Hunting

I'm on a mission. Yeah..another one. I made a visit to the upholstery guy. We talked about the board like cushions I have. Apparently people with back problems like these cushions. I don't have back problems. I visited furniture stores and sat on soft cushions today. At one point, I sat on a sofa while on my cell phone and forgot where I was. I was comfy and had I had my laptop and and wireless connection, I might have offered the store owner a rental agreement and just never returned home to my sofa.

I have a plan. A Plan B we shall call it.  In the event that the Michelin On Cushions fail to achieve the results I'm looking for I'll move on to Plan B.

Mr. Romero, seller of stiff foam, offered to take the foam to the supplier and have him slice them down from 6 inches to 3 inch thickness..then glue a softer foam to the then thinned down cushion to return it to it's former 6 inch thickness. Are you following me on this?

Of course there is the little problem of price. I will have to have him check to see what the price will be. It should be cheaper as I'm only looking now at buying 3 inch thickness of foam and at a lower density. Apparently density is expensive in foam language. I could do with a little less density right now. Density is causing me much discomfort.

Mr. Romero assures me they will soften up with use. I told him I was not a teenager. I don't think I have that many years of living left to wait for these cushions to get soft.

I drowned my woes at the coffee house after leaving Mr. Romero. I  wasted away a few hours with my laptop amongst the college students that were plugged in and studying at that coffee house. I emailed, I surfed and had free samples of cupcakes from someone who was opening a cupcake business here in town. The coffee was delish and so was the decadent cake.

With a glass of wine at my elbow, I sit here typing this while listening to the blender grinding up a good Margarita. I may have to finish this glass of wine and switch to a frozen tequila drink!

Enjoy the evening. I plan on doing just that.

Solid, too Solid

It's another day of rehab on those cushions. It only takes a few minutes to wrap one in a blanket and pitch it beneath the car. Forward, reverse, forward, reverse and I'm done for a while. I don't want to overdo it and end up with sofa cushions that are as limp as the old ones were. 

The daughter came over this afternoon to collect Carrie before heading to the store. She walked over and sat on the middle cushion and then looked at me with that "what were you thinking" look.  I had her move to the other cushion that hasn't had the Mercury treatment at all. She could notice the difference in the firmness between those cushions but still stated "that sucks". "I would rather sit on the table. At least I expect it to be hard."

I'm not giving up quite yet. I have a full tank of gas in the Mercury, enough for at LEAST a  week's worth of driving 3 feet forward and 3 feet backwards times 3 cushions.

I'm directing small children away from this sofa. I'm afraid one of them may fall into one of these cushions and get a concussion or at the very least, break an arm or leg. Have I mentioned, there is no "give" at all in this foam.

I'm still wondering where this foam would be beneficial. Stunt men couldn't fall into it without being injured. For flooring, it might be soft. I just can't imagine the uses for it. Maybe padded cells? Scratch that.

............and I thought my problems would be over when I got my sofa cushions back. Just goes to show............. 

I'm off to look for some plywood. It has been suggested to me by Facebook friends I need to put a piece of plywood on them before the Michelin. I'm guessin this is for distribution of the weight?

I'm done!  

I'll Get Ya Yet!

I would like to say this tale began in the dead of night. It should have but I couldn't wait that long. I was rarin to know if my idea might work.

The husband hopped into his truck and as he was leaving, over his shoulder he said "I'm going to Walmart, ya need anthing?" I swung my head in the negative as I was saying "No" and away he went.

Walking to the door and out to the front porch, I peered down the street. This was to make sure he was out of sight and not a witness to my actions. I do not want to give him any excuse to have me locked away.

Stepping back into the room, I reached down and wisked the middle sofa cushion up and headed for the car.  Shoving it under the back wheel didn't work. The pillow was too thick. I took it to the right front tire and placed it squarely in the middle on the concrete.

Running around to the driver's side, I slid beneath the steering wheel. I looked  up and down the street for anyone that might be standing outside and witnessing this. No one in sight, I slipped the keys into the heavy Mercury and cranked her up. Furtively, I swung my head to the right and to the left. No neighbors in view, I pulled the shifter down and with foot on the gas pedal, I surged forward.

I watched as the right front fender of the car raised into the air as it climbed upon that sofa cushion. I eased forward a few feet, then put the car in reverse and rocked backward a few feet. Once more I repeated this and then I backed off the cushion.

With another look up and down the street, I jumped out of the car and ran around the front to collect the cushion and get back inside the house. Was I detected?

It's too early to tell. I might have to wait a week to see if any stories start circulating around the neighborhood to know if anyone saw me.

I heard a story about foam. I read about air escaping the foam and the foam losing it rigidiness. After years of sitting on a sofa, the cushions lose air out of the foam until eventually they collapse. You see, there is a method to my madness. I was merely trying to squish some of the air from those foam cushions to get them to a softer state.

Back inside the house, I slipped that sofa cushion back in place and turned and sat down. I have to tell you, I could feel the difference. That cushion actually felt much softer then prior it's meeting with that Michelin.

I didn't get to the other two cushions. I'll wait until the husband makes another trip some where and either late at night or early in the morning, I'll run down the other ones. I think I'm onto something here!

Continuing

and back to the sofa saga. The more I think about it, the more I want to run the Marquis over those sofa cushions. The cushion on the left end of this sofa is where I sit. I notice now if I move to the center cushion I can discern the difference in the firmness. The middle cushion that hasn't been used appears harder then the one I've been sitting on. My deduction? I can either spend the next week sitting in the center of this sofa and then move to the right end of it to soften these cushions OR I can throw them under the Marquis and run over them a few times. What could it hurt? I'm going over the pros and cons of this and since I have no idea if there is a pro or a con, I'm left up to making this decision blind. Will they explode? Will the cushion fabric be pulled into? Will there be a tire dent left down the middle of each one? Ok, maybe there is a few cons?

The pros? The only pro I would be in need of is "softer cushions".  I don't want to sit on these stiff cushions for the next 5 yrs. waiting on them to relax a little.

I'm amazed that this foam would be recommended by an upholstery person. This will be a life lesson; an expensive one perhaps. Thankfully, I didn't have the sofa recovered and the cushions stuffed at that time. Not only would I have been out the cost of this foam, but also the fabric and labor. If I decide to pitch this sofa now, I'll chalk the 500.00 up to a lesson in buying foam.

I'm going to go find a bed of nails to rest on. It might be a bit more comfy.

Hangin Out On Saturday

We are done with spring. It was a wonderful 86 degrees here today and I almost sweated. This must stop. I hate sweating and I hate the heat.

It looked like a detail shop down my street today. Everybody that owned a pail, brush and vehicle was out cleaning and shining them. Water hoses like green snakes  were spread from spigots and across yards. A few stray soap bubbles would sail by pushed by the puffs of wind as they would escape the long handled brushes.  The powdery pale yellow dust was the only thing on my car that needed attention. The last time I washed the car I did not wipe it dry so the pollen created a look like a cup of coffee was splashed across the hood. Today it was sprayed and dried.

