Wasn't it JUST This Morning That I posted

Yes, just this morning all vehicles were back where they belonged. I had my Marquis and April had her Jeep back from having a remanufactured engine installed. I took Carrie to the bus stop and watched as she boarded the bus.

I warned April should she wake up and not see her Jeep in the driveway, but instead my Marquis, I would have the Jeep and have it at the shop. I wanted to get the transmission oil changed and the filter cleaned and the rear differential checked.

The first thing I did was bring the Jeep home and give it a good bath, going over the bumpers and all the exterior plastic and tires with some stuff to make it shine. The headliner needs replaced but for now, instead of the cloth hanging down and enveloping everyones heads,  I took a electric staple gun and did a little attaching it back in place. It really looks much better then before. The sun visor on the passenger's side was pretty ragged so I ripped it off and left the bare visor in place. It will get covered when the headliner is replaced. After spiffing it up a bit I drove over to the inspection place and had a two year inspection sticker put on it. Finally I was ready to take it to have the transmission fluid replaced.

I had made an appointment earlier to have it there by 1000 hrs and with 10 minutes to spare I pulled onto their lot. The lifts were all occupied and it looks as though the wait might be longer then the 1  1/2 hrs they told me I would have to wait. I decided to call April and have her drive the Marquis to pick me up. Well, of course she was still asleep and Ted answered the phone.

"Hey Ted, in that case, can you come and pick me up and take me to my house?"

"But Nana, I was going to Burger King to pick up a sandwich and then go to class." he says.

"Well Ted, you can't pick me up and drive me back to my house? Well then pass the phone to your Mom. Wake her up!"

I spoke with April. She was going to get up and come right away.

As soon as she got there, I drove through McDonalds' and got her some breakfast. It was the 'carrot on a stick' that I had promised if she came to pick me up. I know she would have came anyway; it doesn't hurt to sweeten the pot.

She arrives in her pajama pants, eyes still swollen from sleep. We picked up the food and headed across town to talk to Lesie. I had just seen her driving by and I thought I could catch her as she was only a little bit ahead of me when I saw her.

A minute or two into this drive, April's cell phone rang. I watched as the blood drained from her face and I knew it had to be something about her children. Carrie was in school and I had just seen Lesie drive by...... Ted?

Ted was on the phone. He had just taken a hit head on in his truck. Someone had run a red light. We were on our way..
Poor Ted. We arrived on the scene, there was grill, headlights and fenders all over the street. Three police cars were surrounding the mess. April dashed across the street dodging traffic to find Ted.

He was fine until he saw her. The tears rolled as she wrapped her arms around her son. When I could finally get across the street after parking my car in a lot across the street, I took my turn hugging him and telling him everything was going to be alright. It was evident his truck was totaled. His beloved truck, a 1993 was the same age as Ted. It was a truck owned by a retired gentleman that had bought it new. He passed away and his family put it up for sale. It had 70,000 miles on it and it had not a scratch on it.

Of course, though the other people were at fault and did have insurance, the Blue Book on Ted's truck will be what the insurance company will pay and if he gets 500.00 for it he will be lucky which doesn't help in replacing it with another vehicle in as good as shape as that truck.

Yes, we are grateful he was able to walk away. Now what to do about a vehicle for him to get to classes and to his job.

I went on Craig's list. A 2003 Honda Accord had just been listed. I called and made an appointment to see it.

We didn't tell Ted. We drove it home and went in the house. We asked him to go to the car and help carry some stuff in. Without a word, he put on his shoes and headed outside. When he got to the driveway, he stopped and stared. I thought I was going to see more tears. He turned and hugged me and said "Nana, you have done so much for me and I love you!"

Good luck Ted with your car. I love you too!

La La La La La ...Laaaaaaaaaaa!

Mardi Gras is in the past, Ash Wednesday too and the kids go back to school today for two days. Mardi Gras is a state holiday here; post offices, banks and government offices are closed. It's time to get back to normal. I have things to do.

April got her jeep back yesterday and I got my Grand Marquis back. She has been driving it while hers was in the shop. A remanufactured engine was installed and we are holding our breath and hoping this vehicle gives her a few more years of service. Used cars are now very expensive but with the cost of a new one being around 30,000.00, the used ones with low mileage are going to cost around 18,000.00. It's just crazy the price of a new automobile AND the cost of a used one.

Ted's truck is running fine, Lesie's Toyota is hanging in there and April's jeep is back on the road and I'm holding my breath here. I remember the good ole days when I worried about April only; then the grandchildren came along. Nobody warned me. I thought when April was on her own, I would be done with worrying. Silly me! Once you have a child the worry never ceases. It wasn't written on the fine print on her birth certificate so how would I have known?

The husband called yesterday from Alexandria. He wasn't happy. Apparently they are calling a halt to the job he expected to be on for a week. The formation is not what the company expected and they think they have drilled through core point which is where the husband does his job.

He expected to be on this job for a week, be home for 3 days then head to Oklahoma City for another job. Now he might have to hang out around the house for a week before leaving.

 

 "He doesn't get paid for hangin out around the house."  was his response when I told him to relax and enjoy being off.

