Count down

Talked with Mike last night. Two people from the nursing home came by his room yesterday at 11AM and brought him his package and visited with him for a little while. How very nice of them! I'll have to call Ginger today and thank her.

Tried to call my landlord night before last to give notice...got ans. mch...just left word that I called. Called again last night and again got ans. mch. This time I told her why I was calling. I was hoping to talk to her in person, an ans. mch. is so impersonal.

Mother and Bert brought a key to the house over last night. Shirley and I got in the car and immediately went over. I'm beginning to get a little excited. It is a very nice house. The workmen have used tha bathrooms and the toilets were really nasty. I took bleach over with me and just left the toilets sitting with bleach in them. I'll go over after work and do a little cleaning. This is now a count down. I've got to line up movers and pack.

Fleas and things

Got the hood of my car fixed yesterday. The fellow I met at the dump last week fixed it for $45.00. When I left his place it was fine, but I drove a rather bumpy road and it popped up, so I stopped and closed it, drove a little further and it popped up and I stopped and closed it again, then turned around and went back out there. A little piece wasn't seated correctly, so he fixed it. So far, so good.

Talked with Mike last night. They put his pick (?) line in yesterday. He said it went in at his elbow and followed a vein to his heart. Wow. He was in good spirits.

At lunch yesterday I talked with the nursing home. They said they would hand carry his package over to him. Nice.

This rain has really increased the flea population around here! Poor Shirley is covered again. I bathed her at 9 o'clock last night. It seemed to help, but as soon as she went out this morning she was covered again!

Nothing much

Nothing much new is going on...same ol', same ol'.

Talked with Mike this morning. He was in a lot of pain. Said they are talking about putting a semi-permanent IV port in (I forget want it's called), and that it looks like he's going to be in the hospital for a while. Asked me to call the nursing home and have his package sent to him there.

Went by the house today. The blinds have been hung and the driveway's finished. Looks good. Only two or three things to be done before I can move in...motion sensor lights need to be hung and the catches on the kitchen cabinets fixed. Something else, but I can't remember what.

Need to give landlord 30 day notice of leaving. This should give me enough time to do things like move linen closet, line kitchen shelves, move kitchen ( except for 'fridge and microwave) and get a lot of the little stuff moved in before asking for help for the big things. I still don't have a key.

George

George died yesterday. He was truly a loved cat. He was almost 17. The last six months of his life were less than ideal, but the first 16 were grand! He'll be missed...he was Mike's best "bud"...and he and I both loved him very much.

I talked with Mike this afternoon. They still don't have a handle on just what's going on with him. They are talking of perhaps doing another surgery. He's in good spirits, sounds good and thinks he's being taken very good of. I know the hospital and the doctors and I agree with him.

This is very early in the hurricane season for a named storm, but we have one! After going through 3 extremely bad hurricanes in central Florida just 9 months ago, I'm really not relishing what tomorrow may bring with this one. North Florida (where I am now) was impacted by Ivan last year and you can still see his results.

I have canned goods, water, flashlights and batteries...and a full tank of gas in the car if need be...should be good to go...it's just sorta scary doing it alone.

Mike and other things

Just got off of the phone with Mike. He's not better and they have him on two antibiotics via IV. He said a doctor was in earlier and told him they think he has a skin infection...said he couldn't remember the name the doctor said, but that it sounded "Hiwanian".

Had more to say, but it has begun thundering lots...will close for now.

It's just the pits!

I called the nursing home when I came home for lunch today and talked with someone in the office. I told her about them misplacing all of Mike's things the last time he went to the hospital and that no one seemed to be able to find them...she said she would take it on as a personal project and find his things. Then I told her about the package I sent on Monday and she said, "Oh yes, it's here, I was in the mail room earlier and saw it", well, I said I was worried that it would be lost like his other things and she said that as soon as we got off of the phone she'd go get it and keep it in her office. I felt a lot better after talking with her. I believed her.

Talked with Mike when I got home from work. He told me last night that they were planning to do a CAT scan today...they did, at 1:30 this morning! They found 3 pockets of infection. They had also gotten back his blood work and he has two bacterial infections in his blood stream, he didn't know what they are and didn't know what their plan of action is. He did say they mentioned taking him back to ORMC. I worry about how much more he can stand...he's so weak and is in considerable pain. It's all just the pits!

Prent called me this morning. It's been a couple of weeks since we've talked and I depend on his calls so much. It was like medicine for me to talk with him.

Helen called tonight. I love her like a mother and worry so much about her. She has been such a good friend for so many years. I hate not being there for her now while she's going through so much. I worry about her and very selfishly worry about losing her.

I wish I could cry.

One thing after another

Shortly after I got home from work today I got a phone call from Helen, my oldest (82) and one of my dearest friends. She had gotten a message from Mike on her answering machine today asking her to call me and let me know that he wasn't in the nursing home and was in a hospital. She thought he said "Sun" hospital and she gave me a phone number that she thought he left. Well, I called the number and it wasn't a good number and then called the nursing home, the nurses were with patients and not available and the girl on the desk didn't know anything about Mike. She (like me) hadn't heard of "Sun" hospital. So I called Helen back and asked her to get one of her boarders to listen to his message and see what he thought it said. Helen called back and gave me another number which wasn't a correct number, but was a room in a hospital. The lady in the room gave me the number of the nurses station and it turned out that Mike was there and she transferred me to his room. Bless his heart, it's just one thing after another. His red blood count had dropped to a dangerous level and yesterday they put him in the hospital and gave him two transfusions of whole blood and have him on minerals (IV) and sucrose because his blood sugar level had plummeted and his blood pressure was almost non existent. He's scheduled for a CAT scan tomorrow.

In the meantime, Helen found out several weeks ago that she has kidney cancer and she will be going into the hospital on the 22nd to have the kidney removed.

And, I'm not feeling so hot myself...I feel like I'm falling apart. Not sick, just coming unglued. I keep telling myself that it's just a matter of mind over matter, "If you don't mind it doesn't matter", but the reality of everything is that my entire world has crumbled and I feel as if everywhere I stand the ground quivers.

When it rains...

When it rains it pours! Isn't that the way it goes?

The nursing home still hasn't found Mike's things. How stupid can they be? He keeps thinking they will find it, I wonder. Yesterday I sent him a package with still another pair of glasses, books, magazines, snacks and a bunch of little things that may make him more comfortable. I need to get a clothes package together for him and some shoes. He has an appointment with the ORMC clinic today. I hope they'll get him there...he missed his last appointment there because the dumb nursing home didn't arrange transportation. He said on Sunday that he was going to verify transportation on Monday. I hope he remembered to do it.

I went by the Humane Society after work yesterday to make sure I could find it as a meeting was to be at 7 o'clock and I wanted to attend...was told that they were under quarantine because of parvo (have lost 12 dogs to date) and wouldn't be meeting...next meeting is scheduled for the 3rd Monday this month.

Drove by the house and they were in the process of pouring the driveway, 2 hours later we had one of the worse storms we've had...wonder how the driveway held up? I'll go by after work today.

When I got home I used vice grips and opened the hood of the car (had to check the oil level), well, when I was finished, the damn hood wouldn't close. Now I don't know what to do...it goes down, just won't latch...sticks up and you can tell it's open. DAMN IT!!!!!

Something fun

Today is the beginning of the 55th Annual Watermelon Festival! The kickoff began with a bar-b-q and a bed race. What with the weather being so ugly and unpredictable, I didn't stay for the race. I did, however, partake in the food! Actually, the chicken was smoked, yummy, no sauce. There were green beans, baked potatoes, a wonderful tossed salad, and an entire table of luscious desserts (I got cocoanut cake!). As I didn't know anyone there, I brought mine home and shared with Shirley, she's really good company!

After work today I had to run by Progress Energy to pick up some ad copy and since it's not far from "the house", I ran by to see if anything had been done. Well doggy, the driveway has been staked and formed out and the electrician was there!!!!! I talked with him about 2 more things that need to be done, the dining room light is on a toggle chain and I want it on a wall switch and I need an electrical outlet on the sun porch. He said that was no problem and that he thought things could be finished today! Oh, I'll keep my fingers crossed! I don't know when the driveway can be poured, I hate to wish for dry weather!

Tuesday Mike was moved from the hospital back to the nursing home. When I talked with him last night they still hadn't found his personal things that were left in his room when they took him to the hospital and he's in a different room now. It all seems so disorganized! It makes me worry about the level of care there, but he seems comfortable with it. I need to send him a clock or watch or some sort of time piece...they said for a week that they'd get him a clock and haven't yet.

As for the abscesses, the surface one was packed and Mike said the deeper one is draining into his colostomy bag, so evidently it also ruptured. He says he actually feels much better, though he is still quite weak and bed ridden.

I hear thunder, so I think I'll get off of here for now.

A fine kettle of fish

Well, things seem to constantly happening with Mike. I couldn't reach him yesterday or last night, nor could I get an answer at the front desk of the nursing home. I really didn't worry too much about it since I'd told him that I probably wouldn't call on Friday, but I wanted to see if he'd gotten the 2nd pair of glasses I'd overnighted to him and if they worked for him (the first pair I sent weren't strong enough). Also, that phone in his room hasn't been working too well, so I just figured it once more wasn't working. Well, this morning I called and got no answer in his room or at the desk and had the same results this afternoon, so I really did begin to worry. Then tonight I got an answer in his room, it was a woman who said I'd called the wrong number, but I checked it on my cell and it was the correct number. So I tried the front desk again, and after multiple rings did get someone. She told me that he wasn't there and since she didn't have my name she said she couldn't tell me anything else. I pitched a little fit and she finally told me that he'd been taken to ORMC, but couldn't say anything else. Soooo, I called the hospital and finally found him. I talked with him. He had an abscess in his surgical area that ruptured yesterday, so they immediately sent him back to the hospital. They did a CAT scan yesterday and there is a second, deeper abscess that they are going to address on Monday with drainage, etc. Bless his heart, he's really been through the mill, but he says he actually feels much better now that the first abscess is draining...it relieved pressure and pain. He's actually happy to be back with "his folks", they know him!