I mentioned that I got the sofa cushions back? Well, I did. They look marvelous, all firm with their perfectly squared edges, they rejuvenated the sofa. It doesn't look tired any longer.

Now let's discuss sofa comfort. This is where error in judgement leaps up and out. Sitting on this sofa is akin to sitting on a slightly padded board. I've went from a sofa cushion that hugged your body to one that wants to expel you from it's body. I caution my lady friends to descent slowly to avoid damage to ovaries. It's firm.

I spoke with Mr. Romero about the likelihood of the cushions softening up with use. He assures me they will get more comfortable. I'm thinking about the fifteen year warranty on this foam and wondering how many years it might take to get a little looseness. The upside is I don't have to take the sofa to have the springs adjusted. We have plenty of height now. My feet barely touch the floor.

I've contemplated a few ways of advancing the softening of these cushions. Would placing them on the patio and parking the car on top of them cause them to stretch a bit?  How about pitching them onto the four lane highway in front of my house for a couple of days?  Is there a softening spray that can be used? I  surfed the web for an answer to this. I have even given a thought to drilling small holes down through the foam to give it some room to collapse in upon itself. I'm not giving up on any of these ideas. I'm just delaying the use of these methods for a later date to give them time to soften by use. So far, no luck and I'm perched upon my board sofa still amazed at how firm foam can be.

I did a few other chores and cleaned up loose ends on some projects and today I may sit in the sun and read for a while. Rain is heading this way later this week. The trip we thought about taking to New Orleans this week was scrapped. Instead we decided to wait until Jazz Fest for our visit.

Right now, I'm going to sip my cup of coffee and watch something on Planet Green.
I'm done.

It's Official

I hunch my shoulders as I whisper this. I've applied for SS benefits. I'm officially old.

I knew this before yesterdays application for SS was electronically finished and the "Send" icon was tapped.

As I creak out of bed in the morning, my left foot barely touches the floor when the pain shoots up my leg and I gingerly take hop like steps across the room and to the door to the hallway. By the time I reach the kitchen, the ligament in the bottom of my foot has stretched and isn't rubbing against the bone spur. My right knee has loosened up a bit and the limp is barely noticeable. On the bright side, I still have my teeth.

Yeah, it didn't take the SS application to confirm though it does make it appear more official having it on a piece of paper.

I opened a separate account yesterday  for direct deposit. I'll have a years' worth of deposits before Ted graduates from high school and I intend to pay for his first semester of college should he make good his promise on going. I've cautioned the boy that the first semester will be on me. We'll discuss the second semester at Burger King with breakfast and  over the report on his grades for that first semester.

I hesitated on applying for SS benefits. That was before I spoke with the neighbor. She had just finished a book and it said "sign up as soon as you are eligible. you can't recoup the money lost by waiting until you are 66 yrs of age". I signed up.

Should I decided to  work occasionally, I think the limit I can earn without being penalized is 14,000 a year. I may not have this number correct but I'm not too worried at this time. I don't foresee a job for me in the near future.

The hearing aid ads that arrive along with the offers to set me up with a casket and flowers that I can pay for now instead of my family worrying about it indicated that someone was watching the clock on my age.

I want my family to be busy. To have something to do "when my time" comes. I'll feel it's a bit of compensation for all the time and effort  I extended to them most of my life. On my headstone, I want engraved, "It was the stress and, yes, it's all your fault."

Here it is ..Friday:

I still haven't posted this blog and we are rolling right into the weekend. I looked for the keys to my roadster yesterday afternoon after getting back from the casino. I'm still looking today. I do have an extra key with it's own remote control but the remote doesn't function at all. Dead battery?  Yep, I made a trip to the Locksmith this morning to have the battery replaced. While there, I checked the price of a new key (40.00) and a new remote (79.00) or both for  69.00. Guess which one I chose? I told the locksmith I would get back to him after I got back home and searched a little longer for it.

After searching the freezer in a last ditch attempt I've given up. The locksmith is ordering the remote and in a few days, I will have a spare set.

The husband called yesterday to ask if I saw that white Dodge sitting on the lot at the dealership. I drove by and took a look. For a mere 40,000.00 he could be driving this new beast. I want him to keep looking.

I'm publishing this today. We might go to New Orleans this weekend to the Rock N Bowl. Tab Benoit is playing and the husband mentioned driving down.

I'm going to take a little nap now.
I'm done! 

A Study

Finding a way to put this to paper may cause some stumbling around but here goes.

The recent telecasts of Charlie Sheen and all the media attention paid him is a telecast of a man in pain. I find it hard to swallow the heartlessness of the media and the public watching this man implode. The jokes are rolling around and Mr. Sheen's antics are looked at as entertainment. This man is obviously very ill. A myocardail infarction would not be observed and videoed with humor. A child's pain bought and sold for the public's enjoyment would be in poor taste.

Recently another painful case has come to light and this one will never garner the attention that the famous Mr. Sheen has endured.

She rails and rants. She uses a popular social medium to post her rage. When asked about the person she rages against, she skirts an answer as to her anger. Her campaign is aimed at alienating everyone that is acquainted with the object of her rage.

I watch this persons' pain manifest itself and become an obessive driving force in her life. Her days are consumed with one goal. To destroy. The object of her anger ignores her rants in the hopes that a lack of response will not fan the flames.

For months I have observed the behavior of these two. One rants while the other avoids. The object of all this anger ignores the accusations and makes no reponse. Does this anger the prosecutor more? 

Eventually a person accuses her of being negative. After months of listening to the rants, her friends are beginning to notice that something isn't quite right and are confronting her with the behavior that they are tiring of.

Friends begin to shy away. These actions do nothing to dissuade or curtail her behavior.

I continue to watch and observe. As a psych nurse, I've had a lot of experience observing behavioral anomalies. I watch as friends fall away from her. As the behavior escalates those around  begin to distance themselves. She is unable to stop. A rollercoaster out of control, her life lurches forward gathering speed until she self destructs.  

Professionally, I don't think this is organically instigated. As with Mr. Sheen, I think this person might need some intervention either psychiatric or medicinal. A pill won't cure the problem but it might even out the ride.

 Both exhibit obsessive behavior usually associated with bipolar disorder. I'm not  a physician and diagnosing is beyond my scope of practice.

I continue to observe.

Fever and Taxes

Today a few words from your broken down and beat blog pal. Yesterday was a day of getting things done. Alone I headed for Breaux Bridge and the tax man. I make this trip every year although it's usually earlier. As soon as that 1099 arrives, I deliver it into the accountants hands. This year getting that 1099 was a struggle. The husband had to make a few phone calls after patiently waiting and watching the mail box. Time was fleeing, tax time drawing near.

