On the deep ocean floor venting

Wow! I felt I was pushing my luck with the boss. I took in a very small job (2 names on 2 each t-shirts) while I was staying an hour late today...actually he'd said when he left it'd be 15 minutes, but it was over 50 minutes! Was almost 5:30 when I left. Anyway, when he got in I showed him the four shirts and showed him the order I'd written up (it was for two law enforcement types...he usually wants to do that sort of thing) and his fuse detonated! He said (and I know he thinks he said it calmly) "Do you know how to do this?", I thought he meant price it out and said no. Well, then he went on a rather quiet rampage, but his eyes and face were nasty. Started saying how it wasn't worth his while and it'd take two screens (well, I know damn good and well that it would only take one screen and he uses vellum for his positives and runs them off on the computer and that's no big deal) and that I should have said check with him later and I could call them in the morning and say he wouldn't do the job. I gathered my purse and said "See you in the morning." and left. It's almost 2 hours later and I'm still stupid and angry. Maybe not in that order. Stupid because I expected a different reaction from him, he is an adult, and angry because of how he was and the way I let it affect me.

I got stupid back cramps on my way to CVS to pick up my prescription, got home and had forgotten cat treats and we've been out for a few days (I've been substituting them for Brewer's Yeast...been out of that for weeks). So I went up to the corner quicky market thing and the don't carry any cat treats, so I went to the IGA and they don't carry any either! What do these poor cats in town do? But IGA did have one bottle of cat vitamins ($3.55), so I bought it. Got home opened the bottle of vitamins and shook it. Mercy and Shirley came running (in that order), no Goodness. So I called out "Goodness" quite loudly and that cat actually came skidding around the corner! I never knew he knew his name! They weren't crazy about them, but they ate them.

Gotta go heat planned-overs.

It was a lovely weekend

The weekend was so pleasant and now it's over. Drat! The weather was absolutely perfect...low 80s during the day with blue skys and mid 60s at night (dark skys). The Tallahassee visit was nice and I actually got some house work and some yard work done.

The garden spider is gone. Do they hibernate? Her elaborate web structure is just a long hanging mass with brown leaves weighing it down...she's no where to be found. I can't find any of her off spring either.

The beds along the perimeter of the yard have been ignored for years it seems. They are anywhere from 4 to 8 feet deep and so overgrown that it's impossible to see everything that's there. I got in the one on the East side of the house yesterday and spent several hours cleaning out and cutting back stuff. I even found a base ball bat (plastic) under stuff and saw some kind of ball that I never made it to and something hanging in one of the azaleas that's red and black, but never made it to that either and am not sure what it is.

Gotta ready myself for work (an Extreme Makeover!).

More at another time.

Fall

The weather is lovely today. Shirley and I sat out on the patio this morning and I needed a sweater! Clear blue sky, light breeze and quiet! Lovely! This is my very favorite season!

Nothing much going on as yet today. I've read the paper and done the animal thing (no pills yet) and almost finished a pot of coffee. Oh yes, I did fix a nice breakfast. Fried the last of the maple bacon, then sorta sauted some of the fries from last night and then fried the perfect over easy egg! Not only was it good, it was pretty.

Must finish laundry (the boss had 4 polo shirts embroidered for me with the company logo...red, black, dark green and white...and he'd like me to wear one every day.), swiffer, vacuum and mop. And I'd like to start on the spare/work room. I'm thinking of bring the tall book case from in there and swapping it with this short one in here. I really want my books in here.

I've piddled away half of the day. Must get off computer and get going on my chores!

Bison on a bun

One of the first things I thought about when I woke up this morning was Mother and deviled eggs. Maybe something in a dream jogged my memory, but she has mentioned deviled eggs almost every time we've talked for the past couple of weeks. So when I got up I thought I'd make some of the basil/tomato/garlic/cheese/walnut oil/lime juice salad thing I make and devil a few eggs and take them to her. Had to get to the vets before noon and needed to get some domestic chores taken care of. So I boiled eggs and set them aside to cool, picked and washed some basil and garlic chives, sorted laundry and dashed off to the vets. Had to wait a bit, but got six pills and a "pill popper" (for $26.00). Ran up to the BP and got $14.00 worth of gas ($3.20 a gal.) Got home and gave Shirley her "today pill" with no problem. After a few false starts and harsh words on both sides (and a few scratches) and with the help of the "pill popper" I got pill #1 in Goodness. Well, Mercy had been watching all of the goings on from under a chair in the dining room, her eyes were getting bigger and bigger and she looked like she was going to sink into the rug, so I thought I'd give it a rest for a while and let her calm down. So I deviled the eggs and made the salad and made a cup of tea. Sat down and read the paper and relaxed for a few minutes. Mercy came out. I had the "pill popper" loaded and waiting near at hand. I took her by the scruff (like they showed me at the vets this morning) got the tip of the "pill popper" through her lips and all hell broke loose! That little bowling ball of a cat turned me every which way but loose! I decided to let her slide. No pill today. But she's gonna get one tomorrow!

Then I called Mother. She was on her way out for lunch and I asked if I could come over at 2...bless her heart, she was excited! I told her I was in my "work around the house" outfit (jeans and a Marvin the Martian t-shirt) and that I wouldn't stay very long, but wanted to give her something.

So I got there at 2 and we sat on the back porch until the FSU game was over a little after 4 and then Bert joined us. Then he said he was hungry and lets go eat. Well, my hair and face didn't look any better than my outfit, but off we went to Ted Turners new restaurant Ted's. I drove and they were tickled to ride in my new car for the first time. (Bert gave me a $20.00 BP gas card for driving!) Anyhoo, Ted's serves bison that's range grown by/for Mr. Turner along with really good beef, chicken, fish, etc. Both Mother and Bert had a hamburger, I, of course, had a bison burger. All three burgers were quite large with very big sides of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and fries. We also shared a humongus order of onion rings. It was all so good! Bert ate half of his burger, I ate a quarter of mine and Mother ate the whole thing! I've got some good eatings in the fridge for tomorrow!

When I got home (at 7) a friend from the Humane Society called and she and I talked for about an hour. Then I sat down at the computer. Nothing worked! I got on line, but couldn't do anything, not open mail or a game or get on Blog Spot or anything. Now, I'd shut it down when I left, including the power strip, so I was stumped. Then I thought about it, I'd installed Goodle Earth this morning before I left. Decided to uninstall, couldn't. Shut it down and waited. Tried again. Nothing. Damn! I could get into start/programs and found a place called "system restoration". Went there. After a few fumbles I got the computer to reset itself back to Friday when everything was okay. Whew!

All that ballyhoo

Well, it seems that all of the hype regarding the storms in the Gulf may have just been a bunch of hooey. This area of the country is so jumpy because of all of the horrific storms that have come through lately that a few dark clouds and a gust or two of wind have us cringing in our dark corners. I think our day will be overcast, but okay. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it!

Hurricane Tammy

Well, hurricane Tammy went ashore just south of Jacksonville, FL and meandered a bit and now the remnents of the storm is out in the Gulf of Mexico and is showing circulation and signs of regrouping...headed this way. It has been raining steadly since midnight...no off and on this time. I haven't heard any more about the remnents of Stan...wonder if the two will unite?

IT"S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a class on planting Fall herbs and vegetables at a nursery in Tallahassee tomorrow at 10am. It's free. I've been thinking about going, but the weather is supposed to be even worse tomorrow, so I probably won't go.

Two perfectly good days with the boss

Well, I don't want to push my luck, but there have been two good days at work. I've finished a project that I've been working on for a few days (I've been compiling what I've called a "Temporary price list" by going to jobs done this year to date and pulling items from past jobs and using their unit cost...oh, it's amazing how the prices fluctuate!) and it's all been quite pleasant.

At lunch I delivered a banner and 2 t-shirts (the boss gave me 15 extra minutes) to a new shop that's opened in town. The premise of the shop is good, rather trendy-nostalgic-garden sorta stuff, sorta sudo-country...it should be in a city mall (but it would have to compete with others of its kind). I've spent the last 40 years in either Atlanta or Orlando and this little shop has been around for a while. I don't give it a long run.

The small town living certainly has its benefits. When I left work at 4:30 I went straight to the IGA. Shopped (butter, bread, peanut butter, eggs, etc.), and I was home at 4:55!

Speaking of peanut butter, when I got in this morning the boss was looking at the clock, so I did too. It showed me 5 minutes late. I looked at my watch and it was 9 o'clock. I said "Oh, I didn't know I was late (God! I hate to be late for anything!), but by my watch, I'm not." the boss said "Which do we go by, your watch or the clock?" and I said, "Of course, the clock." and he said something else, I forget. And then I said, "I'm covered in dog hair and peanut butter." the boss said, which came first and I said the dog hair and he said good. My watch and the clock seemed to be back in sinc this evening.

I almost locked myself in the bathroom today. As soon as the boss left for lunch I hurried to the bathroom, and even though the office was locked up, I closed the bathroom door. When I was finished I couldn't open the door, it was locked, the handle would not turn and I had pulled it all the way shut. I had visions of being in there for an hour! Well, I jiggled and lifted and wiggled and banged, and it opened. Whew!!

