2010

It's early evening and the darkness has settled in. I'm sitting here watching Rear Window, a 4 star rated movie that has Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, both of whom are young and handsome.

This is the last day of 2009 and the firecrackers are popping already. There is a law here that prohibits fireworks in the city limits but that doesn't seem to deter the revelers every year. This is one night I make it a point to not go out anywhere. This is a party town as a general rule and on an occasion to party such as New Year's Eve, it can get very raucous and the drunk drivers will be ruling the roads tonight.

The last time we visited a bar was years ago and the bouncers hired for this one night were anxious to use their authority; they were rude and aggressive and I watched as they assaulted revelers just because they could. Since that time I've never entertained the thought of going into the public swells to bring in the new year. If I stay awake till midnight it will be while watching the ball drop in Times Square via television broadcast.

This is hoping for a happy and healthy New Year for family and friends. Health is the greatest wealth of all and the greatest precursor to happiness. Cheers!

Grins, Giggles and Gore

I arrived on time and thankfully I was taken directly to the room where the procedure would be performed. Seated and reclined, the hygienist arrived with an array of sharp looking tools of her trade. My body is rigid and my hands are clamped so tight on the arms of the chair that my forearms are vibrating from the strain. Visiting the dentist rates highly on my list of "things that suck".

The hygienist is a short, blond 20 something with beautiful soft green eyes. I note all this for various reasons. I had to stoop down so she could get the radiation vest on me before she did the 360 degree scan of my mouth. When I dare to open my eyes as she is digging beneath my gums with the water pic tool, I look directly into those green eyes above the face mask she wears. I had requested she talk as she works. I need her to affirm that "you're doing fine", "we're halfway done", "we're almost done" and this she does as she scrapes and cleans. Occasionally I can feel an almost pain sensation but not enough to call a halt and have another injection of the numbing agent. Did I forget to mention the numbing of the gums? My imagination conjures up visions of a very long needle attached to a syringe burrowing deep into my gums and piercing through the skin of my neck. Ridiculous I know but I can't stop the mental images that roll through my brain. She pushes the plunger on that syringe slowly while the medicine gathers up beneath the gums in an area that has no vacancy for it. She injects slowly to give it time to dissipate and be absorbed beneath the gum. I'm grateful for her attention to this detail.

An hour later she finishes and I'm exhausted. Fear is very wearing as is pain. I have to admit I really didn't feel any pain but that didn't keep me from the stress of waiting for it.

500.00 for xrays and cleaning. 2790.00 for one tooth to be removed and an implant to be placed with crown.

I go for this implant next Tuesday. I could have bought a car! I could have had a bathroom redone. I could have....

Quiet

Here I sit in my darkened living room. It's chilly here and I have a soft plaid lap blanket across my legs. I'm comfortable. The TV isn't on and the sound I hear is the clicking as my fingertips dance over the keyboard on my laptop as I write this. Occasionally a car passes by on the street out front and I can hear the muffled sound of wind meeting the car or truck; a swooshing sound without the sound of an engine to interrupt and the sound of tires on solid surface. If I listen closely, the far off sound of a jet engine propelling a plane toward the airport reports it's passage. The moments of silence between these outside sounds is valued. Sometimes I quit typing to just listen. I'm listening to the sounds of silence and it's beautiful. As I listen I realize that the silence isn't silent. I can hear the refridgerator humming and as soon as the temperatures dip below the preset on the thermostat, the furnace will click and begin to deliver the warm air into this winter morning. Silence? I think not. It was just an illusion. Though the TV isn't beaming forth entertainment and information or sound, there are still other sounds that intrude if you listen closely enough. Maybe not having any sounds would be too disturbing. The comfort sounds that are buried beneath Televisions and radios and toys and people are there. I'm listening to them now.

It's still dusky looking out my window to the right of me. I can peek around the lamp sitting on the end table and see the wet pavement and the barely lit sky. It looks cold and quiet. No early morning joggers or walkers can be seen. The weather might be making them rethink their exercise program or maybe they have already come and gone. Gone back to their houses to dress and report to the jobs that supply them with their cars, homes and food.

Do I really want to blast into this semi silence with some early morning news from the TV? Carrie will awake soon and the sounds she brings into my day will bury the quietness until she either sleeps again or goes home and takes all her unquiet like ways with her.

I'm off to get another cup of coffee and sit quietly for a while.

A Much Improved Me?

OMG! What WAS I thinking when I made a dental appointment for 7AM? I have to take a pre med before any procedure that is invasive so I had to take my PCN at 6AM this morning and be in the dentist's office at 7AM for the deep scaling. I think I was awake all night for fear of oversleeping and at 5AM I crept into the living room and onto the sofa leaving Carrie asleep in the bed. A few minutes passed before she came stumbling in and onto the sofa. We both wedged ourselves into a reclining position and pulled the cover over us although I knew sleep was only a memory now.

She wanted some chocolate milk and I brewed a pot of caffeine and started dressing for the day. While she watched cartoons I ran a straight iron through my hair and smudged some makeup on and returned to the sofa to keep her company until it was time for me to leave. It was 31 degrees here this morning so I started the car up a couple of minutes before I had to sit on those cold leather seats. By the time I was ready to go after putting Carrie to bed with her Poppy, the car was nice and warm and the traffic was nil. Except for the ungodly hour of this appointment, the fact of not having to deal with a lot of traffic was great.

An hour later after anticipating much pain which never materialized, I was released from the clutches of the hygienist. A panoramic picture was also taken this visit and the dentist will call me for a consult after he has a chance to review and draw up a plan of action on what is to come next.

I got home and passed out for a couple of hours. I think the stress worn me down and out. The whole house took a nice long nap and it wasn't even noon yet. Everyone is stiring now although I still feel as though I could nap for another couple of hours. Carrie's sleep pattern determines how everyone else spends the afternoon and since she is up it might be time for lunch for her and some interaction.

Tomorrow I visit the dentist for a 30 minute consultation. I'm hoping this leads to a solution and I can proceed with dental work and finish in the year 2010.

I'm not in the mood to blog. I want to sleep. I want to hide away and sleep until this cold finishes with me. I'm done.

Ker Chooooooooooooooo

I hate having a cold. You're not sick enough to stay in bed but you still feel miserable. My stuffy head and the pressure behind my eyes coupled with the bouts of sinus drainage and to hell with it, I went to bed. I really went to "sofa" and stayed there most of yesterday. When awake I would dismantle Christmas decorations and move them to the Little House for storage, a nap and more storing of holiday trim and that was my day.

A deep inhalation, head thrown back and a loud explosion clears the sinuses temporarily. Ker chooooooooooooo!!! My eyes feel swollen and my throat is sore and those loud explosive sneezes offer relief but for a short while. I'm taking an antihistamine to dry up the sinuses. Another day or two and I should be all well and that I'm looking forward to.

Carrie just made it to my house. I met her father at the half way point and collected her and all her Christmas loot. Right now she is playing with her Nintendo DS Lite while I moan, groan, sigh and sneeze. This is a great day to do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty about it and that is what I will be doing.

I'm saving this to draft just in case something earth shattering should happen today and I might want to record here the happening. I'll save this and return later.

AFTERNOON:

The daughter came and picked up Carrie but not until I had soaked her in the tub and washed her hair. Poor little girl. She is not feeling well also and she still manages to be happy. As soon as she left, I grabbed my blanket and burrowed into the sofa for a nap. I've had enough of this cold and if it follows the course of everyone else that has had it, I should be more then halfway through the allotted time for it.