The company obliged by mailing him his 1099 only for us to find they had sent someone else earnings under the husband's name. More phone calls and he was told they would email him a copy and send the original in the mail so he could get his taxes prepared. Time is fleeing. I've said that. It bears repeating. When I arrived at the accountant's office, the parking lot was full. This is a bad sign. It's a sign that a lot of people have waited until late to do what I was trying to do today. I dropped off the envelope with all the information neatly and orderly attached. The husband makes it very easy for the accountant to do his job. Everything is  labeled and separated. He seldom has to call us for more information. Now we wait for the bad news. The accountant is always timid and speaks in a hushed tone when telling us what we will have to pay. It's never very pretty but I expect it so his being cautious is not necessary. I write the check and let the husband get steamed up about it.  He usually does. "Too bad", I tell him. "Go to work for minimal wage and you won't have to worry about it."

His reply? "Oh, then you could go back to work huh?" which leaves me silent. Let's not rock the boat too much here. I'll let him roar about taxes and I'll stay home and far from a "job".

Carrie spent the night. Nothing odd about that bit of news. All went well until bedtime. She was sneezing earlier in the evening.  By bedtime more symptoms began appearing. A slight temperature and a runny nose and a whine. Her eyes were shiny and she, who never whines, was full tilt in sick mode, whine and all.

She wanted her mommy. I tried to rouse the daughter with phone calls. At 0200 I got a response. That's when she woke to the sound of her cell phone alerting her she had a voice message. Carrie was asleep and the daughter got a report on her condition. We'll let Carrie finish the night here.

I spent a night with Carrie restless and flailing her arms in windmill blows to my back. I was protecting my head and face. Her legs would push against me or be propped over me. She wouldn't tolerate even a sheet pulled up over her. I know my night was not one of rest. Hers must have been awful.

I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee, bleary eyed and brain numb. I thought this was a "mother's lot" and not a grandmothers. I hope the daughter is well rested from last night. It might not be a good night for rest for her tonight unless Carrie begins to feel better.

I'm staggering to the kitchen for another cup of brew and some CNN.

I'm done.

Yesterday and Today Briefly

Sunday:

I'm tired. Can it really be the little bit of yard work I did today? I'm sitting here barely able to stay awake. My head drops down and I jerk myself back to consciousness. I'm ready to hit the light switches and call it a night. I did....

0300 and I'm awake again. I have a list of errands to get done today and being up at this time is not going to make it a pleasant day. I'll kill the lights in a few minutes and try to get back to sleep. Since I'm awake, why waste this time? Pat, my friend, had a picture she needed fixed. I scanned it and took it to Photo Shop for the repairs and then I printed a few copies of it for her. That done, I'm back to bed for a while.

Last night April arrived back home and Carrie decided she needed to see her mom. I packed her up and hauled her back to her house. I was too tired to argue and when Carrie wants to go home, it insults no one. 

I made the trip to Lydia earlier and picked her up and she and Randy, the stuffed dog that is truly life size, made the trip with me. Randy apparentlly loves the wind so Carrie hung his head out of the roadster as we zipped down the highway. Her head doesn't clear the top of the door in the roadster so it looked to others driving  along beside us  as though Randy was sitting in the passenger seat alone and hanging his head over the door. The wind at 65 miles an hour was whipping Randy's head around. He bobbed and twisted around, dipped and hovered while Carrie clung to his legs.  I kept an eye on ole Randy as  I didn't want him bouncing off the pavement which would surely have stressed Carrie.

Carrie wanted to eat at the Hong Kong Buffet and she didn't want to go home before going to eat. I agreed to take her and called her brother and sister to meet us there. After the meal, Elise and Carrie left in the roadster while I drove the Corolla with Ted. Both grandchildren covet that little red car. I let them drive it a little though it makes me nervous as soon as they are out of site. Elise is much like me. She likes sporty and fast. Ted is more like his mother. His vehicle is to get him there and back. Both took turns driving the roadster and when it was once again parked on the patio and I had the keys back, I breathed easier.

A bath is the first thing that happens to Carrie when she gets back to my house. Today she chose a shower and refused my help with shampooing her hair. I slipped in and out of the bathroom to apply shampoo and then later to get some conditioner into her hair. It seemed hours before she appeared in the living room, dressed and coiffed. 

She had stopped by the makeup department and it was apparent. Mascara layered her lashes, her cheeks had black lines staccato like on her  cheeks. I'm attributing this to the wand part of the mascara brush that was laid against her cheeks while trying to brush her lashes with jet black. Her lips were ruby red. Her hair she had combed and tied up into dog ears. A bright yellow clip on bow and a bright hot pink clip on bow was placed above each dog eared hair. She was a vision of loveliness, red lipsticked teeth and all. Carrie's views on makeup are "more is better". I've seen other females 5 times her age that apparently have the same credo with makeup. I'm hoping Carrie outgrows it by the time she gets their age.

A cloud of perfumed air followed her into the room where I was talking with Pat and Sarah. Each one dumped a heap of praise on her and she beamed. That little girl loves her girly stuff and I let her enjoy herself. She pranced around the room, swishing from person to person so they could get a good look at her handiwork. I wanted to tell her she could stand on the street and they would still be able to see the makeup on her face.

I started this blog  yesterday and I'm still typing on it. It's Monday and I've been on errands most of the day. I even called the fellow that has my sofa cushions and he says he has the foam now and will have the cushions ready for me soon. At this rate,I'm a little hesitant to let him have this sofa to recover. It might be years before I see it again. I'll play it by ear and make that decision when I have to.

It's time to move some clothes from the washer to the dryer. The granddaughter is here and doing her laundry. She recently moved into an apartment and we have been scrounging silverware, sheets and furniture. A washer and dryer is not in the budget right now so I've volunteered the use of mine today.

It's almost time to move this laundry and the granddaughter back to her apartment. I have a few more things to get done today but most of it is online stuff.

...........and that's my day..both yesterday and today.

All The Little Chicks are Home

It must have been close to midnight when my cell phone jarred me awake. With eyes closed and in the dark bedroom my hand moves to the bedside table to find the noise that is just annoying right now. My hand recognized the beside laptop and didn't slow down as it registered in my brain what it was touching. A little farther from the laptop, my hand found that cell phone. Lifting it to my head and in the general area of my ear, I could feel the tug of the electrical cord that was still plugged into it and charging.

The daughter was leaving a text message to tell me she was on the way to the last target of the night there in New Orleans and then would be headed to her room. I needed only one eye to read this and I was anxious to close that same eye to match the other one and go back to sleep.

Within a half hour, that same cell phone rings again and this time, my hand knew exactly where to find the phone. This time it was the granddaughter telling me she was at home and I was not to worry about her. I mumbled something and this time I didn't bother to put the phone back on the table. I figured Ted would be calling soon and I wasn't wrong.

Everyone has checked in to let me know they were safely at home. They worried that I would be worrying. I would have, had I been awake. I'll keep that a secret from them.

I know it's too early to complain about the heat and I have no complaints yet. We have plenty of sunshine and growing grass so I know the heat can't be far behind. I mowed the grass in the front of the house, used the weed eater and did some trimming and then watered the grass so it would be sure to grow faster then I wanted to mow. It starts again. The cycle of heat, me bitchin, mowing the grass, heat, me bitchin...and on and on and ......

