February

What is it about Valentine's Day? Who decided we needed this holiday, unpaid and unrecognized by the labor force? January passed without a holiday that needed commemoration by the masses rushing out to buy something for someone and then along comes February.

Would it really bother you if your significant other didn't sent you a rose, a chocolate or a piece of jewelry? For those of you without a significant other, does this day depress you as you scan the shelves in the stores stocked with red heart boxes filled with cheap chocolates? I'm not saying I don't appreciate the thought when my S.O. presents me with a card, candy or jewels but would I be upset if I was without a S.O. and I had to face this holiday alone while others received the candy, flowers and jewels? No. I can answer that without hesitation. Valentine's day was never depressing when I was single single. Single=unmarried, single=no S.O.

I know some single people that have admitted to becoming very depressed when Valentine's Day approached. They would notice the flowers received from their female friends, the cards exchanged and would dread this day approaching each year. I, on the other hand think these pseudo holidays were created by some genius in marketing to boost sales for the month of February.

The only holiday I have ever found depressing was Christmas and I used to think it was because I was so far away from family and friends on this holiday. Now that I have family and friends around I still find it depressing and hard as I try, I really can't define the why of this. Maybe it's the anti climatic feeling of it all. All that preparation and it's over in a few hours. Maybe I should just schedule a vacation every year during the holidays. I've seriously thought about doing this; a Christmas gift to myself.

Today is rainy, gloomy and cold and going outside doesn't look particularly appealing so here I sit trying to catch up on photo printing for the 2009 album. I'm about 6 months behind in this project so I've set a goal for myself. To finish this one off today even if it takes me all day which it might as the printer I have to use is so slow that as soon as I finish off the ink that is in it, I'll exchange it for another. I'm going to hook up a Canon printer and hope the old Canon program I used to use for printing is compatible. I'll be back later and later depends on how much printing I get done today. A good rainy day project and a perfect rainy day to get it done.

Oh Damn, What Happened?

10AM here and where is the warmth? Overcast but at least it's not raining but I want to know what happened to the sunshine and who turned off the heat? I had to find long pants and a long sleeved shirt. We are back into winter mode once again and I truly thought we were finished with this for the year.

Friends from Wyoming were supposed to be here next week but their trip got cancelled because of the bad weather in Oklahoma. It seems there is ice and snow through the middle of the USA and some of that cold has escaped and found it's way here. I'm not ready for hot summer weather anyway and I would rather dress warmly and be outside then to be hot and sweaty and dressed in shorts. I'll take this weather over the summer weather we have here and to that end I'm dressed warmly and heading out to do some shopping. I don't know why I have to pick the weekend to do this along with the other 200,000 people that live here and in the surrounding little bergs.

I'm waiting on the car to warm up; I might need to find a pair of socks. Until later.........

5PM

I did a little shopping then scurried back home to find a blanket and wrap up in it. The temperatures are dropping again and with the wind whipping around, it surely feels colder then 37 degrees.

Cheeseburgers are being cooked up by the husband, the television is tuned in to favored detective stories and I'm warm. I'm going to stay right here where I'm warm and when the degrees start increasing I'll think about moving out from beneath this blanket. I'm happy right here and here I'll stay.

I Should be Doing Something

Yesterday was just another day of not doing much. Since it was a beautiful warm day I decided to traispe out to the Little House and gather up the bucket and brushes along with the cleanser and get busy washing the car. As I'm doing this I'm wondering if it will start raining sometime soon after finishing. All went well until I peeked out the window this morning and saw the water standing in puddles in my driveway. I shoulda known!



I'm consoling myself with the fact that I need to buy some tar remover to get the tar off the wells and rocker panels so it will have to be rewashed anyway. Maybe today. I'm signing off so I can get a head start on doing a whole of nothing again today.

Just Strange

She was about 50 yrs old, tall and neither fat nor thin but somewhere in between, black female. She walked up to this house and spoke with the husband who was outside working on cleaning and shining up his truck. She was dressed in jeans, t shirt, sandals with socks and she didn't carry a purse. She had a bright shiny gold tooth in the front of her mouth. The tooth had a star carved out on it. Her hair was wrapped in a scarf. She needed a ride; her car had broken down or at least this was the story she told.

The husband opened the door and peeked in to tell me this lady needed a ride to her home in Youngsville. I peeked out and told her I would get my purse and be right with her.

She wanted to credit me with being a good Catholic and I had to correct her on that. Then she wanted to know my religous affilation so she could extole their virtues and I had to tell her I was "none". We got into my car and as I was backing out of the driveway she started telling me her car wouldn't start and she said it needed a new battery. I offered to check on a new battery but she was quick to tell me she didn't want to bother with the car but that she needed to get to Youngsville to get money for her rent. She has two jobs; the one here in my neighborhood and she works at Women and Childrens as an LPN. The more I questioned her the less her story sounded plausible. When asked what kind of car she drove she said "a big one like this one".

I sneaked a look at her and wondered if she carried a knife hidden deep within her clothing.

We drove to the Catholic Church per her instructions and I waited while she walked to the rectory to ask for the priest. Apparently he wasn't in and she was denied any help by the staff there. When she got back to my car I assumed I would be taking her back to her house. She had somewhere else to go and instructed me on the next destination. How the hell did I get into this. At this point I'm seriously considering raising four forms of hell with the husband.

She is now getting defensive if I question her and she says she has a headache and can't talk now. I offered her ibuprofen and she asked "will it make me sleepy?" Again I glanced over at her and away and thought "she is a nurse?"

Yeah, by this time I'm getting a bit nervous. What is her game? Why has she been lying? How am I ever going to explain to anyone how I could be so stupid as to be in this mess. I just wanted her out of my car. She wants to go to another hospital where she says her friends are at work and where she can borrow money from them. She is agitated and I'm quiet. I think I broke all the speed limits getting to the hospital where I let her off curbside and drove my car around the lot and back to the exit. She was standing where I had left her and was waving at me. I waved back and kept driving. I drove home. Safe at home I'm still going over what she told me.

I'm grateful there wasn't a knife involved in this story.

Monkey Fun

This morning Carrie stayed with her Poppy while I made a trip to Walmart to pick up prescription medicines and some groceries and a few monkeys. The monkeys were in the form of a Wii game.

Finishing up my errands, I made it back to the house and after putting away the groceries, I slipped the new game into the Wii game console. I ran through it for a little while before I called to Carrie to come in from her outdoor play. For the next 2 hours Carrie and I sat in front of the TV with the Wii control in hand while we dressed the monkey, fed the monkey and punished the monkey for bad behavior. I learned as we played the fine points of the game. Carrie was so engrossed at one point she cried over having to punish the monkey for climbing onto the counter in the kitchen. I guess you had to be there, or rather here to have enjoyed the monkey escapades. I bought more then one new game but I'll introduce them slowly while giving Carrie a chance to focus on one game for a while and learn how to play it well.