Odd little night outside while Shirley and I were out there earlier. Its overcast, but bright. There are high grey clouds, but the sun peeks through in the low West and is reflecting from the bottoms of the high grey clouds and it's very still and very muggy. The grass was cut today so the mosquitoes were not so bad. I think I heard at lunch that the storm out in the gulf already had a name. Don't know what it'd be...this is an offshoot of Stan (Mexico), but it was a different name and Tammy is headed up to the mountains. We'll see.

This time I've got a funny feeling

Well, this storm thing is for the birds! Not only is tropical storm Tammy coming ashore almost due west (140 miles west of me) of Monticello, but as of now she's moving WNW. The news said a minute ago that best case senereo (spell check has absolutely no idea what I'm saying, so is no help with the spelling, hope you know what I'm saying) we can expect extreme

rain, high gusting winds and possible tornados. AND, there this really big system (they're calling it a large storm) in the Gulf that is also moving this way, it's moving NE. They are both due at the same time, but they say that Saturday could be quite nice, maybe even cool. Hum, wonder if they meant "hip" or chilly?

My spirits have been lifted considerably by an aside I heard the boss make to a customer today. They had asked me to duplicate some tickets for a fish fry that had been misprinted and to correct the mistake and make 300 of them. So with a quick call to the boss's wife because I was having trouble stacking them (the lines were centered) and she's really good with both Word and Excel. She told me a quick fix and I got the job done (including cutting the pages down into individual tickets) before the feller left. When I handed them to him, the man thanked me and as I walked away he said to the boss "If you ever let her go let me know I'd hire her on the spot." and the boss replied "Yeah, she's good.". I needed that.

Got hurricane supplies after work. A head of lettuce, three beautiful home-grown tomatoes and a red bell pepper all for $1.99! This was at the little farmers market down the street. Lately I've been eating the stock of supplies I have on hand, so my larder isn't that well stocked, but I could still get by for a while with what I've got. And I've got 5 1-gal. containers of water and some small ones too.All of the bags of ICE that I froze for the last storm are still in the freezer along with some single servings of a good coffee that I froze for the last one. Have candles, batteries and a small bag of charcoal and lighter fluid and matches. Somewhere in the dark recesses of the "spare room/work room" are a couple of tarps and I do have part of a box of good large garbage bags. Have an upholstery stapler and staples and Duck tape.

Shirley says she need to go out. Might be a good idea while there a lull in the on going showers.

A lovely little tea

A few week ago I ran into a wonderful deal at Ross. A tin of Bentley's Lemon Tea...Pure Ceylon Tea from the mountains along the Equator. There grows an evergreen shrub with 5 petal blossoms, which resemble wild white roses. Legend has it that as far back as 2737 B.C. Emperor Chen Nug of China used to boil the leaves of this remarkable shrub in water and drank the infusion - thus beginning the ceremonious art of drinking tea. It then quickly spread to Japan and eventually to England and all of Europe. That, of course, was straight from the tin! As I sit here at the computer I have a mug of this aromatic tea that is too hot yet to sip, but the frangrance is amazing! I rather forgot about the tea after I bought it and only rediscovered it last night...it took forever to get the tin opened but once I did I found two sealed foil packets of tea bags...25 to a packet. I really lucked into this, as I only paid $2.99 for the entire tin which breaks down to less than six cents a bag! I'll bet the house would smell wonderful if I sat hot bowls of this everywhere! Oh! that first sip is fantastic!

The weather today had been quite odd. Terribly overcast and dark interspersed with bright sunshine and then occasional 3 minute torrents of rain! It's blowing and dark right now.

Yet another storm

This morning it's rather cloudy and humid and warm. The weatherman, Casanova Nurse, said the tropical storm in the Gulf is now a category 1 hurricane...Stan. At this point Stan isn't expected to have any impact on the US at all, just a bit of Mexico. However, there is a system in the Atlantic sorta off the coast of Jacksonville, FL. This system is expected to come due west and will be here tomorrow. High winds and heavy rains are expected. I guess as long as it doesn't have a name we're okay. I need to pick up some bread, water and cat food.

Still employed

Well, for what it's worth, I'm still employed. The boss never even asked how I was feeling, however, I did hear him ask two other folks how they were. 'course one was a friend of his and one was a customer. Oh well...minimum wage is certainly better than no wage at all! I don't look too good, dark (almost black) circles under my eyes and my face lost weight and I'm a funny color, sorta greenish grey, not my most becoming color. I think the makeup only made it worse. Still running a fever, so when it broke the makeup ran. Lovely!

Got a Progress Energy bill today...I swear I just paid one. This one's $10 less than the last one, so I guess sitting on the computer with no lights on does make a difference. The animals and I have gotten pretty good at navigating at night with the light from the tv and the night light in the kitchen. Not sure just what I'll do this winter. I think the heat is propane and Mother said a piece is missing from the tank. Wonder if they'll charge me to check it out? There is a fireplace, need to get a screen...and wood.

All my horoscope talks about right now is money (going out).

Monday

Well, in less than an hour I'll be at work. It will be interesting if I still have a job and if in fact I do, if I can bare the boss and his attitude toward me. This will be interesting.

The day's still going okay

Interesting. I found out yesterday that two of the folks I've been working with at the Humane Society either have or had what I've been sick with these past few days. The president had it last week and the veep and I have it this week. It seems rather contagious. Wonder if the boss will get it? It'd serve him right!

I read the following on a blog called "All about my routine..." it's hosted by an 18 year old boy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

"Life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black represent sadness but as you go through life's journey remember that black keys do make music too."

Nice.

I've been burning white sage. Such a comforting smell.

So far it's been a good day...

When I walked out the driveway to retreave the paper this morning it felt like October the second. It was cool, a little misty and smelled like a forest. Nice. The rains have caused the little pink rain lily to pop up all over town and they also seem to have caused a wonderful orange, spider-like lily show up everywhere! There is a nice little group of them out front under one of the pecan trees!

So far it's been a good day.

What to do with a week old roll

Just finished a nice little brunch. Sliced one of the rolls that was left over from last Sunday and dipped it in a beaten egg and lightly fried it in melted butter. An interesting thing happened, the slices seemed to rise a bit and the outside was golden brown. Topped each slice with a dollop of Daisy and a drizzle of maple syrup. Yummy!

Today I feel almost human. Weak, but human. Still have achey muscles and a sore tummy. But human never the less! Yeah!

It's really scary what the media is letting us know about the Bird Flu! If what they are telling us is true, can you imagine what they don't know or are not allowed to tell us? This could be it for lots of folks world wide!

Finally Friday

Don't know why it matters that it's Friday, I didn't go to work again today. The boss is royally pissed at me. I don't think he believes I'm sick. I am. Had to go get 3 days check today. He barely spoke. There's some kind of merchants night downtown tonight and he'd asked me to work the booth. I can't and he's mad. It really doesn't take something like that to make him mad...he fluctuated between really happy and really mad. That's getting old.

Was looking at some blogs today. Some are quite interesting. Some actually shocked me with erotic images. Quite a few are in a language I can't read but many of them have wonderful photos on them. I've been blogging for over a year and yesterday and today is the first time I've really looked around at what other people are doing. It's very interesting...fun! Lot of high school/college kids are blogging...I'm finding them fun to read. I know we all thought we were the only ones going through the stuff we went through at that age and today's teen is no different...different technology, of course, but the dating thing is still there and the parent thing and the peer pressure thing, etc., etc., etc.

The pecans have begun falling and Shirley is going bonkers! They are falling on the tin roof of the shed out back and making an awful racket. She is barking almost non-stop and insisting that I check all of the windows and tell her what's out there. She's not computing falling pecans!

When Jenny (a dog I used to have) was a puppy she was very sickly in the beginning and I fed her with a fork for a very long time. Well, Shirley isn't sick, but I'm really having a problem feeding her. There's no dry food she likes and really no canned food either. This morning I opened a can of Alpo and on a whim offered her a bite with a fork. She ate about a third of the can! Yeah!

A very smart dog

I'm certain that Shirley can count! This afternoon she was asking for a Milk Bone, so we did our usual thing of going to the canister and the "sit", "stay" and "take it nice" thing. Well, I always give her two milk bones (two cats live here and she likes to set traps for them)...it just so happened that they were a red one and a green one...her two least favorite. She took them and put them down and just looked at me, so I gave her a yellow one and she put that one down, too....so I gave her a brown one. She displayed them on the floor and nosed them around, pushed the red on aside, ate half of the brown one and then proceeded to use the yellow one and the green one to lay cat traps with. So, she still has one and a half to use. Smart, huh?

I really worry about Mother lately. She called last night (Wednesday) because she hadn't heard from me in a while and wanted to make sure I was okay. We had just talked on Monday night. This is the second time she's done this in just a little while. Recently she called me the very next day "because she hadn't talked to me in a while". I know she's older (80), but she's been so active and alert. Her brother's death may be playing a small part in this, but I think it's something else...not sure just what. Bert doesn't seem to notice, of course he's almost 88. She's so forgetful and repeats herself often. So do I, so what's my excuse?