As nothing earth shattering nor newsworthy has happened as of this time, I'm ending this and posting. I'm done.

Post Christmas One Day

Awake and stuffing tissues into my nostrils, sneezing and just generally having a case of the blahs, a cold it seems has decided to settle in and make a home of me. There was so much I wanted to get done today and taking down the tree and pitching it to the curb was one of them. I did make it to Home Depot where I purchased a tree on sale for next year. Prelit, 3 pieces and a stand which makes for a tree that can be assembled in short order much unlike the 3 hr setup I had on the tree that stands for it's last year in a corner of the living room.

Before going to Home Depot, I had to stop by the tire store and get the tire fixed that apparently picked up a nail somewhere. Every couple of days I had to hook up my mini air compressor to the cigarette lighter spot and pump the tire back up and again in two more days it had to be done again. I tried getting it fixed before the holiday but the place was packed with customers and the waiting time was hours. Today it was wonderful. I was the only person in there so the car got pulled in on the rack within seconds of me handing over the keys to the staff. It's 40 degrees here which seems cold to us but as I watch the weather reports and all the snow pictured across the Midwest I've decided to just enjoy the nippy weather and the dry clear roads and sky we have here. I'm grateful I don't have to drive in that anymore.

The husband keeps asking "what's for lunch" and my reply is "where do you want to eat?".

There are leftovers in the fridge but he knows that and I'm sure his question is to let me know he doesn't want leftovers. I'll take the hint and be happy to go somewhere for lunch. Decisions, decisions. A lunch anywhere that doesn't require me fixing it sounds like good times to me!

I'm outta here to answer the find out the answer to the burning question "where are we going for lunch?"

Merry Christmas All Day Long

7:30 AM Part I

5:30 AM and the phone is ringing faintly. It's faintly because I'm asleep and as I sift through levels of sleep to surface to the louder ringing of the phone I try not to curse at being awakened after another fitful night of rest. Picking up the phone and cradling it between the pillow and my ear, I try to not get to full wake fullness. I have a plan and it involves drifting back to sleep as soon as this conversation has ended. The house is chilly; the furnace has been turned off so I'm not in a hurry to get up.

The husband is on the phone and in a talkative mood so I give up on the plan I had to go back to sleep. His job has finished and he has to make a visit to the client to bill him for the job and then he will start home. He is only 3.5 hours away so he figures he will be in by 1PM. As soon as the conversation ended, I crawled out to the coffee pot, flicking the furnace on as I came down the hallway. It's 37 degrees here but we will be in shorts and tee's by noon. A few cups of coffee later and I get the roast seasoned and in the oven for a long slow roast. It's roast beef and vegetables cooked in the broth with hot rolls and sweet creamery butter for our Christmas feast.
I'll be sitting here waiting on everyone to arrive for the gift exchange. I'll continue this later.

10AM

I'm showered and dressed and preparing to do something with my hair. I'm almost ready.

I just called daughter's house. Everyone is up and opening their gifts and Carrie has noted Santa's visit to her house. I could hear the sounds of laughter in the background they will be here soon. Camera batteries are charging and I'll slip them into the camera as I see them arrive in the driveway. The aroma of roasting meat fills the house and stirs the taste buds. A few more hours and it will be ready to be carved and served. The hot rolls are almost doubled in size not quite ready for their visit to the oven. I'm waiting.

3PM

Everyone arrived at noon and the gift exchange commenced. Ted and Elise were delighted with their I Pods and Carrie grew instantly attached to the pink Nintendo DS Lite. She had played games on it before and knew exactly what to do. When it instructed her to blow into it she did. It would tell her to blow harder and the sensor knew how much more air she needed to blow to get the slider to go higher. Verbal instructions were given from the Nintendo which she knew to follow to get the game to respond. Technology! It's just amazing what we can do. Ted's IPod Nano is also a camera and a video recorder and it all is about 1 1/2 inches wide, 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches long. It also holds music and I gave him an I Home so he can plug it into that and listen to it via the speakers while it charges up.

Shoes, cameras and IPods and they were happy. The roast beef was tasty and enjoyed by all after the gift exchange and then everyone was off to a different part of the house to explore their new toys. Elise is downloading music to her IPod while Ted plays with a Nintendo. Carrie left with her mother to visit a friend and will soon be delivered to her grandparents in Lydia for their Christmas dinner tomorrow. Poor Carrie. All this waiting and last night she had to be taken to the ER for an ear infection. She was crying in pain and indicating her ear for the source of that pain. She was a bit subdued today, not her usual rambunctious self.

4:44 PM

Ted is anxious to get home but Elise is still downloading music for her IPod so we sit and wait on her to finish. I'm ready for a nap. The kitchen is cleaned up and Ted just had eggs, bacon and toast for dinner. It's been a pleasant day. I'm grateful that the big day has come and almost gone.

I'm ready for a nap. I have started sneezing and have a nasal drip going on. It might be my turn to have to cope with whatever has been going around here lately. I'm so not looking forward to this. I'm done.

One Last Note

I've waited for the last visit from family tonight then a trip was made to the trunk of my car where I had hidden Carrie's new doll and a few other gifts from Santa. At the base of the tree and in front of all the wrapped packages, her doll sits waiting for her to arrive tomorrow morning. I'll have my camera ready to capture the look on her face as she finds Santa's' gifts to her.

I'm grateful for little people at Christmas time.

Eve before Christmas Eve

Here it is, Christmas Eve. Again last night I was mattress wrestling or it seems as though the mattress and I weren't embraced in a full caress. Maybe it was Carrie? She did spend the night and we agreed to get into that bed at 9:30 PM last night for a cartoon and then some sleep. I trusted her to abide by our agreement and I'm afraid I must have slipped off to dreamland without her.

2:30 AM arrives and I drift upward from my sleep state to hear Carrie giggling about something. I realize she has never went to sleep. Maybe she couldn't find the remote control to switch off the TV or maybe she was enjoying herself so much that she just didn't want to go to sleep. We had to have a short middle of the night conversation about the virtues of sleep and the benefits of resting. I won and pounded the "off" button on the remote, doused the lights and waited for sleep to arrive. Carrie wasn't having any of it. "Open the door to the bathroom" she says. "No, Carrie, I don't want to get up again." Carrie was adamant. Fear of the dark causes her to continue her harangue. On this one she wins and I swing those feet to the floor and go through the discomfort of the walk to that door. Light streams through the open door and Carrie has her fear of darkness chased away by the lamplight and I'm back in bed and looking for that comfort spot I know is somewhere on that mattress.

5:30 and I can hear the phone ringing but it's on the opposite side of the bed from me. Carrie and I seem to have switched places on our journey to sleep. I think it was when I had my back to her and she climbed over me to get in front so she could see me. That's when she started complaining about me breathing on her, the covers being too hot and "move!" was almost shouted at me. I wanted to roll away from her but then she would have just done the climbing over me thing again so instead I closed my eyes and concentrated on getting more sleep.

