Actually its hurricane Ernesto...

Don't know where I got Elberto (sounds good though). They are saying on our local news right now that we'll miss Ernesto....that's a good thing, just hope we get some of her rain!

An interesting and pleasant birthday

I think I was sorta dreading yesterday...not the fact of the birthday (I don't feel a day over 60!), but the going out with Mother and Bert. It turned out to be very nice with the exception of a few of Mother's tirades aimed at Bert. He didn't look well. He looked tired and was quiet. Of course, he'd just played 18 holes of golf in 90+ degree weather and had then driven with Mother down to Woodville! Maybe he deserved to be quiet!

As usual we all pigged out. Bert being the only one to finish his plate. Nancy, Mother and I all brought "planned-overs" home. For breakfast this morning I had fried grouper and french fries! For lunch it'll be fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried grouper and french fries. Then I can get back to eating normally...very little fried.

We've had a couple of good rains, one on Friday and one yesterday. It's just amazing what a difference it makes in my yard!

We are expecting Hurricane Elberto on Thursday. Since this storm formed I've had a bad feeling about it. I'm so afraid she'll go ashore in Apalachicola...and the way it's looking right now it could happen...or anywhere along the Gulf coast from Sarasota to Pensacola. This storm's going to be a big one, a catagory 3 or higher. Depending on where she lands it could really be another Katrina.

Of course I'm all stocked up...food, water, kitty litter, cat food, dog food, batteries and a battery operated fan, tv, radio, corded phone, flashlights, lanterns and lantern oil, charcoal, wood. I'll be good for a few weeks as long as something doesn't happen to the side of the house where everything's stored!

Heat and more heat

Lately the weather is the most significant thing happening in my world. It is hot and dry. I have a tendency to bring plants home and then find it almost impossible to dig the holes to plant them in. So far I've not lost anything, but there's a crape myrtle I think may not make it.

I didn't have any luck at all with my vegetables. All of the tomatoes, cucumbers and squash died. I'm thinking it's where they're planted. When I moved into the house there was a raised bed with mint and thyme in it. So my natural tendency was to clear a lot of it out and have veggies. Well, this bed is bordered with railroad ties and I'm thinking the creosolt (sp?) leached out into the soil and killed everything. The only thing thriving is rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, garlic chives and mint. Sounds very Mediterranean doesn't it? There is a six-pack of okra that I bought in March and just sat out in the bed. They are doing quite well, put root down through the plastic and are growing their little heads off!

Saturday is my 61st birthday! Will have dinner with my sister, Mother and Bert in Woodville at the Seinyard late Saturday afternoon. Love the food there and will bring home left overs enough to last the rest of the weekend. Am having dinner with a friend from high school tonight and next Sunday the 3rd will be going to a cocktail party my friend Leah Jane is having. I don't really understand it, but I'd rather just stay home!

I've been on the job eight and a half months...surprise, surprise, surprise!

Need to get ready to go to work. Later.

A hot summer day and Mother

Today was my bi-annual shopping day with Mother. What with this being my birthday month she went a little overboard. What FUN! Actually, I really, really hate shopping for clothes. I do better in a thrift shop...then I don't feel obligated to try anything on and if I find later it doesn't fit I'm not out much. But today was a try-on day. Mother always sits out in the main room and I have to model everything for her. Today I showed her one outfit and she said quite loudly "who in their right mind would wear a color like that?"...one of the sales ladies hovering near was decked out from head to toe in in! I did end up with lots of really nice things that I will wear.

I prayed all the way to her house that I would remain clam with her. She's such a buttonpusher! Our first little tiff was about who would drive. She knows I will not ride with her driving. Bert intervened and I drove. We hadn't gone 1/4 of a mile from her house when I told her I would turn the car around and take her home if she didn't settle down. She did for a little while, but I had to keep reining her in! Wow! That was like working a 40 hour week in one day!