Finally, a phone for Mike

When I got home from work today, I called the nursing home and the front desk still didn't know of a phone for Mike, but they put me back to the nursing station and the nurse went to his room to check for me. Sure 'nuf, he had a phone and she gave me the number, but couldn't transfer me, so I added yet another long distance call to the growing list. Bless his heart, once more I called during dinner, but we did take the time to chat. He says this place is quite different from the hospital, but he's not sure if it's for the better or not. He does have a tv, but no clock...he said someone is working on getting one for him and I needn't send one...I still need to call back again, I need the address to send his new glasses to.

I went by the house after work. The shingles are on the roof of the new double carport and they exactly match the roof of the house and look wonderful! It looks like the only things left to be done before I move in is the electrical work (door bell, carport lights, electrical outlet on the sun porch and it seems there's one other thing), finishing the interior roof of the carport and the soffits and then paving the driveway. It all seems so close, but so far away.

Work's okay...fleas are still bad.

I can't believe it's Wednesday!

Wow! Where has the week gone? I Suwannee it was Sunday yesterday...I've got so much going on and it seems so little time.

When I got home from work yesterday I called the nursing home hoping to talk with Mike. Damn it, he didn't have a phone in his room. I finally did get his nurse and asked what was going on. she said "he's in isolation". Duh! I said "he isn't ambulatory and is infectious and he doesn't have a phone in his room?". She thought about it for a minute and said "well, I guess that's not right, I'll call maintenance and get one put in". So I called back at 8:30PM and they still hadn't done anything, they said "maybe tomorrow". We'll see.

I may have to go down there.

I fighting a major infestation of fleas. I sprinkled borax outside and in yesterday. I bathed Shirley last night and flea combed Mercy. Goodness won't let me get near him with the flea comb, though I know it would help.

Mother called twice yesterday...for some reason she thinks I need to hear from her often. She did ask me to go by the house after work today and let her know if any progress has been made. Well...I don't have a key, so it'll be hard to see anything inside.

Gotta dress for work.

Things are happening

When I got home from work today I had a message on the machine from a social worker at the hospital in Orlando saying they were moving Mike tonight to a nursing home/rehab center tonight. She said they'll move him by ambulance, of course and on a gurney. I called him as soon as I put Shirley outside. I think he's happy about the move, he feels (and I do too) that things are finally happening! He's been quite bored in the hospital and sees this move as positive. I really do hope they'll be able to finally start some rehab for him, they didn't seem to do very much in the hospital. He also said that on Wednesday he'll go to some clinic for evaluation and that on Friday they are going to do a skin graph over the incision site.

Things are happening!

Work went well today. I came home for lunch...let Shirley out and was back in less than an hour. I sold 11 ads in 5 hours. I think that's ok.

The Garden

Yesterday I went over to "the house". Out back is a raised 8'x8' bed that was horribly overgrown, so I weeded it. In the process I found a basil seedling, some old plantings of rosemary, a large clump of lemon thyme, lots of garlic chives, lots and lots of various mints and two seedlings that look like either squash or cucumbers...I don't know how to tell the difference until they bare (since I didn't plant them). There are three sagos planted in the bed that I'll move after I move in. Around the rather large patio are daylilies and what looks to me like yarrow. I even found several red impatients under an oak tree on the side. Since the house is 81 years old some of the foundation plantings are also quite old...some old camellias and many huge pecan trees...lots of dogwoods and red buds and old ivy and lots of lantanas, the front bed off the front porch is planted with the palest yellow lantanas...so pale that they seem almost white...pretty. The yard really hasn't been neglected, in fact it's in extremely good shape...not so much for me to work on, so I'll start things of my own. I'm looking forward to that!

I haven't talked with Mike for a couple of days...he keeps saying not to call for no reason. I'll call tonight.

I'm chilling three chicken breasts that I poached this morning. I'm going to make chicken salad and a pitcher of iced tea. The weather's so warm that it's hard to think of anything appealing to eat, and since I start the JOB tomorrow it'll be nice to have something for lunch.

I got up this morning at 4:30. There was an old white car backed in and parked out front. I went out for the newspaper at 6:30 and it was still there. The drivers seat was reclined, but I didn't look in, so I don't know if anyone was in it or not. Well, here it is almost noon and it's still out there. I'll feel a bit safer after I move. At once I feel quite isolated and quite exposed here. US 19 is within spitting distance of here and the train is maybe a ball field away...it'll certainly be quieter after I move!

My refrigerator still has that smell, maybe it's a good thing it won't fit in the kitchen of the new house. I'll have to put it on the glass porch (or tear out cabinets in the kitchen). My kitchen hutch won't fit either, so it'll either go on the glass porch or in the back hall, I'll just have to see.

I found out Friday that a friend of mine grew up in the house. Small world!

Stuff and things

Monday I met Mother in Tallahassee and we went on a shopping spree (on her Visa). We went to Talbots (for some reason she thinks that's the only place that carries petites). They had all of their new summer clothes out and it looked like a candy shop! The colors are bright, bold and very fresh this summer...so pretty! I ended up with several pairs of slacks, many tops, a skirt and two dresses! I don't remember the last time I wore a dress! We worked up quite an appetite with our shopping so we went back to her house and picked up Bert and went out to lunch at Marie Livingston's! It was wonderful and I brought home enough left overs for another meal. Yummy!

I had two job interviews Monday afternoon. This morning I got a call from one of them and I start Monday doing ad sales for the Monticello News. I'll enjoy that...it doesn't pay much and it's just 25 hours a week, but I was assured that I'll make more as I produce more...and it's 9-3 Mon-Fri with an hour lunch, so I shouldn't burn out like you do on so many 'phone jobs.

I've talked with Mike 'most every day for the past little while...out call today was quite short as they had just brought his supper in...I have the most uncanny way of calling either when he's eating or using the urinal. Usually we go ahead and talk, but I was only checking on him and telling him about my job today, so I cut it short.

They are working on the road out front and the dust is amazing...I think they bring it in just for the effect!

Something rather odd

This morning I turned on the morning news on TV while I perused the newspaper and had my first cup of coffee of the day. One of the first stories I heard was from Monticello so of course it caught my ear. There had been a shooting yesterday in Rooster Town leaving one person dead and one in custody. The dead man's name was Ricardo Fadell. That's the person who has been calling me for months and scaring me so badly. My stomach dropped when I heard that...such a mixed bag of feelings!

Movie

I just watched a wonderful movie...Finding Neverland...if you haven't seen it, do!

Nothing going on today that I'm aware of (so what's new?)...haven't talked with Mike since last night. Haven't talked with Mother for 2 days. Haven't talked with anyone today except Shirley, Goodness and Mercy and they don't say much!

Elvis has left the building

Tonight there was a wonderful special on TV called "Elvis by The Presleys". Two hours...and I watched every second of it! It took me back to pre-teen age and I salivated! I remembered a tabloid thingy that I read (we all read and talked about while wearing our crinolyns and saddle oxfords) about Elvis autographing some girls breast and she wore a band aid over it when she showered!!!! We all agreed that we'd do the same thing! Damn! we never had the opportunity!

Talked with Mike again tonight. They removed his feeding tube today and he took six steps! The damn hospital lost his glasses... moving him two doors down from where he was! I mailed him a package today with glasses and books and his sister's and brother's and my telephone numbers. He keeps loosing these things...and he asks for them and doesn't have a pen, so I included pens and a pad of paper. He said tonight that VA had accepted him into the rehab system...they now need to find a place for him. His infection is a major problem as it prohibits him from using communial equiptment or facilities in any place they may find for him.

Dream or nightmare?

Mother called today and wanted to come over. She said look nice and wear makeup. Oh joy! When she got here she came in to talk for a while and brought up how miserable this house was this past winter and asked "Do you remember when I said you'd never have to spend another winter in this house?" Well, I played along, but actually didn't remember her saying anything of the sort. Well it seems that while I was in Orlando with Mike she bought a house here in Monticello. It's a 3 bedroom 2 bath on a huge lot in town. We went to see it...she's in the process of having a double car carport built and the driveway paved. The house is 81 years old with beautiful hardwood floors and ceilings that have been dropped to 10'. There are big windows and a fireplace, a dining room and a large windowed side porch and an absolutely wonderful front porch with a swing. There' a gigantic patio out back and a small storage building way out back. The master bedroom suite was added on and is quite large with a huge, deep jacuzi tub and a walk-in shower with a double sink vanity and a linen closet. It's quite nice. It's mine for the taking and I'll receive it in total at her death. Wow!

Now, for the strings...she's calling it her house. She's decorating it in her mind with all of the stuff (all new, of course) from her condo in Waynesville, NC. She said I could put all of my junk in the shed out back. She said a lot more, but when she started talking about my junk I sorta tuned out. My hackles are up and I'm in a dilemma. She's paying the rent on this place (I don't even have a job) and will stop when the house is ready for occupancy.

You reckon I should go for it?

The hospital called while I was gone with Mother. Mike is stable and ready for rehab. They are trying to find a place for him...it'll have to be a hospital...I'm hoping for VA.

The Derby and other things

Today is the running of the Kentucky Derby...I've probably watched on TV or heard on the radio at least 40 Derbys...Probably more. How exciting it is to watch or hear those magnificent animals do what they're bred to do...To run for the roses!! The coverage today started at 5pm...I don't think they run until 6pm.

Yesterday was the first day since I've been back fro Orlando that I felt half way decent. My legs and back have given me such fits...I guess from a lot of standing, walking and driving. Oh well, except for my back, most everything is good.

My friend Kathy in Orlando has been by to see Mike everyday since I've been gone. She calls and gives me an update, and each day is better. I'm talking with him also, but Kathy sees and hears things that I don't get from a 'phone call with Mike. Bless his heart, he sure doesn't sound like himself, his voice is soooo different. Of course he's talking through his trac and I guess I should have expected this. It is so good to hear his voice again! For what seems such a long time we didn't think he'd make it at all.