The only problem with these games is that you should really know how to read and since Carrie is only 4yrs old and her reading is nil, I have to be around to read to her what the next level in the game is to achieve. I'm calling this quality time with Carrie plus it's a good excuse to play.

After a few hours Carrie showed signs of needing a nap so she was loaded into the car and was delivered to her house where she could get some sleep. That pretty much wrapped up my day and everything I accomplished. I know it isn't much. I keep telling myself to get the laundry room cleaned out and painted but it doesn't sound like it would be as much fun as sitting with Carrie and playing with the monkeys. Maybe tomorrow.

Zoomin Along

Where has the time gone. The last few days have disappeared on me and I don't remember doing anything that kept me so busy that I couldn't do my little "diary" here. Ted and I were supposed to go see Avatar on Sunday. Didn't happen. Yesterday he was in school and last night I think his mom and siblings went with him. I got to keep Carrie.

I picked her up around 6PM and back to my house for some Wii fun. She likes to play and at least she gets more exercise with it. We bowl, play tennis and golf and we avoid the baseball because neither one of us can hit the ball that is thrown. If nothing else, I'm beginning to learn to keep score on the games. Carrie is becoming a night owl. We didn't even throw back the sheets until 10:30 last night then she actually expected me to read to her. I had warned her earlier that there would be no story tonight because she was up so late and I was ready to go to sleep. She howled and growled for a moment; I howled back and she was good. Sometimes Carrie forgets who is the biggest and strongest and we all know the whole world revolves around survival of the fitness. In my case it would be "survival of the biggest".

I can hear the blower kicking on now and again and I'm sitting here wondering if it's the A/C unit running. I think we can pack our winter wear away. We're done. We had all our cold weather in two weeks instead of a day or two a month. Everyone is back to shorts and t shirts minus the sweat. Thankfully it's not that warm yet.

I"m off here to prepare for the time when Carrie awakens and goes into demand mode. I'll be busy until I escort her back to her house.

I did go to the theatre to watch Blind Side. My opinion? It was worth the view. I didn't know the NAACP accused the rescue couple of doing this to recruit a player for their Alma mater.

I hear the patter of little feet. A quick goodbye and "publish" and I'm gone.

Wheeeeeee!!! or Wii

Yesterday afternoon I deposited Carrie at her house after getting back from the zoo and picked Ted up to spend the night. Since I had my "digital age" techie here, I had him set up the Wii. I'm ready to learn. I'm not all enthused about this because video gaming is not my thing. I can spend hours on the computer and not feel as though I have wasted my time but the game playing on the X Box, Playstation or Wii have never enticed me into learning anything about them.

Ted has whizzed through a few things that Wii is capable of and since I have a wireless router here it can go online. Go figure! He went online and went to You Tube and to the videos I've uploaded there and I could watch them on the Big Screen TV here in the living room. Awesome! Hey, this might not be so bad after all. I don't know what other things I can do with this besides the games but now you have my attention. I'm going to spend some time with Ted and the Wii but today around noon we are going to see Blind Side.

I'm taking advantage of him being around. When they hit those teen years seeing them is a luxury. Ted used to spend time here as Carrie does now. We watched videos together, did the zoo and the parks and now the closer he gets to adulthood the time he spends here gets less and less although he does when he isn't spending time at friends. He comes and stays with me as soon as he knows the husband has left for a few weeks on a job. Sometimes he stays during the week so I get to see him off to school in the morning. At least he still wants to and during those times I spoil him with the food he likes and the morning trip to Burger King for a double sausage and egg crossanwich which he considers a huge treat. He is easy to please and I enjoy him being around.

10AM

I've been investigating the Wii. If I was faster at texting on a cell phone, I could whiz around on the keyboard on the Wii but this just makes me slow. I'm learning. I just went on You Tube and watched the videos I had uploaded and then I signed on to my blog site with it and I could read my blog site on my TV. AWESOME. I can do other things with the Wii then play games so I'm excited about it.

After talking with Ted I found he had not seen Avatar so that is where we will be spending almost 3 hours today. I don't mind watching it once again. I'll see the other movie tomorrow when alone.

Now it's time for me to put away my toys and get showered and dressed. Time is a'fleein and so must I.

Ewwww....Zoo...

Baseball, hot dogs and the zoo? I prefer football, I'm ok with hot dogs but the zoo? I took Carrie to the zoo. She was feeling better and said she wanted to go so away we went. The GPS was attached to the windshield of my car, the extra bag was packed with a change of clothes for Carrie and she was holding her Nintendo DS for entertainment during the ride to Baton Rouge.

The GPS directed me through Baton Rouge by neglecting to use I-10 and over the Huey P. Long bridge. As I crossed this bridge, I had visions of the bridge in Minnesota that fell apart so I stuck my foot through the accelerator and chased my fear to the end of it. I followed the verbal turn by turns from the GPS and eventually we noted signs directing us to the zoo.

Sometime later I realized I really don't like visiting the zoo. Caged buffalo, elk and moose and all I could think about was the times I would be hiking in the mountains of Wyoming and see these creatures in their natural habitat. I would stand quietly to watch them not wanting to interrupt them by being there. Alright, there were no panthers, macaws or zebras to see in those mountains but seeing these animals penned up and standing around looking bored reminds me of those last few minutes on the job when everyone is watching the clock and counting down the seconds to clock out . I'm as bored as they look. I go because Carrie is small and young and impressionable and she enjoys seeing the animals.

I'm always happy when we head for the exit. I'm done. I'm full. I'm good for the next 10 years but I know I will return again before then. I'll take Carrie again and again until she grows older and she starts to skitter away from invitations to visit the zoo.

I looked around at all the parents and wondered how many of them were actually enthused about seeing the caged animals. Were they doing this for their children only?

Maybe I would feel different about a circus? Maybe it's just that the pace of the zoo is too slow for my hyperactive self. Maybe the reason I've rarely visited zoos all my life was because it just wasn't something I cared to do.

Sleeping With Carrie

Never a fun thing to do, sleeping with Carrie is akin to a rodeo event. She's all over the place; the bed becomes her arena. We start out with her supine, inclined on pillows and vertical in bed. During the night I can feel her little feet plant squarely mid back and that would be my back, and then she pushes as hard as she can. Sometimes she just kicks instead of pushing with those feet. If I'm facing her, which I try to not do, I might catch a foot dead center to my face. Sleeping with Carrie is also dangerous but then so is a rodeo.

It's Saturday morning and I didn't plan on being up this early. I was doing fine. I was asleep and would have probably stayed asleep but for Carrie. Immersed in sleep and from my cocoon sleep induced silence I could faintly hear something. Drifting upward like a deep sea diver returning to surface, the sounds got louder. Carrie is sitting up in bed and coughing. Coughing and hacking and yacking. Between gasps for air she tells me "I'm sick, Nana" and she says this to my back as I go charging for the bathroom and a garbage can.