At the corner of the carport beside the brick post grows a rose bush, one of three around this house. This morning I noticed that bush had huge mauve roses in full bloom. The day lillies around the front walk have multiplied and are crowding the bed and dwarfing the dianhtus. The snap dragons by the mailbox in their kidney shaped bed are waving pink, white and yellow floral heads, beautiful in the spring but intolerant of heat, they will soon disappear until fall. Snap dragons are one of my favorite flowers, finicky as they are, preferring the cool months of the year, I have that in common with them.

Within an hour I will be headed to Lydia to collect Carrie. She spent the weekend with her dad. I'm ready for her to come home. I've missed her. She phoned to say hello and I smiled as I listened to her giggling as her father tickled her while she was trying to talk on the phone. She is going to lunch with him right now and I'm signing off to get ready to go pick her up. It's a nice day to go cruisin in the roadster.

It will be even nicer when Carrie is crusin with me!

Smothered with News

The biggest news of the day? Today is the daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday April Dawn. Right now you should be stumbling around in the French Quarter after drinking one too many and laughing with your friends all day.  At least, I hope this is how your day and evening is going. Should you do something really silly and embarrassing, don't worry about it. No one will notice as long as you do it in the 'Quarters. There will always be someone just a few steps away doing something more outrageous. Gathering 15 minutes of fame in the 'Quarters will be frought with competition from the many partiers that have drunk more then you, shed more clothes then you and started much to early to make it till midnight. Enjoy your birthday, be silly, be a fool and be safe!

Omg...I turned my back for just a few hours and what happens? Tomahawk missiles lobbed into Libya? I thought we had some sort of agreement with ole Mommar...to honor the no fly zone and the next thing I know, we are in attack mode!

I wanted to change the rear brakes on the Toyota and I wanted to get an early start. When that proved impossible, I did the next chore. I defrosted the freezer and pitched all the food that didnt' look too appealing any longer. I rearranged and reorganized both the freezer and the refrigerator freezer. I didn't have the television on during this time.

I spent a few hours out of the house. Eventually I made my way back into the house and during a phone conversation with the husband, he asked what I thought about our involvement in Libya. Huh? I quickly flipped on the television and I'm just this moment catching up on the news of the day.

Man, ya can't turn away for a minute can ya? My head is whirling with the tsunami in Japan, the radiation from the reactors, again in Japan and now this dust up in Libya. It's almost scary climbing into bed and sleeping for a few hours. 

And the moon. Did you walk outside and take a peek? It is right now hanging over the eaves of my house. I stood outside and gazed at it for a while. I am going to make a few blocks on the Trek. It's been a while since the bike and I have been together and it's time to get reacquainted. I rode up to Pat's house and back but that's not really a "ride".

It's time to take a little spin. Hold down the world for me until I get back?

So much happening so quick lately. I can't keep up. Please, no more disasters for a while. Let's have some boring news. Boring news usually means no one is being hurt anywhere. I could do with some of that!

I'm done.

And From the Four Corners

Finally. The stress of getting a grade to get accepted into a college is buried somewhere in my past. I remember those days too well. It was shortly after I graduated from college in 1993 that we purchased a computer and then tried to figure out just what to do with it. No more studying..I had time to play. 

We signed up with AOL. Choices were limited as to who offered internet access and there was no such thing as broadband. We lived in a dial up world. I can still hear the sound of that modem dialing and the sound it made when it connected to the web. I would click on a web site and then move to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee brewing, select some bacon and eggs from the fridge and pull a skillet from the cupboard. I peeked into the office at the computer and the page was still loading. You think I kid ya? Nope, it was just that slow.

Surfing the net was an activity that required much patience.

Chat rooms were all the rage. AOL offered a list of chat rooms and eventually I found my way to one that I frequented often. To those "in the know" we referred to it as MPOV which was short for Male Point of View.

The room allowed about 26 people to chat and many times you waited in line to get one of those spots in that room. Quick witted and a fast typist was required to keep up.  The conversations moved quickly and everyone was a smart ass. When I could get in, and sometimes I had to wait a while for someone else to leave, I would sit and watch the activity and catch many good laughs.

Relationships were established and there were even couples that met and married. Uh Uh No Way married the man she met in that room. Uh Uh, as we called her, was a riot. She was intelligent, funny and quick and lived in California. Kikkerjo was another nimble typist and one with a quick retort who lived in Florida. Kelslynn was from Chicago. She, I envisioned as a tall, slender classy woman, well educated and elegant. And me.

We 4 decided to meet. A date was selected for a weekend in New Orleans and that's exactly what we did. I remember Kikkerjo, the blonde who danced all night. I spent time with Kelslynn. She was a total opposite in many ways as I had imagined. One of the things we did on this trip was take a swamp tour on a flat boat. We fed chicken tied to a string and held out over the water to the alligators. The tour guide moved his boat into the backwaters of that swamp while telling stories to his clients. We throughly enjoyed the trip.

Everyone parted ways at the end of that weekend. I've lost touch with Kelslynn and Uh Uh. Kikkejo was on my friends' list on Facebook. Kelslynn faded quickly from our circle after that trip. I think this was her choice, not ours. I also think it would have been better to have kept our online personnas just that with some of us.

Next week Kikkerjo will be in New Orleans. I might just make a trip there to see her. It's been years and she was one from that previous trip that was just what you expected when meeting her. She loves New Orleans and knows where to go for a good time.

The husband leaves town this morning on a short trip as mileage goes. He thinks he might be gone a week. I won't make this trip with him either. It's too close to home though I may drive there sometime during the week he is there.

I've been busy this morning watering all the flowers. The gardenias haven't started blooming yet. It might be a little early for them but I do know they will bloom better and longer if kept wet so I dangled the water hose down between the branches and left it there to soak the ground.

Carrie is with her dad, the husband is leaving and I'm on my own for a while. I may indulge in a movie this afternoon; right now I feel like crawling back into bed for more sleep!
I'm done.

Easy Peasy

Carrie spent the night which determined how I would spend the following day. I was sure it would be a day filled with "Carrie type stuff" and it was.

I was up early and to the kitchen for a quick brewed cup of coffee. I thought I wouldn't have much time before she found me but I was mistaken. She slept to 0900 hrs. Her mother made a trip here to give me a lesson in scrambling an egg. Apparently mine can't compare with Mom's and Carrie turns her little nose up at my scrambled eggs. April's scrambled eggs were scarfed down. I headed for the shower while April was here to entertain Carrie then she escaped back to her house. April will fully enjoy her child abandoment.  Movies and naps all day. I envy her.

Before we hit the road today, I put together a roux to simmer while we ran the roads. It's 80 degrees of sunshine  and we headed out in the roadster. We didn't stay gone long. Carrie was more interested in playing her Nintendo DS and there was too much light in  the car to see her screen. We went to a seafood restaurant for shrmp then headed home.