7:00 AM and it's finally time for me to get out of bed and away from Carrie. A few minutes at the computer in the office and I could feel someone in the room. I thought she would sleep in this morning and I would have some hours alone but it seems I was mistaken. Chocolate milk mixed and to the living room sofa with her for some Noggin time and I'm hoping she will go to sleep on the sofa. The sirens blaring from the TV and the crawl tape at the bottom of the screen is warning of tornadoes. The wind is whipping the trees around and the stray dried leaves are being carried by the wind to the lawns that are treeless and previously leaf less. We move to the front porch and sit wrapped in our robes watching the swift moving clouds and looking for signs of those tornadoes. Soon the rain starts and wind driven sheets of it drive us back into the house. Carrie and I watch from the windows as the water rises over the driveway and the wind causes the chimney stack on top of the house to moan and screech it's disapproval. Carrie moves with me from room to room. She is frightened and won't release her clamp on my nightdress. I flick on some lights for her to hopefully lessen her fear. That doesn't work so we move back to the sofa where she can sit beside me wrapped in a soft blanket. We will wait it out here.

10:00AM and all the warnings have been withdrawn. The winds have died down and the water has receded and Carrie and I get into the car for our trip to her house. I'm thinking about the errands I will do as soon as she is safely delivered into her mother's care. I'm also thinking about about that nap I plan on taking as soon as those errands have been completed.

Hours later and I feel refreshed but of course I got some more sleep. It's now Christmas Eve and I'm going to have a quiet evening alone watching movies and if it looks anything like a cartoon I will start surfing the channels for a good movie. Speaking of movies, I did rent District 9 and sat through the whole thing. Big news flash here. I still didn't like it. Daughter watched it later and she felt the same way. It's at times like this that I would like to choke a critic specifically the ones that rated that movie so highly.

It's time to publish this so I can lay the laptop aside and scour the networks for a good movie. Merry Christmas to all and to all I have to say, I'm grateful for the fact that it's almost over!

Oh Lousy Night

Phone, TV, bath and bedtime and that's how my afternoon went yesterday. I settled into bed at 9:30, adjusted pillows and picked up the remote control. I didn't plan on going right to sleep but I didn't think I would be up all night either.

Sleep, awake, TV and repeat. I did not have a restful night and I do not feel rested now. Go figure! Thankfully, I don't have anything urgent that needs attending to today so I can take a nap should I feel worn and torn by early afternoon. Maybe I should have taken an Ambien which I'm trying to avoid doing. I tossed and turned and moved pillows around, removed pillows and repeated this too all night long. By this morning, I thought I had been in bed for days. AT the first signs of daylight seeping through the drapes, I popped upright, swung my feet to the floor and stood. This is where I get really slow. I stood and let my knee move to extension and took a few test steps. The heel burns and the knee alerts me that it's not standard equipment but after a few feet everything loosens up and I'm almost a normal stepper. Coffee perking, TV on and tuned to CNN for morning news and then a check on the weather to see if I will be wearing shorts or sweats, and all this while checking the internet. I'm tuned in and signed on.

The husband remains in Texas and informs me that he might be home for Christmas day. He has spent most of his time in the motel room only appearing on the rig for a few hours out of the 12 hour shift he expected to do. We call this an "easy money" job. This happens sometimes but usually he is there for his full 12 and covered in mud, grease, oil and diesel.

I'm going to try for a hair cut and a movie today. I want to see Avatar and then I would like to go to Blockbuster and rent "District 9". I walked out of that movie after an hour of viewing it in the theatre. I promised myself that when it came out on rental, I would rent it and watch the middle and end of it to see if I missed anything and that's what I plan on doing.

Ok, that's my day plan. I hope I don' t find myself passed out on the sofa at noon with the remote control in my hand. That is a possibility that I have to acknowledge.

But for a Loaf of Bread

I would not have left this house this morning. Oh, let me change that last statement. I did have to go to the bank too so it wasn't the only thing I needed this morning. The acquiring of the loaf of bread is what propelled me into the masses of Walmart. The aisles were crowded with carts being pushed by shoppers that were not shopping for only food supplies although you could see a lot of Christmas dinner groceries along with baby dolls, Tonka trucks and wrapping paper crowding each other in those carts. The push is on. The last week of shopping and the glazed look on the faces of the shoppers. Some have waited this late and feel the pressure to finish in the next few days.

I must confess. I bought Carrie a doll baby today. I wanted to have it sitting under the tree on Christmas morning; a toy from Santa. Carrie loves anything she can cuddle. A stuffed animal or a doll will always be found hanging over her arm. She walks with them and talks to them without reservation. Her imagination brings them to life with conversation. She speaks to them and for them and cares for them as any good mother would her children. Too soon Santa won't be someone she will wait for. She will be the bringer of gifts; the harried shopper and the parent of some little girl or boy. Merry Christmas to Carrie and all the little people celebrating a visit from Santa.

Adrift and Drifting

I must remember to grab the robe laying across the foot of my bed but by the time I realize it's cold enough to put it on I'm in the office shivering at the computer with my hot mug of coffee while my fingers search my desktop shortcuts. The coffee is hot and rich with vanilla flavored creamer; the cup warms my fingers from the first knuckle to the nail and if not for want of that robe, I would be most comfortable sitting here enjoying my morning rituals while the news broadcast can be heard from the living room TV.

My plans today are skimpy at best. I didn't get that hair cut yesterday but I did take the scissors and trim about an inch off the crown but I haven't decided if that will hold me over for another week or so. I need printer ink for this printer that is so damn slow that I want to pitch it out the door; the new Canon printer sits boxed and waiting for me to unplug this one and replace it with that one. I have pictures to print to update Carrie's yearly album I do for her and this would be a perfect time to do that as I'm home alone and enjoying every minute of it. I have plenty to do or that needs doing but what "needs doing" is just not as fun as doing what I want. Apparently that isn't much either because I don't get much done lately.

Ted is supposed to show up in a couple of hours for breakfast. He will pop in and eat, surf the net, play some computer games and then find some of his friends to hang with.

In another 10 days I will be packing all the Christmas decorations back into their boxes and hauling them back to the shed/Little House. Another holiday passed and survived or at least I'm hoping that's how this goes.

I have a friend that makes this statement "I'll be dead before this one wears out" or "this will be the last one I have to buy as I'll be dead before another one is needed". I had never thought this way when making a purchase until she made these comments and then I started to wonder if this was the way other people thought about the expiring of furniture and self or any major purchase and their self. I still don't want to look at everything in this light. Am I in denial or is she fatalistic? I think my husband looks at things this way too. He has made a few statements that lead me to believe he is watching for expiration of item and self. How depressing. How about it? Anyone else think of time in terms of expiration?

I don't even like to type about it. Buy furniture? Yeah, I've been wanting to purchase a new bedroom suite of furniture. Maybe I need to start thinking about buying the cheapest set and then I can say it will expire before I do. Long lasting might not be needed as I might expire before it does. I might just need to buy furniture that only lasts 15 years? What if I were to shop with those perimeters.

"Say, Mr. Salesmen. Do you have a bedroom suite that will last about 15 yrs as I don't expect to be around after that?" I can envision a store that has expiration dates on everything and full of the elderly shopping for supplies based on THEIR expiration date or a rough estimate of how long they think they will be around. I think this is the way retirement benefits are calculated by the Social Security administration and budgeting how long a person is expected to live after the age of retirement. State budgets must be planned on the assumption that a state employment retires after thirty years of service and collects a few years of their retirement before they permanently retire if you get my drift?

Speaking of drifting and I did, I'm going to drift out of here and get showered dressed, powdered and puffed and wait for the temperatures to hit the high of 68 degrees today. That will be the signal to wash my filthy car and wait for the rains that are supposed to visit tomorrow. That makes sense huh?