Am feeling a little better...stomach's still a little wonky...just put some beef ribs in the oven...if I can eat those I'll be fine!

To work or not to work?

Am home sick today. For the past two days I've really felt icky, but last night about did me in. I was up throwing up off and on all night. This morning I tried to eat and much to Shirley's delight wasn't able to...she enjoyed the cheese eggs that she assumed I'd scrambled just for her. Don't know what's wrong...feel dreadfully tired, running a slight fever and have a very sick stomach...must be a bug of some sort. The boss was less than cordial when I called him...his bad.

It feels so wrong being home and just laying around. I surfed some blogs and found several that I really enjoyed. There's nothing on tv...no cable or satellite, just rabbit ears and I only pick up 4ish stations.

I did see the new Martha Stewart daytime show this morning. It's pretty good, but seems to just be a remake of the old show. I haven't watched her night time show, I think it's opposite Lost or something else I enjoy. Survivor is on tonight!

Tall?

I don't think I ever thought about people being short or tall. Probably if I were a witness at some crime thingy I wouldn't be much help, I don't see hight and I seldom see color.

After work today the electrician came by about the shed. When he came in the back door I felt like ducking (what is that? do you grow feathers and quack?) (is it dunking?) Any way, he's tall!

I worked for the boss for several days before I knew he's short. Funny, I wish I really knew why it seems to matter so much to some folks. So many of the tall ones seem to feel they are superior no matter what. I'm here to tell you today that they are wrong!

A wonderful Sunday

As a rule Sunday is my least favorite day. I've been that way since I was a child. There's just something so lonely and sad about Sunday...and then there's Monday chomping at your heels.

But this particular Sunday has been just wonderful! Eldest Daughter and her family came by on their way home to the mountains. Shirley, Goodness and even Mercy in her own way were all glad to see them, even though it's been over 2 yrs. since they have seen them. I'm certain Shirley remembered them and even Goodness did. I don't think Mercy did (she's odd) but in her own fashion she warmed up to them.

We had a nice lunch (and I even remembered to do the rolls). I intended to make coffee and completely forgot to...did remember that there was tea.

Ed, my oldest granddaughter is tall and willowly. She's 13 and absolutely beautiful! She's taller than I am and even taller than her mother. In a few years she should model...her look is so striking. The most amazing things about her to me are her kindness and her intelligence. She's something else!

The younger of the two girls, Benard, is quite the looker too! She has amazing eyes and the funniest sense of humor! She has always been a character but with age has really honed her wit! Sweetness shines from her!

As far as my son-in-law is concerned, I couldn't ask for a better one. He's kind and sweet and rather funny himself!

Last, but not least, is RM. I could go on and on about her. She's beautiful, intelligent, talented and the one I think MOTHERS should be modeled after. I'm so in awe of her and proud of her.

The house felt quite empty after they left. I had my traditional cry and then drowned myself in computer games until it felt like my eyes would fall out. I wish we lived closer together. Maybe someday.

Preparations for the day

I'm rather excited. I've been up since 4:30. Today's the day RM and family will be coming by. Yesterday I made a shephard's pie and cole slaw...then I boiled eggs last night and this morning made deviled eggs. I have some good rolls to bake and I think I'll make a pitcher of tea. I'm thinking about dessert...I have a devils food cake mix and a box of Dream Whip. That could be good.

Shirley knows something's up. She can tell I'm excited about something. She's laying across my feet right now wagging her tail and looking up at me as she smiles! Boy, does she ever have ESP! When I typed in her name she sat up on the foot stool and really became animated. How wonderful! Maybe she needs to go outside.

Odds and Ends

The television coverage of hurricane Rita is intense. She went ashore early this morning along the Texas/Louisana border. She had weakened considerably from 24 hours ago, but was still a catagory 3 when she landed. The shored up levees in New Orleans didn't hold...areas that flooded with Katrina had finally dried out and are now once more flooded. The devestation that Rita has wrought will not be known for hours, maybe even days. I did hear that there are a few other systems forming.

I don't know if my eldest daughter and family are coming here today or tomorrow. I thought it was to be tomorrow, but woke up this morning thinking about it and I think they had the house on St. George Island from Sunday to Saturday. That would make sense, I had thought it was from Sunday to Sunday. Need to cook something and do a little cleaning.

Planted two rosemary plants and a celantro this morning...I've been keeping them on the side porch, but they really weren't doing too well. In fact one of the rosemarys probably will not make it and it's sorta iffy about the other.

The weekend was slow coming this week. Yesterday the boss was out of town and the day was VERY long.

Had a message from Mother last night that they were back from the funeral...actually I saw it on CallWave...didn't listen to her message, just called her back. She was just getting in the shower and didn't want to talk. Said she'd call today.

Uncle Gene

Arley E. (Eugene) Vickers, Jr., age 81 of Orange Park died Monday, September 19, 2005 in the Orange Park Medical Center. He was the husband of Marcella for 60 years. Born in Dothan, Alabama he was the son of the late Arley E. and Lettie (Harrison) Vickers. He was retired from the U.S. Navy where he was an air traffic controller and pilot. He served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He was a bee keeper and had citrus trees and loved working outdoors. He was of the Catholic faith and a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Orange Park.

Along with wife, Marcella, he is survived by sons: Larry and Bruce and daughters: Deborah, Denise and Valerie. He is also survived by brother, Charles A and sister Jane. He is the grandfather of 7 and 3 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter: Pamela, who died in 1975.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside service Friday, 9/23/05 at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Ocala. Military Honors will be provided by the U.S. Navy.

Answers

I do believe that all prayers are answered, often not in a way we recognize and often not exactly how we wish, but answered. Yesterday I had a direct answer to a prayer and just as I had asked.

Uncle Gene died Tuesday night and I've coped pretty well with it, but when I got home from work yesterday I was so down, not only from the loss of someone I love, but the new hurricane, even though distant at this point, is rather scary and I'm alone, etc., etc., etc. So, I had a really good cry and then got hold of myself and prayed. It was a rather selfish prayer, but sincere..."Please God, I really don't want to be alone tonight. Please send someone just to keep me company."...shortly after that the bottom fell out of the sky. It rained so hard that I could barely see the road out front. I stood in the living room looking out the window at the storm and a car slowed down as it approached my driveway...it really looked familiar, but I couldn't immediately place it. Then it turned into the driveway. Bud! It was BUD! He came to spend the night! We had supper and talked for hours. He truly was an answer to my prayer! Thank you God! Thank you Bud!

Now, I'm worrying about Miss Rose...She and her family and friends are vacationing on St. George Island. They showed pictures of St George Island on the news a little while ago, and it's already very rough. I know they are grown, but mothers do worry! (I sound like my mother!)

Rewriting history

Well, I talked to Mother last night. She is, of course, in the process of rewriting her family history. I made the comment that it was so good that the family had in the last few years shelved the disagreements they had had and that everyone had finally gotten over Uncle Gene converting to Catholism when he married Aunt Marcella. Well, she went ballistic...according to her, there was never any conflict. It's rather funny that both Diane and I remember differently!

Now I'm not sure that I'll be going to the funeral...it's to be a grave-side service in Ocala...at 4pm on Friday. I really wish they'd have it on Saturday, oh well.

I talked with Helen last night. Allen R., the older fellow that rents a room from her, is actually better. He was moved out of intensive care yesterday and his daughter is looking for a nursing home for him. Modern medicine is really amazing!

Uncle Gene

Got a call at lunch time from my cousin Diane. Our Uncle Gene died last night. He hadn't been sick, in fact he had just finished cutting the grass (6+ acres) on a riding lawn mower, had showered and fixed dinner. He and Aunt Marcella were sitting at the table eating and he just keeled over dead. I know that this unseasonal heat didn't help, but this was something he'd done for years. He was 82. Aunt Marcella has alzheimers (sp?) and he was her sole caretaker. They do have 5 living children. I know she'll be well taken care of, I just hate it happened this way. She must be so afraid and probably puzzled. There is to be an autopsy. I don't know when the funeral is, but I plan on going. Just did a MapQuest and it's pretty much a straight shot from here, 2 1/2 hours.

Second Thoughts

As many of us do, I'm having second thoughts about so many things.

Last night was a Humane Society meeting. The entire meeting was taken up with rehashing the same old things. Of course many of the issues haven't been reconciled and need to be, but, it just seemed to run on and on. We didn't meet until 7pm and it was close to 9pm when I got home. Now, I'm running on empty right now and often go to bed somewhere between 7 & 9. The evening was too late and too long for me.

I'm thinking I'm going to become less active. Is that the same as inert?

I put full coverage on the car. Now I'm looking at the cost for that and think I may drop some of the coverage when I renew in Feb. That $1,ooo.oo a year is too much to continue.

When I got home from work yesterday the lawn man had come. It sure looks good, but paying him is a problem. I need to get a mower and do it myself. Surely I can keep the yard myself.

I need a fence. Other dogs are roaming through and Shirley needs to have the space to run.

Well, this really turned into a bitching post...didn't mean it to, but that's where I am right now. Nothing is great, nothing is horrible (except money) and I'm not sure how to handle anything.

Dogs...The original bloggers?