Stopped at Walmart on the way home for cat & dog food. It's SOOOOO much cheaper there! Also got a new mouse, I'd 'bout worn the old one out!

Went to Tallahassee this morning on I-10 and came almost home on US27.
Saw a road I thought I knew and decided to take a short-cut. Enden up on US90. Boy! I zig-zagged all over Leon and Jefferson counties today! It was so hot that the air conditioner in the car was not enough and I was soaked with sweat when I finally did find home!

Had the air conditioner people out yesterday. The unit here has been freezing up and it's been really hot in the house. It cost me $121.00, but it's quite comfortable in here now. Thank goodness!

Brought home half a sandwich from lunch...think I'll go eat it and call it supper!

Summer heat

We all are talking about the heat. Not much else we can do about it.

It is HOT! The past few weeks have been so hot that the air conditioners don't seem to be working, but all you have to do to appreciate them is step outside! Some days I find that I'm sitting at my desk sweating, but a step outside always makes me feel much better.

At a nursery the majority of the employees work outside. I feel so bad for them.

My friend Leah Jane got home last week from a month in the mountains. So good to have her back!

Helen called me three times yesterday. She didn't remember that she'd called before.

Am talking with my sister quite frequently. That sure is different for us.

Nothing much happening.

Gotta get ready for work.

I left here Thursday morning a little after 6am. Drove to Orlando, got to Helen's around 10am. She wasn't home. We had talked the night before and the only place she thought she might go was to "Seniors" if her friend Evelyn could take her (didn't tell her my plans to visit). So I went to the center and there she was, holding court with all of these younger (70s) men. They buzzed around her like she was the queen and they her drones. Wonderful to see!

As I walked to her table we made eye contact twice and I knew she didn't know who I was. When I got within couple of feet of her we made eye contact once more. I said to her "the third time you see me surely you'll know me". She got the most amazed look on her face and then her eyes filled with tears and she opened her arms to me. I was afraid to squeeze her as tightly as I wanted to...she's so tiny. The last time I saw Helen was in June of 2005. She probably weighed 120-125...now it's under 100. But her hair was done and she had makeup on and of course was dressed to the teeth...pretty little silk dress and a sweater and, get this!, red tennis shoes!
Cute, cute, cute!

I took her home from the center after lunch and we visited until 2pm. Hated to leave and she cried.

Ran into some really bad weather on the Turnpike, 20-30 mph type weather, but the big trucks weren't a numerous as they had been on the trip down and after I was on 75 and past Ocala the regular traffic cleared out some, too.

Got home around 6pm. Pooped!

My new travel thought...try not to travel East in the morning and West in the afternoon!

Road Trip

6:00AM
Leaving in just a few miutes to dash down to Orlando to see Helen. Plan to return later today.

The Assignment

Yesterday the boss called me into his office and "gave" me an assignment. It seems our driver isn't leaving the business Visa card when he goes home to Thomasville after his runs. HWB told me that from now on it was MY responsibility to make sure to get the card from him. Then he added that if I failed to do it he would fire me. Now he may have seen that as incentive, but I see it as a threat and as much as I hate it, I'm thinking of looking for another job. I'm quite upset!

We've had four straight days of wonderful rain! Actually thunder storms with major lighting and buckets and buckets of rain. Glorious!

Brought an oakleaf hydrangea and a dwarf red Japanese maple home on Monday. Need to get them into the ground.

Six straight hours of Survivor on tv tonight! Yeah!

Boom, boom, boom

Well, there's something to be said for canopied roads, Spanish moss and rain. They are all beautiful! The rain especially, since we've been so dry.

Yeasteday the rain started around 2:30, not hard, but rain! We're going weeks in between rains and I'm finding it impossible to water enough. In fact, there are 4 dead azaleas in the front of the house...I've been concentrating on the new things I've put out back.

It rained lightly until I got home around 4:30, however, it wasn't nearly enough, so I stood out in the sprinkle and watered. Probably looked stupid, but it was necessary. Neighbors mother came over and we had a nice visit.

