone a choice to have a favorite, or try two or three different flavors, as long as the pieces are cut smaller.

This cake has Chocolate Fudge cake, Red Velvet cake, Carrot cake, and Caramel cake.

[CellarDweller]

What is this box made of? It looks like plastic. I suggest considering getting something fireproof for important documents like your birth certificate, car title, insurance documents, and so forth.

I do want a fireproof one,  but I won't be getting that until  this pandemic is over and can go shopping.  Yes it is plastic,and it's temporary.  The main issue was that I didn't have everything centrally located, and in the event of an emergency, I didn't have a way to get to it all.  Now, everything is in this container, and when I'm home I keep my wallet near it.  If something were to happen, I would be able to grab it all in a matter of seconds, along with the wallet, and get out.

I have a metal one with birth certificates and a few other things. Car title is pretty easy to get a copy of -- you can walk into AAA (when there's not a pandemic), for instance, and walk out with one a few minutes later. Insurance documents I can also get pretty easily from the company's website.

I have ordered birth certificates, however, and they're more of a hassle. My passport is also expired, which is even more trouble to renew. I'm going to have to start collecting stuff like that in order to get my "real" ID by October, when it will be required to board a plane. Assuming anyone is flying by then and the airlines are still in business.

Chuck, do you get a discount on a safety deposit box? I've also used those for stuff like that.

I'm sure I could have a discount on a SDB, but I'd rather have them here where I can get to them quickly if needed.  My birth certificate is a pain get a copy of.  LOL  I don't recall the specifics, but apparently there were issues with birth certificates that were issued for a set time span.  I don't know if they were generated incorrectly, or files were destroyed, but I had to go to Trenton in person, and prove who I was in order to get certified copies of my birth certificate.

[CellarDweller]

I'm sure I could have a discount on a SDB, but I'd rather have them here where I can get to them quickly if needed.  My birth certificate is a pain get a copy of.  LOL  I don't recall the specifics, but apparently there were issues with birth certificates that were issued for a set time span.  I don't know if they were generated incorrectly, or files were destroyed, but I had to go to Trenton in person, and prove who I was in order to get certified copies of my birth certificate.

I just found out what had happened with the birth certificate issue.

I was born in 1969 in Hudson country, NJ.

In 2005, there was a scandal when it was discovered that someone was issuing fake birth certificates to illegal immigrants out of that office.  Thousands of birth certificates were confiscated, and people were arrested.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't have affected me, however, it was the same year that Brokeback Mountain was released.  The gatherings were starting to happen, and I needed to get a passport.  For this, I had to get a copy of my birth certificate, and because of that issue earlier that year, I had to go to Trenton and prove who I was so I could get certified copies of the document.