No worries!

[Idaho Cairns]

Sorry for the absence but I got all caught up in that ugly election thing the last of October--I'm a political junkie of sorts--less serious than a few years back. What we learn in a democracy is that our individual philosophy and beliefs don't always reflect the will of the voter--such is life, this is my umpteenth presidential election since voting for Barry Goldwater in 1964 so I know how it goes.

Embarked on some reflooring that has turned out to be bittersweet--new hardwood floor in kitchen and entry went down absolutely beautifully with a wonderful installer but the new carpet was an absolute disappointment, had to order it removed, the stuff is so cheap looking and about half the thickness of the old carpet, retains every footstep, and worse the carpet crew honcho made the mistake of talking down to Sammi and Bonnie's Mom during the process and that WAS a mistake! I saw that storm cloud come over her face while she was on the phone with the contractor and I knew it was one of those irretreivable moments and just sat back and waited for inevitable. It came so we are waiting for the dust to settle and to make a serious upgrade in what will be going down--of course at the hands of another contractor. Bonnie and Sammi were just thrilled with all the coming and going, jumping up on all the flooring guys, the hammering, the sawing, etc. but they hated the air compressor that would come on at irregular times, usually when they were standing near it, plus all the pieces of cardboard and old carpet they had to go by during the mess in the house. Still they handled it all with their usual Cairn aplomb--down to and including getting licks in on the hardwood guy when he got near enough to the floor for them to get in his face. I should have found them little hard hats and pencils to stick behind their ears they were so in to the work going on.

Even more time consuming, I offered to take two classes for a Adjunct Instructor at the University because she fell and hurt her ankle, thinking it would be a couple of classes, heard nothing and then got a call at 9:00 a.m. on election day saying I was to meet the first class in two hours to lecture on Induction, Deduction, and the Argumentative Speech assignment--not only that but the fallen instructor was not coming back (ankle broken) and I had to take both classes to the end of semester, something I hadn't even anticipated doing! Now I am "employed" again--completely unplanned. I haven't taught in six years and even tho it was great to stand in front of 25 college students (love college kids!) once again--I had forgotten how much work it is to teach properly AND learned how very, very difficult it is to be the horse that gets changed to mid-stream--the instructor whom I replaced had taught the class very differently than I teach so that has kept me jumping for three weeks. I am spending this weekend grading which I have always disliked and which brings out every procrastinating bone in my body--tomorrow.

So, not posting here has been a combination of things that have taken me out of my recliner, away from my dogs, and way, way out of my routine. I appreciate your concern--I should have just dropped a note to let you know I was going to be shy of some posts and I do apologize for not contributing recently. After years of leisure, all of a sudden I am far busier than I really want to be so.......? Soon I hope.

Did I mention that as I write there are three grand girls upstairs snoozing --- yep had them here for Thanksgiving--kinda an unusual one as I was nailing oak trim to the counters on Thanksgiving morning while the wife was trying to make the feast! Whew, that was a close thing--she doesn't like anyone in the kitchen for any reason when she cooks and SHE WAS COOKING yesterday--all day!

[tlwtheq]

Holy Moley! You've been busy out there all by yourself! You and I are on opposite ends of the

political spectrum, but I respect your dedication.

Sorry for all the recent bumps and ruts in your family's life lately. Glad you're back.

Bless you and your family.

The Wilk Pack

[Dempsy's Mom]

Holy cow!! ..... Well, I am thankful that you have not been dealing with health issues. I am thankful that Bonnie & Sammie are enjoying all the excitement and are fine. I am sorry about your political stress and you are far from alone on that one. Sorry about the stress of dealing with a bad product and a bad contractor and all this happening over Thanksgiving. I had to chuckle about you being employed when you would rather be home in your recliner - a lot of people would love to have that problem. . Nice you have three little angels upstairs. Thanks for checking in with us. We will take you off our concerned list - now if we could just get Sanford to respond.

[hheldorfer]

Great to know you and yours are alive and well, Idaho. We missed you! I can picture Bonnie and Sammi with the contractors, letting them know who's boss. Buffy and Ziggy have an ongoing relationship with our electrician (very old house, very old wiring, and a lady of the house who always wants another outlet installed or a circuit rerouted ) .

I bet you're a great teacher and those kids are going to learn a lot from you. Enjoy the grandgirls and get some relaxation this weekend!

[Tuesday]

So glad that you checked in!

[Sam I Am]

Well good grief! Glad all is well..but .sounds like you are incredibly busy . i know at times we are both at the other end of our ideas on Cairnish stuff, but I respect and value your thought...so don't have us worry about you again !

[remltr]

"she doesn't like anyone in the kitchen for any reason when she cooks and SHE WAS COOKING yesterday--all day!"

I can just picture you, the grandkids and Sammi and Bonnie sitting on your haunches at the entrance to the kitchen screaming "at least toss us a bag or chips or something, we're starving out here"

You know you can always go back to class and tell your students that the dogs ate their homework.

