RHODENT

Ode To A Cast

2009-02-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

I have a cast which when new
Was a pretty color of blue
The older it got
It smelled more like rot
Right now all I can say is pee-ew!

Clutz Update

2009-02-11T23:31:00.005-05:00

My trip to the hand specialist mainly changed one thing... my right arm is now in a cast instead of a brace. I have also been threatened with surgery on my wrist if the cast does not work. I return to the specialist on February 26th and right now it does not bode well for me. My boss does not seem to understand that when the doctor's limited activity list stating that, among activities such as lifting, pulling and pushing over 2 pounds, also includes "grasping," that it might just include writing... right wrist... I am right handed... hmmm.

I limit my time on the computer as well because too much typing aggravates my wrist. Handwriting takes less than 5 minutes before I start getting pains shooting up my arm. I have requested a helper to do the writing required on invoices to note account codes, date, check number, etc., but so far I have not gotten any cooperation. It seems to me that it makes more sense to help me avoid surgery, because if I have to have surgery I will be totally out of commission for awhile and won't even be able to type on the computer. I would only need someone for 1 to 1 1/2 hours 3 days a week max. Go figure.

I guess I am just whining.

It's Official: I Am A Clutz!

2009-01-25T22:54:00.002-05:00

I have never claimed to be the most coordinated of people. I do have a history of altercations with flights of stairs. So, I am very careful on stairs... really careful. But this fine fall day--no pun intended--was a whole new venue for me. It all began on September 13, 2008...

It was a Saturday morning. Many people do housework on Saturday mornings. People all over the world do housework on Saturday mornings. Most of them successfully complete their tasks. Some don't. On that particular Saturday morning I definitely was a "don't!"

My roommate, Michelle, was hosting a jewelry party later that day. I was picking up the house, doing laundry, and generally trying to get everything looking presentable for her party that day. The tablecloth for the dining room table was drying in the dryer. The kitchen was cleaned up accept for a couple of things in the sink which I planned on adding to the dishwasher as soon as I was done mopping the kitchen floor. I could not find the filter for my super-duper steam mop, so instead I had hauled out the vinegar and a sponge mop to do the job.

I was wearing a cute cotton shift which I had picked up in Key west and some very cute (if I may say so) color coordinated dragonfly sandals... just the thing to work in on such a hot morning in Florida in September. I had not taken a shower as yet, but planned to do so as soon as I was done mopping the floor... and I was just about done. I just had to mop the small strip of tile in front of the sideboard and I would be done.

But I made the mistake of peeking behind the sideboard to find some dirt that definitely needed to be tackled. I put the mop into my left hand and leaned forward to grab the edge of the sideboard to pull it out from the wall so that I could get to the things that had dropped behind the sideboard and then mop up the floor there. As I leaned forward I stepped back on one foot to get better leverage. That was my mistake. When I stepped back, my foot landed on tile that was still very wet and slippery. The next thing I knew I was falling forward. My right arm caught the corner of the sideboard on my way down and I landed on top of the mop. I felt the odd sensation of my teeth sinking into my tongue as my chin hit the floor and the air being knock out of my lungs. I was then knocked out. When I "came to" I could not move. My mouth was full of blood and I was having a difficult time comprehending what had just happened.

After a few minutes I managed after several attempts and with a bit of difficulty to roll over onto my back. I was still in a bit of a daze, but I realized that since I was home alone I needed to get help quickly. My cell phone, which I try to keep close to where I am, was on the other side of the kitchen table from where I was laying on the floor. At least I knew where it was! But I was still wedged a bit between the table and chairs and the sideboard. I tried scooting on my back several times until I could get in a better position to get up. And thenI lay there for about five minutes thinking about how I could get up and who I could call.

Normally almost everyone is home around my neighborhood on a Saturday morning... but not on this particular Saturday. I had seen my neighbors on one side of me leave in their truck a little earlier, so I knew they were not home. My two closest friends are also neighbors, so I would try to call them. I actually don't totally remember how I finally got up off the floor. I used a chair to help, but I was very dizzy. When I got to my phone I called my neighbor Rosie who is usually home on Saturday mornings cleaning her own home. Besides, I had both her home number and cell number stored in my phone, so I was sure that I could get her. I was wrong. She was out and about and didn't hear her cell phone. So I called my other neighbor and friend, Linda. I only had her cell number stored in my cell phone which she did not answer because she was sunning at the beach with a friend. I wondered where my room mate Michelle was because I knew that she needed to be getting ready for her party. I don't remember if I tried to call her boyfriend Brandon, but I figured that they were probably out together somewhere. Amy across the street was probably home, but I had seen her husband who is a police officer leave for work earlier so she had her two little kids with her if she was home, and taking me to the emergency room just was not practical. My daughter Lainey who lives in St. Pete and my daughter Allison who lived in Tampa were a bit too far away to be able to get to me quickly and were usually terrible about answering their phones.

I very briefly considered calling 911, but I really didn't want to go to the ER without someone I knew. My tongue was getting so swollen and my jaw hurt so much that I didn't know if I even wanted to try to talk. I was dizzy and had to keep getting the excess blood out of my mouth. Yuck. I decided to call Himself on the chance that he was in town for the weekend since he lived fairly close. If I was not successful in reaching him, I would call 911. He did answer his cell phone. At this point, I was getting a bit hysterical as my tongue was really feeling strange, and I felt like I was going to pass out again. I could barely talk, but I managed to get out that I needed to go to the ER. Himself, not knowing what was going on asked if I needed to call 911. I probably should have said yes, I probably should have done a lot of things differently... like leaving the stupid sideboard where it was! But I said "No. I just need to go to the emergency room!" It probably sounded more like "emedjency woom" but he got the message.