By the time I went inside (around 6) the rain was completely gone. Turned on the Golden Girls and here it came...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! and the power went out. Of course I went out on the front porch to see what was happening and was just in time to see a runner of flame traveling down the power lines to the pole out front, the street light exploded, glass going everywhere, and then one of the cross arms that hold the insulators split in two and it and the insulators went everywhere. Dashed inside grabbed the phone and it was dead. Then the power came back on. All of this happened in a matter of moments.

With the power the phone came back so I called Progress Energy.

Then I went back out so I could keep an eye on the pole. I was shaking like a leaf and of course my back went into spasms.

Monticello is a town of beautiful, old canopied roads. When it's dry for so long the added weight of rain on the moss in the old trees is just enough to bring them down. That's what happened last night. Just 4 houses down a beautiful old oak fell from one yard all the way across the street into that yard. It brought down lines and created a traffic jam!

When Progress Energy got here I asked if I'd lose power while they worked on the lines. One fellow said "Lady, you've already lost power and we'll restore it". When I told him I had power he said "How?" looking up at the pole!

Hot, hot, hot!

"They" say it'll be above 100 degrees here today, but it has a ways to go. Just looked at the thermometer and it's 90.1. It's also overcast and mighty muggy!

Nothing particular to say...just a weather update.

Hot and Dry

We've been sooo hot and dry here lately...very unlike our "norm". My water bill went up from $46 to $52 and when I went to pay it at City Hall I asked why...she said "maybe you're watering your plants"...DUH!

Goodness has stayed in the house several nights in a row. Not sure why. Sometimes he'll last until I get up in the morning, sometimes he wants out around 3-4am. Odd.

No news...works good. House needs cleaning. Weeding is getting ahead of me.

Friday night my sister came over and we went to Sage for dinner. Sat outside until 10pm. Had a good time. She called twice last night.

Helen's still hanging in there. She's a trooper.

Just to post

There was an article in the paper this morning about the "political correctness" of calling a fat person "obese". You'd think that that's a no brainer. Fat....obese, fat....obese. Don't they think we know it's one and the same and if we are fat we know it and we also know we're obese. Dumb, dumb article! What a waste of time!

I've had two full days off so far and still have today and tomorrow. I've weeded, cooked, worked on my work room and watched tv. Would like two more weeks of it!

I actually picked Cameo up this morning. He's a young unneutered cat. Very skinny and quite sweet! He buried his face in my neck and purred loudly! I have two choices (actually three) I can take him to the Humane Society, but they are so overloaded with kittens that I'd bet he'd never be adopted...I can have him neutered and call him mine...or I can do nothing and just leave things as they are. The last option seems the easiest, but I keep thinking of male cat spray smell.

Mother and Bert have gone to the mountains for the month of July.

Helen's calling daily. A couple of times I felt sure it was her and didn't answer. I hate doing that, but there just isn't a couple of hours daily worth of chit chat left in me. Her short term memory is so bad and the repetition is difficult for me. I sound selfish and perhaps I am, I do love her and I do care about her...just don't know what the answer is.

A First

This is a first for me! Blogging from work. Shan't be long.

Sunday was RM's birthday. First born! How is it possible that she's 41? It was just yesterday that I held that beautiful bundle in my arms and day-dreamed about her future. It seems I was quite short-sighted...she has built a life that is more wonderful than I could have imagined for her. I'm so proud to be her mother!

I talked with her on Sunday. So good to hear her voice. She is very level-headed, bright and had knowledge about so many things. My world always seems to revolve much better after a chat with her!

Love you Rosie!

Watermelon Festival Day

The "kick off" for the Watermelon Festival began 2 weeks ago. The finale is today and tonight. I'm meeting my sister in front of the bank at 7:30 this morning for a "country breakfast". Should be lots of folks we know there and it should be tasty also! Don't know if we'll stay for the parade or not.

