Tuesday afternoon things

* Got the house nearly all cleaned. This was partly a pre-piano-tuner coming thing (he is scheduled for Thursday morning) but also partly a pre-going-away-on-break thing: I tend to feel the house runs less risk of bugs (or mice) if it's really clean.

* I tried to buy drierite (or whatever the commercial name is). The Lowe's claimed they had it, they did not. I wound up with some kind of volcanic-rock thing that claims it absorbs musty odors. I REALLY need the thing that absorbs humidity. (The product I bought is called "gonzo odor absorber" and it does not claim to absorb moisture. But at least it might take care of the musty smell in my bedroom). They had lots of "gel bead" things that had perfume but I DON'T WANT PERFUME. I just want something to absorb the odor. Oh well.

(Wait, on their website they say it absorbs moisture. And you recharge it by putting it out in the sun....so I presume it lasts more than a couple of months)

They are zeolite, which I think IS sold as a moisture absorber. They claim theirs is "natural volcanic rock" but a lot of zeolite is industrially made by heating an aluminum-silicon slurry with a base, so....

*  We're under a severe thunderstorm warning and it looks bad out there. I garaged my car even though it's the first handbell practice tonight; I can get it back out when it gets closer to time OR if it's so bad they have to cancel, I don't have to worry about hail hitting my car.

* Tomorrow is my day out with Laura. We are going to the Salt Palace in Grand Saline. I admit it: I love those weird roadside attractions (well, this one is also historical). I was talking on Twitter today about the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, Michigan.

And this is one way that I'm different from my parents: If I were driving through that area now? I'd totally stop and spend the $9 to see it. Just to be able to say I had. I know my parents were a lot more frugal in some ways than I am but...I dunno. I think seeing those goofy things before they disappear forever (which I suspect will happen as we live ever-more-virtual lives). And to me, those kind of roadside things feel like a link with my childhood (even though we never really stopped at any of them) because I remember all the trips we took where we saw those things advertised.

We might also go to Mineola, to the big quilt shop and unless there's a more exciting place for lunch, maybe the burger place.

* Newest-old pony is here. I ordered a Milky Way a little while back. She is yet another Twice-as-Fancy and yet another unicorn with a silver glitter mark (Powder is another one I have that is very similar, maybe when I have more time I should photo them together).

(That's also a no-makeup photo. I didn't put on any today though I might before going out to do the bells. My complexion is not as even as it looks in the photo....)

Milky Way came from "Ponies in the Sun," one of my favorite Etsy shops for these....she ships fast and everything has always been as described (actually, her marks are in better shape than I thought they would be - the shopowner noted "some glitter loss" but really there is not much)

* I also need to take time and do a few little repairs - sew a button back on a skirt, repair a hole in a sweater and some socks....it's less fun doing that than making something "new" so it takes me a while to get around to it.