Glad you are back at least for the moment.

[Zekey's Mom]

Wow! I got tired just reading that post. Sounds like you did get a lot accomplished though. Enjoy the rest of the semester and then celebrate like the dickens when it's over! Glad to have you back.

[Lynn in TN]

I can't tell you how happy I am that everything is well. I kind of had a feeling that you were a political junkie. You may not have guessed it but I'm one of those too. After the election, I didn't feel like doing much talking or posting for a while either. I just kept myself busy with tasks in which I didn't need to talk. I had a feeling we were on the same side of the political spectrum. haha

I hope you intend on posting pictures of Sammi and Bonnie and your Grandchildren sliding across those new hardwood floors! I can't wait.

I can just imagine Sammi and Bonnie in the middle of everything when the floors were being installed. We sheet rocked our kids bedrooms in May and Kelly was right there with us the whole time. She sat right at my feet when I painted the newly put up walls.

I would love to set in on the classes you are teaching. I am sure that those college kids will have a wealth of knowledge before the end of your classes.

Good luck with everything and please try to stop in and give us some of your wisdom.

[Idaho Cairns]

Lynn, we will get past the election but I'm not sure if I will get past the surprise of the election--finding out that you are going North when everyone else is going South was a shock. Enough.

Actually the students in my classes are getting a break--since I didn't have them since the first of the semester it is really hard to judge who is working and who isn't so I suspect I will be liberal with the grading and "grade inflation" has been a real problem at my university and my department for years--seems like many teachers have a real problem telling students--"You may be a superior intellect with a wonderful personality but in my class, you did average work." a simple enough concept to explain to students (and I always tried to inform the students that grades/performance were transistory and not the mark of Cain) but hard for many teachers-"average" is not "bad" and "superior" (A+) is hard to achieve but this is a new age when everyone seems to want to be exceptional. They forget about the old "Bell Curve"--even at Harvard among all those scholars there is, in every class, an "average" performance. Oh well.

Here is a picture of the new floor and the dogs who are just the right color to enhance the grain. Notice the general mess, wastebasket out of place, counter tops with "stuff"! This was the day before Thanksgiving and Momma was not happy. Bonnie is on point--follow her eyes--she is focused on some fried turkey livers on the counter her Mom brought home from the Deli and nothing excites my two more than fowl gizzards or livers. Sammi, being older and wiser knows she will get her share so she is less intense.

[iMB] [/iMB]

Edited November 24, 2012 by Idaho Cairns

[Zekey's Mom]

Love the floors -- a beautiful, rich color.

[Ivy & Lucy's Mom]

Gorgeous wood floors...welcome back. You sure have been busy.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Love the floor too. Bonnie and Sammi look a little subdued. Like maybe they know mom is in no mood and they are politely waiting to be noticed.

[jo_]

Your absence was a reminder as to how much we all appreciate and enjoy your presence and insight on the forum. Very glad to hear that it's a busy life that has kept you away and nothing more serious!!

[Malcolm's Dad]

Good to see you back. Bonnie is so cute watching that counter. The floors look great. The carpeting hits some of my pet peeves. It is almost impossible to find quality sturdy products. When you do find a well made product you pay dearly. Another pet peeve is people talking on the phone when they are supposed to be serving the customer. I always disturb someone's conversation when I pay for my gas. They think customers are a nuisance. I hope the lady of the house taught them a lesson in courtesy.

[Idaho Cairns]

Thanks Jo, taking a break from the grading right now--what a pain! Trying to make relevant and helpful comments and at the same time pointing out all the many errors in structure and claim support in their presentations. Worse, I don't really "know" these students well so that makes it even more dicey.

The forum is a welcome relief. Lori, actually Sammi does look a little leery but trust me, Bonnie is not--she wants someone to give her some more fried turkey livers asap--there is no hesitation in her when it comes to top of the line treats. Actually, Fran bought those things for the dogs when she was Thanksgiving food shopping. One thing about our dogs, they camp out in the kitchen when anyone is in there cooking or even just passing thru--one really bad habit we failed to correct. I will say that they have learned to stay out of the way enough to not get squished--these two are adept little kitchen sharks, gliding around, under the table, always ready to dart in and out should something hit the floor. PIA's both of them but.....our fault!

[Kathryn]

Love the photo of the hungry pups, and really love that floor. We are looking at changing ours in the dining room some time in the next couple years, so I am always looking. Our current oak floors are so scratched by the dogs - what kind of wood and finish did you use? Cairn folks could really give me some tips on how to lessen the scratches on wood floors and yes, we do keep their nails trimmed!

Re. the politics, Idaho - DH was just as involved here, but pleased with the results. I am glad we are beyond it for a while, because for me dogs, art and gardening count more. I have a tea party friend (and it is amazing that some people do not expect me to) but we remain friends despite differing political views because we both believe -- even more strongly than we hold political beliefs --that respecting our system and tradition of allowing different viewpoints is vital. Annie and I will not ever agree with each other, but we would stand back to back and fight for each other's right to holds our individual opinions. And I think that is something we are losing sight of in our country, and that makes me sad.