This morning I watched Shirley as she checked out all of her pee spots from last night. She never seems to reuse them, but does regularly check them out as if seeing if a comment was left for her. Sound familiar?

The weekend was quiet and uneventful. Going to the street to bring in the newspaper was the most "going out" I did. Never even started the car, well, at least I saved gas. I did spot a gas station not far from here on Friday that had regular for $2.79. Not bad...but I'm sure it will have gone up by the time I gas up. Little car is getting great gas mileage, 'course not running her does seem to stretch the usage!

Read a really good book this weekend..."Almost Adam" a novel by Petru Popescu. Hated to finish it, in fact, I put it down several times just to stretch out the pleasure of reading it.

Boss and his wife were in Atlanta for a trade show this week end. He'll be in today, hope he brought me some goodies!

Not sleeping too well. Wake up as tired as I go to sleep. Surely this is just a phase, one that will pass soon.

Aren't Saturdays Grand!

Of course I woke up this morning at 5:30, but it felt so good to acknowledge Saturday and go back to sleep! It almost seemed sinful to roll out at 7:30. After doing animal chores, taking my handful of vitamins and making coffee I brought in the newspaper and crawled back into bed. Well, I frankly couldn't stay there...the computer called and called. So here I sit.

So much, yet very little actually, seems to be going on in my very small world.

The yard needs cutting, but it's been so dry that I hesitate to have it done (and too, the cost... I'm overdrawn at the bank). This time of year seems to be slowing the majority of the grass growth, but there are patches of odd grass that doesn't seem to care that the days are shorter and there is too much heat and no rain.

I can stand outside and watch leaves shower down from the pecan trees. They are so old and countless storms have pruned them into giant bonsai trees. I love looking at them and now that they are shedding the shapes are so much more pronounced. Last night I stood and watched the moon rise through them. Beautiful! That really big orange orb shining through my bonsaied pecans was breathtaking!

Garden Life

I am particularly enjoying the creatures living in the garden. (Of course I say "garden" in quotes, because actually it's a yard with a garden wanting to happen!) A couple of days ago I was walking around the most neglected part of the yard (and the part that most closely resembles a garden) and almost stepped on a little snake with a black head. He put his tongue out at me a bunch, but seemed totally unafraid. I had to go back three times before he was gone and I could get the branch that had fallen into the gardenia.

Then, that same evening, I was walking down the east side of the yard and found the largest garden spider I've ever seen! Her body is at least 2 1/2 " long and quite wide. She has created the most elaborate web lodge I've EVER seen! It is at least 3 complete spiral webs that are interconnected with cross webs. She sits in the outer most web in the exact center. I was watching her yesterday and a little twig of oak with 3-4 dried leaves fell in to the center web. She was totally motionless for several heart beats and then she crept quite slowly to the leaves. She touched each leaf and explored the twiglet. It was caught inbetween the first and second spiral and on a little mesh of the cross web. It took her several minutes, but she carefully undid the cross web and disengaged the invader leaves and they fell to the ground. Then she positioned herself back in her original spot! I roamed the hedges all around the yard after that and found many of her offspring, but none as amazing as she is!

An odd accident

I had a rather odd accident last night. I took a pizza out of the oven and as I always do was in the midst of cutting it while it was still quite hot (I find that if I cut it before it cools the cheese cuts cleaner) when the pizza cutter slipped and the index finger on my right hand was plunged into the HOT pizza. I immediately stuck the knuckle with the cheese clinging to it into my mouth and got the worse of it off and then stuck it under the cold water tap. However, the cold water isn't very cold (I'm used to a well), so I stuck it in the freezer. Then I hammered some ice cubes, wrapped them in a kitchen towel and kept the dumb finger wrapped in it...even went to bed with the towel and ice chips in a plastic bag and my hand in it. This morning most of the pain is gone, but I have several very nice blisters across the knuckle.

Helen update

Helen called tonight. For the past 8-9 years she's had two men who have rented rooms from her. Over time, they've become family to her. Allen R. is 88 and Allen Q. is in his early 50s.

Well, Allen R. had emergency surgery on Saturday to remove 6" of his intestine and isn't expected to recover. It seems he swallowed a pill of some sort a few weeks ago and didn't take it out of its shrink-wrap. It lodged in his intestine and caused a major infection. Today his daughter went to Helen's house and got his Will and his wallet. Bless her heart, Helen's so upset, but at the same time she's saying that only God knows when it your time to go and if it's Allen R.'s time it's beyond anything that anyone else can do.

A chill in the air

I woke up this morning at 5:30 with two cats and a dog on me. It was down right chilly! Turns out it was 57 degrees outside and really cool inside! How wonderful! It feels like FALL!

Late yesterday the beasts and I were all in the kitchen when we heard a loud crash. Needless to say the cats disappeared and Shirley began barking her head off and I was puzzled. On investigating I found that a plastic book case that I'd overloaded with heavy books had collapsed in the bedroom. Talk about a mess! I really need to figure out how to make a good, strong book case...I've got lots of heavy how-to books but none of them tell me how to build things.

Off to work.

Yesterday

When I didn't hear from Bud Friday night I figured he wasn't coming over just for supper. (I left him a message on his machine (from work) that the boss had hired someone he'd talked to a few months ago to build the room and he shouldn't come all the way from Apalachicola to put a bid in, but if he just wanted to come over I'd feed him.)

Well, Saturday dawned sorta loomingly, it felt like a big expanse of empty time that I hadn't planned on having and it didn't feel good. So I decided to go to a thrift store this side of Tallahassee (out 90) that I'd heard about. (I'm looking for a couple of bedside tables and don't want and can't afford something new.) When I got there they told me that their main store had all of the furniture and gave me directions to get there. It was almost 30 miles....through Tally and south! Well, I found it and they didn't have what I was looking for, but I did get a 22"x35" bulletin board that looks brand new for $2.49! I'm thinking for painting it and covering it in something wonderful and using it on my desk.

Anyway, when I left there it was closer to come home US27 than to go back 90, so I did. I saw a Ross and stopped there looking for sheets for the new beds (Mother got a nautical plaidish print for the sheets, they'll do for backup)....found two sets of a black and white jersey sheets for $8.95 a set. They're rather different and appeal to me. Then found next door a wonderful shop that sells essential oils, incense, books, saris and other grand stuff! Then headed home. Passed where my sister lives, stopped. She wasn't home, but I looked at her back yard where she lost the pool after hurricane Dennis and it looks fantastic! You can't even tell that a pool had been there. The sod looks just like the rest of the yard. Looks good! Left and headed home.

Pulled into the carport and the first thing I saw even before I got out of the car was some twigs on the steps going up to the back door. On closer inspection I saw the twigs formed PST, BUD!!!!! He'd been here! I wasn't! Damn! Then I saw a receipt stuck in the back door with a note on the back from Bud saying he'd been here 3 or so hours and had decided that I wasn't merely at breakfast and he'd gone back home. I missed him by less than a half an hour both when I left and when I got back home. I waited until I felt he'd had time to get back and called. He wasn't there, I left word. Then he called while Shirley and I were out back and he left word. Then I called him back and left word again. Then I had an idea and called again and asked if he was busy today. Thought I'd take the steaks over there. Didn't hear from him. Called this morning and got a really weird message and started a message, then said I might have a wrong number. Called back, got same message. Left word. Haven't heard. Will stay home and do laundry and such.

This little spinning ball of ours

All of the natural disasters we have had, not only here in the US, but worldwide, have caused me to ponder how very fragile we humans are. It seems that we are so intent on killing or at least controlling everyone else, yet we don't use common sense to take care of ourselves.

Engineers have known for decades that New Orleans was a prime target for a truly horrific disaster and have done nothing to shore up the levees, dams and dikes that were in place to protect the city. Why? It isn't simply a matter of ignorance...is feels like apathy. Even the citizens of New Orleans were aware of the peril, yet stayed there...it was home. Now what? I ache for all of the folks that Katrina impacted. Ultimately, Katrina impacted our entire country.

I just ran up to Burger King for a breakfast sandwich and was happy to see that our downtown B.P. still had gas for $2.95! This morning's paper noted several other things that will probably increase in price...everything from home owner's insurance to electricity. Bus fares, shipping on products and grocery prices were all mentioned as areas to also be watched for increased prices.

I don't like to second guess our government, but it feels like we should be pulling our troops from the middle east and concentrating our money and human resources on internal security including things like better bridges, better levees and dams and an all out push to elevate the plight of the poor.

Tomorrow is the 4th anniversary of 9-11-01. I don't feel any more secure or any safer than I did on 9-12-01. Do you? I know there's another shoe, I'm just waiting for it to drop.

This little spinning ball we live on seems to be in dire straits. If not from natural phenomenon, then at least from ourselves!

Time Flies!

Hard to believe that tomorrow's Thursday!

Had a message on the machine from Mother...her second cataract surgery went quite well. Her vision is amazing she says!

There's a group out of Tallahassee that's going back to Mississippi for the second time on an animal rescue mission. I didn't know that they can't transport the animals from state to state. The animals are all quarantined. This group is taking in food, water and medications for the animals...and they are doing rescue. They have gathered a lot of donations and looking for more. www.bigdogrescue.com

Having leftovers, so what's new?, and must go nuke them, Shirley's hungry!