Monday and Frosted

Not a Christmasy type photo huh?

I awoke to a lawn covered in heavy frost. I know it's not snow but this is as close as we will get to a white Christmas. I'm clothed in a heavy warm sweat shirt and slacks and sandals. Sandals? Yep, sandals and the reason is the Achilles tendon that won't tolerate shoes with a back on them that will rub against it and cause swelling. I'm thankful I don't live in snow country or I would have frost bitten feet and toes. The forecasters have spoken and it will be 67 degrees here today so I'll be ok with sandals but might have to shed the sweat shirt. Please, just let it be either; either hot or cold but this flipping from one side of the coin to the other on a daily basis sucks.

I flipped on the bathroom ceiling heater and took a nice hot shower this morning and now I'm debating on getting my hair cut today. A shopping trip for a roast and vegetables and that will be Christmas dinner, a one pan meal.

I'm planning a Christmas Eve occasion and on Christmas day I will drive to Texas and spend a few days with the husband.

Yesterday I spend the day visiting the great grandma's. Carrie took her Christmas presents to them and spent the afternoon passing out her hugs and kisses. The grandmothers enjoyed her visit immensely and it was worth the drive to Lydia to see them with her. She slept all the way home and had to be carried into the house. I felt the same way but I had to drive so I managed to stay awake until I got home. There would have been no one to carry me inside anyway.

It's time for me to back away from the computer and get some things done for today and this is my farewell sentence. The ending of a blog and the start of my day; another day to be grateful for.

What To Do?

43 degrees, saturated earth in this part of the world and a question to myself. What do you have planned for today?

It's only 6 more days till Christmas and I haven't bought a thing for dinner so that might be on my list of things to do. I may have to have dinner on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. If the husband is still in Texas, I will pack up and go stay with him for a few days. Christmas Eve will be for dinner and gift giving here at my house. Tentative plans that are loosely scheduled around this holiday which will be a scaled back amount of cooking compared to the Thanksgiving dinner. Ham, mashed potatoes/gravy, two veggies and hot rolls and I'm done.

On the off chance that something exciting may happen this afternoon I will hold this in draft form until late this afternoon. More coffee, a shower and I'll be ready to cope with the day.

Noon and thereafter

Errands ran, and the car needed a tank of gas and I'm back home once again. It's a bright sunny 64 degrees here and as I'm making my way around, I listen to the weather reports and hear the weather forecasters talking about the blizzard that is battering the east coast and causing road closures and power outages. I would like to say "Gosh, I'll bet it's beautiful" but at the risk of getting eggs thrown at me by the people living in that weather, I'll just think it and not mention it out loud.

I can imagine the trees bowed down under the weight of the snow; fresh and untracked by humans and automobiles. I don't want to drive in it, but I would like to sit by a window and watch it snow. More then a few years ago I would be chaining up my car and making a trip to the top of some mountain and strapping on a pair of skis while savoring the thought of fresh powder, cold lung burning air and all day on the slope then sipping some hot buttered rums at the lodge during a break. It's probably best that I don't live in ski country with my cratered knee and little flexion.

It's now 9PM and I'm watching the Saints get their ass kicked by the Cowboys. Who woulda thunk it, huh? Geeze, the Cowboys just scored another touchdown and it might be time for me to close down for the night and just go to bed. I'm a sad looser. Bourbon Street will not be filled with hell raisin Saints fans tonight.

It' s been a slow kind of day today. I declined the invitation to have Carrie spend the night. Much to daughter's chagrin, I sent her child home with her to bath and put to bed. Time out for me.

8 More

8 more days till Christmas and then I'll be in a rush to get the tree cleared out and the rest of the decorations put away. It just seems like a lot of work dragging that stuff out of storage and sorting it out to be displayed for 20 something days and then reverse that process. Am I being Scrooge like? Maybe tonight I will take everyone around town after dark to look at the Christmas lights displayed. Maybe.

A trip was planned today with daughter and Carrie. We were delivering her to her Dad's house in Lydia but that trip has been cancelled as he has to work and won't be able to have the weekend off.

Carrie and I may go anyway. It's 8 more days till Christmas and I would like to get some Christmas pictures of the Great Grandmothers with Carrie. I try to visit with my camera and record images that may soon be unattainable considering the ages of everyone involved.

I haven't decided on making a trip to Texas but that might be something I do tomorrow. The rains will start again today and the weather will be less then wonderful so I may just take a motel break and get away for a few days.

When it gets this close to the 25th, I feel a little panic setting in. Have I got everything done? Am I really finished with the shopping? It didn't take but a few days to do all that so I feel as though I should be doing more. Daughter used to love it when I started my Christmas shopping in the middle of the summer. It meant that she got a ton of stuff because I started too early. Now I go for a couple of days of shopping in December, have a list and spend a lot less money. Of course the daughter gets a lot less but I reasoned with her "You were an only child" and now that there are 4 of you thanks to your prolific multiplying, you get 1/4 of what you were once assured of receiving in the past."

It's good for her. Sharing is a good thing don't ya think?

Merry Almost Christmas in another 8 days! I did mention it was 8 more days till Christmas?

What Big Teeth You Have Grandma

I'm done. The packages are wrapped and snugged beneath the tree. Cold, wet and windy the weather has turned and I'm thankful I have the Christmas shopping done. It's wet here. The outside walls of the house are dripping moisture and that's even without it actively raining. The humidity has been so high that everything is shedding drops of moisture. This is not my favorite weather.

Today I visited the dentist and that's always good for a few giggles and grins. A needle of numbing fluid injected into the hinged part of my jaw and then my mouth was pried open wide while the hygienist did the deep cleaning required. Under the gums with the sharp little appliance that cleans with water and high pressure, I gripped the arms of the chair I was sitting in while waiting for pain to shoot through the top of my head. It didn't happen and I can only imagine how high my blood pressure was from anticipating pain. A consultation from the dentist confirmed the fact that I will be broke by the time I get finished with this project.

The year 2010 will be dedicated to getting all my dental work done. That should keep me busy for the whole year.

My next project:

Fry bacon crisp, remove, crumble and set aside.

Fry diced onion and diced potatoes in the bacon drippings

till soft

Add 1 qt. heavy whipping creme and celery seeds to the

onion and potatoes and add back the crisp crumbled bacon

Simmer till thoroughly heated and the potatoes are soft.

The whipping creme makes this so rich that a small bowl is filling. I add some crumbled crisp bacon bits and green onion tops on it when serving.

Oh yum, potato soup. I think 'soup' when it's cold out and I have to resort to long pants. Long pants equals soup and that's just the way it is in my world.

I'm outta here to go watch cartoons with Carrie while the soup simmers atop the stove. Bowls are lined up and ready to be filled.

Happy Wednesday and it is!

Chocolate, Pretzels and Cocktails

A candy making party was in full swing by the time I showed up with the vanilla extract that I was called upon to deliver. I walked carefully through the rain saturated yard, the water soaking the sandals I wore while the misty rain caused the natural curl in my hair to corkscrew into tight ringlets. Casey, Lesie, Carrie, Ted, Shane and April were taking up different spaces and different chores in the candy making endeavor. Pretzels being dipped and rice crispies treats being poured from the big pan into the cooling pan to be cut later into squares and packed away for delivery to the neighbors later in the week, everyone was busy. Carrie had chocolate from her wrists to her elbows and when some one mentioned something about her going home with me, I slid toward the door and made my way to my car.