She's on the sofa, the bed is stripped and all the linens are doing a dance with the washing machine and I'm sitting here in the office in the dark blogging. This might be the last chance I get to get online. While she watches TV, I check my mail, type this note and swallow some hot creamed coffee. I'll be busy today with a sick little one. That's ok. I won't be sleeping with her.

2 1/2 Stars

The sun blazes across the windshield as I nose my car out of the carport. Cloudless skies wrap the horizon. I had a few errands to do and the weather was accommodating. Today is a t shirt and shorts day; winter is but a bare memory right now but all that could change without notice. I'll just enjoy what is shared today.

I stopped by Ms. Pat's house. You remember her? Formerly know as "Pat at the Corner", she is the genteel silver haired fox that is my neighbor 1 block removed. Pat has the flu and is feeling crappy, her washing machine just broke and she is fustrated as she answers the door to let me in with a warning on her health status. I tell her to not breath on me and then move to her washing machine to see if we can figure out what went wrong with it before she makes a call to the repairman.

I move the dial on the washer to "spin" to spin all the water out of it so we can retrieve the king size mattress pad cover she has in it. I then check the dials and mention to her that the wash cycle is set to "delicates" to which she says "ah, that's why it only washes a minute or so then stops". I'm sure if she was feeling better she would have noticed this and adjusted the dial. Her machine wasn't broken and her day had improved tremendously. I said my goodbyes and was on my way.

Another movie was what I had planned for today and that's exactly what I did from noon till 2:30 today. The Lovely Bones was my selection and a movie that I was looking forward to seeing.

Ethereal might be a good description of this movie. Of the three movies I've watched in the past three days, this was third in my ranking of favorites. I came home and read some reviews on it not that I didn't read about it before I went but I needed to validate my judgement of this movie. I found what I was looking for.. I felt a bit cheated at the ending. I wanted all the work and effort of the murdered child who came back as a ghost and guided her family to her killer to be laced up tightly with his demise. Not so. All that drama and support that was splayed across the screen for 2 hours was wasted on the lack of rewards evidenced by the murder victim and the suffering family. The book would have probably been better. Ah well, another movie tomorrow and hopefully it will be something that keeps me interested in sitting in a dark theatre midday.

Speaking of a dark theatre and I just mentioned it didn't I? Well, the theatre was dark when I entered right before the movie started. I found a place mid theatre and when the screen lit up the darkened theatre I quickly looked around the seating. I was the only person in the room. It's dark. I'm alone. I'm going to be watching a movie about serial killers and ghosts. I should have worn an incontinent brief. I have never been a fan of slice and dice movies and now I'm just crossing my fingers that this isn't a gore filled fiasco. I thought about moving to the hallway close to the exit door to watch but a few deep breaths and preparing fingers across my face to peek through and I stayed seated. I managed to stay seated and quiet through the entire film. As often as I could, I surveyed the dark room in case someone might be sneaking up on me. I survived the film and the dark room and was happy to see the end of this movie so I could walk back out into the bright afternoon light.

I'm home now and getting ready to close this post so I can drive down to daughter's house to pick up Carrie and spend the evening with her.

All in all, a nice day. I'm done.

I might wait until a weekday to continue my Marathon Movie Adventure. Interupting the continual daily watching wouldn't be canceling out it still being a MMA (Marathon Movie Adventure). For me, going to a movie once a year was of marathon proportions. I may be caught up for the next 3 years just from all the movies I've seen this week.

I Laughed Alone For the Most Part

Another day and another movie. Today it was "It's Complicated". Meryl Streep and Alex Baldwin along with Steve Martin and I was rolling with laughter. Meryl Streep is embarrassing to watch on the awards shows but she is an awesome actress. The theatre had 6 people in it today. A couple sat down a few rows in front of me while another couple sat upwards and behind me. I could hear a little muted laughter; I was beyond muted. The cast and the story swallowed me up for the entire time I sat and watched. I laughed loudly and often and it was a well spent cost of a movie ticket.

I'm impressed. Two movies in two days and I've enjoyed both of them. I'm going for broke. Tomorrow I plan on seeing another one. When I visit one that is boring I'll call it quits and stop this run on the movie theatre. I'm being selective and only seeing the ones that I've heard from friends that were worth the visit.

I'm beginning to feel like a movie critic lately. Sadly, many times I do not agree with the opinions of the movie critics. The movies I've seen this week have been the ones that were nominated for Emmy's and won most of the awards. For a change I agree with the awards.

I Live in Fear or Karma is my Friend

Karma. Yep, Karma scares me silly. Silly might be the wrong word here. Senseless might be a little better. I do and don't do many things because of it. I get buried in the "what ifs" and "what goes around comes around" so I'm constantly anticipating and dreading that I may not get it all done correctly.

I want to claim insurance against bad things happening to me and my family. I will be kind to others which will keep me from being punished by bad things happening. I want to be honest so I don't get robbed at gunpoint. I want to be faithful to family and friends and have the favor returned. I want to be helpful in your time of need; you never know when you might have to ask for a favor so I rarely say "no" which sometimes causes me to be angry with myself later.

I've had to learn to not say "yes" to all requests. I weigh the need and go from there.

All one really needs is one of the 10 commandments. "Do unto to others.....". That should cover just about all behavior and govern those behaviors unless of course you are a sociopath then all rules are off. Sociopaths and borderlines cannot really be considered the normal populace. Hopefully you won't have many of these to deal with in your lifetime. I try to steer clear of them. I don't have the time nor energy they require and demand.

I consider this my answer to people when they ask what church I attend. What religious affiliation I have. All I need is fear of Karma.

Avatar

Today I escaped. I escaped into a fantasy world and what a fine world I chose. How wonderful it would be if we were allowed to always select the fantasy. I had heard so much about the movie Avatar and today I was at the theatre at 1 P.M. to buy my ticket and pick up my 3D glasses. Two hours and 40 minutes of scenes that overwhelmed the visual senses and as the credits rolled at the end of this movie, the audience sat quietly for a minute before gathering their things and leaving their seats. The world we had just been exposed to was too beautiful to leave behind.

I began the movie knowing that the Avatars were a digital creation but about half way through I was questioning if these were real people even though the huge cat like golden eyes and the noses were flattened and the bodies were blue with a long cat like tail.

Was it just me or did this movie have a political statement to be made? The aliens in this movie were the people from planet Earth who went to Pandora, a planet inhabited by the blue creatures just described. In order to win their hearts and confidence, avatars were created that resembled them and these avatars were supposed to assimilate into Pandora's population. The goal of the aliens from earth was to collect a mineral that was rare and in order to do this, the Pandorian's would have to remove themselves from their religious based lands and relocate to another area of planet Pandora.

Apparently the Earthlings had wasted all their natural resources and were pillaging other planets to survive. I even heard the phrase "shock and awe" in the dialog when the war started. Sound familiar? This movie was years in the making and supposed to be the first of it's kind for the technical presentation.