Happy Labor Day!

Today is Labor Day...funny name for a day that most people don't work. I'm going in for a few hours this morning. Need to show the bosses wife what I've done on the new computer program so she'll have access to it also.

My new furniture arrived at 8:30 yesterday morning. Twin beds, chest of drawers and bed side table...corner hutch (that lights up!) and table w/2 leaves and 6 chairs. First dining room I've ever had! The cats love the table, now they can see out the windows in the dining room.

Weather seems to be moderating a bit, lower humidity and a little less hot.

Bud came over from Apalachicola yesterday and we went to Thomasville to Lowes. He put a peep hold in the front door and a chain latch on it, installed a toilet paper holder in both bathrooms and hung two shades on the sun porch. Then Mother arrived with a trunk full of sheets, pillows, etc. for the spare room. The three of us had an interesting visit. Mother left around 4pm and Bud left at 5pm...he had a date at 7pm...hope he made it.

Bud brought Chester (red Chow) with him. Didn't see a cat the entire time he was here, but Shirley was in hogs heaven! Those two dogs ran through the house until they finally had to flop down on the floor panting! What a hoot!

Sometimes it's the little things!

Today I paid bills, did laundry, scrubbed the patio chairs, rearranged the patio (and took the grill and charcoal back outside), read the newspaper, found a blog I'm very fond of (science musings), played some computer games, read e-mails, talked with Mother twice, took Shirley in and out several times, vacuumed and went to the store. I was kicking myself for not getting much done today, but when I list it out it looks okay.

I just did spell check and the only word it mentioned was "blog". Funny!!

Bud's due tomorrow and so is the furniture. Mother wants to come over when the furniture gets here because she went shopping today and bought sheets and things. Also, she wants to see Bud and Bert wants to meet him. Should be an interesting day!

It's Saturday...

This morning for the first time in months I was able to go back to sleep after waking up at 4am. Boy that felt better, I slept until 7am! When I went out to bring in the newspaper there was a major change in the air! It was cool and drier...it was slightly foggy in the distance and very quiet. All in all, it was such a lovely stroll down the driveway!

The electrition came by yesterday to give me a quote on getting electricity out back to the shed. I want an over-head light socket and a plug. But, it's going to cost me more than I make in a week, so I'll have to think up some other way to do it...extension cords!

Bud won't be here today after all...had a job to finish. He'll be here tomorrow.

The furniture from Mother is due to arrive tomorrow morning (Sunday!).

Wednesday after work three of us finished the HS records. Just took 2 hours. Wonderful feeling of accomplishment!

No plans for today. Maybe a little cleaning, maybe not. Laundry!

Mixed feelings

We, here is the easternmost part of the panhandle of Florida, are suffering from the the pangs of guilt from feeling relief that the wrath of hurricane Katrina missed us. We prepared, we bought plywood, water and masking tape. As it turns out none of that would have done us any good had she come ashore even 200 miles east of where she hit. The horror of the aftermath of the storm is not imaginable to anyone not actually living through it. I heard that it will actually be decades before New Orleans and the surrounding areas can possibly recover. Can you image the fear and helplessness those people must be feeling?

We were slightly impacted here...I spent about an hour and a half after work yesterday lugging pecan limbs to the curb and we couldn't call long distance. Wow!

Recent Happenings

Thursday I let the nursing home, Mike's family and, unfortunately, finally Mike know that I couldn't bring Mike here. Then I found out from the nursing home that Mikes condition wasn't nearly as horrible as Mike had led me to believe. I'm not sure why he did that.

Thursday night my son came over from Apalachicola, spent the night, took me to breakfast on Friday morning, got all of the tag transfer and car ins. handled for my old car and was back in Apalach before noon! Talk about a whirlwind trip! He's coming back this coming weekend. I really did enjoy him!

Friday was my 60th birthday. That seems like a milestone of some sort!

Yesterday I went back to the Publix I went to a couple of weeks ago. It's 18 miles from the courthouse and such a pretty and nostalgic drive for me! When I was a little girl that was basically the only route to Tallahassee from here and we must have traveled it at least twice a week for 13 years! So much of it is the same, but "progress" has crept in in the form of sub-divisions and filling stations and convenience stores and finally, as you near Tallahassee, strip malls. Now, these are done rather tastefully, with an eye toward preserving the feel of the Desota Trail (which is what Rt. 90 is). I just don't think Desota had much in common with a convenience store!

After lunch I met three of the other members of the Humane Society at our new office. The four of us spent four and a half house sorting through bags and boxes of old HS records. These papers covered 1998-now and they were also covered with rat poop and pee! They had been chewed and nested in and there were some that just screamed of previous birthings! And, the remarkable thing is, the four and a half hours flew! We did a lot of talking and it was a first "girl thing" I'd done in a while. We're getting together Wednesday after work to attack the last box. It really will feel so much better to had this done!

I've made great progress with the boxes and bags of stuff I've been living with. I've gotten all of the boxes out of the living room but one and it goes in the work room and it's stacked to death with boxes and stuff! That's my project for the afternoon, for now I'm going to get another cup of coffee and read the Sunday paper.

Wow!

A younge woman who works in the hospital in Orl. called tonight (she calls fairly frequently...went by to see Mike quite a few times...and was a very good friend to me) and is in S. GA visiting family there. She wants to get together between now and Wed. night. Well, I work till 4:30, don't drive at night and plan to leave before the sun's up Saturday to get Mike (what does that have to do with anthing?). Also, the bosses wifes uncle died over the weekend and they are leaving tomorrow and won't be back till Friday, so it'll be just me at the shop. Also, the furniture from Mother's condo in the mts. is due here this week and I seem to stay pooped. Don't exactly know what to do, maybe have them here for supper? I'll pull up a map and see what the roads look like and how far it is.

No real news, just venting.

Monday morning

Sometimes it seems there are more Mondays in the week than Fridays! It's Monday again!

Where did the weekend go? I read an entire book Saturday and did laundry. Can't think of anything particular I did yesterday except for taking out the trash! We reached 100 degrees here yesterday and the animals and I stayed in most of the time.

Gotta go to work!

Mike Update

I got a call from Mike a little while ago. He's being discharged from the nursing home next Saturday, a week from today. He asked if I'd come get him. I said of course. I don't really understand this, I know he isn't well and probably should still be in care. I don't know what it will entail having him here. There are steps/stairs to every door, don' know how he'll handle those. I guess we'll see. I know the animals will be absolutely thrilled to have him around!

The end of a very tiring week

Tonight is the first time I've taken the time to really sit down at the computer other than to check e-mail and play a game or two. I've been going to bed around 8:30.

The first week of work was good. A lot of it felt like when Mike and I worked together. I worked some in the shop and some in the office. Of course, the shop was almost unbarable with the heat...our heat index was over 100 every day and with the drier cranked up to 400+ degrees it really was just awful at times!

I talked with Mike Sat., Sun., Mon. and Tues. He's been running a terrible fever. It seems he developed a topical infection under his abdomible dressing and the dumb nursing home didn't catch it. Not only was he running a fever, but had a horrible odor coming from the dressing. He's better now.

Helen called tonight. We talked for over an hour. She is such a good friend and I really do miss our over the fence talks in the evenings! We did that for over 12 years. Hard to belive that she is 82 now.

Mother found out earlier this week that she has cataracts in both eyes. She's scheduled for surgery for the first eye in a little over a week and the second eye two weeks later. She's quite nervous about it!

I had just gotten insurance on the old car last week and Mother and Bert gave me the new car last Friday. Well, I found out today that the $195.00 that I paid for ins. on the old one is sorta just a down payment for this new one (I had the ins. transfered) I now owe an additional $308.00 for the new car ins.! Ouch! Not sure how I'll handle this, but I'll have to do it somehow.

See! I knew something was up!

I met Mother and Bert at their house at 3:00 today as directed. They immediately hustled me into their car and off we went, down roads I'd never seen and they talked the entire time about how pleased they were that the chef at the restaurant (that they never named) could accommodate us at 3:30! The turkeys! While we were driving all over the place Mother handed me a gift that weighed a ton and said to go ahead and open it, so I did. It was a box with a brick in it and a little package. She wouldn't let me open the small package, but let me fondle it and try to guess what it was...it was wrapped in tissue paper and really sorta lumpy. Then it began to storm, the rain was coming down in sheets. It was really a wild ride! Then all of a sudden Mother said "quick, open the package", so I did. It was a key chain and a key and then Bert turned into a Honda dealership. Well, to make 2 hours much shorter, they gave me a 2005 Honda Civic (with 183 miles on it) for my birthday. It's pale gold, misty gold I think, and smells wonderful! See, I knew something was up!

When we left the dealership we went to a lovely French restaurant where they actually did have reservations. I had brook trout stuffed with crab, saffroned potatoes, asparagus, Caesar salad and an absolutely wonderful coconut cream pie. Oh yes, my sister met us there and while we were waiting to be seated we went for a walk to window shop and I found a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk...YES I DID!!!!!! Talk about a strangely wonderful day! This was certainly it!