Before leaving I watched the pineapple and coconut drinks being consumed by the chocolatiers and the sibling play and sibling arguments sporadically met and conquered without interference from their mother. She lets them settle their own arguments and only if blood flows does she interfere.

Elise wore her jeans, a black t shirt and a black feather boa around her head. Carrie was in a dress that was originally a shirt for an older child. Casey was busy trying to gain 10 lbs before she leaves for basic training in January and Ted visited occasionally from his room where he was studying for finals this week. The house was rockin with much laughter and play and I enjoyed watching them.

I'm back home now and the silence is deafening. I'm sure the laughter continues and the candy making will not cease until the last pretzel is coated and the last treat is bagged and placed into the refridgerator.

From my spot on the sofa I can see flashes of lightening and hear the rain falling in on and off again rythyms. I'm ready to call it a night and get some sleep. I've been busy this day finishing off all the gift wrapping, photo printing and house work. Tomorrow I intend to do very little except watch the rain fall and listen to the a/c unit as it fights off the humidity that threatens to smother me.

For now, I'm done.

You did What Where??

Yesterday was a strange day. Earlier then was expected, Carl appeared at my doorstep ringing the doorbell. At the sound of the chimes echoing around the room, Carrie and I made it to the door and peaked out to see Carl waiting to be admitted.

It's 8:30 and usually Carl doesn't get here until 9AM or a little after. Sausage gravy and biscuits were brewing in the kitchen and Carl was invited to breakfast with Carrie and I. Moving onto 9AM I expected Carl to head to the attic and continue on with his job of laying insulation. First we moved to the patio to have an after breakfast smoke, then a few phone calls, another smoke and finally back into the house we came. This is the moment Carl says "man, I hate to think about going up there", meaning into the attic. I told him it was up to him if he wanted to work today. I was perfectly fine with it if he wanted to take the day off.

It was about this time that things got a little stranger. We moved the insulation from the carport to the attic stairs and while Carl stood in the attic, I handed up the bundles of insulation so we could store them up there. I expected Carl to say his goodbyes and we would arrange for another time to work. That didn't happen. Back to the patio for another phone call and another cigarette and then back into the house where he made himself comfortable in the big chair and a half. Carrie and I were on the sofa watching Sponge Bob as Carl nodded off to sleep. Did I miss something here? Eventually Carrie slipped away into sleep land and I quietly got up and made for the master bedroom where I placed a phone call to Ms. K.

I'm hiding out in the master bathroom speaking to Ms. K. and telling her what is going on. She was aghast. "Your handy man has made himself comfortable and is now sleeping?" she asked.

Yep, that is pretty much what is going on. I'm trying to figure out what happened and how we got to this place where the help is now staying all day. Finally I come upon a thought. His ex wife is working today and he wants to stay in town to see his daughter. Is he waiting for her to finish working for today and then will meet her at her apartment?

Daughter calls and says she is coming over and wants me to go somewhere with her. She arrives and I pick up my purse and walk over to the chair that is nestling Carl and I nudge his arm to tell him I'm leaving. At this time, I'm thinking he will say his goodbyes and be on his way.

He says "Ok, that's fine" and proceeds to go back to sleep. My daughter waited till we were outside and in her Jeep before she bellows forth with uncontained laughter. "Mom" she says, "what is he doing?" and to this I answered, "How the hell should I know!". I told her about the morning and she wanted to know how long he had been sleeping there.

We returned within 1/2 hr. and he was still here but awake now and watching the football game. I asked him if he was waiting for his ex to get home from her job and he said he was and that he had just talked to her and she was on her way to get their daughter so he would be leaving and he thanked me for letting him hang out here all day.

I have just spent my Sunday watching the handy man nap. I couldn't take a nap myself. What if he awoke and needed something? What if he decided to leave and there was no one awake to say "goodbye" to him. What if he had a axe to grind or bury in my skull? Ok, I might be veering way off course on that one. I'm sure Carl wouldn't harm a flea, a fly nor a hair on my head but having him hang out with me all Sunday wasn't in my plans either.

I may have to reconsider next weekend and how and who I want to spend it with.

Thermals, Insulating and Attics

The last time I attempted to roll batt insulation in the attic, I made a straight body feet first dive through the ceiling to the tile floors below. I did get a little of it done before I took that dive but after the hard landing, I didn't attempt it again. The husband rolled more of it but it wasn't completed so today Carl will be here to finish the job. I have 15 rolls of insulation on the carport waiting for Carl to arrive. It couldn't be a better day to be in an attic. It's cool up there right now and the rain is coming down outside. This makes for a perfect day to be working under roof.

I have to make an early morning run to Walmart to pick up a few things and get some lunch stuff. I dread going out into the wet, cold wind that hasn't let up for the past two or three days. It will be up to 61 degrees today so I can shed my sweater and jacket and wait for the next cool spell.

AFTER 5PM

Carl rolled out all but two rolls of the insulation and he will be back tomorrow to continue the job. I made another trip to the store and picked up more insulation although I know I still don't have enough to finish the job. One more run should take care of that.

The next part of this job will be to pull up the flooring up there to add the insulation. I'm hoping all this pays off this summer with lower cooling bills. At least it won't have to be done again in my lifetime.

I'm going to make one last trip out of here to Walmart and then back here for a hot shower and some TV time.

It's the hot shower I will be grateful for!

Tiltin' Kilts, Tits and Tartan

I had a plan for today and I made a list so I wouldn't forget a thing. I didn't forget anything, I just didn't get everything done. I shopped for stuff on my list, picked up another 5 rolls of unfaced attic insulation and a water heater wrap and was back at my house unloading onto the carport my insulating supplies when my phone started buzzing. It was my daughter returning my call and "yes, I will go to lunch with you..er..who'se buyin?"

Within minutes I was at her house watching as she loaded Carrie into her booster seat in the back. We were off to check out a new restaurant in town. Just today while in a store, a lady remarked that this restaurant that used to be a Bennigan's was now called the Tiltin' Kilts and that the parking lot was always full which meant to us that it must be a good place to visit. She said she hadn't been there yet and that's when I made the initial call to the daughter to ask her if she wanted to try out the new place.

We made our way to the Tiltin' Kilts and as expected, the parking lot was crowded. Helping Carrie out of her seat and into her coat, we made our way to the front door. I swung open the door letting in a blast of cold air and us with it. Standing in front of us at the hostess podium was a young girl no more then 19yrs old. Not odd or out of the ordinary except her attire. She wore a tartan plaid under wire bra that had presented her breasts forward into two bright white orbs. A half shirt that came half way across her chest, a micro mini tartan plaid skirt that started about 4 inches below her navel and stopped about two inches below her butt and white knee high stockings that ended into a pair of black two inch soft soled pumps and the blast of cold air that rushed in with us made her shrink back.

We were ushered to our seats and the table and chairs were not those tall chairs and tables you usually see in a place where the waitresses are barely clothed. At least at Hooters' the tables and chairs put you at such a level that you aren't greeted eye to chest with the server. I cast a few glances discreetly around the room and noted that there were very few female patrons. The room was full of big eyed men and Carrie can be voted a definite minority as she was the youngest female in the room although she did run a close second in age to the wait staff. In a bar setting, this wouldn't have bothered me at all. I would expect this dress but having a french dip sandwich and fries at lunch is not a place I would expect to see more skin then clothes.

