Nani Tries Something New

I’m writing while taking a break. I wonder if Donna Reed ever had to any serious sink plunging?

I have a homeopathic drain declogger setting in the bathroom sink. It’s a strange drain that gets build up trouble often. This drain-cure is NOT the something new the post title is talking about. Actually, this is an old idea. Dad heard about it on a Mr-fix-it type radio show a few years ago and it worked wonders on my slow shower drain!

We’d tried Draino and Liquid Plumr and various commercial solutions. You spend $6-10 on a bottle that does one declogging and it doesn’t work well. Well, Mrs-fix-it to the rescue! The solution is pretty simple. Spend roughly three dollars on a large box of baking soda and a gallon of white vinegar. When the two are combined, they make a mild acid. Just pour a healthy amount of baking soda in the drain. Then pour in a cup or so of vinegar. Watch it bubble! (Hint, young kids LOVE to watch, older kids love to do it!)

If it’s a mild clog, it will eat away at it pretty quick. For more stubborn or sludgy clogs, it may take a little plunging or just leaving it in the drain until it finished eating away at it. If you need to, apply it a second time to finish the job. It clears the clog, is safe on your pipes, a mild enough acid that it won’t burn your hands and that $3-4 investment will last for about six clogs, three if they are really bad ones!

Now the “NEW”



I’ve tried some new things lately. I signed up for Facebook. I had no idea what Facebook was, but I got an invitation, from Darlene actually, and joined. It’s pretty neat. I think half the people I’ve ever worked with, a fair chunk of the digital scrapbooking world, most of Mensa and all of my relatives that are under 50 are on it! I joined yesterday afternoon and as of lunchtime, I have almost 50 friends.

I haven’t run into anyne who’s sent a shocked “you’re married??” message yet, so that means we’ve done a decnet job of telling the masses. Facebook is pretty cool. It’s like a personal and private message board/chat thing. You stop in and read at your leisure, like a message board, but things get updated in real time while you’re signed on, like a chat. Very cool.

I got an invitation to check out my cousin’s son’s motorbike racing pictures. I need to power up the translator. While he sends me messages in English, his son’s pictures are all captioned in Italian! But, hey, that’s more practice on my reading in Italian too, right? I’m looking forward to cyber-reuniting with more family and friends. I’m also going to be careful to turn it OFF on a regular basis. I can see that it could become addictive! LOL

There’s something else new on the married front. By request of family members, David and I did an after-the-fact bridal registry. I participated, but sorta under protest. I didn’t think you gave gifts for an elopement. Grandma told me some time ago that in gift-giving etiquette for weddings, you should give at least as much as would cover the cost of your dinner at the reception. Well, no reception, so in like and kind for a wedding announcement in the mail, a card, no? When we were talking about doing a wedding, I didn’t want to register either. I just feel weird about it.

But, David explained it to me as something you do for other people. It gives them a way to choose something they know you can use and it makes them feel good to give. Well, that hit home with me. I appreciate the “need” to give in times of celebration. I’m not good at controlling myself because it feels so good to do it. So, why would I make it more difficult for someone else?

So we registered a few things we keep saying we need, but don’t buy. The notable exception being the fancy-pants one cup coffee maker, which David encouraged me to say yes to putting it on the list. I think he liked the idea of limiting the cup size because he perceives that I drink too much coffee. I like the flavor variety packs that you can get for the single cup brewers. Besides, I can always brew a second cup! I was bummed, however, when I verified that our list was online. The Mike and Ikes are not available online! Everything else is, but someone ordering and having sent from online, can’t give Mike and Ikes. I wonder if Pilot gift wraps and delivers? Do they have a gift registry? Next time I stop there, I’ll have to inquire! ;)

We have to re-register for the Mike and Ikes!

I was going to take a paid post opportunity to write about a chat community for married people. I thought that might be a nice lunch idea, stop in chat about, oh, what to make for dinner, ideas on places to go things to try as a couple, you know, married stuff. I checked out the site/chat room. The “married chat had 2 people in it and no one was talking. The “naughty chat” had people in it but I was the only married one when I got there! Yeesh! I said I was writing a review of the site and asked if I could interview someone. I did talk to one guy who told me he came into that room from a completely different site. It seems this company has many portals, but the same chat rooms. I was supposed to write a review with a positive tone. I just couldn’t do that, so for 6 hours, I can’t sign up for any new opportunities wile that one runs it’s time limit course. Most of the sites you can check out before accepting the opportunity. I guess I’ve learned my lesson. If you can’t check out the site BEFORE accepting the opportunity, I probably don’t want to write about it!

So anyway, there’s the new stuff! I’m on Facebook, I need to register at Pilot if I want Mike and Ikes, don’t look for me at Married Chat. You can find me at Scrap Bird (shameless plug) Remember to PM me for your free alpha if you join and be sure to check out the challenges! I have more “Because of You” add-on kits to give away!

And now, I need to see if my drain is ready to be called unclogged!