Tomorrow I've got to get my car insurance upgraded and then from noon to 4:00 I'm taking a class in animal CPR.

So Far it's Mercy's Day!

Today had been all Mercy! She's the only cat I know who LOVES electronic/noisy things. So far I've used the blender and the vacuum and she totally supervised each operation and is sitting at my feet asking "What's next"? I'll turn the radio on later and that will just have to do her for now!

I made an interesting facial mask in the blender...strawberry yogurt and oatmeal. I'm wearing it as I do this and Shirley is beside herself with wanting to lick my face, of course, she always wants to lick my face, but this is something special. Goodness, bless his heart thinks I'm scary looking and runs if I approach him. Animals!

Don't know if I've mentioned that the newspaper and I parted ways last week...well we did. Cold call selling isn't my bag (and I knew it when I took the job) and I was very bad at selling ads. Did it for 3 months and finally last Wednesday the boss said to me "You're really not enjoying this are you?" and I said "No, not really"... so his suggestion was that we mutually part ways. Thank goodness! I was so afraid I was going to have to quit and I hate doing that.

Anyway, on Tuesday before the parting on Wednesday I stopped by a screen printing place on the way home and introduced myself and told them that I'm a screen printer, spent about an hour there talking with the owner and left my name and number and said if he ever needed help after 3 in the afternoon or on the weekends to give me a call. Well, Joe called this Wednesday and asked me to come in on Thursday and talk with him (I told him then that I wasn't at the paper anymore). Yesterday he offered me a job running the office and I start Monday! Yeah! This is something I CAN do! 9:30-4:30 with an hour for lunch and almost a walkable distance from home!

Today's the day I'm going to Tallahassee for dinner with Mother and Bert at 3:00! This should be interesting!

Something's going on!

Last night Mother called and asked me to join her and Bert for dinner Friday night. I thanked her and said "that would be lovely" and then asked what time I should get there. When she said 3:30 I thought that was quite early, but they know I don't like to drive at night so I didn't think much about it. Well, she just called a minute ago and said that they need me to get there at 3:00 instead of 3:30. I said "Mother, that's certainly not dinner time, what's up?" and her reply was that Bert said 3:00 was a better time than 3:30 and to be there! Then she added that she had just finished wrapping a little something up and of course I asked what and she said a birthday present and of course I said "it's not my birthday" and she said "it will be"! So, I think something's up! Well, enough "she said/I said"!

A while ago we had really dark skys and lots of thunder so I ran out and got the rug I had drapped over chairs to dry and drapped it over the roof of the car. How dumb can I get? The car's so dirty! I think it'll all vacuum out. Now the sky's bright blue and no thunder!

Just washed, blew-dry and curling ironed my hair. It's not so bad, but there's hardly enough to go around the curling iron! Oh well, it'll grow.

Hair cut

Tonight I cut all of my hair off. It actually amazes me that I've waited this long..5 or 6 months. Usually my very first reaction to stress is to cut my hair, and usually I wait until I've got a snoot full! I do believe that my mother is driving me absolutely nuts! The month of July was quite bearable...she was in the mountains, but now she's home and I really don't think she has enough to do and has decided to take me on as a hobby! I lived apart from her for 42 years and now I remember why!

I made the mistake of telling her that someone she knows came by to see me and she called her and thanked her for coming by! Good Lord! I'll be sixty in a couple of weeks and you'd think I was 12! I just hate this and when I fuss at her she really gets bent out of shape and actually called me a bitch several months ago!

I'm slowly, but surely getting unpacked. My "work room" is the depository of so many boxes that it'll take an act of congress to get it straightened out! I'm going to have to move everything out and start from scratch...need many shelves and I'm not sure how I'll work that out. sure would like to build them in, but having never done that I don't know how to go about it.

A friends 30 year old son was killed in a truck the other night. He was alone and the news said he'd been drinking. The funeral is tomorrow, I won't be going, it's not here. Such a sad thing!

The week I moved here I put an old rug that had seen better days out on the patio. Then the rains came. Today is the first day in a couple of weeks that it didn't really pour and the rug's looking good! I think the worse thing about it was the smell and it looked so ratty. Well, it not only doesn't smell bad, it smells "summer rain fresh" and it looks quite clean. I'm thinking of putting it in the dining room. I've got it draped over some chairs to finish drying and I put another ratty rung on the patio in its place. Can't wait to see how that one will turn out!

Something very dumb

A few weeks ago I got a new (used) computer tower. I unplugged the old one, stuck it in a corner and installed this one. All was right with the world. Then I told a friend at work about having a tower that I was no longer using and she offered me $60.00 for it...sold it! Shortly after I began having problems staying on line and the computer seemed to get slower and slower. Welllll, I didn't uninstall anything on the old comp. and the folks that have it were going on line with my aol account and each time they did it kicked me off. Somehow, a bug got in and in the end totally fried my computer! Got it back late yesterday and have spent forever getting everything reinstalled! But, now I'm back in business!

Fellow came yesterday and mowed and edged the yard. It's amazing that something so simple as edging/weed-eating makes such a difference...looks good!

Mother told me that in 2-6 weeks some of her furniture from the mountains will be arriving. A bedroom set for the guest room and a dining table, 6 chairs and a corner hutch for the dining room, which at this very moment is stacked window sill high with boxes.

The second small bedroom is a total jumble of boxes, bags, books and totally unidentifiable things. In order to get it usuable as my work room I'm going to have to empty it and then refill it. Oh joy!

Most of the rest of the house is in fairly good shape. There are still several boxes of kitchen stuff to unpack, it's just that I hate ladders so much and the only space left for kitchen storage requires a ladder to access. I know I'll figure it out eventually but it sure would be nice if it were alrealy done.

Talked with Mike on Sunday and on Wednesday. He's so improved, yet still needs his wheel chair and some assistance. He was excited about an outting to Walmart that he went on with a group from the nursing home. Thank goodness he's getting out some, it seems to make such a big differance in his outlook.

Is it hot or What?

I realize the entire nation is having weather of some sort or another, but doesn't it seem worse where you are? As they say it's all relative...but it sure is hot here!

I have a snake in the shed. He's curled up on a ledge, lifts his head and looks at me when I go in, but doesn't seem too worried about me invading his home. I figure as long as he doesn't invite friends in and lets me keep stuff in the shed he can stay.

I called last week to start the newspaper and waited ant waited and waited, no paper. Then it dawned on me that I'd used my debit card and later that day had to cancel. Guess it didn't have time to go through before I canceled the card. So last night a rep from the paper called and asked if I wanted to take the paper. Said yes, they'll bill me.

Not much happening, still living with boxes and bags, but each day I do get something else done. I'm finding it sorta hard as I feel I didn't ever catch up on my rest and my dumb broken hand is still giving me fits and I'm working, too. Oh well, I figure it'll all work out eventually.

A weekend for doing nothing!

This is the first weekend in about two months that I've dedicated to doing nothing...well, almost nothing.

Yesterday a friend brought a set of wonderful red & white metal shelves over and I created a pantry. It's so nice to be able to see at a glance just whats what on the shelves!

I also did a bit of puttering in the yard and a bit of this and that in the house (I AM still walking around boxes and bags of stuff and expect I will be for a while), but this is the first time in months that I haven't felt torn between two places and it feels wonderful!

I went to Thomasville this morning to "do" Walmart. The tea I use cost $2.07 there, in my grocery store here it's $3.58! It was worth the trip just for that, but I also got gas for $2.17, the cheapest I can get here is $2.33! So I saved a bunch today!

I have a little grill that I've never used, got charcoal and lighter, too. Think I'll grill a hamburger tonight. May top it with this wonderful horseradish cheese I've got. Sounds pretty good to me!

Mother and Bert will be coming back from the mountains a week from today. I know she's going to hate what I'm doing with the house, oh well.

Will call Mike tonight.

Dueling litter boxes

I have two litter boxes for the cats and they are side by side. I thought at first that Goodness was using one and Mercy the other, then I thought they had decided that one was for poop and the other for pee. This morning I'm not sure just what to think. As I was scooping the boxes Goodness got in, stood in one and pooped in the other! These are two versatile cats!

Storms every night! and, there's a new hurricane forming...wow!

Yeah! The city picked up the hurricane debris (2 large piles) that I put out on the street a week ago Monday. Sure looks better.

Just a minute ago the electrician showed up. He was to be here between 5 and 5:30 yesterday, but didn't call or come. I had to have the plug on the dryer changed out (as I did when I moved into the other house in November!). So yesterday I went to the hardware store after work and bought 2 plugs (one of each type) because I wasn't sure which one I needed. Well, anyway, I can now wash clothes and dry them, but the only water temp I have right now is HOT! Gotta get that fixed too...don't know who to call on that one.

Talked with Mike last night. He's finally meeting some other people in the nursing home and actually went to the activity room on his own (wheelchair) and talked to some people playing poker and got a book to read. Making forward steps.

Gotta go to work.