 

He has always been someone that is ready to work. Thankfully, he likes his job and usually has a good time at work. He has visited rigs all over the USA and always sees employees on those rigs that he has met somewhere in his travels.

 

Once while traveling through Arizona, we stopped at a McDonald's to grab a cup of coffee as a Greyhound bus pulled in and stopped. The first person alighting from that bus looked over just as we were exiting the McDonalds' and said 'hey buddy!"

 

It was a cook that was working offshore in the Gulf that remembered the husband from when he visited an offshore rig. Sometimes it really is a small, small world.

 

Many times he has been called to a rig and someone there will remember him while he has a difficult time placing where he has met that person; usually someone from his days of working in the Rocky Mountains.

 

I'll be a little relieved when the boom slows down just a bit. Right now I can't travel with him. The rigs are placing mobile homes on the locations for the guys to live in as the hotel rooms in the area are filled to capacity with workers.

 

When it slows down a bit, he will be back in motels and I can travel with him. Some places I don't mind not going. West Texas has never been a place I have desired to spend any time. I would like to go back to Farmington, N.M. or somewhere in the Rockys. I'm encouraging him to do some work in Colorado but not until this summer. The below zero temperatures right now and the snow covered roads are not something I want to vacation on.

 

Have you been watching the story on that cruise ship stranded in the Gulf? Yet another reason for me to not cruise. I've never had the inclination to climb on a ship to be isolated with 4000 people in the middle of the ocean. It's bad enough the dislike of flying that I have. I fly when I have to but much prefer driving. Oh, I know all the statistics regarding flying and driving. It doesn't help. I still hate flyin!

 

I'm going to get out of this house this morning before that trial starts and before the husband arrives back home and before any more rain arrives. Maybe I'll just do some cleaning on the automobiles.

 

Soon the summer heat will again return and I'll me moaning and groaning and hiding out from it. I have some outside chores to do before summer blasts into town.

 

I'm gone!

 

 

I Should Really Move Off This Sofa

I had big plans. The husband left town on a job he had been waiting on. The 'call' came, he packed all his stuff and was gone. This is my cue to  move.

On my list was the theatre. I haven't been to a movie in ages and having not checked listings, I don't even know  what is playing now.

On my list was a few stores I wanted to check out.

On my list was a little house repair.

I forgot about the Arias trial. I have to be home by noon each day for the trial to begin. This is another trial much like the drama filled, horrific story of the Casey Anthony and the O.J. Simpson story. The accused took the stand in her own defense and for days she has been spinning her story. The judge overrules most objections by the prosecuting attorney. Reasoning is, this woman is fighting for her life as this is a death penalty case and the judge does not want to take a chance that if convicted, she could win an appeal by claiming an incompetent defense.

Jodi Arias sits on the stand answering questions in great detail. She is very calm and convincing. Had everyone not seen the videos of her disavowing any knowledge of his murder, changing her story to say two people broke in and killed Travis Alexander and then after being arrested, she claims she did kill him but it was in self defense!

Has this woman no shame? Apparently not. She lies easily and everyone is waiting for the day the prosecutor takes over and questions her on all the lies she has told.

I can't leave the house. I have a sofa attached to my body all afternoon. I'll think about doing something else as soon as this trial ends meanwhile you know where I can be found in the afternoons.

Ciao!

State of The Union Address 2013

I sit here watching the State of The Union address and wonder how many of those that post political statements on Facebook are watching. I'm of the opinion that they will just watch Fox News for their take on it and then regurgitate it back tomorrow.

Education, immigrant reform, Fair Paycheck act, minimum wage raise tied to the cost of living rated standing ovation and as the camera scanned the crowd, not everybody stood.

Bohener didn't stand when the President talked about the voter fraud; the fact that some voting districts made citizens wait for hours to cast their vote. Again when gun control was mentioned, he stayed seated. The camera panned across the room and you could identify his constituents. A divided house will never stand.

 

It was obvious when Bohener sat directly behind the President beside Vice President Biden and seldom took to his feet in agreement, the great divide that this President faces in his term.

 

I could never decide when President Obama ran for this office, why? Why would anyone want to step into the mess he inherited from prior managers of this country.

 

I'm sure much will be taken out of context by tomorrow morning and I can guarantee Fox News won't have a thing positive to say to it's viewers and those viewers like it that way. I'm amazed they don't fact check the propaganda spewed.

 

Today someone voiced their opinion on a comment posted on FB; I posted my opinion in a polite noncritical way minus any personal attack. An attack came back denying my right to an opinion to which I questioned "Who gets to have an opinion? Is it only allowed if you are in agreement with what is posted and if you, the poster,  aren't ready for a comment, then why post at all?"

 

Facebook sometimes causes a wrinkle in my shorts. Narrow minded people cause that same wrinkle. Disguised as they think they are being, I  believe much of the consternation over this President is related to his race while the remainder of it is just the fact that people will defend their party regardless of the atrocities committed by them.

 

So. How about you? Did you take an hour and a half out of your day to watch or did reality shows command your attention?

 

I'm gone!