I walked out of the theatre without feeling I had wasted my time. My staying through the entire movie was a good sign. I can't put down a book that I find boring or predictable. I have to finish it hoping all the time it will get better. Not so with movies for me. I will not sit through a movie that bores me. I was one that sat in the dark watching the credits roll and regretting having to leave the magical world of Avatar.

Crime and Survival

Is it just me and the age to which I have arrived or is this a really dangerous town where I live? It seems that everyday the news person reports a murder or two and burglaries are just too numerous to even delve into. Knifing, bodies found in fields, drive by shootings and one person even drove through the drive through at Burger King and shot the server at the window because he wasn't allowed into the dining room as it was closed for the evening and only the drive through was open. He became enraged and killed the guy at the window.

While I'm thinking about it, let me record this. We had a doctor here that injected his girlfriend with the AIDS virus when she threatened to break off involvement with him. After waiting for years for him to divorce his wife, she realized this wasn't going to happen. He is now doing hard time in Angola.

The Mini Markets, Seven-Elevens or whatever they are called in your part of the country are another target and now even the Dollar Stores are being hit. Is it the economy that is causing what seems to be an increase in the crimes here in this town? Cars parked on Johnson Street are being targeted. Windows are smashed or doors pried open and the cars are ransacked while houses are being surveyed for the owners that work and are gone during the day to be hit.

The crimes are not committed in out of the way places. That doesn't seem to have any importance on who or what has been chosen by the thieves. Going out for a loaf of bread after dark could leave you robbed or worse injured by a knife wielding demon. Am I just being more cautious because I've reached an age where I have finally accepted the fact that I am not invincible?

I can remember some of the towns I've lived in and the times I was out and about and never thought about the dangers. Ah, to be young, dumb, and a seeker of fun. How DID we survive?

We partied and then got into our vehicles and hoped we could make it home. Drunk driving? I don't remember anyone worrying about it. Seat belts weren't used and helmets weren't worn on motorcycle rides. How DID we survive?

I shiver when I think of our irresponsible ways that were just the norm for the times we lived. Someone must be watching over innocent and ignorance.

1938

I don't remember the month but the year was 1938. I can't say I actually remember the year nor the month but only what I heard while listening to the report of the event that caught my attention. Aunt Ev was 5 1/2 years old and her mother had passed away in 1935 leaving behind a husband and 7 children. My mother was one of these children. Aunt Ev is the only information line I have now to my mother's side of my family. She lives still in Providence, R.I. with my Uncle Tony and her son and granddaughter. That's her immediate family although she still has many nieces and nephews in the area. Aunt Ev is the youngest of those seven children left behind in 1935.

The event that captured my attention was the hurricane of 1938. I was watching the History Channel this morning and the story of that hurricane was featured. The east coast was ravaged, the death toll was staggering. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York were some of the states that felt the fury of this storm. This was during the depression and the positive part of all this was the work it provided cleaning up the aftermath of this storm. Whole families were washed out to sea; many were returned in the waves that washed back into shore. Rotting bodies were everywhere. Another horrific disaster caused by the weather.

After watching the show, I emailed Aunt Ev to ask her if she remembered anything about the storm. I received a letter back telling me what she remembered. Roofs blown off houses, water in the streets and stories from friends about the storm were some of the things she mentioned. If I wait for a while, she will think about it and there may be more stories or events she remembers.

I'm watching my email for more and I'm hoping there will be more. She was a young child and may not remember or may have been protected from seeing more.

History. Why read fiction when history is much more interesting!

MLK

A holiday! Schools are out and I'm sure the mail won't be delivered today. Today is absolutely beautiful. The sun is shining brightly and there's a cool breeze that gives a puff of air to the bushes and scatters the leaves on the ground. The neighbors are outside enjoying the nice weather and I may have to take advantage of this and wash my car. Yesterday I went to the little house and start pitching things out into the yard and then loading it all up and taking it to the Goodwill center. Spring cleaning in mid winter, procrastination ended.

Carrie will back today from her visit to her father. I'm ready for her to get back. I like having her around although time no longer remains mine. She demands attention and time.

A short post. I'm done.

Who Dat?

Black and gold everywhere. T Shirts proclaiming the New Orleans Saints "Who Dat" worn by the fans shopping for snacks for the game this afternoon are displayed right, left and center. It's game day and a big deciding game it is. The winner of today's game is one step closer to being the team that plays in the Super Bowl this year. Traffic around the city will be light today. Who wants to shop when you can watch the Saint's play and couple that with a down pouring of cold rain, the decision comes easy. I'll be on the sofa in front of the screen.

I waver from watching the game to watching the disaster that is Haiti. The request for donations to help the relief effort is commendable but all the money in the world is useless if access is to those involved is impossible. We who sit in our homes and watch are asking 'what takes so long to get food and water to these people'? When hours and minutes are critical to survival in disasters like these it's hard to understand why the response can't be quicker. The magnitude of the need is difficult to digest from the view on our television screens. 9 million people that need help. Overwhelming. I have to stop viewing it for a while. It's much like watching the tsunami or New Orleans under water or the nine-eleven coverage.

Twelve minutes left in the game. I'm here till the finish.

And Then There were

Every day that I showed up for work was usually met by a lunch hour around noon. It happens. Everyone would gather in the conference room at the long table surround by plastic chairs, a television at the end of the long table, microwave on a stand along the wall and the huge garbage receptacle that collected all the disposables after lunches were consumed.

Every day a soap opera was tuned to on the TV where all the ladies and a few gentlemen would gather, sandwich in hand, to watch men and women in 200.00 pumps, silk dresses and gorgeous jewelry parade around their homes having lunches, drinks or affairs. I found something else to do with this hour. Sometimes I would sneak in early, have my lunch while tuned into CNN to catch up on what was happening in the world. I could be in and out before noon leaving the other soap opera fans to their hour of escapism.


Once a week the soap opera would be preempted by a show that was videotaped the night before by one of the lunchers. American Idol. I hated this more then the soap operas. It rated right up there with shows such as Survivor and all the other reality shows so popular. I just have a question. Do you really think that those people with awful singing abilities don't really know they can't sing? Where have their families and friends been all these years? I get in the car and start singing along with the song on the radio and daughter reaches over and raises the volume. I get it. I can't sing. Thanks for the information.

Without this hook the viewers would be scarce. Auditioning for this "part" is really what the show is all about and I can't for the life of me understand how viewers could really believe that these people are just random picks from all the talented singers that audition. They were believers until the American Idol show came to this area to do a talent search.

This area is rich in musically talented folk. Vocalists that also are trained in some musical instrument are as common here as what lines up to belt out songs onstage at any professional gathering. She knew one of these talented singers. Connie, one of the avid watches of American Idol escorted her niece to stand in line hoping for a chance to compete. She was overlooked and ignored for the selection of a more entertaining untalented applicant that would garner the laughs the show survives on. Connie suddenly realized that the whole show was a sham. The untalented applicants that howl, screech and wail take the place of the truly talented. The selection of these over the good vocalists are done for the judges to cajole, ridicule and dismiss.