I came so close to a nap. It didn't happen. I put on a movie instead. Horton Hears a Who was chosen and we settled back to watch a big adorable blundering animated elephant. I enjoy these movies, something that never occured to me that I would. The colors in them are stunning. As the movie rolled along, suddenly Carrie moved from the bottom of the bed to the pillow area and sneaked over to cuddle beside me. This was the part of the movie she said was scary. Into the darkness the scenery became gloomy and gray. A large black  bird with a long beak full of sharp teeth hovered largely over the screen. I listened as he answered a question put to him by another character in the movie. He said "Easy peasy". I don't know why this struck me as odd. I just didn't expect the monster bird to say "easy peasy". 

 Carrie was frightened but since she had seen this movie a few times already, she knew when to hide away. I'm in awe of animators. Carrie becomes totally engrossed in the movie and I'm techincally involved. I'm thinking of all that went into making this movie; all the people involved in a movie where actors were not used. How much was computer generated? Are there still cartoonists that draw frame by frame?

From the bedroom and the movie, we moved to the back yard to swing some rackets at some tennis balls, play hopscotch and make icees to drink. Carrie knows how to keep me entertained. The time was arriving when she would be going home for the evening. I am looking forward to the time when I don't have to get up to get yet something else Carrie wants.

The gumbo was put into containers and picked up by the granddaughter and along with the gumbo, Carrie was whisked away to her house. All is quiet. I'm picking up the trail left by Carrie and sipping on a glass of Risling. The husband should be in around 0400 tomorrow morning. I don't know how long he will be home as another job is due soon. 

I'm going to start up the dishwasher and chill out for a while. I'm tired and sleepy. Maybe I'll take a glass of wine and try to find a good movie to drift off with.
I'm done!

Spring is Springing Here

I had errands to run but it was a bit chilly this morning. 50 degrees when I woke up so dawdled around waiting for a few more degrees.  How many times in the past month have you said "dawdled"? I'm going to have to spell check that one!

Off to the post office to mail back to the Ebay seller the pretty blue Razr phone I had ordered. The keys were sticking on it. My original Samsung is now living in the top drawer of the chest of drawers along with the other phones that have died. I'm using the spare once again. I'm soooooooo over cell phones.

In four more days, April will enjoy another birthday. She got her birthday gift early. Four new tires for her Jeep. Onion peel tires and wet roads make for an accident waiting  to happen. You might wonder what April thinks of this kind of gift. She loves it and  said she feels powerful with her new tires. Let's face it. Sometimes "practical" is where it's at. She needed new tires and she doesn't have the money for them so she is very grateful for this gift.

Since I had the Jeep in my possession, I returned back to my house with it and shampooed the seats and the carpets. I could have spent hours more on it but I didn't have the time. The daughter needed it back to make  a trip. 

My afternoon was spent on the sofa sleeping. Apparently my friend Pat stopped by, knocked repeatedly on the door. She knew I had to be home. Both cars were on the carport. She quietly tried opening the door. It wasn't locked so she peeked inside and found me asleep on the sofa. She called my name but I remained asleep. She noted a couple of pill bottles on the coffee table and then her imagination went skittering off into a story pertaining to pills and long long sleeps. She slipped out of the house and went home. A few hours later, my phone rings and she tells me this story you have just read. She wanted to make sure I was still in the land of the living.

April called. I woke and headed to her house for Pizza. Carrie returned home with me to spend the night and that's been my day here in sunny Louisiana. It's spring time and the trees, bushes, vines and flowers are blooming. The snap dragons around the mailbox out front are a rainbow of colors. New stuff in sprouting up from the flower beds and I wait to see what blooms. Spring is my favorite time of year. A renewal. Fresh, clean and colorful. It's March in south west Louisiana!

Getting Yours and All Of It

What a great day for a short trip. I headed to Alexandria, La. this morning to take the young lady to the VA hospital. She never finished basic training. Stress fractures to her pelvis and arms and legs prevented her completing her training. 

 The weather was full of sunshine that tricked me into believing I would be making the return trip with the rag top down. Around noon that sunshine disappeared, the temperatures dropped and the rain fell. Of course I was unaware that we would be getting this weather so I didn't have an umbrella.

We sat in the lunch room with our trays of food. I had a wonderful western omelet in front of me. Across the table, the 95lb ex soldier was attacking biscuits and gravy, two pieces of fried chicken and a blackberry dessert. She is trying to gain 20 lbs explaining the chicken on the plate of this vegetarian. A tattooed sleeve covers her left arm from shoulder to forearm. A ring decorates her lower lip. She is a 23yr. old from a small town close to Lafayette. Her eyes shine brightly as she talks about her dreams of being a soldier. She wanted to go over "there" and kill em all. If need be, she says, women and children too.

I sat and listened to her and occasionally I would question or comment. She is justifying her desire by explaining how "they'" attacked the Twin Towers and killed so many Americans. I was stunned. This young lady still hasn't heard that Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks? I mentioned Abul Grab. She knew nothing about that. She missed all the news reports? She doesn't watch the news; read a paper?  Her conversation was akin to listening to a parrot repeat rhetoric she has heard. A perfect soldier? Uneducated, ill informed and pumped full of patriotic nonsense, she marches in like John Wayne to roust out the bad guy. I questioned her about the Muslin religion. I didn't expect her to have a shred of knowledge and I wasn't disappointed. She hadn't heard about Desert Storm. Was I surprised? Her goal was to have a free place to stay and guaranteed meals. This is our military?

Walking around the facility, eventually we were accosted by a security person. Doyle was very friendly and helpful. His first question was directed to her and I stood and listened to the conversation.

He asked "Are you having any problems getting your disability?" and to this she replies "I'm still working on it."

Doyle smiles widely and immediately spills forth information he declares will help her.

"Make sure you tell them you are in pain. The more pain, the more pay!" he chortles. "Don't ever tell them you feel fine." "You will get back pay from the time you applied and they answered your requests."  "Don't just come for your scheduled appointments. Make sure you drive here to complain between your appointments." Gleefully he listed all the benefits of the disabled. Discounts and freebies she must take advantage of. I stood and listened to him educate this young lady on working the system. He sounded excited to be listed among the many on disability.

I won't be making this trip again. You can figure it out.

I made the trip back in bouts of this liquid sunshine. When I got back into Lafayette, I stopped by the daughter's house. I wanted to do a little shopping and she decided to go with me. I've known for a while that I was going to replace my microwave and since the granddaughter didn't have one for her apartment, I thought this might be a good time to purchase one. Planning on giving the old one to Elise, I loaded up the new one and with our other selections we headed for the registers.

It was at that time that I realized that we were in the roadster and the three bottles of wine I had selected would have been difficult to squeeze into that car. We considered our options. April picked up her phone and called Ted. He was more then happy to have an excuse to drive his truck.

Ted unpacked the new microwave and replaced the old one with it. He loaded the old one into his truck to take to his sister. I waved goodbye as they drove away, happy to have some quiet time once again. Television and a glass of wine, I watched the news reports.

More news on Japan; the scary nuclear disaster that is happening I watch. It's impossible for me to get involved in any sitcom. There is just too much happening in the world right now and being broadcast on the news networks.