I just spent 2 hours in the back yard with an electric weed eater and a 40 foot cord. I've had this weed eater for several years, I got it when we had the house, just to trim up and do the edging and keep things neat after Mike mowed. It sure wasn't made to clear an area with 2-3 foot tall weeds, but it did a remarkable job considering that it only cuts an 8" swath at a pass. And adding to that, I was tethered to a 40 foot cord that was actually shorter than that, because I had to run it from inside the house, so I probably lost 15 feet! Anyway, the back yard really looks good! Now, tomorrow the front!

Mother seems better, she and Bert have gone to his beach house for the weekend. That should be good for her! She tends to do too much when she's home. Now she can sit on the porch and watch the waves and maybe even take a walk along the beach. Boy! That sounds good!

Shirley lost so much weight at the vets! She went from 11 1/2 lbs to 8 lbs! That's a lot for such a little dog!

I hope to put out some annual seeds tomorrow, but I haven't dug the bed out yet. There are a couple of spots that had trees taken out some time ago and the roots and stumps have rotted and they look promising...I'll see.

Mike

Tonight Mike had his fourth surgery...his third was Friday night.

Friday they were able to close his surgical site down from a 12 inch gap (in width) to a little less than an inch. They also closed it from his breast bone completely about an inch and a half and up from his pubic bone completely about an inch and a half. However, this was only the skin and fat layer, no muscle. They tell me that he will be facing a surgery in about a year to close the muscle layer and in the mean time, there will be a hernia in the entire abdomen area. Tonight's surgery was to close the remaining ten inch area. As far as I know it was successful, I've only talked with nurses, not the surgeons.

This surgery was the hardest for me to go through, I wasn't there and had to call and call to get any information. I did talk with two of the surgeons (that I know) yesterday and they felt very confident...that in turn gave me comfort.

Just a few thoughts

I returned home this past Sunday, after 5 weeks in Orlando. It was both nice and strange getting back.

When I walked into the house (no animals...strange) the first thing that hit me was the smell...really bad smell. I decided it was a combo of old house smells, smoker smells, an undumped litter box and the house being closed up for so long. I looked in the 'fridge to find something to eat and discovered the source. The power wasn't on in the 'fridge and everything had spoiled including the jam-packed freezer. I spent the next two hours cleaning things out and scrubbing everything down with a bleach solution. Then I put crumpled up newspaper and kitty litter (fresh) in.

Monday AM I dashed to the vet to get Shirley, Goodness and Mercy out of hock (to the tune of $609.00 after a 25% discount) and hurried back to check on the 'fridge. The smell seemed just as bad as it was originally, so it was off to the store to get baking soda, air fresheners and coffee...and I put all three in the 'fridge when I got back.

Today is Thursday and I think there is a reduction in the odor...the ice cubes taste like the smell...I guess time will tell.

I've talked to the hospital every day since I've been back. Before I left on Sunday I was told that an order had been issued for Mike to be moved into "step-down" or intermediate ICU as soon as a bed was available.

Yesterday I spent several hours talking with nurses and surgeons. He is scheduled for a surgery tomorrow at 5PM to begin closing his surgical site. I'm taking the animals to the vet at 7AM tomorrow and going back down.

More when I can...this is the first time I've been on line since I've been back.

Mike

Things are slightly better...but that is all so relative. Mike is still on a ventilator. His every system is on support of some sort. His nurse told me today that of all of the patients on all of the floors in ICUs, that Mike is the sickest...so when he has a better day, it means that he had made some slight progress forward instead of backwards. He has a long way to go.

The uncertainties of life

This past week has been perfectly horrible! Mike is in the ICU here in Orlando and it's not certain that he's going to pull through.

Last Thursday (or was it Friday) the doctors removed his entire colon (he's had ulcerated colitis for several years). Yesterday he required another surgery to try to control the raging infection he has developed. He isn't aware of his surroundings and hooked us to every imaginable machine and drainage thingy and IV. So far they are trying to stabalize his heart rate, blood pressure, renal system and the infection...and so far they are not having much luck. The doctors say that the next 24-48 hours will be the telling ones. Pray for him.

Mother was checked into the hospital in Tallahassee yesterday with phenumonia (sp?). I talked with her this morning and she says she's being "killed with kindness" and expects to go home in a couple of days. Pray for her.

I've only had one night's sleep since being here. Pray for me.

The City Beautiful

Well, here I am in the "City Beautiful", Orlando, Florida.

I got a phone call Tues. night from my oldest daughter to tell me that Mike is in the hospital here in Orlando...ORMC. By the time I got down here he had been moved to MD Anderson Cancer Center. At this point, they don't think he has cancer (but they haven't been in), but they have told him in no uncertain terms that if his ulcerated colitis continues unchecked that is the next step. At this point, what he has is an acute attack of the ulcerated colitis. His colon is swollen to the point of rupture. When the doctors show the size of his colon with their two hands there fingers are about 2 inches apart. He is on steroids, antibiotics, vitamins, potassium, insulin and a saline solution all by IV. He's on morphine every 3 hours. It's very bad, very serious. He is being closely monitored and we have been told that emergency surgery is a high probility. Yesterday the doctor said 48 hours to see if there is any change...this morning another doctor said a couple of days.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are being boarded with the vet in Monticello...$8.50 per animal, per night...so, I can't stay terribly long without making other arrangements for them.

I'm staying in his room at this point...there is a Murphy bed.

What the Bleep do we Know?

I have just finished watching the most amazing movie I've ever seen! It's "What the Bleep Do We Know". They also have a web site: www.whatthebleep.com

I highly recommend this movie and site!

Rainy, rainy day! Grey, chilly and a little bleak, but in its own way quite glorious!

Bad caller

For the past several months I've been getting 'phone calls from a young sounding Hispanic male. On one of the earliest calls I did ask who he was and he said Ricardo Fadell (the only reason I spell the last name that way is that is the only close spelling I can find in the local 'phone book). He called several times a day for a while, usually while I was at work and he'd leave word on my answering machine. I told him early on not to call, but it continued, so I called the non-emergency number of the sheriff's office. I had already tried hitting *69 only to have the recording say that the number was unavailable. So I told the girl at the sheriff's office this and was told that there was probably nothing that could be done, but to call back if he called again. Well, he did and I didn't. There were many calls left on the answering machine from what sounded like collection agencies for a Vanessa Fadell and many calls from him. Then one night at almost nine o'clock I got a call from a man asking for Vanessa or Ricardo. I said it was a wrong number and hung up. He called right back and said he was with Progress Energy and did I know anything about a service order with Progress Energy for a location on Waukeena Street in town. Of course I didn't. The calls continued for a while after, I'd hang up without saying anything whenever I was here and happened to answer...I usually listen to the recorder before I answer. Well, the calls stopped for several weeks and I sure felt better, then yesterday morning a little before noon the phone rang and I listened to the machine before answering (habits are hard to break) and it was a whispering male voice that said "I'm back". Scared me so bad that I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't identify the voice. Last night around 8 He called. and again this morning at 7:45. I guess I should either go to the sheriff or call...I just hate to.

Mother

Yesterday I went to Tallahassee to try on a formal dess from Mother's closet. On the 14th of April there is going to be a rather grand gala honoring Bert and his long time partner for their years of medical practice. Mother is truely agog about this! The dress I tried on fit me, but I look like a sack of potatoes in it. Mother said that all I need to do is lose 10 pounds between now and the 14th and I'll look just fine.

We sat and talked for an hour or so after the "trying on"...really, I sat and listened, Mother talked. She had more pent up gossip in her than I could ever imagine! She might have burst had she not gotten it all out! I didn't even know most of the folks she was talking about, but it seemed to give her some relief to vent. I guess it helps all of us to have an ear to bend every now and then. (Thank you RM and Prent!!!!) After about an hour of this she got to the part she was really wanting to talk about (looking back on it). It seems she hasn't been feeling well lately and Bert actually took her to the emergency room last Thursday night. She has two damaged heart valves. She sees her main doctor on Monday afternoon and may know something then. I asked her was there anything she was supposed to do or not do...her answer, "no". I then asked what were they going to do about this and she said as far as she knows, nothing. I'll talk with her Monday after she sees her doctor and see if there are any other answers. She does have sleep apneia and is supposed to wear a breathing mask when she sleeps, but, it messes her hair up and leaves a mark on her face and she has to sleep on her back, etc., so she's not religious about wearing it. She said her doctor yelled at her the last time she was there about having to wear it every night. I did put in my two cents worth, too, but, I don't think it helped.

More on this when I know something.

Beautiful day today, but the rain comes in tomorrow for the week.

Worries and woes

I talked with Helen last night. She's concerned because she hasn't seen Mike in 2-3 weeks. He was stopping by to see her several times a week (without fail) and hasn't even called. She has asked around town and no one knows anything about him. Of course, I haven't heard from him in months.

Last night Goodness went nuts! He's such a big cat and when he choses to be crazy it's hard to ignore. From about midnight on he tore around the house, thundering on the hardwood floors...he tore up window blinds and broke several things. I'm not sure just what his problem was, but I'm thankful that he seem exhusted now and is sleeping soundly! And I've always called Mercy my "bad cat"!

Cold again this morning...our high was only 52 yesterday...they say it'll be in the 60's today.

Icky day

Today is cold and overcast. This has been really weird weather...sunny, warm and beautiful one day and really icky the next. I guess it's normal, I just don't remember it this way.

In the past three days I've unpacked 8 large boxes...the trick will be finding spots to put everything.

I think Shirley's bored. She wants in then out, then in, then out, I wish the yard had a fence so I could let her out to run. The chain I have her on is mighty heavy for such a little dog.

I was sitting by the front window at dusk last night and had no lights on inside, so I could see quite clearly out into the yard. A movement caught my eye by the bird bath...two very small rabbits were just poking about. I watched them for several minutes until something spooked them and they dashed off into the underbrush. It's so funny to see things like that here right by the highway.