I have to say, the food was very good. I think if there is a next time, we shall leave Carrie out of this visit although she didn't seem to notice the dress code of the staff. She chatted up the waitresses and enjoyed her visit.

I had to ask our waitress if she had to audition for her job in the uniform she was wearing. She gave an affirmative; then I asked, what if you get pregnant? They are given long white t shirts to wear instead of the bra and micro blouse. She said they couldn't fire them as the labor board would frown strongly on that decision. We wanted to ask for an application when we were leaving but then decided we wouldn't like working in the kitchen.

Todays' lunch was memorable and we had a case of the giggles after we were safely away from the mostly male domain. It was easy to spot the first timers there. They were the ones with females with them. I can't wait until my neighbor asks me about that place. I intend on telling her the food was awesome and leaving out any other description of the place.

I'm forming an experiment and this ty...

I'm forming an experiment and this typing is a big part of it. I'm using Google docs right now to type this and this program is a lot like Microsoft's Word program. I'm doing this to see if I can upload it to my blog page. If this is possible, I can type my blogs in Google docs and spell check, check for grammar errors then load it to my blog site.

herrrrrrrrrrrrre goes!

 

Later:

 

Well, how about that huh?

It worked. Typed in Google docs, then it is posted directly from the Google docs page. Any updates to this post will be added to the original post.

 

Oh Damn, It's Cold

She's humming Christmas carols and watching for white stuff to begin falling out of the sky.

No, not really, but dang it's cold here. Yesterday was still a mild semi warm day, we wore shorts. Today I might have to put on a pair of slacks and a sweater. I'm sipping my hot, creamed coffee and wondering where I left my warm robe. I might have to go and find it to wear for a while. It's still pitch black out but when the sun makes it's appearance, I'm sure we will heat up once again.

Speaking of heating up, I'm having Carl the Carpenter visit this weekend. I have to go today and buy a bunch of batt insulation so he can start insulating the remainder of the attic that I didn't do. I won't ever make an attempt to crawl around on those rafters again.

Carrie and I hung out together yesterday. I had to run the sweeper and while I was doing that, she took the Windex and cleaned the coffee table. She mopped the floor for me and then after those chores were done, we wrapped Christmas gifts. I placed the tissue paper in the gift box while she watched closely. The gift was then placed on the tissue and then we smoothed the tissue paper across the gift and added the box lid. After that I cut pieces of tape and attached to one part of the box while letting her smooth the other end down over the lower part of the box. This took a while to complete. I had time to spare and anytime you do something with children allot yourself plenty of time. It helps cut the frustration level down if you prepare yourself to not finish any child help tasks quickly.

After the first box was wrapped, she would carry it to the tree and place it wherever she wanted. We repeated this wrapping process throughout the morning. What she had learned watching the first box wrapped, she could do on her own afterwards. The pace picked up a little but still took more time then if I had been working alone.

We shared what each gift was and she made promises to me to "not tell". We know a secret and what person doesn't like feeling that a secret shared between two people is a special thing. She felt very special and when her Poppy tried questioning her about what his gift was, she smiled slyly and said "nope, I'm not gonna tell ya". It's a secret, huh Nanny?"

She walks around the tree picking up packages and questioning "who does this belong to?" I give her an answer and she moves on to the next package. I remember when each of the grandchildren would do this. She is behaving as expected. Her excitement is mounting and her stocking at the fireplace is checked each time she visits; a chocolate is extracted to be replaced at a later time with another. Even this sets her imagination to soaring and she talks about how the reindeer fly and Santa gets into the house. She wants to get him a gift so I explained about the cookies and milk we would leave him on Christmas Eve. I don't think she understands the date thing and why we have to wait. Today I will print her a Christmas calendar and together we will mark off the dates till the big day.

The husband is scheduled to leave town today. He will be three hours away on that long job and after my dental appointment next week, I may make the drive to the Holiday Inn in the Texas town where he will be staying and spend a few days. No indoor pool but a spa and sauna and exercise room will be available to use. I'll have my car so I can wander around the area with my camera, visit junk stores local attractions.

I'm outta here to find my robe to wear until the sun brightens the day here.

Dental and Time

The skies have opened up and are dumping massive amounts of rain upon us. I suppose it's better then getting massive amounts of snow making travel treacherous instead of just making trips around town uncomfortable. I'm waiting for the next round of cool weather. I forget every year what winters are here. Wet and humid with lots of rain, a few cool days then days where the temperatures climb back to the high 70's.

It's no wonder I winch when I hear Christmas music and the temperatures are such that we are wearing shorts and t shirts.

I took Carrie home and left her with her mother while we did a little shopping then picked her up on the return to the house. She has been up since 5AM and is beginning to look a little worn and in need of a nap. That's the next thing on my list. Right now she is having some Ramen noodles; a late lunch for her. She is watching one of her favorite TV shows. I Carly. I don't think this show was intended for a 4yr old. It's a pre teen show and I watch her as she follows the soon to be teen girls as they interact with boys, talk about kissing, makeup and clothes. And I wonder why she doesn't talk as a 4yr old should talk? She isn't bored with this show. It captures her attention and she will sit quietly watching until it ends.

I made an appointment with a dentist this morning to do periodontal scaling which will start next week. Then I'll make a decision about flying to Arizona to continue the dental work. Flying and dentist visits, both things I would rather avoid. I might as well get both of the distasteful things out of the way at one time.

(continued on Wednesday)

Sipping coffee and watching the news reports on CNN alone. Carrie is home and the husband is still asleep. This is my quiet time and I enjoy every minute of it.

I didn't get this posted yesterday; mainly because I really didn't have much to say or maybe I just wasn't in the mood to post anything. Carrie left for her home about 7PM last night. She slept from 3PM to 7PM and I'm wondering if her mother was up with her all night. It might have been too long a nap or at least one that started that late in the day.

The sun is slipping from beneath the clouds layering the grass with it's light. The trees have stopped dripping moisture although the maple tree continues to release it's heavy growth of leafs to the lawn below. It's time to mulch. The neighbors must love receiving the leaves that are blown by the sporadic winds onto their pristine lawns. Not everyone here has a tree in their front yard. We inherited this one when we bought this house and years ago it was just a small slim sapling that has since tripled in size and the amount of leafs it sheds each fall.

Plans for today? Not much of anything planned. The husband is waiting on a call to go on that big job he has been anticipating. He has been packing and buying some thermal wear; today or tomorrow he will get the phone call to leave. I do have a little more gift wrapping to do and a Windows 7 program to pick up to update these computers. I'll make that a goal to get done today.

I'll continue to enjoy my coffee before I make a move to do anything and that's where I am this minute.

Weather and Dental Rants

It's a balmy 61 degrees here and the rain has been falling without a let up all morning. The patio, carport and yard are covered with wet sticky maple leaves. A carpet of slippery leaves wallpaper the surfaces and make for an unsafe walk. It's probably time to bring out the lawn tractor and do some mulching but the weather prohibits. Although it is 61 degrees it feels much colder with the moisture and makes one want to nap the day away.

I spent yesterday wrapping gifts; today I was going to do a little more shopping. I really don't do much Christmas buying although this year the kids got electronics and I Pods to be exact. Carrie and hubby are getting electronics also but I dare not mention it here in case he reads this so the spending was a little more then usual. I want to pick up three more gifts today and that should end my Christmas binge.