I'm done!

Spit and Polish

Well, here it is. Sunday. A day most people consider a day of rest. I don't remember when the last time I saw anyone really resting  on this day. One's job, though it may be only 5 days a week still requires that most people use their weekends to keep ahead of chores not attended through the work week.

I don't have a job outside this home so Sunday may not count as a day of rest for me. Maybe I rested on Monday if I had all my chores done. It was a sure thing that today wasn't.

Ted washed his truck over a week ago and when I mentioned that it might need washed, he matter of factly told me that he had washed it already. I don't think that he understands the concept yet. I explained "Hey Ted, see that dirt right there on that quarter panel?" and to this he asked "What's a quarter panel?" He was serious.

I also mentioned that he might want to wax it as the shine was totally gone and it looked a bit dull. I'm thinking X Box was more what he planned for today. I'm thinking he rested all day Saturday with his X Box. We gathered buckets, water, soap and scrub brushes and spent some time removing grime and dirt and he discovered what a quarter panel was. Carrie helped. I gave her some stuff to spray on the tires. When she ran out of it and still had the remains of the tire to clean, I turned to see her spitting on the tire and  wiping it in with her paper towel. I didn't say a word to her. We had too much work still to be done.

As soon as it was clean and dry, he got a lesson on wax, moving in circles with the applicator, waiting for it to dry and then buffing. We had a major shine going on. It looked marvelous. He thought he was done. I mentioned windows and paper towels. 

Wheels got scrubbed along with tires. Ted looked a little tired and I know I was exhausted but  it got done. He noted the difference and that was my biggest accomplishment. Hopefully, he will notice when it needs done again.

We finished just in time to receive a phone call from April. It was time for Ted to go home and she wanted Carrie to go with him to give me a break. Tired as I was, I decided I would rather Carrie stay with me while Ted when home and became engrossed in his X Box.

Carrie and I headed for the bedroom with all  her dolls in tow. She sat and dressed and undressed them, a Chipmonks movie was on the TV and I was drifting off in a light sleep.

I woke to find April in tears at my bedside. Instantly awake,my heart was pounding and I could hear myself screaming "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?"  She had just received a phone call from Elise who was telling her she thought she had a staph infection and she was heading for the hospital. April's story was about a huge caverous opening that was draining copious amounts of fluid. She instructed Elise to head here to let me look at it. Now that I knew someone hadn't died, I calmed down to wait on Elise's arrival.

I inspected the wound, cleansed it with perioxide and put some antibiotic ointment on it and covered it with a dressing. I gave her instructions to clean it daily and change the dressing and come back here so I could check it tomorrow. It looked like a spider bite.

I've had a busy day with a bit of emotional peaking which is more exhausting then any physical labor.

Tomorrow I am taking a young lady to the VA hospital which is about an hour and a half from here. She is a 95 lb 23 yr old that was determined to be a soldier. During basic training her body developed stress fractures in the pelvis, legs and arms. She was sent home to recoup for three months and when she returned, more stress fracs developed. She was discharged from duty. She will be on partial disability and the meeting with the VA is scheduled for tomorrow. I'll be taking her.

In the past two days, I've washed and waxed 4 vehicles. Did I forget to mention, when April dropped by, we washed and waxed her Jeep. It has been a busy busy day. I'm off to bed and some sleep. I have to be up early tomorrow morning.

I'm done!

You Have a Certain Glow About You

That title may have been in poor taste. I'll let you decide.

I think I've written about this before in a blog on a planet far away. Oops, let me get back to reality here. It was not on a planet far away but the sentence started out with and ended on it's own. I'll rein it in and get back to what I really wanted to type.

The blog post that I'm not sure I did anyway, so I'll do now.

I was working the floor at a hospital here in town. Midnight shift and all was quiet. The phone rings and a call comes from ER. They are admitting a patient to the floor. I'm working Oncology so immediately we know it's a cancer patient or someone with a hematological disorder. A short report was received on orders on board, patient's condition and history.

 Quickly an admit packet was gathered up and we waited. Within minutes the elevator door opened and the patient was wheeled in and taken to his assigned room.

I walked into his room and greeted him. He was blind and months later he spoke about this night. I introduced myself and proceeded to do a head to toe assessment. A stat order was placed for platelets. A 20 gauge catheter was inserted, normal saline hung at KVO (keep vein open) and we waited for the platelets to arrive. He was blind because his platelets were at a critical level and he had bled out in the eyes. This man was critical in general. He could start bleeding out in other places so he was watched closely. Strict bed rest was ordered. No chances taken that this man might fall while going to the bathroom or OOB (out of bed) for any reason.

This man was a missionary and had went to Russia on a mission. He had been in the area where Chernobyl had melted down years and years before. This area was considered "safe" but apparently wasn't. The radiation in the area had wiped out his bone marrow;  blood cell producing area. His platelets had dropped and before putting him on a plane out of Russia, he was warned that he might not survive the trip back to the USA with the critically low level of platelets in his body.

Months passed and eventually his sight returned. During those months he was at the hospital often for effects of the radiation.

He spoke to me about that first night at the hospital and how frightening it was for him with the blindness. He waited for months to be able to see. During his first night at the hospital and for weeks afterward, all he had was our  voices and he knew I was with him most of that first  night. He wanted to see the voice that stayed with him. His care was non stop after he was admitted that night. A cooling blanket was kept on him for the high temperatures he was spiking and would continue to spike for months afterwards.

 Platelets were run, blood tests collected and various other procedures were started on him. It was a busy night for us on that unit.

This brings me to the nuclear power plant in Japan that is now belching toxins into the air. I think I heard the news agency reporting 6 power plants there and three of them are unstable. They are trying to pump sea water into the one to try to cool the rods.

 This worries me more then the water that flooded through the area. Along with that devastation, these power plants are going to be more of a concern to the well being of all the Japanese and for years and years to come. I'm frightened for them. I've seen what radiation poisoning can do. 

We administered to that missionary for months and months and still lost him.

Radiation poisoning is not light matter. The reason for this posting is the Japan disaster happening now.Yesterday morning when I first started watching what was going on, the reports mentioned the nuclear reactor there and the possibility that there was a slight leak. Soon it was discounted. I watched for further news on this. I was immediately more concerned about this power plant then all the water rushing in and the destruction it was causing. The nuclear power plant and what could happen sent chills through me.
A day later and the news is now full of reports on that plant and how one of the reactors  is causing concern. Cooling it down has been a challenge and now reports of leaks have increased. I continue to watch the news when I can.

 When Carrie is here, I get to watch a lot of Dora, The Explorer. She cares nothing for the news. She's not much on listening to me discuss current events with her, but I do anyway. Maybe if I start now, she will be more in tune with world affairs. I live in fear of raising a "Sarah Palin". I think Carrie is more in touch at her age then the former running mate of McCain. I won't even mention that Bachman twit. Another embarrassment for the members of other nations to mock us about.

I'm done!

