The Gramzie Chronicles

In looking back at my posts, I need to lighten up. I hope this helps. There is a wedding invitation on my fridge for my nephew, one of my younger three brothers' sons. This brought on some silly memories of when those three brothers were growing up. There are 12, 14, and 16 year differences in our ages, so there are times when I feel more like a grandmother to my nieces and nephews. I think this comes from experiences as a teen, often seen with one or all of those brothers in tow. I remember once taking the oldest of those three to the doctor's office. He was maybe 2 or 3. There were always books and toys there for little ones, and on this particular day, he had toddled over to get a book. A nice woman, sitting by the stack of books, gave one to him and said, "Here, honey; take this over to your mom to read".  At, I'm guessing 14 or 15, that was not a compliment as everything embarrassed me. However, it happened more than once, in various situations, so I learned ...

  It's Sunday morning. Randy has been gone since 7 bells, flipping pancakes for Kiwanis. He leaves his phone behind more often now. The only downside to this is that now I'm hearing it go off...on a Sunday...yes, it's a customer. The first call came at 11:19, followed immediately by another. I do not answer his phone. Now, just over an hour later, it rang again. Same person...who knows he's "retired".  You know, even God took a day off. This is why I don't answer his phone; I fear I'd say the same to the caller. Then again, maybe I should. For now, I'm waiting patiently for the temp to get just a tad more comfortable before I go out and begin the prep phase of my landing project for the garden shed.  I had a bridal shower yesterday morning, followed by a pretty frigid soccer game. Then we headed out to pick up lawn mower batteries initially, which turned into quite a workout trip. I took along the list of supplies for the garden shed landing, so we...

  I may have to share the latest ridiculous phone call from time to time so I can laugh it off instead of crying. Here is the latest: Customer, who has not darkened the door in YEARS, calls about getting a tractor in that another person had talked to Randy about A YEAR AGO. Is he going to take it? Sure he is. Oh, and he also told the caller he was retired, and you guessed it, he doesn't care.  Today is a major catch-up day for me. It's time for the closet swap, where I move seasonal items. I'm pretty happy to say there was nothing for me to donate or sell. I may have figured this out! My desk had accumulated everything from medical forms, a few bills, and shreds of business. My "to file" pile has been neglected as I've been feeling so discouraged, it had been easier to ignore it. That will all be addressed today, as well. I think we'll change Rambo's name to Mud Nuggets. This is the season I'm grateful for washable throw rugs, a good vacuum, and a ...

  I'm no quitter, but I know when I'm outnumbered. I did not intend to bring up retirement again. I can see it's a worn topic, but per usual I need the last word. Our big trip was cancelled, deposit returned. It was due to that Randy decided, rather than book another, he'd reside the building.  We still have shorter experiences in the books, scattered throughout the summer. We don't feel bad about that, we are not intrepid travelers with wanderlust in our souls. I'm a dyed in the wool homebody. Randy, it seems, is married to the shop. What we have come to know in this brief period of what I had hoped would be a release from the pressure of running a business, is that it isn't being allowed to happen...and Randy isn't fighting it. I want to make it clear; I'm hopelessly disappointed, and upset I got my hopes up. My dad died at 59. He never had the chance to rest on his laurels. By the time my mom retired, she was well into the claws of dementia. And h...

I'm just in from power washing out the pup's crate after two nights of him making a god-awful mess that we are not altogether sure from which end it came. We are considering putting him out in the shop for a couple of nights until whatever is plaguing him passes. I just cannot manage a daily cleanup like this. It does come to mind that he's punishing us for leaving him for the weekend, even though his favorite people cared for him. He's an enigma. While Randy asked not to make a fuss with this retirement, I felt that holding a coffee break would nail down the reality of his decision. He did have a couple of easy jobs left to finish up, which are now done. However, today was an example of what I was afraid was going to happen. A car was dropped off for service. Yes, the customer knew but brought it in anyway. (One of our repeat offenders, btw) Just now, a mower. I asked Randy if this customer knew he was retired, and said he did, but that he didn't care. That seems t...

  These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. I'm amazed at all the adjustments we are having to make, not that any of it is a bad thing. The shop is going through its own metamorphosis, from a workplace to more of a massive man cave, for lack of a better term.  The mess has only just begun as Randy has removed an old double window, framed out the opening, and insulated it, plus the dog door that no longer gets used. That end of the building will now be just storage and having it closed in will make it easier to secure. This is his first phase of getting the building ready for the contractor and his crew, who will tear off the rest of the siding and install the new. We will have painting to do, mostly doors, but it needs to get a lot warmer! I've designed a new landing for the front of the garden shed, with the help of ChatGPT. It was fun! So, I have a picture, a detailed list, and a diagram to follow, so I'm pretty sure I can do it myself. The old pavers have already bee...