Glad you are back! Go teach those kids a thing or two! (You have GOT to have more energy than I do!)

[bradl]

Thanks for checking in to let us know you were busy. Sometimes the worry creeps in on little Cairn feet. Don't mean to add any posting pressure but happy to know you're busy sharpening the next generation. I've never taught but suspect I would not like grading papers either. And contractors and remodeling projects ... uh. I barely survived a bathroom remodel and I even liked the contractors. We had planned to do the kitchen next but can scarcely bring ourselves to tackle it.

And I have to offer a huge thank you to you and *everyone* on this forum during this past US election cycle. Some days this forum was the only place I could go that was free of politics. Thank you, thank you, thank you one and all for keeping Cairn Talk an oasis.

[tlwtheq]

One thing about our dogs, they camp out in the kitchen when anyone is in there cooking or even just passing thru--one really bad habit we failed to correct. I will say that they have learned to stay out of the way enough to not get squished--these two are adept little kitchen sharks, gliding around, under the table, always ready to dart in and out should something hit the floor. PIA's both of them but.....our fault!

Ah...yep, guilty as charged, here. Teddy is very quiet about it, and you don't really know he's trolling for treats

until it feels as if your toes are being vacuumed. It's a very odd sensation.

And I have to offer a huge thank you to you and *everyone* on this forum during this past US election cycle. Some days this forum was the only place I could go that was free of politics. Thank you, thank you, thank you one and all for keeping Cairn Talk an oasis.

I'm with you, Brad on the forum being an oasis. My work office is right next to the break room which contains a television that's

always tuned to CNN or the like. Some people turn it up really loud; it's usually blaring when I get to work even at 6 AM.

I spent the last 4 months of the election cycle rushing in there, shouting "SHUT UP", and turning off the dreaded device...

terminated with extreme prejudice! Anyway I'm glad it's over and we all have each other on the forum.

Edited November 25, 2012 by tlwtheq

[Lynn in TN]

Those floors are Gorgeous and so are Sammi and Bonnie! As far as letting them in the kitchen I think that is a good thing. My kitchen (although it is small) I want every one to feel relaxed and happy in it, including Kelly. When I am cooking everyone ends up in there and even though we are bumping into each other constantly I love it. Kelly lays at my feet the whole time. haha

I wanted to be a teacher, but I would get myself into trouble so I decided against it.

I was glad of the reprieve while the elections were going on too! I have always been a political person though, and have always paid attention to everything dealing with it. This election was different.

[Idaho Cairns]

I don't know how I would handle a major remodel--this flooring thing has been hectic. I was surprised that the dogs had so little problem with it--like many of you, I was under the impression that our Cairns liked everything in its place and any physical change in the home environment would be disruptive to them--I think they came out much less impacted than we did--course they got a ton of car rides and walks that they wouldn't normally have had as we tried to get them out of here as much as possible.

The floor is an "engineered hardwood" advertised as a "Malaysian Walnut" except there is no "walnut" in Malaysia as far as I can determine on the internet--I think it is some kind of exotically patterned wood from the Far East however--who knows, it looks nice down and I haven't noticed any scratches from Cairn toes yet.

[josie&holly]

You have been very busy inddeed. The result of the kitchen floor looks really nice and love the way the dogs are sitting waiting for their treat!

Holly is another one eho likes to think she needs to be near me when cooking, seems a common trait!

[Autumn & Lola]

Glad you are okay. Your new floor is gorgeous. Lola "helped" here last week with carpet laying. I too said she needed a hardhat. Sounds like you will be even busier with the teaching. Good for you. I have the utmost respect for teachers. I know I would never have the patience!

[Hillscreek]

Enjoy your posts Idaho.

Your floor is gorgeous. I'm politically oriented too and have been happy to come to cairn land to escape from wall to wall coverage!

Now that we've got the floor down, the papers graded the Thanksgiving feast over maybe we can settle down to thinking about what to give our cairns for Christmas. Maybe a liver snack from a deer we bring down - buck hunting starts Monday here in PA.

[pindrop]

Glad to hear you are doing well Idaho. As you are the one constant thing on this forum, I too, wondered if you and family were doing well. The floors looks beautiful (love that color) and of course the pups look great as usual. Sounds like you are doing a bang up job on replacing the teacher although it must be difficult having a routine again (other than hitting the balls!) Insofar as politics, all I can say is I'm glad it's all over for at least the next little while. Hubby is a political fanatic and obviously sides with yourself. But...there is only so much the average person can handle (that average person being myself) before they feel like they will explode with the hundred things on not just TV but twitter and any other news related devices.

Take care and yes, let's move onward and forward to the next big holiday which is just around the corner.