It's Gonna Be Tight

I said goodbye to my trusty little Toyota Corolla today. She is now living with the granddaugher. I've cautioned the granddaugher about abuse to my baby. She promises to take care of her but do you really trust anyone with your baby? I'm sure the granddaughter will never take as good a care of her as I did. Ya just gotta let em go eventually. I'm all teary so I'll change the subject now.

I had a plan. As soon as this trip appeared, I mentally packed. The hubs has a job in San Antonio. He'll drive down tomorrow and check out the area and where he will be staying. We are not sure but it looks as though it might be right in San Antonio. Though I've been there more then a few times, I would make this trip again.

Our plan was to have me drive the roadster on this trip after I get a phone call on where he will be staying. So I made a list. 

1.Red suitcase, carry on size, packed with warm weather clothes,

2. don't forget bathing suit.

3. Makeup/hair products

4. Laptop

5. Cameras

6. Phones/chargers

and I even had it planned where I would stow this in the roadster. Remember, it does not have a trunk. There is a small area around the edges of where the rag top fits down in it's hatch where clothes could be layered. If I kept the top up, I would have more packing options. I hate to limit myself to not being able to drop the top when I want.

I emptied the contents of the glove box into a large zip lock bag and stowed it in the "trunk that's not really a trunk at all". Who needs the operating manual kept in the glove box? Another zip lock bag now holds my GPS.  Space is at a premium and every square inch is coveted plus I never could find the insurance card and registeration easily. Two pair of sunglasses, one with a floral pattern in purples and pink ...and no..I do not wear these. They belong to Carrie and since she is my usual sidekick in this car, we stow a pair of sunglasses for her along with a pair for me.

Their is another small compartment box on the center console about shoulder height. CD's and earphones are currently occupying that space.

While cleaning the interior I folded the driver's seat forward and found  two pockets. One on the back of the seat and one closer to the floor. My GPS now has a place to reside besides the crowded glove box.

What's that you say? Carrie? Carrie going with me? Packing for Carrie? I'm going to have to do some serious recalculating.

Will my suitcase fit in the floor in front of the passenger seat? Ditch the suitcase idea and pack everything in a nylon type sack with handles? Layer clothing in a plastic bag and carry along the nylon sack for packing them into the hotel?   Nix the idea of putting the top down at all on the drive there?  Ditch Carrie and sneak off alone? Ah, this is a trial run, this short trip to San Antonio. I'm sure I'll be learning a lot about traveling using this little vehicle.

Plan B:

Ditch the roadster and take the Grand Marquis?

First thing tomorrow morning, I'll be checking space which already I know is almost non existent. I can Navy roll the clothes. I'll figure something out.

Right now, I'm way past my bedtime.

Tsunami Again, Japan Flooded

Eyes wide, I watched the TV. It was 0200 and I slipped out of bed to finish my night on the sofa. Sometimes I wake up and if I can't get back to sleep mode, I take up residence on the sofa and watch someone selling knives or exercise equipment until the boredom of it all puts me back into unconsciousness.

This morning, I switched on the tube and CNN was broadcasting pictures of the giant wave taking out the north eastern section of Japan. The wave of 30 ft, which they kept describing as 8 meters, viewed from an aerial position seemed to be in slow motion. It was the distance that presented this illusion of a creeping wave. In reality, at ground level it was speeding inland pushing buildings and cars along with it. The debris in the wave kept building.

Grabbing my blanket and pillow, I settled in to watch. Eventually I lost the battle to stay awake. I wasn't searching for sleep; this was too devastating to not capture attention.

Along with falling houses and floating cars, the Nikkei took a dive. Again as in the Middle East, the waves from this will ripple around the world though it might not be water that is impacting. 

I'm again glued to the tube, coffee in hand waiting for the Tsunami to hit Hawaii. Within 30 minutes Hawaii should be feeling the effects with the USA west coast getting their wave around 0800.

To be continued later this morning. I'm watching the tube for now.

Here it is 1600 hrs and I'm taking a much needed break. I called Lesie and told her that if she wanted that car she must get it done today! I'm heading for San Antonio tomorrow and I have no idea how long I will be gone. The plan is to follow hubby in the roadster. I'll sight see around San Antonio while the husband works. Sounds like a good plan to me. He works; I play.

I drove to Lesie's new apartment and looked it over. She has only been in it two days and it looks it. A few more pieces of furniture and she will be fine. We headed for the notary to have the title notarized and the form filled that designates it as a "gift". A few dollars dropped there and off we went.  From there to the insurance office and 600.00 lighter, we are on our way to the DMV. I didn't mind waiting to be called to the window. I never get this much time to spend with Lesie.

After a few glitches that needed attended to, and some more money less then what we arrived with,  we headed home to get a tool to change out the license plates. Of course I stopped and topped off the tank so she would have a full tank of gasoline. It's a long time till payday, especially after renting an apartment and paying deposits and putting food in the pantry.

Not only am I broke, but I'm tired. I still have to finish waxing the Marquis. Finishing it, I moved to the Solstice and dropped the top so I could vacuum it out and clean the interior before my little trip.

Curled up in the passenger seat, I was moving the vacuum wand around on the floor when I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I crawled out and looked up to see my neighbor standing beside the car. The look on her face was enough to tell me something was horribly wrong. With reddened puffy eyes, tears rolled as she sobbed. I just put my arms around her and let her cry for a bit. Soon she was able to tell me her husband was in Natarita; at the airport. He had emailed her at midnight and she didn't get the email until later this morning but not until her family called to exclaim on the horror that was happening in Japan. She seldom watches the news and this was the  first she had heard anything. Her son called asking if she got an email. She rushes to her computer to find an email telling her there was a massive earthquake in progress and he was at the airport. That was the last she heard. Her family started appearing at her house. As they gathered around her the phone rang. He has a global phone from Viet Nam where he works. He was on the phone telling her a tsunami had hit them and they were high in the airport. His phone was discharging and there wasn't anyone that had the same connector he uses on his phone. He has a habit of not remembering to charge his phone and of leaving the charger to it in the office he had left. He was unable to say much more then they were going to try to get them out. The phone went dead and there has been no other contact since then. 

I tried to reassure her that since she knew he was at the airport, he would be safe. She lived in Japan and shared the information that the airport there was built on land that was once the sea. She was worried that the soil would wash out beneath it with all the water battering the land.

We sat and watched more news reports and the news on the second earthquake. She is worried that it's not over yet and she is uncertain as to what maybe coming next. 

Soon she was on her way home to try to get some sleep. I told her to come back immediately if she started feeling scared. She says it's worse when she is alone and her imagination takes over presenting her with more possibilities of what could happen to him.

I'll check on her a little later this afternoon but for right now I'll let her rest.

I'm on my way to fix a hotdog for Carrie. She is spending the afternoon with us since we may not get to hang out together for a while.  Things do to..things to do....
I'm done.