A dental visit looms in my future although I haven't made any appointments yet. I put this off as long as possible because of my intense dislike of having anything done. I've spent a lot of money and much of my time in that dental chair and with that said, it still doesn't make it any easier going back.

What I would like to do is go to Arizona and have all the dental work done that I need. Sister In Law works in a dental office and I can get a family discount. I'll have to recheck this as the economy there has tumbled and they might not still offer this. I could fly out of New Orleans and stay with the sister in law while I get a massive amount of this done. I'll call her today and see if that offer still stands.

Meanwhile, it's time for me to get showered, dressed and in shopping gear. I can see the finish line from here and what a welcome sight it is.

Creeping Along To Christmas and Food Sunday

Lights are shedding a glow from the mantel, the Christmas tree is decorated and standing in a corner and the sofa table has it's own light show in place. I'm done! I'm done with the decorating stuff and now for the wrapping of the presents that are spread across the bed in the spare bedroom.

I want to get started on this before Carrie returns from her visit to her Dad's house. I hesitate to mention this, but Carrie is more of a hindrance then a help on this. The other day I was untangling some lights and she wanted to help so I let her hold the end of the light string. At the exact time I got the last light sorted out, she grabbed the string and began rubbing them between her hands and slinging them up and down and trailing around with them clutched in her tiny little paws. I was none too nice. She pouted for a while but then rejoined me later to help once again. I tried to get as much done as possible before she recovered from her pout.

I'll leave some things out for her to wrap but I'll get most of it done before she gets back.

The mini stockings are hung below the mantel and as is the tradition here, Santa stops by nightly to check the little stockings to see if the person whose name appears on the stockings have stopped by to retrieve his offerings from the night before. Carrie checks her stocking to find a small wrapped chocolate one morning, the next morning might hold a dollar bill for her, a quarter, or a small toy while the older ones might find a 5.00 bill or a 20.00 bill or a dollar bill and sometimes just a chocolate treat. You must stop by and check your stocking; Santa doesn't visit the stocking unless the last gift has been retrieved. Sometimes they visit and are almost to their car when they realize they haven't checked their stocking. Amid squeals and screams they race back into the house to check their stocking. They know Santa's rules.

The Saints play today. Sixteen and Zero. There are three teams with this record this season. Now the games become butt clenching, sit on the edge of your chair viewing. The husband will be wearing his Saints shirt and glued to the TV today. I might watch the game with him and munch on some Buffalo wings. I have the chicken simmering in a large pot on the stove for the chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight. I just discovered that hubby doesn't want noodles but the drop dumplings. That's even easier then making the noodles so that's what it will be and for that I'm grateful.

I'm off to the bedroom to do some gift wrapping. I'm mostly done with the shopping and for this I'm grateful. Two gratefuls in one post; a record?

Thirty One

Our winter is here. I can tell by the slight skiff of snow on the rooftops, the frost on the windshields and the crispy 31 degrees causing ones breath to hover in a balloon puff of condensed air just beyond ones lips.

Yep, today we have winter and tomorrow it will be 65 degrees and our winter will retreat for a few weeks. One day it's the a/c unit I hear clicking on and off and the next it's the furnace blowing warm air from the ceiling vents.

My next phone call that must be made on a weekday will be to the insulators to blow some more insulation into the attic. I've been waiting till the temperatures in the attic drop below 100 degrees before I ask anyone to spend time up there. I gave up on the attic insulation job after falling through the ceiling and magically appearing crumpled up on the office floor. I'm grateful my legs weren't splintered and I swore off ever going back into the attic. To this date I have kept this promise.

The husband has requested waffles and bacon and breakfast is the one meal I like to cook. It probably relates to the fact that this is my favorite meal to eat.

He has also requested chicken and dumplings for dinner and the dumplings he is talking about is really home made noodles. Oh yay and that's all I have to say about that. I would rather cook a big pot of gumbo.

Almost Snow

The rain that has been drizzling down all day has now progressed to sleet with a few flakes of that white stuff more commonly seen up north. We haven't got a blanket of it yet, but more like a flurry hopefully to progress to a white sheet on the ground. It's 39 degrees here and that's not including the wind chill and I know there is one. I step to the open doorway to stand and watch and the cold air circles my ankles and swirls up my legs. I have a gown and robe on; exposed ankles, neck and face feel the chill as I step back into the house and swing the door closed on the weather.

The furnace is humming, the tree lights are twinkling and it's actually beginning to feel like Christmas.

After I moved here to the deep, hot and humid south, Christmas never felt right. I suppose to the natives the warm climate was a normal thing for them for the holidays. For me, I need some cold weather with some snow to get into the spirit. It's just the way it was for me for years and years and now we wear shorts through December. This cold front will pass through and it will get warm once again but I would take this weather through Christmas day if I could get it.

Carrie left today to spend the weekend with her dad. We had plans. She was going to make a snow ball. She wanted to make a snow man but said she didn't know how but she knew we needed a carrot. I had to tell her that we wouldn't be getting that much snow. A snow ball we might manage; a snow angel if we moved quickly and lots of pictures of this event I would capture.

I hope she gets to make a snow ball at her dad's house. I'm sure she will ask. This will be the second winter in a row for her to see snow. At this rate she may start to think this is a yearly happening. Once a year snow? I'll settle for that.

I'm outta here to enjoy the fresh salad and the sub sandwiches the husband is doling out. Have a happy whatever and where ever you may be.

Carrie and The Big Guy

W. O. S.

Waiting on Snow. Yep, that's what we've heard. Snow is forecast and I, with camera ready, am ready. I think it's forecast for 'up north' as the natives say when speaking of any place north of Lafayette. At one time, when hearing them say this, I assumed they meant North of the STATE of Louisiana, not IN the northern part OF the state.

It's a nippy 48 degrees here right now and if it were going to snow, I would have to think it would have to be at least freezing temperatures to do so. I'm not taking any bets on that forecast. I'll just wait and watch and appreciate the view if it happens.

I iced down my heel last night and I'm pain free this morning. This won't last long. If I'm up on it for hours the pain will return. I'm going to wait another week or so then contact the podiatrist and follow through to the next phase of this which will probably be surgery.

I'm outta here to curl up under a blanket on the sofa in front of the TV and do a whole lot of nothing.

Third Time is the Charm

Once again, a Jeep Cherokee will be parked at daughter's house. This will be the third Jeep Cherokee she has owned. The first one was a Cherokee Sport as is this one. The second was a 2 door plain one. Green, red and now blue, the Cherokee lives on. I think this is the last year they were made so finding another one with low mileage might be near impossible in the future. This is a tank vehicle; hard to kill unless of course you put one head on into a giant oak tree or you get broadsided by a truck. That is the history of the past two she has owned. No mechanical problems with them except for trees and trucks marring the driveability of them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that since this is the third one, it will survive planes, trains and automobiles.

Carrie spent the night here last night and I spent most of the morning picking up after her. I had to explain to her that she would be responsible for putting her stuff away and that I had picked up the last of her stuff, toys and clothes. She eyed me, stepped back and gave me a big smile; a smile that said "you're kidding, right?"