When I got in to work Wednesday morning I still hadn't seen an electrician. I had called 3 of them. Well, when I told HWB that I really needed help getting an electrician out to the house he picked up his cell phone made one call and less than an hour later I met an electrician here. It turns out that the breaker box wasn't as bad as Progress Energy had thought. He did have to go into the insides of it, two of the switches were frozen, one in the off position and the other looked like it was on, but was stuck sorta half way. Then, bless his heart, when I got off work he sent one of his men to replace several bulbs that had blown (they were way too high for me to reach). The surge that happened when the lines came down blew my big tv in the living room. Boy, I scrimped and saved for a long time to buy that last year. Had built in DVD & VHS players and I really liked it. Oh well.

Thursday dawned clear and pretty. The Watermelon Festival luncheon and fashion show was at noon at the Opera House. Met LJ and her neighbor, Norma there. We sat at a table for ten with seven really cute young women. It was great fun and the food (chicken salad and bunches of different fruits) was very good...too much to finish for everyone at our table...we looked around, however, and many folks were sitting at "clean plate tables"! All three of us won a door prize! Norma won a battery operated tv, LJ won a pewter candle holder and I won a huge golf umbrella! Who'd imagine we'd all win! Two of the girls at our table also won! What fun!

After the luncheon LJ and I went to Thomasville to Walmart. Her 20 year old microwave bit the dust Wednesday night and I needed a tv. I took all of the money I'd stashed away for a fence. I'll get one, just don't know how. I got a 20" flat screen tv (really looks good and wonderful picture) and a small dvd player. I felt a little embarrassed counting out all $1's and $5's to pay for them, but it was real money! Came home with 12 dollars.

Cashed my paycheck after work yesterday and started my fence stash again.

And now the fun begins!

Actually, the fun began late yesterday...as I was making ice (putting little open containers of water in the freezer) Shirley and Mercy were helping and both of them jostled me a couple of times and I had a lovely little puddle of water on the floor and sorta under the 'fridge. So, when I finished (making ice) I began to sop up the water with a couple of paper towels. Right when I had my arm scootched down the side of the 'fridge (and under the plug) a giant BOOM sounded, the floor shook and the panes in the windows rattled and the power went out! Then the house started filling with smoke. Scared me to death!

I grabbed Shirley, ran out and put her in the car...ran back in & grabbed Goodness (who I had finally gotten into the house and he was having fits!) and ran out to the car, I got the door opened and was pushing Shirley back with my knee when Goodness gave one of those long-cat twists, flipped out of my grip and was over my shoulder and down my back in a flash. Couldn't get him. Ran back in (house was quite smoky by now) couldn't find Mercy. Picked up the phone to call 911 and it was dead. Grabbed my money stash, put on a bra and ran next door (left the back door open because of Mercy). As I dashed over, I looked over toward my other neighbor and saw pecan limbs down over the power lines and flames dancing down the lines and under the eaves and flames were going quite nicely around the power pole and several feet up it too.

You should have seen the face on my neighbor when he answered the door, I must have rapped quite loudly (I did want to make sure he heard me). All I could say was "a tree took out my power lines and the house is filling with smoke. Please call someone my phone is dead". He said ok, went back in and closed the door. He did come back out shortly and said Progess Energy would be out soon and that they said a breaker should have flipped and the fire should go out.

I didn't know what to do. Was shaking like a leaf. Backed the car out and left Shirley in it. Went back in and found Mercy, just couldn't catch her, so decided to leave the door open.

Then the rain began. Then Progress Energy arrived. Two trucks.

Well, it turns out the tree took out the power line, the phone line and the cable line. You should see them they look very much like eerie Christmas decorations with hardened black drippy stuff hanging from them.