Goings on

Had a Humane Society meeting last night. Good group of people. Awfully glad I joined, but it was hard to go out after getting home from work yesterday. Still haven't gotten my energy back, I'm sure that too will come. Just wish it would hurry up! Saw a 6 month old shephard mix that I want to visit some...she's been abused and will not even look at a person, very introverted. Wish this was a fenced back yard, I'd think about fostering her.

I am So very bad at my job. I truely have pure intentions and make 15-20 phone calls an hour, just very few of the calls end in sales. Not sure what to do, need the job, but the negative attitude I'm dealing with isn't helping.

Haven't talked with Mike for a few days...tonight.

Mother and Bert still in the mountains.

My sister has lost her swimming pool thanks to hurricane Dennis. Almost lost the patio, too. I haven't talked to her, but she had 10 dump trucks of dirt due there yesterday.

Gotta run so I can go enjoy work.

Finished moving

Yesterday I did my last bit at the old house. It was mainly cleanup, but there were a few things that I still needed to bring here. The biggy was all of the boxes I'd broken down and saved from the move in November...they were too big for me to use for this move (couldn't get them in the car) and I was lucky enough to find a bunch of small ones that I used along with garbage bags.

So this house is covered with black garbage bags and little boxes that I have no idea what they are holding! The kitchen is usuable, the bathroom is usuable and the bedroom is actually quite nice...the remainder of the house is hurricanish!

Had the young brother-in-law of a friend at work cut the grass this weekend. Bless his heart he really worked at it, but he cut it too short and didn't bag it and it's rather butchered. I told him to come back in two weeks...I'll tell him to cut it longer. We'll see.

Left a very long string of Christmas lights on the porch of the old house. Oh well.

Woke up quite tired today. Work will be rather tedious.

It HAS happened before, but...

Today was odd all round! We had a pretty major thunder storm early this afternoon, everything was muggy and foggy when I got off work. I was way in the yellow on my gas gauge and gas was first on my list, but the BP in town (which is cheap, $2.19, and full service) was full up with trucks and trailers, so after stopping at the bank I headed out to I-10 to the BP there ($2.39 and self-serve) and made it!, but there were plastic bags over every hose nozzle and I couldn't get gas there, so I went across the road to the Citgo.

Then I went to the old house. The electricity had already been turned off, damn them, they were efficient! so I just swept and damp mopped, but I should have mopped about 18 times! Animal hair and dust rolled into long strings that I could pick up and put in the trash! I got everything I wanted to except for a couple of braided rugs and many plastic jugs (hurricanes).

Left the house with the car FULLY packed and stopped at the grocery store. Just got a few things, some hot fried chicken (3 pieces), some ice cream and bacon and eggs. Went to check out and didn't have my key! Looked everywhere, pockets, emptied purse a couple of times and even went back to the deli and the ice cream freezer. Now, I'm sorta tired and real sore and hot and I couldn't believe that I could have done something so stupid as lock them in the car, but I went out and looked and they weren't in the ignition so I was sure they were lost in the store, went back in and looked everywhere again, the store personnel were helping by this point, and the keys were not there! Then one of the young managers said that she had never had anyone lock their keys in the car on her watch before and she really didn't know what to do, was there anyone I could call to come and help me? I thought a moment and Mother and Bert are in the mountains, the only other person I could think of that might have a key to the house was the builder, so we called him and got no answer or machine. About that time a man came up and asked if there was anyone there that could help him, it seemed he had locked his keys in his car!!
Everyone got a pretty good laugh out of that one, but the poor man sure was puzzled! I don't remember right now just what made me go out to the car again, but I'd left the passenger window down about 2", but couldn't get my arm far enough in to push the unlock button, oh!, I'd looked in the driver window on my way out to the car and the keys were in the seat, I usually put them in my pocket, but I guess they didn't make it this time, I am tired! There was a very old woman sitting in the car next to me and we chatted a bit then her elderly daughter came out and her mother told her what was going on and she tried to get her much larger arm in the window, then said, "I'll get my grandson, he can do anything", went into the grocery store, got him, he got a long screwdriver out of him trunk, stuck in down in the window and unlocked the car! Yeah! Went back , checked out (soggy ice cream) and came home.

Have a clean-up day at the humane society tomorrow at 8am. Guess I finish the old house after that.

Better

Well, yesterday after work I did absolutely nothing! and...I feel a bit better this morning. I did clean litter boxes and pick up trash in the back yard (tree trash) and talk on the phone and moved a bit of this and that around the house, but I did nothing horrible. Today is the last day I'm paid on the old house and I've got to finish it after work...still haven't emptied the car of the last load day before yesterday, I'll figure it out. Maybe.

On line finally!

It's been a strange past few days!

The phone company was supposed to disconnect the phone at the old house yesterday and connect the phone at this house last Thursday. They did just the opposite and just getting a phone here has been nothing short of a miracle! I told the phone co. on Friday not to worry about the phone at the old house, but that I HAD to have one here...I got it yesterday (after 3 visits from Sprint!!!!!). I got new wires, new jacks, everything but new phones...remember when the phone company actually brought you phones?

Anyway, I'm on line again as of tonight (about 6 minutes ago!).

Friday I decided to bring the animals here for the duration...the hurricane was projected to hit the panhandle Sunday and the only thing I didn't have here was furniture and a refrigerator and this house is so much sturdier than the other one. So I wrestled my chair and footstool into the trunk of the car, brought the cushions off of the sofa, got ice for the coolers, found the battery operated tv, got batteries and Underwoods chunky Chicken Spread and crackers and moved in on Friday. The animals were wild! They have never had this much room in their lives and they ran and romped like nuts all weekend!

It rained and blew all day Saturday and I made 6 trips to the old house to move as much stuff as possible (the crew to move me was due on Monday). Sunday it was much too stormy to go out, so the animals and I unpacked stuff and watched the pecan trees out front decorate the yard with limbs the size of ponys. The power was out for 8 hours, but that was all.

The third Sprint man came on Monday, 8 o'clock and the phone's been good since (it's only Tuesday now, but I think I'll just be happy!). Anyway, I hadn't been able to get in touch with the folks to move me until Monday AM and found out when I did that they couldn't do it till today because of the storm. So today 4 men and I spent 5 hours and got me moved! Not everything, I'll go over after work tomorrow and finish up the stuff and then Thursday after work I'll go clean...at least that's the plan.

I just put clean sheets on the BED!!! No floor tonight!

Everything is usable and I can even walk through most of the rooms. I'm afraid it's going to take me years to really get done. And then, of course, Mother wants to bring all of her stuff from the mountains here. I may just have to put it in the shed!!!!!!!!!!!

I dragged all of the limbs out to the street on Monday and decided to take the tv antenna out too, well I got it out there, but not before catching it in some shrubbery and pulling the pole through my left hand and cutting the palm from the pinky finger to the index finger (on the diagonal, it looks like a new life line!) nasty cut...hurts...gooky in spots...using sulfadine on it.

Talked to Mike Monday. He's okay, looking forward to the lemonade I mailed.

Too much had happened to talk about now, one of the movers sat on the coffee table and broke it, he glued it together. One lone rain lily is bloomin in the middle of the back yard. Oh yes, the Big One...lost Goodness today. I closed the animals up (with food, water, bedding, litter, etc.) in the small front bedroom today, 'cause I knew nothing would be going in there. They were a bit frantic while all of the moving in was going on and I had the French doors open and couldn't let them out, but I went to Burger King and got us all Whoppers and closed up the house when I got back. Let them out while we ate and the cats disappeared and Shirley entertained royally! When we finished I put Shirley on the sun porch and saw Mercy out there and just assumed that Goodness was out there too. Well, the movers left around 2 o'clock and I opened the door to the porch. The girls ran out, but no Goodness. I didn't worry too much, he pouts and hides. Well, around 4 o'clock, I still hadn't seen him, so I got kinda worried and started looking for him...no where to be found...Shirley and I walked the yard (she used to hunt rats with Mike) and I put her on the hunt, well, she said she smelled him and took me on a wild goose chase to no avail. I came in, said a prayer, went through the house one more time and went back to work on the stuff that's everywhere. Around 7 o'clock I heard a pitiful mewing and called Goodness, he answered, but he has the tiniest voice and I couldn't locate him. Well I charged Shirley with finding him and she kept saying he was in the small bathroom, but I looked (and it's tiny) and no cat. So I decided that he was under the house, under the bathroom. I flashed lighted and crawled as far as I could and NO CAT, but I could still hear him when I called his name. Went back to the bathroom and opened the tub enclosure and out he popped! The only thing I can figure is that he jumped onto the back of the toilet and jumped over the glass door, I'll bet it knocked him out! I'm keeping the door to the bathroom closed from now on!

Hither and Yon

Ever feel torn between pillar and post, tossed hither and yon, stuck between a rock and a hard place....(you get my point!) welcome to my world! I told work yesterday that I'd not be in until I get moved. Don't think they cared for it too much. I've got to get moved...the guys that are going to move the big stuff will be here Monday and this is THURSDAY! I'm in a toss up between two places and neither is comfortable right now. And, of course, we have a hurricane due here Sunday or Monday. Drat!

I've moved a lot and packed a lot, yet there is so much more to do. I've run out of plastic grocery bags...they sure are easy to carry and hard to overfill. That's been one of the problems, things are so darn heavy and a few of them have really given my back fits.