Last week was the first week in a long time that I didn't hear from Prentice. I miss our talks. I hope everythings okay with him. I haven't heard from Mike in a long, long time. I worry so much about him.

Just stuff

There was a terrible storm last night. Shirley and I were on the sofa watching t.v. when a boom sounded over the house. It was so loud that I thought a train had derailed or an explosion had happened. The windows rattled and the pictures on the walls shifted. Cats ran everywhere and I was scared. Then it happened again and again and again...then, I could see flashes of light through the blinds. When the rain started it was a blessed relief...at least I knew what was going on! I ran around and unplugged everything and went to bed with a dog and 2 cats on top of me. I'm not sure how long this storm raged, but we got over 2 inches of rain. This morning it is clear, beautiful and cool. The forecast is for freezing or below tonight. Wow!

I was thinking about age this morning. I'll be 60 this year, Mother will be 80 and my oldest daughter will be 40. I remember standing in line in the lunch room when I was 11 or 12. One of the girls we all admired had just turned 15. We whispered and giggled and thought she was over the hill! Can you imagine? Over the hill! If we had only known the hill was so much longer and higher and harder! I've heard many people say that they feel no differently inside than they did at 11 or 12 (or older or younger) and I agree, I feel no different, I'm still me with all of the insecurities and fears of youth. I don't feel I've gained anything with age other than lines, aches and all of the other baggage that comes with additional years. I'm still insecure and afraid.

Books

I just finished reading the fourth in a series of books by Jan Karon. These are based in a little North Carolina town called Mitford, which is loosely based on the town of Blowing Rock, NC. At Home in Mitford, A Light in the Window, These High, Green Hills and Out to Canaan are the titles. I sencerely hope there will be more of these as I really hated to finish the last one. It's been a while since I've felt so at home in a book, so warm, so comforted! I highly recommend these!

I still have no idea of what I'll do with myself, but the feeling of panic has grown quieter and I'm sure there's something for me to do to support myself. Of course, the age of 60 might make it a little harder, but I'll find something...look at Grandma Moses!

The straw

Well, I guess I've finally lost it for sure!

Friday at work I packed up all of my stuff and put it in my car and left without saying a word to anyone. I guess I quit...no, I know I quit. The bitch that has hated me from day one won. Talk about burning bridges...there goes another one. Don't know what I'll do. I have nothing and frankly don't know what to do, or what to look for. In one sense I feel an enormous relief, in another I feel abject fear. There was no one to talk to about it. I just did what I had to do at the time. I haven't told anyone, who would I tell? I almost feel there is a law suit in this somewhere...I was promised one thing and given nothing. In fact almost everything I was doing had gone to other people and I sat for eight hours a day waiting for the phone to ring. On Thursday I started keeping track of the calls coming in, at times it was over half an hour between calls...55 minutes one time. Talk about going nuts! That did it. Between 8 and 10:30 on Friday there were 6 incoming calls.

I haven't finished unpacking from the move from Orlando...and can't get motivated to do anything. Went out and raked leaves for a while this morning. Got blisters.

Martha Stewart is OUT!

Bless her heart, I'm sure these past five months have felt much longer for Martha than for me, but I have thought about her almost every day and celebrate the fact that she is finally out of prison! I hope these next five months of house arrest will go quickly for her.

The weather is weird! We have had below freezing temps for the past 3 mornings and rain all day yesterday to boot! I even had to scrape ice from all of the car windows day before yesterday!

Leg is better...still hurts if touched and still oozy.

No word from Prent.

TGIF!!!!!!!

Surprise Weather

Boy! I suppose I should listen to the news/weather more often! Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to 32 degree weather! Yesterday it was shirt sleeves and this morning it's heavy coat! I even bought flower seeds yesterday because I thought Spring had sprung...guess I'll wait a few days or so to put them out.

Fellow at work brought me a movie that I watched yesterday. "An Angel for May"...really good!

Oh how I wish for cable TV or satellite. With rabbit ears I get 4 channels, three quite well and, of course, the one I watch the most is at times unviewable. Oh well, surely my ship will come in some day.

Shirley is in heat. I hate that. I must have her spayed.

Rainy Sunday

Yesterday was a constant downpour...it's been a while since I've seenit rain so hard for so long. The birdbath actually ran over for hours as if it had a built in water fall. It was glorious!

Friday I rented 2 movies and watched them yesterday. The Notebook and The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. They were both WONDERFUL! I had thought I'd return them today, but I want to watch each of them again before I do!

The rain did some wonderful things. This morning when I put Shirley out it looked like there was white paper torn up all over the back yard. On further investigation, it was white violets blooming everywhere! and, there are azealas blooming and the Japanese magnolias and dafodils are in bloom...of course, all of the camellias are still in bloom, too, so it's a fairy land out there!

My leg's itching like crazy, thank goodness, I think that means it's healing!

Better (than what?)

Well, I'm better. I went to work yesterday and one of the first things I was asked to do was copy an entire policy file. I stood at the copier for about an hour and a half. Really did my leg lots of good!

Got a call from Prentice last night at 10:30. He knows I go to bed earlier than that, but when he gets a snoot full it's all about him and he just doesn't care. When I said I was in bed he got rather ticked off and started to hang up, perhaps I should have let him, but I stopped him and we talked about half an hour. He can't come this weekend and I think that's just as well...I'm going to drop the idea until he can get here on his own power, then so be it.

Rainy weather, but warm.

Gotta run need to whip through the dump on the way to work.

Up but not running

I've been down for a few days...physically and mentally. This has really been an awful week for me. I had a biopsy done on my left leg a week ago Monday...no cancer, thank goodness, but there was an encapsulated infection. The lab report said it was a few months old. The biopsy released the infection and it has been a horrible experience. Today is the first day that it didn't break open and drain when I got up. I'm still running a fever and feel rotten as all get out, but the swelling is down and the reddness is more of a brown now and the pain is very much reduced. Boy, this has had me down. I was able to shower and wash my hair this morning and that feels better.

I have no idea what this has done to my job which has felt tenuous at best. Now, I'm working with all of these self professed Christians, this "office family" as they call themselves and not a damn one of them has called or come by. I sure could have used a few things during this time, friendship not being the least of them. I guess that puts me in my place as the uppity "new girl"! Oh hell, I wish I knew what to do. I'd like to just run around and scream and kick butt! I'm sure that would get me far!

Who am I kidding, I knew in my first week there that I didn't fit in...and I really tried to. What to do, what to do?

FOG

The fog is so thick this morning that I can barely see my car outside the bedroom window...I don't ever remember seeing it so thick. I could feel it on my face when I put Shirley out earlier. The weatherman said it will last at least until noon. WOW!

My dumb leg throbbed all day yesterday and is still going strong this morning. Not much meat on my shin so I guess that's why.

Am taking myself out to breakfast this morning, so will dash for now.

Young neighbors

Now I'm aware that in order to get to the wise ol' ages that we have reached we all were in our early 20's at one time or another. But were we totally stupid too? My next door neighbor is in her early 20's.

We had rain all Sunday night and until around 3 yesterday afternoon...so last night aroud 9:00 my young neighbor and her boy friend built a BIG bonfire between our houses...wet wood...need I say more? MY house filled with smoke and the animals went absolutely nuts. It didn't help that I reassured them that it was nothing, they wanted OUT! For that matter, I kinda wanted out myself. To make matters worse, my neighbor and her boy friend proceded to drink beer and then decided to pull his van up to the fire with the sliding doors open and make whoopee and to drink beer and to play very LOUD noise that I'm sure passes for music in their world and to drink beer. Do you see where this is going? The whoopee turned into a very loud fight with van doors slamming and house doors slamming and van tires screeching and motors gunning and then blessed quiet in the smoke for about 15 minutes. Then damn it, he came back...young love. They sat arount the bonfire and yelled at each other, her octives rising as more beer went down. This lasted until after 11:00 when they both left in the red van. Happy Valentines day!

Went to the doctor yesterday for my initial visit. Hate doctors, even the good ones. This one seems to be a good one...liked him as far as doctors go. Showed him my leg and he biospied (sp?) it right then and there. I'll get results mid-week next week.

Mabel, our 80 year old receptionist, had us all to her house for a Valentine lunch yesterday. It was wonderful! Fried chicken, collard greens, creamed corn, green beans, macaroni and cheese, purple passion salad, potato salad, sweet tea, rolls and two desserts. Ate until I couldn't any more as did everyone! Still forced myself to have supper last night...no cobbler.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

This has been a glorious day! mid-60's, sunny, nice.

Got a call from Helen a while ago. She's been in the hospital with an ear infection. I think her daughter's going to try to put her in a home. That'll kill her! She said that Mike comes by a couple of times a week and always has George in the car with him and always is drinking.

Except for getting a paper this morning early, this is the first day in a while that I've just stayed home. Feels good! I've watched a couple of movies and made soup and just vegged out! Lovely!

The grill

Today I went to Fred's and got a little covered grill for $19.99. Now this grill wasn't assembled, but I thought "how hard can that be, guys put them together all of the time". Well, let me tell you, it's not as easy as you may think! The directions said it would take an hour to assemble. This particular grill was made in China and there were a lot of references to assemble this part to resemble the picture.......tiny pictures, even with my glasses on. I put each and every nut, bolt, screw and washer in twice, once to resemble the picture and once correctly. There was a point when I was attaching the lid that I considered not attaching the damn thing, but then I had a little talk with myself and got it on. Not only does it open and close, but it fits! However, I don't think I'll be grilling out tonight...I'm pooped. Two hours to put an eighteen inch grill together is just entirely too long. Maybe I'll have greater respect now for the guys out there that put their grills together in an hour...then, maybe I won't!

While I was outside with the grill I got a call from the furniture store. My chair is in!!!!! They'll call Monday and make arrangements for delivery! Yeah!!!!!!!

Went to the vets office this morning and got worming pills for the 'mules...Got Shirley's down her with no problem, however, I'm scratched all over both hands and arms from Mercy and never did get hers in her. I tried twice, don't know what to do now. Never even tried to give Goodness his...he kept running full out every time I approached him!