Progress Energy finished around 9pm. Told me to check out everything. Only half of the house works...the ceiling fan and one wall outlet in the living room, everything but the shower light in my room, the stove, but not the refrigerator in the kitchen, no air conditioner, etc. So I called out to the guys and they came in and looked at my breaker box. Something is wrong with it and one of the heavy switches keeps flipping off. They told me to call an electrician asap. I had no phone.

So, I grabbed my purse and jumped in the car and decided to go to the office to make some calls. Well, the rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was really pushing my little car around and the town was dead and going out to the office felt scary, so I turned around and went to Leah Jane's house. I'm so glad she was still up. We tried calling one electrician and his business phone has been disconnected...found his home number and left a message on his machine. Didn't have a phone number to leave, but left name, address and problem. LJ insisted that I bring her cell phone home with me, she didn't want me alone without one. That was awfully nice.

When I got home I got out a heavy extension cord and plugged the refrigerator up to an outlet on the other side of the kitchen. Whew!

Got to the office at 6:20 this morning (was home by 7:30). Called electrician again...left message. Called Sprint and they had me up and running by 2 this afternoon. Called cable, they said by 5...we'll see.

It was still raining all this time. The yard is standing in water. Feast or famine!

Decided to take LJ's phone back to her. Wrote her a note in case she was out (she was) and put everything in a plastic bag. Still pouring rain. For some reason I took my cigarette with me when I ran up her steps to hang the phone on the back door and when I ran back to the car I somehow knocked the end off of it as I got in the car. Now there is a dime size (ugly) hole in the middle of my car seat and she doesn't even have 4,000 miles on her! And I have melted seat cover stuck to the back of my middle finger...guess I was using it to put the cigarette end out. Oh well, it could have been worse.

And, it wasn't even my tree that did all of this, it belongs to me neighbor. The funny thing is the tree broke in half and it wasn't even raining (nor had it) and there was no wind. Go figure!

Right now the rain has slowed down quite a bit and there is only a small breeze. Alberto has come ashore and he's not so bad. Lets keep our fingers crossed for the rest of the season!

Get this!

The first thing I did when I got in from work (after putting Shirley out, of course) was to clear the patio...everything but the little fire place, it was filled with wasps!

Anyway, when I finished I came in & turned the weather chanel on just in time to hear that obnoxious barnk, barnk, barnk sound they use to make you look at the screen because it could be an emergency. It seems the Florida Emergency Management Agency has issued a voluntary evacuation order for Jefferson County...no other county! Now, they did say coastal residents, people in flood prone areas, low-lying areas and in mobile homes. They said more inland residents should prepare for high winds, heavy rain and possible flooding. Do they know something they aren't saying about the path of Alberto?

Need to go make ice.

Here We Go Again!

Tropical storm Alberto has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Shouldn't become a hurricane, but who really knows? The storm path is targeting the Big Bend area of Florida...guess where I am? The Big Bend! Our area is 11 1/2 inches behind in rain fall and "they" are saying this storm could drop that much rain between now and Wednesday. Hope they're right!

"They" say it's gonna rain!

With the 2006 hurricane season only 3 days old it's a fairly reasonable thing to say that it's going to rain, but I say "WHEN?"! We are over 10" in deficit in the annual rainfall for this area and it's awfully dry!

As we are only 30 miles or less from the Gulf it's a pretty good assumption that we'll be getting some sort of tropical stuff sooner or later. We had thunder last night...no rain. Actually it rained at work in the afternoon I don't think it was enough to amount to anything.

This was a short week at work yet it felt very long. Wouldn't it be nice to work two half days and three full days or just Monday, Wednesday and Friday or something. I think I'd be able to get by on the money, but the job wouldn't be happy. Guess I'll stick with my 37-40 hr. week! Thank goodness I have a job!

Still haven't gotten the mulch I need and earlier this week I thought about going to Thomasville today to get some. But, yesterday HWB sent me to Tallahassee in his truck to buy MDF and velvet for him and I found it harrowing and tiring to drive a strange vehicle in Tallahassee...and "they" are saying it's gonna storm today...pray they are right! I don't plan to leave the house (not even for the yard), I need to clean. I've found I can work and do the gardening or I can work and do the house. No way I can do both on the same weekend!