Sometimes you have to get gruff with her; a stern voice is needed to convince her that you are not jesting. If I get to the teeth gritting stage she knows she has moved too close to the edge; the edge of my madness. I delivered her back to her mother's house at 1P M and then at 6PM I had another moment of madness and picked up the phone and called her. I asked if she wanted to spend the night and got a negative reply. It wasn't long after hanging up that her mother called to say that Carrie really did want to spend the night. By this time I had had second thoughts about the offer and told her that I wasn't feeling well. Chasing Carrie didn't look so appealing after I had a moment of sanity. I plan on laying around the remainder of this evening. Chinese take out was supper so the kitchen is clean and I'm headed to the king size bed to watch a little TV and ice my heel.

Tomorrow I will think again about having a Carrie moment.

A Whole Lot of Nothing

Where have the last two days gone? I seem to have been busy although I can't list for you what I have been doing. I don't think I got much accomplished but I feel as though I haven't stopped and taken some down time. I put up the Christmas tree and that is all the decorating for the season I've done besides hanging the wreath on the front door.

I was on my way to do errands and got side tracked. GrDaughter's car wouldn't start and when I talked with her, she told me the alternator was out. It was pouring rain and not a warm kind of moistness. She said she had tried jumper cables on it and it wouldn't start. I told her I would be right over. I asked when I got there what kind of cables she had used. A cheap kind she said. I have heavy duty ones and we hooked them up and it cranked right over. She held the umbrella while I hooked and unhooked the cables. I followed her to the auto parts store where we had her battery checked, it failed and we replaced it with a new one.

It's been things like this that have kept me busy for the past two days. It seems that I start to do something and get totally side tracked by something unexpected. At least I haven't lost my car, totalled it, or some other catastrophic event has happened.

Daughter totaled her jeep a few weeks ago and finally today, she found another vehicle. She found a one owner, Jeep Cherokee Sport which was exactly what she had been looking for. This is her third Cherokee; she likes this vehicle. With that out of the way, I won't be carting her around anymore. I can't think that was what has kept me busy anyway. I haven't even kept Carrie for any length of time. I can't blame my slothness on her.

I have a meatloaf in the oven sidled up to a couple of potatoes that are baking and I'm waiting for hubby to arrive home. His job finished up yesterday and he has spent all day driving home.

He was supposed to be here an hour ago. I should have told him to get something to eat on the way in. Holding dinner when the arrival time is not definite makes for a dried out meal. I'll have to reheat everything when he finally gets home.

I'm going to sit on the sofa with the sweet smelling freshly bathed Carrie and do some more of nothing.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh

Carrie And Santa

We dressed warmly and piled into my car for a trip to the Flea Market on the opposite side of the town in which I live. The trip took about 20 minutes, mostly because we had to get off the interstate and circle back around on the service road to get to Ye Olde Flea Market. It's not really called that but because of the lateness of my years, I can't remember exactly what it's called. I figure it this way. Why cram all that useless information into my brain. I'm saving room up there for important stuff, like my name, address and how to dial 911.

This flea market has grown tremendously since my first visit there 10 years ago. Then it was junque, cheap imported, break as soon as you open it up, stuff. Off brand tools that a good torque would cause them to snap into. I never went back. I didn't go back until a couple of weeks ago so I wasn't aware of how much expansion had happened. Rows and rows of seller stalls, branched out tin covered vendor buildings sprawled across what used to be open field with every imaginable display of stuff you could live without but you end up with it anyway. I go because of the books. Book sellers with their wares lined neatly and categorized in rows and rows of shelves. Three dollars for hardbacks and two dollars for paperbacks; I like these prices. On the most recent visit, I bought 3 of the J.K. Rowling books for 3.00 per hardback. I have number 1 in the series and when I find number 2, I'll have the whole set for a mere pittance of what they would have cost in the book stores. I want to start reading them; I want the whole set before I start.

The best part of the trip is the people watching and there were plenty of 'peoples' to watch. I note all the nose rings, tongue rings, the tattoos, the clothing that doesn't exactly appear in the latest fashion mags, and then I start to wonder where these people find employment. Do they remove all these accoutrement's that adorn their eye brows, lips and nose before they surrender their application for scrutiny? Does the interviewer ignore all this hardware or maybe the hardware disappears for the interview. I could see and watch them all day. I like to see the faces. How can so many faces be in one place and no two faces appear identical. The minute spacing between the eyes, the spaces from lip to nose, from cheekbone to cheekbone and from cheekbone to chin all contribute to faces that appear unique to each person. We are a collection of spaces. Without those differing spaces we might all appear as copies of each other. I still like to look and take note.

Funnel cakes frying in oil, gumbo, burgers, fries, chili covered french fries; fragrances announced to all what was available for purchase. Families lounging on picnic tables in the middle of this market taking a break to supply nourishment to their young crowded in. More people watching and it was a freebie entertainment bonanza.

Daughter who had wondered away from Carrie and me called me on my cell phone. She was on aisle 200 and was calling to report that Santa Claus had been spotted. I whispered to Carrie while taking her hand to guide her through the crowd "Santa is here". She looked up and like a sunbeam, a big smile crossed her face causing her eyes to crinkle up; her whole face was smiling. Carrie has never made it to see Santa in her young 4 years of life. She has heard stories and seen many pictures but to see Santa in person has never happened for her. Most children experience fear when they see him for the first time and are too young to understand who he is. With Carrie, we waited until she was 4 yrs old and had watched movies and seen pictures of the big guy with the white beard and red clothing. She was ready.

Fearless she faced him and you could see her excitement. He was sitting on a chair behind and to the side of a table where the photographer was signing people up to have their child photographed with the Big Guy. Carrie didn't notice. She headed straight for him and when she reached him she threw herself onto him and wrapped her arms around his waist for a big hug. She clung to him for a while then stepped back and asked to sit on his lap. From her perch, she beamed at us. That was one happy child. No fear. She had finally found him, this man she had heard so much about. We had her photographed with him and she begged to stay right where she sat. I coaxed her away with promises to take her back to see him and on December 12th he will be downtown for the Christmas celebrations and I plan on keeping my promise.

Carrie is a bright child. I almost shy away from telling her this Santa lie. She remembers everything and someday she may question the lie we told.

I hope she doesn't notice if there is a slight difference in the Santa's. The one we visited at the flea market had on oblong wire rim glasses that sat on the end of his nose. This is something she might take note of and question the difference in the Big Guy's appearance. It will be interesting to watch her reactions to the next jolly fat guy in the tasteless red suit.

I would cancel Christmas but for the children. The children are Christmas.

Oh Christmas Tree

With reluctance I made my way to the Little House in the back yard, pulled open the door and stood looking at the blue totes stacked one on top of the other and knew that I would be sifting through each one for the decorations for the tree. The tree was an easy find. I had put it in a wheeled garbage barrel so I wouldn't have to drag the dilapidated box it came in across the grass and into the house. It took about 2 hours to set the tree up. It's one of those that has the colored coded branches and each branch is set into it's hooked position and starting from the bottom with 10 branches in green code, then up one layer to the red coded ones and so on till you reach the top where hopefully you will have inserted the correct color on each level. Oh fun.

This will be the last year I will use this tree. Much to the chagrin of my friend who couldn't believe I was still using this tree apparently manufactured before the dinosaurs were born; she was on the phone with me the entire time and amid her fits of giggles at my less then christian language while doing this, I swore that next year it will be a pre lit tree with 3 sections that fit together and you're done.

I am going to find an ice pack for my heel and then I'm going to find the feather pillows on my bed where I will lay my head followed by my tired Christmas decorating body!

And a good night to all.