Beautiful day, 60's.

I think Prentice may come stay with me for a week and change some locks and do a few other little things for me. That'll be nice!

Internal clocks and things

My magic number seems to be 4:44am...at 4:44 every morning I wake up and look at the clock. Now I'm wondering what would happen if I changed the clock forward or back a little...what time would I wake up?

I haven't heard from Mike in a few weeks. I worry about him.

Mother took me shopping last week and over the weekend gave me a few things from her closet. I've really dressed for work lately (since I actually have something to wear), but today they'll be surprised...I'm in jeans and a sweater...really, it feels better...more like ME!

I'm gaining weight, wonder if it's the cobbler with ice cream and caramel sauce I eat every night before I go to bed? Surely not!

This past weekend while recovering the hassock I worked up a really big blister (from the staple gun) on my thumb...it popped before I knew it was there and everything I do seems to agravate it. It actually bled at work yesterday and washing dishes is quite painful. Seeing that it's on my right hand, I really can't baby it. Wonder how long it'll take to heal?

Got my bank statement yesterday. It seems I didn't record 2 checks (actually debit card transactions). Now I don't know where I stand...I think I'm overdrawn. Drat!

Busy weekend

This was such a busy week end for me! I needed 48 more hours! Saturday morning Mother called and asked if I'd like to go to a movie. So I dressed and dashed to Tallahassee. My first stop was the new Goodwill that opened last week...found a notebook I've wanted for a dollar and a Will Rogers tape for a dollar (less 10 percent of course). Then I went to Ross to look for a lamp shade for the floor lamp I found at the dump last week (I'd been wishing for one, but the ones I'd found in stores were awfully expensive and not what I wanted). Found a big red one that looked perfect and a mosaic table with elephants. Then to Mother's house for a quick tuna sandwich. We went to see "The Wedding Date"...cute movie, but a little embarrassing to see with my 80 year old mother! Back to Mother's where she gave me several outfits (she's cleaning out her closets) and a watch (the one with a swan as the logo). From her house I ran by Joann Fabric and found a wonderful red fabric with elephants to cover my old hassock with and some sissors. Then by Walmart for groceries and then home. It was almost 6:00pm when I got home.

Well, when I got home I found that the big wonderful lamp shade was about 89 sizes too large for the lamp, but it sure was pretty!

Sunday morning I dashed back to Tallahassee and exchanged the lamp shade for one that quite a bit more conservative, but nice and got a smaller version of the elephant table that nests nicely under the other one. I took a short-cut one the way home and added about 35 minutes to my traveling time, but it was a pretty drive and I enjoyed it.

I spent Sunday afternoon rewiring the floor lamp and recovering the hassock and vacuuming and doing a little cleaning. There's so much more to do! Well, I'm off this afternoon, maybe I'll get more done today...just not stapling, I worked up a really big blister that popped on my right thumb...boy is that sore!

Must close so I can run by the dump before work.

Woops

Well, I spoke too soon...things are definitely different at work, not necessarily better. I wish I could just live in a hole...I could probably afford the rent. I'm depressed, lonely, sad, stupid, nuts, and every other thing I think when I'm not sitting at the computer. Damn, I'm unhappy.

24 Hours...What a difference!

This time yesterday I was thinking of needing to find another job. This morning, I'm rather excited about going to work! The difference? Everything has changed! Two people that I never looked to as allies, Renee', the office manager and Ric, one of the partners, called me aside early yesterday for a talk. They both apologized for the turmoil of the past 30 days and thanked me for the job I'd done. Then they offered a solution...beginning yesterday, I'm in charge of the telecommunication system, the deposits (these run to $100,000.00 twice a week) and various assorted smaller responsibilities. Thank goodness! I'll be busy, but not bored! Things are looking up! Now if only my personal life weren't so black!

Rainy dogs

This morning I went to put Shirley out (I think it was a little early for her, 4:45AM) and there was a very large black dog on the back steps. Of course Shirley went bonkers, but the poor dog just stood there in the rain and wagged and smiled. I felt so bad for him and put some dog food out. He sniffed it and wandered off. Later Shirley did go out and the dog reappeared. He's awfully sweet, and awfully thin...can I keep him? Probably not, I don't think he'd fit in the house.

I'm feeling like I'm really getting the shaft at work. I was promised training, I've gotten none and now it appears that I'm the permanent file clerk. If they'd pay me more, I might stay...otherwise, I guess I'll have to find something else, I don't like this feeling of being used.

Never say yes to DOS!

I guess you're never too old to learn something! Yesterday I was exploring this computer and in programs under games I saw a link to a DOS based game...being a little stupid, I thought it'd be fun to see what it was all about. When I clicked on it a message came up that said in order to run the game, Windows98 would have to be closed...was that okay? I said yes! Well, no game ever came up and I lived in panic for almost 2 full days with a black screen with white writing asking for a command...well, I tried a few, most of which I'll not print here, and nothing worked. So I typed in "uninstall DOS"...damn thing told me that if I did that it would uninstall Windows98...it took me a week to get Windows98 installed correctly and I certainly didn't want to uninstall it! So I called a fellow from work, got his answering maching and no call back. Didn't know what to do. Woke up this AM with the bright idea to call AOL. Of course, my question wasn't an AOL question and they couldn't help me or even venture a guess when I BEGGED! However, he did give me a number for Microsoft support. Now, Microsoft support is on the West coast and it being Sunday, and three hours behind us, I had to wait until 9:30 to call...about went bonkers waiting! Now, here's the good part, when I finally went through all of the computer menus on the 'phone I did get to tech support...bless his heart, this fellow had a mid-eastern accent so thick that I could hardly understand him and it seemed that my rather thick southern accent gave him a bit of trouble too, but I finally did get across to him what had happened and what I wanted (NEEDED!!!!). Well, they no longer have free tech support for Windows98 (obsolete), but he gladly gave me a web site to go to (right!) or for a slight charge of $35.00 (I never understood this part) I could get help on the 'phone, but it might not help and I'd be out the $35.00. So back to square one! Finally in total despiration, I typed in the uninstall command thinking that the worse thing that could happen was that I'd have to reinstall. Well, it worked and here I am, a little worn for wear, but back on line and reconnected to the world!

Another find at the dump!

I returned the sewing machine to the dump and made yet another wonderful find...a bunch of window shades (all sizes) still in their packages w/hardware! They're still in the car, so I don't know exactly how many or just what sizes, but WHAT A FIND!!!! There was also a bundled bunch of white metal rods with end-cap sorta things and wooden cross-bar things. Got it, too. I'm not sure just what it's supposed to be, but I put it together last night (have pieces left over) and I have a few ideas of what it can be, maybe. It's outside now.

I sure do like ordering from the internet. I couldn't find brewers yeast for the beasties (the local pet store didn't get it in), so I went to Petco.com and ordered it. It arrived yesterday (3 working days) and the animals are much happier now.

It's much warmer today, 48 at 6am. Better!

Must run...want to make a swing through the dump before work.

The dump

I stopped at the dump on the way to work yesterday...to drop something off and lo and behold...I left with more than I went there with! I found a huge box of books, a bamboo bird cage and a sewing machine! There was also a wicker chair, but I couldn't fit it in the car. I've begun to think that Mike isn't going to bring me my sewing machine, so this was a MAJOR find!

Worked 1/2 a day yesterday and got home at noon. It took longer to unload the car than it did to load it and I enjoyed every moment of it. The bird house is in very good shape and the books were unreal! There were 8 paperbacks by Edgar Rice Burroughs that wereprinted in the '60's...his science fiction works...and I've only heard about them, never seen or read them. And, many, many other really good ones. The sewing machine on the other hand had been canabalized...not much of it was there, but I salvaged 2 needles, a bobbin and bobbin case, a drive belt and a good pressure foot. Maybe I can build one.

The weather is wild! Saturday night I put Shirley out around 9:30 and checked the temperature...64. When I got up around 7 Sunday morning it was 24! 26 this morning.

Stormy stormy night!

We had quite a storm pass through last night Tornado warnings all around us, nothing but high winds and mega rain here...Thank goodness! It's still raining now, but should clear by noon...colder after that. I rather look forward to the colder weather...it IS winter!

Change is in the air

After 3 weeks of unusally warm weather, we are in for a change. We have been having highs in the mid to upper 70's and lows in the 50's. Starting tomorrow the powers that be say we'll be lucky to have highs in the 60's. I was finding the other ideal, but what's coming is going to be more seasonal...after all, it is winter!

Mike sold the house. At least it didn't go into foreclosure. I received a check yesterday for a bit less than a third of the profit. I opened a savings account...I have nothing to retire on and this isn't enough to retire on, but maybe it'll grow.

Thursday sure snuck up on me. Weeks (and life) seem to be zipping by. Tomorrow will surprise me, too.

Mother

I was on line a few hours on Sunday afternoon trying to get this computer set up and all that jazz and then was again on line Monday afternoon/early evening for a couple of hours. Well, it seems that Mother tried to call both days while I was on line and evidently never hit a time I was off line. I shut the computer down around 6:30 PM on Monday and fixed my supper (baked chicken breast, herbed rice, asparagus with alfredo sauce and sliced tomatoes). Got everything ready and my tray fixed in time to settle down in the living room (on my new red sofa) in front of the television to watch Wheel of Fortune. Had just gotten through the first puzzle when I saw head lights pull into my front yard...went to the front porch, looked out and low and behold, it was Bert and Mother. Of course Mother was acting franic, said "I've been worried sick"...of course I asked "why?". Well she'd only gotten a busy signal for 2 days and decided I'd been murdered. I told her next time to wait and call me the next day at work. This close mothering from someone who NEVER was much of a mother is what is going to kill me! She's just having to put on a good show for her new husband. At the prime age of 59 (60 this year) I'm not up to having her mothering, nor am I up to a "step father". We'll just have to see how this plays out...don't quite know how I'm going to handle it. I didn't tell her about the computer, she'd FLIP! Told her the cats had knocked the phone off the hook. That's good enough for now. You'll notice what time I'm posting now. I'll just have to start getting up an hour earlier for a while.