My question is, she didn't know this already? She actually thought that the howlers and wailers were the only options for candidates? Ah to be so blissfully ignorant and trusting eh?

I could go on and postulate about the people in danger of starving to death on that show Survivor. I watched it one time. I wondered if the camera man would share his food and water; if the lighting people and the sound guy would video the contestants starving. Do we really believe these shows are unscripted and unrehearsed? Please spare me from the reality shows. What happened to watching talented actresses and actors who get paid for their time and ability.

There's always books to read and for that I'm thankful.

A Sunny Day

Yesterday afternoon we emerged from the cocoon and greeted the sunshine and the warmer temperatures. Now that's livin! We drove the 45 miles to the casino. The husband parked himself at the black jack tables and I parked myself in front of a pot of coffee and with book in hand, glasses perched on my nose, I read chapter after chapter of a new book I've recently started reading. I people watched and inadvertently listened in on conversations that were benign in their quarrels with their jobs, children and freinds. All was well.

The tall tree in the corner of the cafe whose top tickled the ceiling was decked out in purple, green and gold baubles. Purple garland twined from the top of the tree around the middle and ended at the base. Feathers and beads in the colors of Marti Gras along with masks that glittered and spun in small circles filled the branches. Leafless trees were scattered throughout the dining area covered in small clear lights. Glass mirrored walls reflected back this scene and doubling what was seen so the 5 trees with the clear lights appeared as 10. It was a forest of trees with the tables interspersed among them. No straight rows of tables and chairs but arranged in curves so dining was a private affair with the curves shielding the next table and diners. Black Naugahyde chair backs and red Naugahyde seats with nail heads decorating the perimeters of each chair and black lacquered tables where the dinner guest were enjoying the special of the day. The casino has the best Mardi Gra decorations. The huge wreaths on the walls and the huge face masks with their ornate decorations are worth the walk around the place to see it all.

Boiled shrimp from the Gulf, boiled new potatoes, sweet corn on the cob and cornbread muffins with a choice of salad or shrimp bisque soup was advertised on the billboard in the front of the cafe. Most of the diners were taking advantage of this special along with us. The platters of shrimp were huge which left us with big boxes of food to go. I don't care for boiled shrimp that is hot. This is the way it is served here. I prefer it cold and served with shrimp cocktail sauce so taking it home and refrigerating it works great for me. We enjoyed our meal and the warmer weather and the drive home.

This weekend the Saints play the Cardinals in N.O. Although we don't have tickets to the game, I would like to spend the weekend in the apartment on Bourbon for the after the game hoopla! That would be almost as good as attending the game.

Today, I'm waiting on the rain to start but keeping my fingers crossed that it won't. The sun is shining brightly. Maybe the weather man misspoke.

I'm going to soak in some sun in the event that the weatherman was right!

The "Light" of Day

The cleaning lady appeared today. Lately, I've heard, she has been a bit lazy or as she likes to say "relaxed not lazy". Floors got a good suction then some mop action, appliances are shined and there's a fresh smell to the house. The thermometer has edged the mercury up to 58 degrees so it was time to throw off the blanket, shed the socks and move around a bit. I'll be back to a shower a day if this keeps up. Although the bathrooms have heaters here, there is just something wrong about removing warm clothing and exposing flesh to the less then temperate climes we have been having lately.

I'm watching a marathon of "one star" movies. The rating goes from one star to 4 stars and usually the 4 star movies are from the Boggie/Bacall era. The 4 stars are usually black and white movies and to not confuse this with negro/white we are talking film here. And speaking of Harry Reid...what? we weren't? Well the black/white issue and him using the "negro" word that caused such a flurry of rock em sock em interactions between the Dems and the GOP comes to mind. I have my own opinions on that. First of all, I look at Harry Reid's age. Back in the day when the word Negro was perfectly acceptable before it become unacceptable and instructions came through to use Afro American or black, I'm sure Mr. Reid's age/generation caught up with him. I know folks from the generations gone by that still use that word and don't realize that times have changed and that word is no longer acceptable. It's an ingrained part of their language of the times.

Something that confuses me about the black/white and negro/white issue is that in Spanish the word for black is negro. Isn't that close to being racial? Will that word have to be replaced when conversation drifts to black boards, black river, black hair, black shoes and on and on among the Spanish population? And in Latin, niger.

My neighbors are black; a very light black. No. They are light brown. I was talking to Mrs. Neighbor one day and she told me that when she started dating, her father instructed her not to bring home a black boyfriend. A brown boyfriend would be acceptable and that's just what she did and who she married spawning 3 light skinned children. I listened to this story and was enlightened. I had no idea there was racism among the black population. No idea a lighter color was preferable and would guarantee the lineage to remain "light". Isn't this racism? I know that living here and hearing the educated black folks speak without using Ebonics and ethic slang is something that has been reinforced among the population of blacks. I think though as it is with the white population, there is a time and place for everything and in the world of business, proper English ensures progress up the ranks in the corporate world. The Cajuns use the dem, dat, and other shortcuts that are normally associated with black folks. Is that just a cultural thing here?

Do I dare make any comments on this subject at all? It's getting so touchy a subject that ignoring it might be the safest way to exist. I look forward to the day when it isn't something that needs discussing. I doubt that I will live that long though.

When.......

When it gets warmer I have a list of things I want to do. When it gets warmer the first thing on that list is to ditch these socks. That's the same pair I've had on my feet for the past week or two except for the times they had to pass through the washer and dryer. When it gets warmer I'm going out to the little house and clean up that mess I created when I dumped the Christmas decor at the door and escaped. I might wash my car. I might take a walk. The possibilities are endless. I have cabin fever. Isn't that obvious? I have been in the house for the most part for the past 2 weeks.

I've watched so much TV my eyeballs feel square. I've started reading a book and I should have finished it by now but passive entertainment is how lazy I have become. From bedtime to nap time, the difference has been filled with a lot of doing little to nothing and I need to get moving. The weather is supposed to turn. Hopefully turn as in "up" the heat. By the end of the week warmth should be ours along with rain. Rain? After all this cold weather, now we have to have rain? Can't we have a little warmth and sunshine for a while?

Will I ever quit complaining? Summer it's too hot and winter too cold. Well, this winter is unusual and unexpected. This much cold weather is unexpected, abnormal and unwelcome. I would like to go to New Orleans for a few days but not in this climate. Sitting outside at Cafe Dumonde for beignets and watching my breath escape in puffs of steamy air is not my ideal latte and beignets experience.

I'm escaping to the outside world today just for a while before I start leaving footprints up the wall. The thermometer shows a blistering 43 degrees right now and I will have to be happy with that for the time being. At least we have climbed out of the freezing mark. Have a happy sunshine sorta day!

