Happy Christmas Day

We enjoyed a quiet and laid back Christmas Day here on the Ranch. Didn't make rounds until nearly noon, all present and accounted for. Except for the three that went AWOL months ago, months and months. Herself is making noises about posting a Wanted notice again. I'm leaning more toward Schedule F write-off.

Santa brought us a portable DVD player, something someone asked for in order to make copies of particular features recorded for reference. Costuming, time period research, and such like, of course we wouldn't violate copyright. I happen to believe pretty strongly in that, so no, we won't. Not sure we'll be able to with the particular DVD recorder; it's only a USB connection. So it's up in the air; we'll see. Could certainly work in the photo studio for multiple copy burns.

Houdini did take off following a scent trail near the end of rounds. Didn't go far, but did follow it over onto Next Door Neighbor's property and started toward Cater Corner Neighbor's. He came back to me when I called at that point, but I'd needed to follow him and get closer. We spotted deer sign, that might be what he'd scented.

Received a phone call from Herself's Youngest Sister, whose husband is one of Orlando's Finest. Seems he's pulled special duty over the New Year's holiday weekend, as part of the traffic escort detail for one of two college teams playing in Orlando. Asked if I wanted ... or could find on a wish list of some sort ... for something unusual to happen to the Leezards on their way to play the Wolverines. I said no, not really, just a nice, fair game wherein the Michigan Wolverines evicerate demonstrate to the Florida Gator's that SEC still needs to learn some things about playing Big 10 teams.

Made a phone call to my Oldest Sister. Found her already starting on the Big Family Christmas Shindig, but we chatted for a while. She does wander over here to LJ to read my meanderings (Hi, Sis), but, well, Oldest Sister is not computer challenged exactly, more computer just means other things. She's got e-mail, and such, and reads it. Not terribly often I suspect, which is why I keep her on my phone list always. She'd caught the early news about Mr Stone and sent me some other info, and I'd replied and let her know the game plan. Mentioned in the reply she probably didn't see the other news about Hospital and changes because it's filtered. Over the phone, she was surprised it's all done and out now... well, like I said not sure how often she reads her e-mail, just sure she does read it.

I may need to make her her own LJ. Just so she can read the filtered stuff. I'm not expecting her to blog. That's not her. *G*

For our Big Dinner, Herself did up a rotisserie chicken, sweet potato soufle, dressing, and pumpkin pie for dessert. Why, yes, ichthyus it is the recipe we talked about, we'll get it to you. Nom Nom Nom...

So now I'm just sort of waiting for night time pain med to kick in; it's all muscle aches now, really. Though I'm still observing the 1 KitnzOfApocalypse unit lifting restriction.

Boxing Day On the Ranch

It's been a good day here on KP Ranch, despite a slow start. Got everyone fed and rounds done, though Houdini felt put out he didn't get any ouse time. I gently reminded him he opted for olfactory camoflauge over house time, finding a particularly soft and disgusting... remnant... of something to roll in. Now, I'm not upset about that, he's a Border Collie, mostly lives outdoors anyway working, and needs that olfactory camoflauge. But with such camoflauge applied, not so much for the house time.

Back to the house and Brunch. Then to the office. The home office that is. Herself put me back to work today. Nothing too strenuous nor exceeding the 1 Kitnz mass unit restrictions. Herself took the laundry over to the laundry room; walking back and forth is good for me now. And loading laundry one or two garments at a time is well within the mass unit restriction. So some laundry done.

And some office organisation started, getting ready for the Big Uncle IRS Time. Mostly the book keeping is done up to date, so if I use TurboTax again that'll be fairly straighforward. However, along with the digital books goes the hard copy receipts. For a Ranch (Schedule F), for Herself (Carmenetta's Cottage Schedule C), and Myself (Photography Schedule C), and of course there will be Hospital's 1040 to line up. So a lot of receipts to move from file cabinet to Working Box which, coincidentally frees up the file cabinet for next year's receipts.

Along with this, Herself started cleaning house. Which greatly disconcerted the aforementioned KitnzOfApocalypse. Woa, Despair, and Agony on Me! Deep Dark Depression, Excessive Misory! The world is re-arranging!

Nephew J it seems is calling in a marker with his mother, Herself's youngest sister, about coming to visit Aunt Herself and Uncle MadShutterbug on the Ranch. So the Kitnz loose and the house gets cleaned up. Sorry Kitnz, your memory is short anyway. Same thing happened last year near this time, neh? All but Mean Old Mary Kitty anyway, who refused to be chased out of Her House by any stupid Foofergun (the vacuum cleaner), preferring to unlease The Look instead.

Monkey, do not even think about aproaching Our Royal Selves with that obnoxious odious invention. Nor did she move, making Herself wait for a bit before wandering to the far end of the Den Room Couch so Herself could get that portion vacuumed. Heh. Yah. Attitude. Look out Blues Brothers, Mean Old Mary Kitty is gonna teach you something about it.

Then, as evening arrived and time to feed the Bros came along, a horn sounds outside. Customer arrived to receive a goat. A live goat. A specific live goat. Do you recall the Stupid Goats of November, who all turned on Herself in a raging hormonally induced suicidal depression? I mean, why else would they turn on the one who keeps the Shooter in check? Why yes, folks, #3 departed the Ranch today. For $1 in hand and other valuable considerations, and the news is good for all concerned. We're happy, because a pain in the ... a pain is gone. Customer is happy, because he was looking for a good sized buck for a breeder, he wants to make slightly larger goats. Midnight doesn't know he's happy yet, but once he figures out he's not supper quite now I'm sure his disposition will improve.

So, following the Great Christmas Feast described in other entries, tonight we will dine on Pizza and Salad. Particularly salad. Yes, because I wants to keep those tubes open, eh?

Not bad for Boxing Day.