Funny Monday

It feels so odd to have Monday afternoons off work! I just gear up for work after having a weekend off, and I only work for 4 hours and then at noon on the button, I'm off until Tuesday. Odd! Now, I'm not complaining, I like working 4 and being paid for 8...and, it's every week...it's just odd!

This afternoon I went to the local pet center (yes, we really do have one!) Bought Shirley a lovely red turtle-neck sweater...the brown one is really too small...and ordered The Three some more brewers yeast with garlic. It'll be in next Tuesday. Then I came home and worked on the computer some (installed Windows). After being totally flustrated for an hour or so I went to town to run a few errands...cleaners, farmers market, grocery store and the DUMP! I love the dumps here...I've not found anything wonderful or anything...I just love them! Actually, this was my second trip to this one today, I put a bag of garbarge in the car yesterday afternoon to drop off this morning...kitty litter and stuff...and this morning I was running slow and didn't have time to drop it off on the way in, so it sat in my closed up car until noon. It's quite warm here now and the smell blew my head back when I opened that door at noon! So, on my way home from the pet center I dropped by the dump. Drove home with all of the windows down and as fast as I could. Hair was interesting.

Work is good.

Things are okay.

Thank goodness for Goodwill!!

I feel like a bird let out of a cage! Yesterday I went to Tallahassee...found a tiny Goodwill store...broused and spied an old computer...hard drive, monitor, keyboard & printer for $189 less 10 percent ('cause I'm over 55...HA!!!). Brought it home, set it up, got on line & here I am! Had to get a new mouse and need a new keyboard and it's slower than anything I've ever used, but, how WONDERFUL to feel reconnected!

I think I'm gonna make it.

End of 2nd week on job...got paid...opened checking account.

shirley has a boyfriend...a brindle chihuahua (sp?).

Later.

TGIF

I started a job this past Tuesday. An insurance company here in Monticello. TGIF!!!!!!! Will write more when more comfortable here...no computer at home and the library closes at 5:30.

Monticello

As promised, I'm using a computer in the Monticello library.

Today I changed my drivers license, voter registration and got a library card.

The house is coming along slowly...still have a million boxes to unload...and easily that many to dispose of. No garbage pick-up at the house...still haven't found out where to take it.

The animals seem to be adjusting.

Have had one interview (in Tallahassee) and have filled out an application with the Monticello News...keep your fingers crossed.

Must run for now, lots to do.

Off I go...

The next time I post it will be from a library either in Monticello or Tallahassee. This is probably the 2nd saddest day of my life. The first being when I left the children with Bruce. I'm very afraid, very sad, very scared, etc., etc., etc. I'll miss Mike like I would miss my right arm. He's been my heart and my very life for 21 years. I'm not sure how I can do this, but I know I must. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy will pine for him, too.

Okay, I'll post.....

Last week I went to Apalachicola to see Prentice. It's been several years since I've seen him and this visit was the first time in many, many years that I remember just having a visit with the two of us. It was most pleasant and fun! We did a nature hike, walked all over town and met millions of folks (I exaggerate a bit) and did a whole lot of eating. Good visit! I got there on Wednesday and stayed until Friday.

Friday I went to Tallahassee to visit with Mother and to meet her new husband, Bert. Bert sure is a sweety!!!!! We did some shopping (earrings), went to a cocktail party, did a lot of running around and ate out a lot!!!!!! I gained three pounds while on this trip. I stayed in Tallahassee from Friday until Monday.

On Monday I headed back to Orlando with a very heavy heart and a rather sad mission. I had to tell Mike that I had rented a house in Drifton and had the electricity and phone contracted to be turned on next week. He may care, but he doesn't show it. He's still very sweet and I have never doubted his love for me. The alcohol is the problem...he is aware of this, but either can't or won't do anything about it. The alcohol is the reason the house is in foreclosure. He won't ever talk with me about what he plans to do. Wouldn't talk with me about it before and I had to do something. My heart breaks.

I did send some letters out for employment. Will do a lot more once I'm moved. I have movers coming on Monday (Bert's paying for them). God!!!!! I hate this!!!!! I never thought we would end up this way. I don't have plans to divorce...may need to...he ran the credit cards in my name way up while I was in N.C. and didn't pay on them. I'll have to do something.

Pray for us.

I had a dream....

Last night I dreamed there were strangers in the house. They were throwing everything around and knocking pictures off of the wall and really making a royal mess. Then they began demanding to know why I was in their house. I woke in a sweat and was very afraid. It took getting up and going through the house to really believe it was a dream. It was around 4:00AM before I fell back to sleep and that sleep was only fitful.

I had to call the doctor today. He'd said that if I wasn't better after taking the series of antibiotics that I should call. Well, I'm not better...still running a fever...jaw, throat, neck, etc. still hurts...still feel awful...so I called. He gave me two options, either make an appointment with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, or take another series of antibiotics. Well, I opted for the medication and he called it in. I got back from picking it up a while ago, still in shock. It cost $122.99!!!!! Ouch!!!! Hope it works.

Better

I think the antibiotics are beginning to work...I feel slightly better...ear doesn't hurt as much, nor does my jaw. Science is amazing.

I'll have to go to work tonight...missed 4 days last week. Can ill afford that.

Talked with Mother yesterday. She had some interesting ideas about this dilemma I'm in. Will pursue them when I'm feeling much better.

Answer to Beth

Hi Honey,
Yes, we are going to have to move. I don't know where. Things are a mess here...I'm sick. Finally went to the doctor on Thursday and am on an antibiotic and a decongestant. Should be better soon. Mike doesn't know that I've said anything about the forclosure. I'd like to keep it that way for now. According to what he's telling me, he found out yesterday at the courthouse that we have approximately 45 days to get our ducks in a row and get out of the house. I'm a little frightened. He won't talk to me about it and when I try to get him to he gets mad. Yesterday I asked him if I should try to find a place for me in NC...he said he didn't care and to do whatever I want. Then today he asked me if I wanted to go out for supper. Stranger than strange.

I don't know what happened to my post yesterday...I can't find it anywhere...but it said that it posted 100 percent. Obviously it didn't.

I'm glad that Bruce and David have gone back to work. Isn't it a relief to know it was all a misunderstanding!

Meemaw and Bert (the doctor who delivered Rosie) got married a year ago. She's 79 and he's 86 (I think). They seem very happy. They do a lot of partying and traveling. They are going on a cruise for Christmas.

Mom

The attack of the "Poor Pity Mes"

Stuff

The weather for the past two days has been glorious! We've had beautiful blue skies and light breezes with temperatures in the mid to low 70's during the days and low 50's at night. This morning the weatherman said to enjoy it while we can because the heat will be back tomorrow.

I've made no decisions reguarding my life or marriage as of yet, but it's high on my priority list. Something must be done, and soon. We'll know the status of the foreclosure on the house this next week, I hope.

Interesting day

Today was a little different for me, instead of working this evening, I worked 9:30-4:30...boy am I not used to that sort of stuff! Was I ever tired when I got home!!!!!

What was even worse than being tired was seeing Mike try to rush out to the garage with the beer he was trying to hide from me. What am I going to do? I found out today that I can go to the courthouse and file for divorce (if it's uncontested) without a lawyer...is that the answer? I sure wish I had a crystal ball. This life of trying to pretend that things are okay is not doing either of us any good and I really don't like it. God, I don't like it!

Spinning in place

There is so much that needs to be done...so much that I need to do, yet here I sit on the computer just spinning in place and getting absolutely nothing at all done. I'm smarter than that, I know better, but here I am...spinning, spinning almost out of control.

Ah! A paragraph! don't know how it happened, but hallelujah!!

It's going to be cold this weekend...down into the 50's at night and just into the 70's during the day. If I had a fireplace I'd bring in wood! Maybe I'll make a pot of chili or stew or something else comfortable and hot...is it time for my long johns?

Rain, rein, reign

Funny isn't it how something that sounds the same can be so different. It's raining today from tropical storm Matthew (t.s. Nicole is far out in the Atlantic) and no matter how I reign, I can't rein the rain. This makes absolutely no sense, but somehow pleases me. I've still got that damn paragraph thing going...this may be the final screw in the hinges that are holding me together. I'm coming unglued, unscrewed, etc. Unhappy doesn't begin to describe the feelings I'm having now...faced with the prospect of...can't say it yet. Had a funny thing happen yesterday. I was standing on the back porch trying to get Shirley to jump over Mercy and come out with me. When all of a sudden, a large globby, wetish thing fell onto the top of my head. As I stood holding the door and using my foot to keep Mercy in the house and urging Shirley to jump over and out I was flinging my one free arm around trying to entice the dog, deter the cat and find out what was on my head...I bashed myself in the nose so hard that I saw stars, was sure I was going to have a nose bleed (didn't) and it hurt for hours. As I reached up to the top of my head, a very large frog jumped off of it and just sat on the water jug he landed on and appeared to laugh at my antics. The dog came out, the cat stayed in and the frog got away and we all lived happily ever after...oh, I guess that's the end of someone else's story.

It is Fall today!

Today is glorious! There is little to no humidity and the temp is in the low 80's! It feels like FALL!!! How wonderful! It's to be in the 60's tonight. One tends to live for this type of weather here! I don't know what is the matter with this dumb blog thing, not only can I not make a new paragraph, but it types each new word under the sentence I'm working on and then when I hit the space bar it throws what I typed into its proper place. This is rather maddening! Personally, things aren't so hot right now...don't know what to do or how to do it. Perhaps I'll get it sorted out, perhaps I won't. I wish for a long sleep.

Just to stay in touch....

I was unable to get on line yesterday for some reason, so I didn't post. I finally did get on line today and really have nothing I feel compeled to post about. I'm dreadfully tired. I think everyone down here is also. We all used up every bit of energy we had with preparing, worrying and all of that good stuff. Mike unboarded the front windows this afternoon. That really makes a big difference...it's not so cavelike in here now.

Thank God and Progress Energy!!!