Sixteen

My Ford was somewhere between the looks of these two pictured. Not quite as bad as the second picture but a long way from the top picture of this mint one.

Ah the magical age of 16. That date I remember well although I seem to have misplaced memories of turning 21. Reaching 16 didn't include alcohol. Sixteen was memorable for me because it spelled freedom. Freedom to me was being able to drive myself where ever I pleased. No more hitching rides, having parents chauffeur you around or depending on anyone to take you away. A drive alone was a treat. I didn't always have to have a friend along. Just the freedom of hitting the road brought on a sense of adventure and I love adventure.

I found a car for 50.00. Ok, so it wasn't the spiffiest car around. Most of the paint was gone and replaced with black primer that was rough to the touch. Putty and primer made up the exterior of this go mobile. I didn't care. For the times it ran it was as good as a Cadillac. Unfortunately it didn't run often and for long periods of time. Spray painted down the side of it was Wampus Pus and it took some friends translation of this to inspire me to grab another can of primer paint and paint this out. I bought it from two guys that drove it down from Michigan and I suppose this was the originators of the name on the side of the car.

I spent many hours beneath the hood. Replacing parts that gave out from fatigue and years of use was where I could be found when it wasn't on the streets. When it was on the streets my friends and I would collect pop bottles and redeem them for gas money. You do what ya gotta do for the freedom to dance!

This car came from the rust belt. The trunk had holes rusted through and knowing this before loading all those pop bottles into that trunk should have been realized. Rounding a curve with a trunk load of pop bottles that went scattering across highway, we all bailed out to recollect the lost revenue we could see putting an end to our gas purchase and an end to our freedom. We laughed and laughed as we gathered those precious bottles up and placed them in the floor board in the back of the car. To this day unfortunately, the friends in that small town where I grew up still remember that car. I don't know if it's because of all the good times they remember with it or just how atrocious it was.

I grow attached to my vehicles. Each one stores a ton of history in them and giving them up is difficult. I haven't owned that many of them in my lifetime. Each one was kept for years and years and giving them up was like tossing out an old friend. That has never changed for me to this day. Sixteen and a car. Sixteen, a car and a tank of gas. Sixteen, a car, a tank of gas and a carton of smokes and I was good to go and go and go.

Tussle it Up

I waited around most of the day yesterday for the call to go pick up Carrie. Finally around 4PM I decided to just drive to Lydia and when the call came I would be already there and that's what I did. She was so tired she fell asleep in her car seat during the ride home. Her little head lolled to one side, her neck at a 90 degree angle which didn't look comfortable but she stayed in that position until we reached my carport. I had to piggy back carry her into the house and to the bedroom where she struggled awake; her nap was short.

I knew she was tired but she didn't want to sleep so awake she stayed. She and Poppy were tusslin it up as she calls it when they wrestle or spar verbally. Before long she migrated to the living room where I was watching TV and asked to play on the laptop. We set it up for her on the coffee table and she clicked into her games from the shortcut on the desktop of the computer. All is well, at least for a while. Soon she became unhappy with the game and her being unable to win and that's when she slammed her hands down on the keyboard of the computer and a few more poundings before I could reach out and stop her. It wasn't pretty! I scolded her for the abuse of my laptop and told her we were putting it away and she would not be playing with it again. At this, she jumps up and runs off screaming for her Poppy. He, of course defended her to which I said "She has to learn. She can't be behaving like that when she gets angry." She clung to his pant leg hiding behind him and peeking around at me all the while crying loudly and with much drama. I know that part of this over reacting was her lack of control but a large part of it was her need to sleep. She knew I was unhappy with her and I wanted her to know.

I motioned her to come to me so I could change her into her pajamas and she refused. I got firm in my request and she knew I wasn't playing. She came out from her place behind her Poppy and as I was stripping her clothes off to change her she threw her arms around my neck for a hug all the while apologizing for her behavior. She did try making excuses; blaming it on the computer and weasaling out of her bad conduct. I had to gently remind her that her behavior was the problem. She promised not to do it again and I think she meant more then banging the keyboard on the computer. She doesn't like it when I'm angry with her. I didn't have to issue corporal punishment. Letting her know I was unhappy with her was enough of a punishment for her. The remainder of the evening she stayed close to me and was very affectionate.

Bedtime and she asked to play on the laptop. I allowed her to open up the laptop and play a few games before lights out. She sat quietly and played her games and shut the laptop down gently and rolled over and claimed sleep. Today we will hopefully not "tussle it up". I hate tusslin.

Yesterday and Today

Gumbo and potato salad is what I have been up to. I started a roux this afternoon and let it cook for hours and hours, then the chicken and sausage along with the spices were added and that has been simmering for a few hours. I'm making some rice right now and soon it will be time to have a big bowl of gumbo with a dollop of potato salad on top. Perfect gumbo weather although I could eat gumbo year round. Nobody cooks it here in the summer. It's strictly a winter food but that doesn't stop me from cooking a big pot in the middle of a hot August day.

I was talking to my friend Ms. K. as I was galloping around the kitchen. Can you imagine me galloping? I was making the potato salad and asked her what she put in hers. Strange as this may sound, she said "cool whip". "Huh" I said. I asked a few times to make sure what I heard was really "cool whip". I even asked "you mean the white stuff you put on pumpkin pie?" and to that she said "yes". Ok, I'm willing to give it a try and I did. Taste tested and approved but who woulda thought huh?

I won't mention it to anyone. It will be my little secret. I'm afraid if I told the family they would refuse to even try it.
CONTINUED: Sunday

Well, since I didn't post this yesterday, I will just add some more delightful information on my more then exciting life here. The hot water froze off. That line was rerouted through the attic when it broke beneath the concrete slab winter before last. With these below freezing temps it froze last night. This lasted but a few hours so I have hot water again without having to crawl up there and do anything about it.

I made a trip down to daughter's house to take them some gumbo and potato salad last night and also to see how they were faring. The house was in order and everyone was in a good mood. Nobody was sneaking out to play while the cat was away and I was much relieved to find them safe and happy. I'll be driving to Lydia today to pick up the little one so I've been moving around here this morning doing tasks that I know will be slowed down if I wait till she gets here and then try doing them. What takes me hours with her here will take me minutes to do without her.

Now for a shower and a change of clothes. I'll do this during commercials breaks. I'm watching Road to Perdition and since I actually started watching it at the beginning of the movie I would like to see if I can make it to the end without missing the middle part!
I'm done.

I'm trying to be grateful that we don't have winters like this every damn year! We are in the grip of that Arctic blast but by the middle of next week we should be back to normal and that's around 60 degrees. Right now it's 29 degrees with a high expected of 40 degrees. That still doesn't appease me. Still no snow or frost so at least we don't have the icy roads to slide around on and I intend on leaving this house today. I'm almost ready to go except for digging that coat out of the closet. Socks and a coat. Almost too much to bear.