Am feeding another outside cat. Pretty, young black and white male who's built just like Goodness, long, tall and lean. I'm calling him Cameo as his back markings look rather like a cameo. Goodness loves him and he Goodness. Shirley chases him, but he's learning just how far he has to run before she does her backward flip when she reaches the end of her chain! It's a hoot to watch!

I HEAR THUNDER!!!

Just touching base

Today's Memorial Day. I've not done anything particularly, but have unpacked my last box from the move. I was determined to have it all done before I'd lived here a year. Moved into the house July 8th of last year (the weekend that hurricane Dennis came through)...was without power and phone Fri-Tues! Didn't have any furniture here and the movers couldn't move me because of first the storm and second the debris from the storm. Well, it finally worked out and in a little over a week I'll have lived in the house for 11 months. Was in the little house I rented for almost 9 months. Didn't realize I'd been in Monticello that long!

I didn't go to Orlando after all. Helen's grandson and his wife were planning something with Helen and as of Friday night she didn't know which day and as I hadn't told her I was thinking of coming I decided to do it another weekend. She doesn't get much excitement or even many visits...it seemed sorta unfair to step on their toes.

Started working on my work room in ernest. I need shelving and can't do it myself. Want both closets fitted with shelves and two walls of long narrow shelving for my stamps. Got a HEAVY 6' table and set it up, just can't get the legs to lock. Good long work surface that at the moment can't be seen because of all of the stuff piled on top of it! It'll come together, surely!

Time to go water...the crape myrtles I put in are wilting every day, but perk up after watering. It's so hot and dry...90's everyday. Need to get mulch, that will help with the watering. Still have the one 3 gallon agapanthus to put in, but until we get some good rain I don't think I'll be able to dig a big enough hole.

Time off

Every year Memorial Day slips up on me. Not sure why, but it seems to be in the wrong month or something. I was so surprised on Monday when HWB told me to do a sign for the front & back doors saying we'll close at noon on Friday and reopen Tuesday morning. I'm really looking forward to the long weekend, but that's time off without pay. It'll work out somehow.

I think I'll get up early on Saturday and go see Helen. When she called last night she was tired, her back hurts and she was very depressed. She cried and said she wishes I was still living there. I didn't mention to her that I was thinking of going to see her, think I'll just surprise her. Maybe I'll make her some egg salad. That's one of her favorite things and she doesn't make it any more. She's had so much trouble eating and we talked about it over the weekend. It seems she's not using any type of adhesive to seal her dentures in. Asked her why and she said she's afraid to, because she's afraid she can't get them back out! We talked about it for a long time and I asked her what would be the worse thing to happen if she couldn't get them out...she'd have to sleep with them in! Did tell her that it's not cement and it won't harden up on her and I felt sure they'd come out when she wanted them to. Asked her about it last night...she hasn't tried it yet. Maybe if I'm there she'll try it. I'll leave here around 6am and get there around 10am. Probably leave around 2 or 3, get home before dark. That way I'll be able to leave Shirley and Mercy in the house and they'll be okay AND I'll still have Sunday and Monday off!

Went to the dinner the Historical Society had on Monday night. Good food, lots of people I know and a really interesting lecture on an old Monticello family. Enjoyed it.

Went by the Chamber of Commerce yesterday and bought a ticket for the Watermelon Festival luncheon and fashion show. That's in a couple or three weeks. Looking forward to that, too.

Got home yesterday and my yard had been mowed. Wow! what a difference! Looks great! Worked in the yard till 8 last night...treed up the crape myrtles and did some watering and weeding. Still have one more 3 gallon agapanthus to plant. It's just so hard to dig in this hard dry dirt. Need rain desperately!