Our power went out around 8'oclock this morning and we had bad wind and rain all day. I called Progress Energy around 10:30 or 11:00 this morning to report that we had no power, but it was blinking off and on (mostly off). Then, about 4:00 this afternoon I called to report that there was NO POWER at all, not even off and on. The reports we were getting on the little battery powered TV and the no longer functioning battery powered radio said we would be very lucky to have power in the next three weeks!! We got our electricity back tonight around 9:45!!!!! Thank God and Progress Energy!!!!!

"The time has come, the waldrus said..."

Here is it 6:30 in the evening on Saturday...boy, those storms sure know how to time their hits for the weekends...is anyone else finding that rather odd? It seems we have a real doozy coming this time ( and we thought the others were bad!). I've cleaned the house, vacuumed, dusted (not the walls, I did that for Frances), made a pot of turkey gumbo and remembered to get coffee filters! I moved my car to parallel the house and scratched the stew of of her on the bumper of the dead truck, I think I've done all I can, except for getting the table and 2 chairs off of the porch. How does one prepare for this sort of thing? I thought I knew what I was doing with Charley, then I was sure with Frances and even Ivan...now I know that there is really no way to actually batten down the hatches. This storm, Jeanne, is stronger that any of the others, and it has finally dawned on me that there is really nothing we can do. This storm has killed a whole lot of people already and destroyed untold property. The TV folks on every chanel are saying she's really, really bad. I'm rather unnerved this time. Say a prayer.

We'll do it until we get it right!!

Well, this is beginning to feel like a broken record (remember those things?)! The folks of Central Florida are very close to being professionals at hurricane preparations. We've filled our cars with gas and bought the last loaf of bread in the stores and most of us have been freezing bottles of water for weeks. Most of our larders of canned goods are untouched and we have batteries. Tomorrow we'll do laundry and fill bathtubs with water. We'll take down whatever we put back out in the gardens and vacuum. We'll run dishwashers and play on computers. We'll do what we can to fill our selves with normalcy for one more day before Jeanne arrives.

What else is new?

Thursday Mike's going in for a colonoscopy(sp?). I think this will be his fourth in about 6 years. Starting today he's on a low fiber, low fat diet...very restrictive, things like no soup sorta throw me. No red meats, no red dyes, no whole grains, no dairy...that sort of thing.

The one thing that he can have (and is looking forward to) is turkey. I really missed the boat on this one, should have gotten the turkey last week, instead of yesterday. The smallest I could find is 13 pounds and frozen solid. Against all rules, I left it out until this morning and I could actually move the skin on the beast. So now it's in my canning kettle in a brine in the refrigerator in the garage. I should be able to cook it tomorrow.

The weather this past weekend was GLORIOUS!! Mid 80's, low humidity, clear skys and breezy! I had to put on a sweater to sit in the front yard late in the afternoon yesterday! It felt like FALL!!!! At least fall as we know it here in Central Florida. Today is cloudy, cool and rather rainy. They say this rain is from Ivan...I guess he came back around to say Hi since he missed us the first go round! There are actually 4 tropical thingys out there right now...I refuse to think about it! I'm done with tropical thingys!

Ramblings

The first hurricane I remember was in 1949, I was 4 years old. I don't think they named them back then, or if they did, I don't know the name. It was in the fall, because my baby sister was crawling and pulling up on things, and she was born in February of 1949.

My daddy was in law school at the University of Florida in Gainesville and we lived in post war housing for married students. Most of the buildings were surplus Quonset huts or clap board throw together things.

I remember how dark it got during the day and how hard it rained. Then Daddy came home and we got in the car and went to this really big building. I think it was the main auditorium on the campus. I don't remember how long we stayed, but I know it was at least one night, maybe more. I really liked it and had a lot of fun, there were games and movies and cartoons and a lot of fun people. I remember that Mother made Daddy go back to where we lived and get a green lamp. She kept that lamp in her lap the whole time.

I think it was the same year that we went to Ocala to my grandparent's house to ride out another storm. My great-grandmother was there and she and I spent hours and hours together under the dining room table. This too, was great fun!!!

Growing up in Florida since the mid 40's, I've seem many tropical storms and hurricanes, but those two have truly been my favorites!

Enough already!!

I was just watching the satellite looping of hurricane Jeanne and I saw two or three other systems that seem to be out there also, and it appears to me (in my intensified state of storm awareness) that two of them look like they'd like to hook up. I think that'd be unprecedented and the scariest thing I can imagine! Most of the weather reports on various stations seem to agree that the east coast of Florida is one of the likeliest landing spots for Jeanne...I think it will be somewhere between St. Augustine, FL and Savanna, GA.

I don't think anyone down here is really paying a whole lot of attention to this one, probably our bad! Of course, we're all still boarded up and sand bagged in and still have great stocks of food, water and batteries! So tis life in Central Florida!

There's been work all week! That's a good thing!

Canned goods and prayers

My friend, Linda from down the street, and I were talking this morning about what we're going to be eating for the next few weeks. I'd be willing to bet that there are countless households in Central Florida thinking about the same thing! For 4+ weeks we have foregone our normal grocery shopping and have been buying Hurricane supplies...we have canned goods of the oddest sort coming out of our ears...Spam, vienna sausages, pate', stew, chicken, soups, etc. Now the disaster folks need to tell us just how to use this stuff. Most of us can't donate our supplies to a food bank, if we did there'd be nothing left to eat. We learned with Charley that fresh meats, dairy and produce are not Hurricane supplies! This will be interesting!

It appears that the giant group plea that has gone out from Central Florida to the gods of wind and water has been heard! Ivan should only brush us with tropical storm winds!!!!! and rain.

Cannon balling cat

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I've had the garden tub in the large bathroom filled with water for a week or so. At 7:00 this morning I heard a huge splash and scrabbling...then dead silence. Mercy had tried to walk on water...and she was no where to be found! She finally turned up hidden in the living room and a pitiful sight she was! The only part of her that was dry was her head! Sooooo, I chased her through the house with a towel for an hour or so and she finally dried off. Towels work so well, 'though I never actually touched her with it!

The newscasters are no longer saying "if you lose your power", it's "when you lose your power".

We worked last night, but don't anticipate more work until next Thursday, perhaps.

The jerky's going to be good.

I got gas on the way to work last night, but had to stop at several stations to find it. The governor is saying there'll be no gas shortage, but there certainly is! Stores are stripped...I'd like to get more batteries and something from the liquor store...we'll see.

As before with Charley and Frances, this "wait and see" phase is awfully difficult to deal with...while chasing Mercy this morning I had a good cry...killed two birds with one stone, so to speak!

The numbness makes it sorta hard to post...everything I think of to write sounds so trite and self centered and stupid and dumb and insignificant and little and redundant and..........ad nauseum.

A Dreary Day in Eden

I just came in from watching a big old oak tree be taken down. Fear is destroying as many of our trees as both Charley and Frances did it seems. Helen had a 35-50 year old live oak that has sheltered her house from the time they moved into it 20 years ago. This beautiful oak has kept the sun from baking her home during the summers here and has given years of service as a refuge for squirrels and birds. This beauty will be missed!

Our skies have been rather odd for the past couple of days...actually for the past few weeks (was it only 4 weeks ago that Charley hit?). One moment we are heavily overcast and the next we have patches of blue up there...

Thank goodness!!!!! We had work last night and we have work tonight. These storms are hell to pay on hourly employees!

I started a new batch of jerky this morning...however, Mike sliced the roast for me while I was at work last night and it's much thicker than I cut it...it looks like tiny roasts in the dehydrator. That last batch of jerky was awfully good and lasted about a week...wish I'd recorded what I marinated it in.

Grocery shopped yesterday. The store was packed, but silent. Eerie!

Will try to top off the gas tank in my car today.

You should see the faces of the people who live here. Everyone looks sleepy, angry and a little afraid and resigned...what can we do? Not a thing but buy more water, more canned goods and (using some restraint) more junk food. No brownies this time, I gained 4 pounds with the last 2 storms.

Talked with Mother this morning. She's actually worried about this one and wanted to pick my brain about supplies (can you believe it?). She doesn't even know if they have a battery powered radio. I told her that was important. I hope she'll remember batteries.

Ivan is coming.

We are tired down here

I was reading in the newspaper this morning about the increase of domestic violence in the Metro area since the two hurricanes came through. There were several articles about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It seems we are all suffering from PTSD...thus the increase of domestic violence...duh!!!

This PTSD is showing up in all sorts of ways...anger, rudeness, violence just to name a few ways. In some of us it has arrived as the feeling of being bone tired. I find myself nodding off at the computer, while watching TV, while reading, just about anytime, doing just about anything...but, I can't sleep through the night.

And, Ivan is on his way...the latest projected path has him crossing Central Florida at 2am Monday...yawn. It seems that yet another storm is developing behind Ivan...ho hum...What's new?

Dueling Litter Boxes

Okay, something has come up that I'm really wondering about. Why is it that one litter box is enough for two indoor cats, but two litter boxes are unable to keep up with three cats in the house? On several occasions both of the boxes have been in use at the same time, which is rather interesting to see...they do need emptying several times a day. Oh sweet mysteries of life!!

We are still getting the outer, outer bands of Frances interspersed with bright moments of sun! Wildly odd. Ivan's coming.

Watching a moat grow

The very worse of hurricane Frances is over for Central Florida, however, we are still getting the outer bands from the back of the storm. We're having high winds and strong squalls and rain that may never end. The ditches are flooding both into the streets and yards, most of the intersections in the neighborhood are under water. There is a great deal of tornadic activity in the area.

Now the eye of the storm is in the Gulf of Mexico and has slowed her forward movement and is intensifying. She is expected to make landfall around 2pm today somewhere between Apalachicola and Tallahassee (sounds bad for St. George Island).

The powers that be are telling us not to use up all of the supplies we've laid in for this storm if we can help it and not to unboard our homes. Ivan is following on the heels of Frances and we will probably know by Friday just what his impact on Florida will be.