The phone should be connected in the new place today by 7pm. Same number and will ring in both places till Monday...then, if all goes correctly, after Monday it'll only ring in the new place. Power will be off here on Wednesday.

If the phone is in today I'll move the computer tomorrow. Nothing there to sit it on, maybe the card table. It's covered with craft things, guess I'll put a box together and pack all that next.

Just heard on TV that there were several bombings in London.

Talked with Mike yesterday. The nursing home has really begun his physical therapy. They've got him out of his room, going to physical therapy. He's using a walker and a wheelchair. Still needs close physical help, but feels positive about finally getting better. It seems that finally he has a job to focus on.

Talk about fruit basket turn over!!!

Moving, moving, moving...does it ever end?

Yesterday a friend of mine from work borrowed her husbands truck and we moved almost all of the outdoor stuff...chairs, grill, hose, birdbath, etc. I also loaded the car twice, so with the one truck load and the two car loads it was a very productive day. Unfortunately, I broke from my norm and didn't put away anything, so what I was hoping wouldn't happen has happened! I have many unpacked boxes and bags of things at "the house"! Oh well, I'll figure it out. The big stuff is scheduled to be moved on Monday and then that gives me a couple of days to clean this house.

Moving Aches and Pains

Wow! I have muscles that I was unaware of that scream with every movement I make! Lifting, toteing and carrying is taking a toll on this ol' body of mine! Talk about out of shape! I guess this time I really am! My idea of taking a car load to "the house" and unpacking it and putting it away each time may be a good one, but it really is time consuming. A friend of mine from work met me there last night and I showed her what I'd done to this point and it didn't feel like much...and there is SO much more to do!

I still haven't done a change of address for utilities, phone or P.O., must do that today!

The girl that saw the house last night didn't want to leave! We sat out on the back stoop and talked for an hour before she finally said she had to go home and fix supper for her family...it was 9 o'clock! It is a wonderful back yard! and, it had just been mowed, so it really was nice.

Gotta go, must shower for work.

Oh, my #1 daughter tagged me for a meme (?)...I'm working on it.

Stuff and more stuff

Yesterday was quite productive at "the house". I took two large car loads over and got it all put away...vacuumed the entire house (it's about twice as large as this one), vacuumed out drawers, and under cabinets in the kitchen, lined all of the drawers and underneath cabinets and got 2 shelves in the kitchen lined...ran out of shelf liner, and swept out the sun porch.

I had a little accident on Saturday with a heavy wooden blind in one of the bedrooms. It fell as I was trying to adjust it and hit me on the right shoulder and gouged a couple of bloody places as it fell. I'm still all skinned and bruised and the dumb shoulder and arm are mighty sore. It's sorta slowing my packing, lifting and toting a bit.

Last night I was eating supper around 8 o'clock when it dawned on me that I hadn't closed the windows on the sun porch. So, Shirley and I loaded up and went to "the house". I saw that others on the street had put out garbage on the curb, so I put my first garbage out on the street...boy, I'll just have to make the time to visit the dump...I sure will miss it!

The best Burger!

After finishing my list of things to do this morning in Thomasville I went to Dairy Queen! I haven't been to a Dairy Queen in at least 800 years! I had the mushroom/Swiss burger...it came with sauted mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese and a garlic mayo! Talk about wonderful! I'd have eaten another if only there had been more room in my stomach!

I got everything on my list done except for taking stuff to "the house"...maybe this afternoon (I may have to sleep off that burger!), if not then tomorrow for sure!

Meat Goats

There is a wonderful 5 week course (cost $20.00!) starting at Florida A&M University in a couple of weeks. The title of the course is Meat Goat Training Course. One of the girls at work raises hogs and goats (along with many other animals) and is considering the course...she's asked me to go with her and I'm thinking about it...I know I'd learn a bunch and I know I'd enjoy it, but it falls right smack in the middle of my move...what a silly dilemma! This course offers everything from record keeping to Bio-terrorism on the Farm. There's a hands-on training that includes physical examinations and selecting and evaluating breeding stock and hoof trimming and administering medications. There's herd health, nutrition management, pasture management and reproduction management of meat goats along with selecting and evaluating breeding stock and establishing the meat goat facility. Only thing is, I can't have goats in town!

I had a message on my phone when I got in from work yesterday from Helen...she's home! Her surgery was Wednesday, and she's home! Wow!

Talked with Mike...his blood salts have stabilized and he actually took a few steps unassisted. They did some x-rays and the abcesses have greatly reduced in size! He will be going back to the nursing home as soon as they have a bed available for him.

Am going to Thomasville, GA this morning...to Walmart...need kitty litter and a couple of other things. I plan to go by the house on the way out of town and drop off a couple of boxes, gas up the car, go by the post office for a phone card, stop by Radio Shack for more minutes on the pre-paid cell phone and then head out...talk about multi-tasking!

Finally, I'm doing something!

When I got home from work yesterday the first thing I did was call Mike to let him know that I'd just mailed him some more lemonade. He said one doctor had said that it looks like he'll be there a while longer and just a few minutes later another doctor said they were looking for a place for him.

Immediately upon hanging up Helen called. She's a bit antsy about the surgery coming up tomorrow. She seems to think she'll have her kidney removed one day and go home the next. I told her that it wasn't quite like having a tooth pulled, it might take a few days in the hospital before she got to go home. Bless her heart! 82 is awfully old for this!

While I was on the phone with Helen I walked through the house and took everything off the walls. Didn't realize just how much I had up! I completely filled the back seat of the car with wall stuff!

Then I bathed Shirley and stripped the bed and threw the sheets in the washer (I'd already taken all of the linens to the new house).

Then, I took the car load to "the house" and unloaded...there was a large hook type hanger still on the wall in the living room, so I did actually hang one large picture!

After emptying the car I headed out to the humane society to attend my first meeting...the third Monday of each month. What a good group of people! I'm glad I joined! I'll be helping with the news letter and they mentioned several other things I can do. I told them about moving and that I'd like to wait until all that's done to really get my feet wet. Anyhoo...one of the members of the board (a local lawyer, his wife is also on the board) asked if I needed any help with my move and of course, I said yes. He has trucks and helpers and they are going to move my big stuff on the 11th! Thank goodness!

Got home, put sheets in the dryer, showered, made the bed and was ready to collapse when the phone rang...my son! Had a long chat with him and then a glass of milk and piece of coconut cake and went to bed.

This morning I feel like I didn't get any rest...boy am I pooped! and in a few minutes it's off to work again! Wow!

It's begun!

Yesterday was the grand finale of the Watermelon Festival. There was a parade, an antique car show and street after street of arts and crafts and probably 25-30 different food vendors with every thing from ribs to corn dogs, cotton candy, chicken on a stick and of course, watermelon! It was wonderful! (I bought an Elvis purse!)

After the festivities (the Marine band form Albany, GA, played) I went to "the house". There sitting in my carport were my mother and my sister in folding chairs looking quite comfortable. They had opened the house and were just sitting there waiting for me to show up. Odd.

After they left I spent a couple of hours cleaning up builder junk in the yard I filled a 5 gallon bucket twice with things like roofing nails, shingles, plastic and wooden things. The builder had already "cleaned up", but his cleaning really left a lot of little stuff. I'm sure I'll find more.

I got quite over heated doing the yard at mid-day, even though it was very overcast and threw up in the yard at one point, that was a wake-up call! So I locked up the house and came back here. Around 6pm Shirley and I went back to the house and it had cooled off enough to be bearable. I put one of those screwy things with a chain in the back yard and put Shirely out on it...this is going to take some work...she was fine as long as she could see me, but she screamed and screamed when I would go in. I took my first real car load over...things from the linen closet...well, it's a beginning and officially I have until the 15th of July. I also took shelf paper for the kitchen, but I can only reach the bottom shelves, so I need to take a ladder in order to reach the others!

Talked with Mike last night. He's doing okay, or as okay as one who's been in the hospital since the 22nd of March can be doing!

Oh, I almost forgot...the computer I've been using was a cheapy find from Goodwill last year and it was soooooo slow and had NO memory (who does?) and wasn't upgradable. A girl at work told me about a rental place that sometimes had computers that were returned or reposessed and they sold them...she bought a complete Dell for $300. So I went by there Friday after work and for $50 ($25 down and $25 tomorrow when I get paid) bought just the box that is the computer, I had a monitor, key board, speakers, mouse and printer already. It's an e machine and boy howdy! it's remarkable! It downloads in seconds and is so fast that it gets ahead of me! With the old one even getting on line was a chore, now I don't even have time to get a cup of coffee before it's on!

Happy Birthday Daughter!

Forty years ago today I held in my arms for the first time the most precious bundle in the world, my daughter. She was beautiful and whole and when I looked into those intensely blue eyes, I knew her. She is still beautiful and whole and a woman not only I, but all who meet her, want to know. How blessed she has always made me feel. What a wonderful person she has created in her self!

I was blessed when this first child was born into my life and then later I was blessed with two more daughters and a son!

Happy Birthday, Daughter! I love you!

Mom

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.