Tomorrow Carrie will be here for a few days so I'm going to get my errands ran today so I won't have to drag her around with me. She has not honed those female shopping skills yet and would rather stay home and play with her toys and games. Looking out my window, I don't see much traffic. I'm sure the natives are hunkered down and foregoing shopping unless it's for necessities.

I'm outta here to dress and leave this house for a while.

Oh, I'm watching the weather channel and the ice fishermen in Minnesota. Do they really like fish that much or is this just a hobby? I worry about mental deficiencies in someone that erects a tent on ice, drills a hole and sits inside that enclosure is sub zero weather to catch a fish. It must be very boring living in Minnesota.

I'm gone!

Oh, Brrrrrrrrrr

Who in hell threw that cold blanket over the whole state? A cool down was needed but the weather guru has exceeded the wish for this. With the wind chill, it's 15 degrees here. No snow and no frost. There is not even enough moisture in the air to have frost.

The daughter selected this week to make a driving trip into the blizzard north. She is on her way to Pittsburgh though I tried to reason with her. She's invincible. It's just snow. The locals are staying home if possible in those states hit by this Arctic freeze. She is driving into it. Brain check here. She called this morning to let me know they didn't go through Atlanta and she stayed overnight in Kentucky. Without snow she should be there today but with the weather there she will be late getting in. She isn't going all the way to Pitt but to a little town called Spencer, WV and this trip is to collect a bedroom suite that belonged to her recently departed grandmother.

I think I would have had to wait until summer to make this trip. I just heard from her and she is safely in the town where she will spend the night and then to Spencer to spend the weekend and leaving again on Monday for the trip back here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the snow will not continue to fall.

I haven't left the house today and have no plans to go anywhere tomorrow. I would have to dig out my coat to wear and I'm already wearing slacks and a long sleeved shirt.

More TV and computer time. That's my plan.

Survivor

Yep, it's done. The gum was numbed...let the drilling begin. Pain anticipation has to be the worst stressor. As the drilling gets deeper my blood pressure rises. I'm sitting in that chair wondering if they have ever had a patient die in the chair? Well, why not? It's possible that someone could sit there with their blood pressure skyrocketing right into a stroke. A vessel in the brain could explode from all that fear causing that blood pressure to orbit them right into the hereafter.

That is the thinking that plagues me as I sit there, body reclined, head tilted back and mouth flung open to the drills and tools coming in from both sides of my mouth. Drill, suction, drill, suction. Are we having a good time yet?

At every opportunity I ask questions. "How's it going?" "You doing ok?" and that's me questioning the dentist. When he switches tools I take that opportunity to ask what he is doing. I need some information. I need to be informed. After cleaning the tooth and removing the nerve, I'm thinking we are nearing the end of this procedure. Filled and filed and I'm outta here. As he gets to this point, I hear him say "ah, now the worst". "HUH???" "the worsts????" I say with a huge quiver in my voice. I hear him laugh and say "just kiddin!!" and I say to him "hey, this is not the time to joke!" "this is serious business!". He finishes up quickly and I do a few test steps to make sure my weak legs can get me to the receptionist area where I draw out my bank card to cause some bank anemia to my account. I'm done for a while. Next week he wants to see me to check the status of the implant. Just a well check on the healing and stability of the implant and I'm off to wait on the permanent crown to be delivered after the healing.

I may take the advice of the anonymous poster about the discount dental plans. I did some checking and this dentist doesn't participate. There are about 5 dentists here that do participate and I may make a visit to one of them to check him out. One dentist on that list has a nasty reputation around town and I fear that the best dentists in town won't be on that list as available for this service.

I'm done for today and hopefully done with the dentists for the remainder of the year.

Once Again

Once again it's time to get dressed and make that drive to the "chair of fright". I can't say pain as I really have been spared pain. I can't seem to rid myself of the fright though. I did ask the dentist if others were frightened and he said "most of them were" so I don't feel like a minority now. I know some things have to be done so I just suck it up and do it. This time next week.........

and so on.

It's great to have the implant part of this process done. At least it's done except for gluing on the permanent crown which doesn't bother me at all. It was the thought of screwing that metal thing into the bone that had me wary.

I need to get a quick shower and get out of here.

P.S. It has warmed up a little and now it has started to rain. I'm watching the temps closely. If it starts to drop again and this moisture is in the air...maybe, JUST MAYBE we will get to see some white stuff! AWESOME!

This, That and All

The old incisor is gone and the temporary one is in place. In 4 months the permanent one will be exchanged for the current one. I have a mouth full of stitches and beneath that is a metal screw like thing inserted into the bone beneath the gums. To that is a small spike like thing that holds the temporary crown. There wasn't any pain involved in having this done. Some discomfort along with an hour of fear and it was done.

Tomorrow the root canal and then I should be all good for a while. I might want to start a slush fund for dental work. Each month I could put away a certain amount into an account and at the start of the new year use it for any dental work that needs done. Dental Insurance is a waste of money. They have a 1500.00 cap on dental work per year. If you deduct the premiums you paid all year for the insurance then what you are left with might be 1000.00 for the actual dental work. I can understand why you see a lot of people walking around with missing teeth or teeth that could use some attention. I fear this will only get worse in years to come.

A knee update should be in order about now also. January 3rd and it was 10 months post op on that TKR. Most of the time I'm alright with it but occasionally the muscles will let me know that I have had that replacement. I'm still working on extension although I've curtailed a lot of that since I had the problems with the Achilles Tendon. I think that problem is improving but I won't clear it as healed yet. I get strange feelings of being stuck with a needle in the heel. That is felt on both sides of the heel when I first stand and walk on it. I'm healing and I'm not complaining. I'm learning to have patience. It sucks! and I'm done!

Count Down

It's almost 7AM here give or take a minute or two. Frost is heavy on the grass outside and the furnace in here is ushering in warm air that doesn't quite make it to the corners of the room. Tile floors are cold under foot, I'm wearing house slippers in self defense.

In less then two hours I will be dressed and on my way to the dental appointment for that extraction and implant. I'm ambivalent at this point. I'll probably loose that attitude when I drive into the parking lot and make my way into that office. I have a Halcyon that I will swallow 1/2 hour before the scheduled deed is to be done. I keep repeating to myself "this time next week.........". My mantra for anything distasteful is to think that this time next week it will be in the past a week gone.

I'll continue this post sometime this afternoon.

Crabby Me

Is it the weather or am I just in a mood and not quite a good one at that. I'm sitting here in sweat pants and sweat shirt, sockless but seriously thinking about taking a walk down the hall to find a pair of socks in the bedroom. My toes are cold except for the ones on that foot that is tucked beneath me which is now numb from the weight of myself sitting on it.

I'm waiting for the temperature to rise a little before I approach the thought of even going outside and getting into my car to retrieve my pre op meds from the pharmacy. Mistakenly I thought my dental appointment was for today until the receptionist at the dentist office called yesterday to do the "remind the patient" call on the time and date of the appointment. I was hoping it would be done by today but by this time Thursday that should be the case.