We lost power last night at 9:30. It came back on this morning at 5:30...Thank God!!!!! Throughout Florida an estimated 5,000,000 people are still without power and probably will be for a while.

Outside it looks like a storm has been through area. Fancy that! I waded over to Jackie's house this morning and got her paper. They delivered both yesterday's and today's bundled as one. Jackie isn't home and the paper would have been soaked if I hadn't gotten it.

We're all being told to stay home and off of the roads today. So I will.

A huge sigh of relief

The worse of Frances is over for us, thank goodness. Of course we are still getting mighty gusts and gales of wind and it's still raining. The widespread flooding has missed us here in Taft and over 4 million Floridians are without power. We are not among them!!!!! We have power!!!! and, I feel a strange guilt about it.

Mike and I just walked to several of our friends trailers to see how they have faired. Everything looked good, a small limb on the roof of one, but it looks like any damage will be simply cosmetic. They are all still under a mandatory evacuation order. While we were walking back a policeman stopped us (we are all under a 6pm-6am curfew and it was later than 6pm) and just talked, we told him what we were doing and why and all was ok.

All of the ditches are filled and we do have massive amounts of rain coming...and then there's Ivan...don't really know if we are all going to be able to handle another big storm anytime soon, however, we may not have a choice.

It sure is good to still be connected!

We're still here

I just came in from out back. The winds are very strong and the rain is blowing side ways! It's much too stormy for me to do anything other than pull the sliding glass door shut and stand with my back pressed against it when I do go out. The full force of whatever we're to get is expected around 8:00am today and will be with us for 9-12 hours. We are so fortunate that the storm went south of its projected path, what we'll be getting will be about 20 mph slower than what we got with Charley, of course, for a much longer period of time.

We still have power.

The brownies got me through the night!

Sweet moment of bliss

I just ate a brownie!!! I no longer make them from scratch...they do more to a packaged brownie mix than I evidently can. This was one of the sixty-nine cent mixes from Save-A-Lot. Instead of water I used a Starbucks double espresso with cream and added mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans!!!!!!! I couldn't even hear the storm while I was eating this luscious brownie...perhaps I should eat the entire pan!

The storm is still coming in...and will be coming in for hours and hours...then when it truly gets here (8am tomorrow) it will be here for 10-14 hours. Wow!

Our lights have been flickering for the past 1/2 hour or so...so I'll make this short.

Stormy, stormy day

It has really begun to get rather bad. Gusting winds up to 60mph and heavy rain...and the powers that be tell us we ain't seen nothing yet! Egad!!!!

I'm in and out...gotta go out now and move my car again...there's just too many things around the neighborhood that seem poised to come down...don't want 'em on my car...it's full of gas!

Tick, tick, tick

It's not yet 2:30 pm and the winds are awesome! The rain is coming in spits and starts...nothing steady yet. The winds, however, really seem to mean business...they've ripped a good chunk of the porch roof's coverings off and topped a nice Popler just across the way. I went out front a while ago, sat on the trunk of my car and smoked a cigarette. There was not another person in sight or within hearing range, no vehicle noise, nuttin! Very eery!!

TV says that Osceola county to the south of us is already having power outages...bless their hearts, they only got power back in some areas there this week.

I called my aunt and uncle on Merritte Island a little while ago. They are 75'ish and 79 years old and have refused to evacuate. They are quite unconcerned.

I need to go make brownies.

Count down

The powers that be are saying that the eye of Frances is 45 miles across and that's how far it is to Kennedy Space Center from Orlando (as the Sandhill Crane flies). Puts this beast in a new light! She is weakening right now, but is pretty much stalled over the warmer waters and is expected to strengthen before she hits the coast. About 12 hours from now we'll have a pretty good idea about how things are going to go...right now, it's all speculation.

Mike has covered the bay window with plywood and is going to use the wood from the large bathroom window to cover the bedroom window. We talked about it and if the bathroom window goes the rain and stuff will go into the bathtub and onto a tile floor, I prefer that to the bedroom window going and soaking my grandmothers bedroom furniture and other antiques that are in there.

I know that I'm forgetting to do something...wish I knew what. I've made a million lists, but in my scattered condition I seem to have misplaced them.

I need to freeze more water, but there's no more room in either freezer. I need to make brownies. Yesterday I dusted the walls and cleaned the bathrooms and seemed to rotate in place a lot. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

It's time to bring the porch furniture in and time to set up a second litter box.

The main ice plant in central Florida is the Winter Park Ice Company. They are out of ice. There is no ice in stores. I must freeze more water. I must make brownies.

Jittery Cats

Both of the kittens and George are really jittery today. I know they can feel the storm coming. Shirley is really clingy and more on the edge than she usually is. Goodness and Mercy are having trouble napping and concequently are getting into lots of trouble, and George can't decide if he wants to be in the house or outside. (Nor can I!)

I so want to rip into all of the junk food I bought yesterday! We've really gotten into the Jerky I made...it's superb! and almost gone. I hope I make brownies tonight.

Everyone is tense and slightly fearful.

A sorta afterthought beforehand

This thought of being in the cross hairs has been with me for several days. It's not so much the idea of feeling like a target as much as the thought that we, as a whole, are missing something, something that is probable apparent. What?

We went down the street to see our neighbors, and dear friends, who have lived in their trailer for 25/30 years. She said to me tonight, "Just because I hate it so much, doesn't mean that I want it destroyed...this has been our home since the boys can remember...everything I love is here. (We have been assured by the powers that be that all mobile homes will be destroyed by Frances...we have nothing else to go on)... two days from now we'll know first hand.

This anticipation is KILLER!!!!!!

Their oldest son stays in an EconoLodge not far from here. That's where they outlasted Charley. Right before we went down there tonight they got a call from this son. It seems the owner/manager of the motel asked him what he planned to do for the storm...he said he was staying there, the fellow said oh, no, when anyone moves out we don't rent it...I think if the place is empty he can go home and tend to what is going on there! So Linda is kinda worried about staying there. We extended our dirty little concret block house as refuge for Charley...they went to EconoLodge...once more I extended the shelter of our dirty little, animal ridden house...we'll see.

Well, drat, I've forgotten what my original thought for this posting was...oh well, I do believe my brain is stressed, I know I am!

The calm before the storm

Today has truely been an eye opener! It has been a day of frustrations. There was a majorly long line at the bank this morning (did get paid last night)...there was not a cooler to be found at Target...I couldn't find a loaf of bread...traffic was absolutely unbelievable. I gased up the car the other day (I'm not even quite sure what day this is) thank goodness! The lines at the gas stations were unreal!

I shopped like I was having a sorta weird party! Chips, crackers, Goldfish, mixed nuts, salsa, cheese dip, refried bean dip, Famous Amos chocolate chip & pecan cookies, Hersey's and Three Muskateers minatures, Starbuck's double shot espresso & cream, vienna sausages in bar-b-q sauce, sardines, canned roast beef in gravy all went into my basket this morning. Plus a little more water (I want more). I've been freezing containers of water for a couple of days...need to do more. Got some tarps, kitty litter, dry cat food, batteries the other day, a book and lots of other stuff that I no longer remember.

With Charley I tried to feed us traditionally and it drove me crazy! I may end up liking this diet (of party food) so much that I may never cook again!!!! It's good to have dreams! I do have the dehydrator filled with jerky, it should be ready later tonight or tomorrow and tomorrow I'll make a jug of black coffee and one of unsweetened tea...I should make those brownies that never got made for Charley and I think I'll devil some eggs.

It's amazing the level of fear that has blanketed this area. We're all calling Charley our "dress rehersal"...though the only things I really learned was it's too hot and humid to sleep in Central Florida when you don't have power and the yearning for junk food rises in intensity in direct correlation to an individuals level of fear...I really would like a MacDonald's Happy Meal right now!

We are beginning to feel the outer bands of the storm now and they say that by this time tomorrow it really will have intensified! Just gusty winds now, with blue skies. All of the animals are jittery.

Frances

She's coming!!!

Now, here's the deal...We have another hurricane coming and she's much stronger than Charley was. Her sweet little old name is Frances. Doesn't sound too menacing now, does it? Even allowing for a large margin of error in the predicted storm path, they are saying the storm WILL come to land in Florida and that no matter what part of Florida she lands in, Orlando will feel the effects and suffer more damage. Of course, the prevailing predicted path brings her to land around Brevard County (due east of us) and directly over Orlando.

They just announced on TV that a mandatory evacuation will probably be issued within the next 24-48 hours. They didn't say if that will be for everyone or just people in mobile homes (which they are saying WILL be destroyed). I entertained the idea of going to Tallahassee, to Mother's house or my sister's, but they just showed an extended path and Frances will be headed straight to Tallahassee from here. I'm pretty sure we'll just try to ride her out, pray for us.

I met an interesting older (impossible, you say?) lady yesterday at Wendy's. I got to work at 7:30AM yesterday morning to start training to lead some of the focus groups. I left at noon, came home, changed clothes, did 3 loads of laundry and left at 2:45 to go vote and go back to work to do recruiting. I only lasted about an hour and a half on the phones before I came back home. Anyway, back to the interesting lady. I stopped at Wendy's when I was headed back to work, to get a coke and sit sorta alone and quietly. This nicely dressed and appointed lady stopped at my table and said something about the weather (a thunder storm was blowing in). I was rather distracted and just nodded and murmured something back. She sat at a table across from me with her back to me...and caught my attention. She had a drink in front of her, but her hands were shaking so badly that she had trouble getting the straw to her mouth. Then she took her keys out and was fingering them and tumbling them around, it reminded me of someone saying their rosary. I stopped at her table when I was leaving and asked if she was ok, and if she would like to call someone to come get her. She burst into tears and said there was no one to call, her husband died 3 months ago. She went through hurricane Charley alone and said no one even called or came by to check on her afterwards. She has one daughter who lives in Canada with her husband. They are both retired and don't want "Mom" around. So we exchanged numbers (and names). I'll have to check with her this afternoon and see what she's going to do for this storm. I don't even know what we'll do.