Bath Time

I have been busy! Still working on the little Toyota. I'm on a cleaning binge. I did another coat of wax on it..the first time was such a disaster and she shines prettily now. My finger nails are now a nice shade of black if black came in shades. I spray painted arms of the  windshield wipers. The floor mats are back in it and the windows are cleaned. I'm almost done. The inspection sticker was placed this morning. I'll check the oil, brake fluids and radiator and hopefully get the title notarized and the form to "gift" it to Elise.

I had keys made at the hardware store and the only thing those keys would do is start the car. The keys wouldn't work on the door locks so I made a trip to the locksmiths. Bingo! I had two keys cut there that will unlock the door AND work in the ignition switch. One spare key is in a magnetic holder and attached to the right rear quarter panel. I'm keeping a couple keys with me. I have never had to call Pop A Lock and pay a small fortune to get a car unlocked. I keep spares and plenty of them. 

This is not the first time down this road for a car for Elise. I think this might be the fourth one and she is only 22 yrs old. This is her last one from me. I'm all done with supplying cars for anyone. It will be years before Carrie can drive and I've already promised her the Solstice and she tells everyone it's her car and Nana is just driving it till she gets her liscense.

Since I had the water hose uncoiled, the Marquis got bathed along with the Solstice. I'll start waxing the Marquis tomorrow if it's a nice dry day. The cars have to be done before it gets much warmer here. 

Spring cleaning for me is waxing. It won't get done again until a nice cool fall day rolls around. 

The afternoon was spent at the casino. I took a book along with me and after dropping a few dollars in the slot machines, I found a bench in the sunshine and cracked open my book. I read until the two hours of blackjack playing was finished. We have an agreement. Two hours of cards then we are out of there. I try to entertain myself for those two hours. I can't sit at the slots for long. I get too antsy and watching a machine eat my money does nothing for my once good mood. The casino has never got enough money from me to help even modestly with the utilities.  

It's time for my bath which will really be a shower and I'm looking forward to the comfy bed. 

My day was not one of excitement but one of accomplishment. 

I'm done! 

Nutz!!

I know it's not snow but this rain is beginning to aggravate me a bit. I had plans for today and rain wasn't something that was going to enhance those plans.

I wanted to get the little car waxed and buffed and then take it to the inspection station. The wax wouldn't dry. It remained gooey and couldn't be waxed in nor buffed off. A mess I had. The sun popped out for a few minutes and I moved the car into the rays. Before I could get it buffed, a light sprinkle started. I waited but it was  humid again and back to gooey  so I didn't get the car finished.

Grabbing the car keys, I hopped into the Toyota, thankful that it was white and looked a bit hazy with the wax still on it, I headed for the inspection station.  Two miles from the house, the deluge was upon me. Inspections aren't done on wet pavement so I turned around and headed back to the house. I parked it beside the house and forced myself to forget about doing anything else to it today.

A shower later and I'm in bed for a nap on a gloomy rainy day. I didn't get much sleep last night. At 0200 I woke to find myself clinging to a thin sliver of mattress with Carrie nudging me closer and closer to the abyss. Before I hit the hardwood floor, I slipped the rest of the way out of the bed and headed for the living room sofa. Getting back to sleep would have been easier had Carrie not shown up, standing by the sofa, hair covering her face, she wanted to lay down. I arranged some pillows and grabbed her blanket and tucked her in. Again, I'm up and moving back to the bedroom. All this activity has me fully awake so I switched on the television and gave up on getting more sleep. I've been up most of the night and most of this day and I'm getting a little jittery. I haven't started to see elephants or giraffes but if I don't get some sleep, I may be looking for peanuts to feel those zoo animals that will be appearing at my bedside.

Until they show up or I fall asleep, which ever comes first, I can be found munching peanuts and waiting.

I'm done!

Buffed....and Another Mardi Gras ...Princesses and Carrie

Not me but the Toyota. I've spent a little time on the little Toyota today. I found the buffer and laid a coat of paste wax on the hood and buffed it in then buffed again when it dried. It has a shine now. I would have done more but the weather just wasn't cooperating. It's too humid here and nothing dries out. The paste wax wasn't drying so continuing on with waxing it was futile. Maybe tomorrow the weather will be a bit more accomodating.

We still haven't seen anything of the terrible storm that was to sweep through here causing all sorts of devastation. A little wind has caused the trees across the back lawn to sway and a few sprinkles have wet the concrete. I'm hoping the weather doesn't pick up tonight and get wicked.

The daughter and her children went Mardi Gras ing. Carrie is back home and at this home. Blockbuster Video had a going out of business sale when I blundered in there the other day looking for movie rentals. Instead I bought two Wii games for Carrie and right now she and the princess are trying to gather treasures in the special world where Princesses run through the forest waving their magic wands and leaping through the air in bursts of blue light. I love watching the graphics on these games. We  have came a long way since the days of the little round circle that chased elusive objects around a grid gobbling up those objects. Remember Pacman?

Before the start of this post, I enjoyed a glass of white wine with the Spicy Cajun Shrimp over rice and brussel sprouts and garlic bread. Now to clean up the kitchen!

My evening will be spent following the Princess..both Carrie and the one on the Wii game.

I'm done!

Happy Mardi Gras!

The parades have been plentiful, when the rains have allowed. Fairgrounds have the carnivals and bandstands and the crowds are catching beads. I have neglected the whole celebration. Fairgrounds are just NOT my thing. I certainly don't want to climb aboard a carnival ride. I gave that up years ago when I started really paying attention to the carney. He stands by the entrance to the ride that he has worked to erect. Tattoos cover his body; he looks as though he might have just finished smoking a joint. Granted, this part of his job must be boring. Hustling little kids onto a ride and making sure they are belted in surely becomes a little mind numbing and what better way to do this job then to numb the mind right before starting the job.

This same person probably tightened or DIDN'T, all the bolts holding this ride together and that's the part of his job that keeps me from climbing aboard and belting myself in. I can imagine, and do, the swing that is swirling me out and above the heads of the partiers, becoming disconnected and with swing attached to my butt, I sail through the air, cutting through a few clouds before I plummet back to earth while looking for the ripcord. Nope, I'll stay away from the carnival rides. This fear must be just another notification that I have reached old age. Is it fear or do our critical thinking skills become honed with age? We analyze more?  My carefree carnival riding days are another thing I have shelved since my childhood.

The husband made it home last night and with him, came his laundry. He made several trips to his truck to bring in his clothes and the clothes that concerned him the most was his work stuff. He requested they go directly to the washing machine which tells me he does not expect to be in town long. If he needs them washed the same day he gets home, he expects the next job may be the next day.

We will wait on the next call but meanwhile, today we plan to drive to the small town of Rayne, Louisiana. I have the batteries charged up for my camera. I'm not sure the authorities will allow us in. I've heard the evacuation of that town is due to all the broken gas lines from the tornado that hit this past weekend.

Rain is forecast and it looks like a lot of it is coming our way. At least the temps will be in the high 70's. 

I'm outta here to get dressed and road ready. I'm in the mood for a Banana Foster that is so popular during Mardi Gras. 

Have a wonderful Fat Tuesday!