You know it's cold here when you see the natives wearing socks. We graduate to shoes while still sockless when the cold winds arrive and if those winds hang around for more then a day, the socks are found and worn and then you know it's bad outside. A coat? Well now, that takes about 2 days of solid cold for us to believe that the temperatures are not going to climb back to 70 degrees after that first day of cold. We might then go digging into the closet that holds those rarely used items for a winter coat. I might be at that point today. I know I will be wearing socks today so a coat can't be far behind.

Even though the sun is brightly shining on the road and lawn and there is no frost to be seen, it remains an unfriendly terrain out there. Spoiled you might say? Well, hell yes. If I wanted this cold a winter I would move north. We are supposed to be protected from Mother Nature's ill will here. We agree to accept a nice winter for the price we pay for those hurricanes we have to endure during the summer months. That's fair, right?

Who pissed off the weather gods? I usually extort the pleasures of living here but maybe all that complaining about the summer heat has caused this payback. Cooler weather? Yes, the summer here was long and hotter then usual and I did complain just a wee bit but I honestly don't think it was that MUCH complaining to warrant this retaliation. Maybe I'm taking this too personally. It could be cabin fever causing this spike in meanness here.

I'm going to find a pair of socks and a better mood. I'm done.

Quick Moves

I'm moving quickly when out of doors. It's nippy here. It's brisk. Oh hell, it's colder then a witches' ....

Well, you get the idea. This is just abnormal. I'm talking of course about the low temperatures and we actually have a freeze warning in for tonight. The forecast calls for snow. I'll be up all night with my camera watching for it. Although it's cold the roads remain dry and summer like. Cold with dry roads is tolerable. Cold with slippery roads is not. I'm not going to complain a lot about the weather. I don't have to worry about road closures and for that I'm grateful.

Carrie spent last night with me and we made the trip to her house around noon today and that's the last I've seen of her. I left her at play at her house, and headed for Walmart to pick up some groceries.

The wind was blowing a cold air around making it seem colder then what the thermometers were registering. Wind chill. Bad enough it's just cold but to have the wind chill readings mockingly pushing the temperatures lower is not the act of mother nature's kindness. I watched as people hurried in and out of the store. I noted the clothes they were wearing. Very few people were wearing coats but everybody had on long pants and long sleeve shirts or warm sweaters. They were moving quickly about and it was evident they weren't used to the chilly weather. All the talk was about the low temperatures headed this way and how they were going to get what was needed before the temperatures took this dive and buried the mercury. The gas pumps were doing a whopping business; the waiting lines were long. I too filled up the tank on my car and got home in time for some television and my nap.

Chili and PB&J sandwiches for dinner tonight; a perfect meal for a cold night. I'm sipping on a cup of hot chocolate and watching some trash on tv. That's where I am and where I'll be till the morning. I'm done.

Two Days Till

Oh damn! Tuesday I'll be in that dentist's chair once again to have an tooth extraction and an implant spiked into the bone beneath my gums. I'm soooooooooooooo not looking forward to this but they assure me it will be no problem. Maybe not for them but what about me? They tell me I will be taking a Halcion before I get there to relax me and most patients sleep through the whole thing. I just keep telling myself that a week from today this procedure will be in the past.

The next thing on my list is to have a root canal on a sensitive tooth that shows a little infection at the root. Hopefully by the end of January I'll be all done with the dentist except for the permanent implant crown that will be placed in 4 months after this extraction. I'm looking forward to that day.

I needed a bit of adventure in my life so I phoned Carrie and asked her if she wanted to spend the night. Of course the answer was a big and loud "yes!" so I grabbed a robe and drove the 1/2 mile to her house. She was ready at the beep of my horn and appeared in the doorway with her coat in hand and shoes on her feet. I specified she bring her coat and shoes. So far so good. Back to my house and after letting her play for a little while I enticed her into the tub full of bubbles. Her puppet friends, Hippy and Ducky were waiting on my hands so they could enjoy some play time with her. She focuses her sights on the puppets and never looks at me while I apply voices to the guys and she answers their questions and plys them with questions of her own. Imagination! She has tons of it. I'm amazed at the world she lives in and occasionally I will still check her out to make sure she has some reality mixed in with her imaginary world. She gets so into it that she makes me nervous. I suppose this is the way of all children and soon they will give up most of this behavior as the real world intrudes more and more into their cloistered little lives.

I haven't done a darn thing since before New Years' except stay inside beneath a blanket huddled on the sofa and watching TV or using my laptop. It's been quite the restful past few days and I haven't minded a bit. No cabin fever here yet from all this indoor inactivity. I'll move outside when the temps scale the 50 degree mark. I can only imagine what this winter is like for the northerners. I was once one of those and I'm very thankful that I don't endure those winters any longer. It was alright when I was younger but I don't envy them the weather temperatures right now.

Carrie is enjoying some noodles while watching a movie in the kitchen. I'm going to spend some time with her. I'm done here for today!

Oh So Southern

Collard greens and the recipe I found mentioned something about bitterness and how to rid the greens of the usual bitterness. If that isn't enough to make you boil a few ears of corn on the cob, then venture forth at your own risk. I figure if it's slimy, bitter or better eaten with something else, then maybe it's also something I don't want to put in any pot I own.

My neighbor whose father likes to garden called last night and wanted to know if I liked collard greens. I said "sure, bring em on" which she did. I then surfed the net for directions on cooking them and found that recipe mentioning bitterness and I suppose I should have looked this up before I agreed to relieve her of the big bowl of collard greens that appeared shortly after that phone call from her.

This morning I unplugged the laptop and placed it on my kitchen counter where it displayed the recipe I thought I would attempt. Isn't it great? I remember when I propped a cookbook up on my kitchen counter for instructions and directions. Another amazing leap forward for mankind. No more paper cookbooks and I don't even have to print out a recipe to use. Haul the laptop to the counter and you're ready to roll.

The bacon bits were sizzling, the onions were being glazed and the garlic was emitting it's aroma and eventually the collard greens were wilting in this mixture along with the sugar, vinegar and hot sauce. I couldn't wait to try the results of my southern cooking.

A ladled bowl of greens with bacon bits stirred throughout; it was awesome. There was still a hint of bitterness but all in all it was a success. I don't know if I will put this way high on my list of favorite green foods but it will never make the list of "hates" as in okra, that slimy green vegetable that is another favorite food of the southerners. With okra, they tell me, you have to cook it a long time to rid it of it's slimeyness. Why? Why the hell would you want to cook anything that was slimey to start with? I just smile and nod when they tell me this. I pass on anyone offering me fresh okra. I shiver a little too at the thought of eating it. Some things you just can't manage unless you have true southern roots.

I'm taking my Yankee self away from the house to do a little "hunter/gathering'' at the market.
I'm going to look for some fresh green beans.