So, he was on his way. And then, knowing that help was on the way and my head a bit clearer, my typical vanity kicked in... I had not taken a shower yet that morning and was determined to at least rinse off in the shower. A normal and clear-thinking person would have realized that it was probably not the smartest thing to do. I successfully got into the shower, rinsed off, got the blood off of my face and hands, made an attempt at getting dried off with a towel and stuck my same clothes back on as I didn't feel like bothering finding something else (I guess I still has some sense). I put on some deodorant, and went and sat down in the kitchen to wait for my ride.

Linda called after she saw that I had called her. That's when she told me that she was at the beach. I didn't tell her much other than that I had fallen and Himself was on his way to take me to the ER. Michelle got home just before Himself arrived and was clearly upset. My practical self told her that the tablecloth for her party was in the dryer and apologized for not having everything ready. She was going to cancel the party, but I thought that it was silly to do that at that point... people were planning on being there.

I live just a few minutes from a very large hospital so it did not take long to get there and checked in at the ER. However, even though my tongue was bleeding I had to wait for three hours before I could get seen by someone. They had only one doctor there that could take care of minor surgery because it was a Saturday, and he was already in the midst of some emergency surgery. Linda came to the ER and stayed with me as well as Rosie, who was very upset that she had missed my call. Linda had called her after calling me. The attendants finally got me in a room and started the examination. As it turned out, the head of the ER ended up stitching up my tongue which I had almost bitten off, and after cat scans, x-rays, and numerous other procedures they thought that they would watch me for a bit and then send me home. Since I had been knocked out and probably had a concussion, they would not give me anything for pain until the results of the cat scan and x-rays were back... they wanted me to stay awake and alert. Like I could fall asleep with my head, tongue, arm, knees, and back throbbing!

So, I lay in the ER listening to the nurses comment on my cute dress and how my sandals matched and other such small talk while we waited for results. I was terribly thirsty, but could not swallow water or any liquid with my swollen tongue. As is the routine these days, they had immediately put an IV in when they checked me in... even before the x-rays and cat scan. I was still very thirsty, and since I could not swallow anything due to my tongue, they gave me Popsicles to hold over my tongue to let it drip down my throat. Fun. When the results came back, they showed that I had successfully managed not cause a brain bleed, break any bones, or do anything more than nearly sever my tongue, and badly bruise my right arm, knee caps, chin and jaw... and whatever I had done to my back.

Then my tongue started to swell even more. They became concerned that it might swell enough to cut off my air supply and decided to admit me to a room in the hospital. They forgot to give me my first dose of pain medication before they transported me to my room, and I did not get any until almost midnight. Normally I am a very easy patient, but I have to admit I was getting a bit testy about not getting anything for pain. I did not shut up about it until they finally figured out that I was right... and luckily for me Himself had been around enough earlier to verify that I had not received anything other than local when they were stitching up my tongue.

I stayed overnight and tried not to attempt talking so as not to tear the stitches in my tongue. I was more successful with the Popsicles the next morning when the swelling had gone down, and was happy to doze, watch TV, and try to relax. Then I started having visitors who insisted on asking me question after question even though I indicated that I had difficulty talking and did not want to tear the stitches. I guess they were amused at my altered communication skills and pronunciation of words, because they kept it up along with the giggles.

I did actually end up tearing some of the stitches, and even though I was assured that tongues heal amazingly well, I still have a slight opening in my tongue and scar tissue that drives me crazy. The feeling has come back in the tip of my tongue, but I still have numbness in the center of my tongue. It has been over 4 1/2 months.

So that was my first fall.

Thanksgiving rolled around, and I had hosted the turkey dinner. Michelle's dog, Mia was with us while Michelle and Brandon spent Thanksgiving with his family in Georgia. Daughter Allison had her two dogs, Zoey and Marley with her as well as a friend from college, son Matthew was there, Daughter "L" and TJ, my mom, Aunt Betty Ann and me. Betty Ann had brought "Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish Spread" for snacking at my request... it is my favorite! If you are ever in St. Petersburg, Florida you have to find the place and sample some. You will not find any better anywhere... I have tried. I grew up in St. Pete visiting that place often, especially in the summer after the beach or pool. So Betty Ann treats us with some each holiday.

I was standing in the kitchen on the edge of the living room enjoying some yummy fish spread on a cracker when Zoey and Marley came bounding through the kitchen. I stepped back to keep from being knocked over and stepped on Mia who was lying on the floor right behind me. I hadn't realized she was behind me and when she yelped I was startled, tried to keep from stepping on her again, lost my balance and ended up falling backwards onto a very hard hardwood floor on my back and hitting my head in the process. I did manage to keep hold of my cracker and fish spread, though.

No one would let me get up for a few minutes (as if I could have), but they did offer to hold my cracker and fish spread until I could get up. My head hurt and my back hurt but the fish spread sure was good!

My third fall was the result of a poorly made purchase at the local Home Depot. A week or so after Thanksgiving I had just purchased a new front door mat as the old one was worn out. I had spent more than a few minutes looking for one and was very frustrated with the selection. Since I didn't see anything like I wanted and I wanted to pay cash, I opted for a cheaper and plain mat. Do you see where this is going?

The very first time I went out my front door after putting the mat in it's new place was the last time that mat was there. I was on my way out the door to visit my neighbor Rosie and as soon as I stepped onto the mat it went flying and so did I! I landed on my posterior on the threshold... to be more exact... my tailbone hit the threshold and my right elbow hit the tile. If you have ever had a tailbone injury you know how painful it can be! It only took a week before I could manage to sit again.

I am almost done with my physical therapy appointments, and tomorrow I see the hand specialist to check back on my right wrist which is still in a brace due to some torn cartilage and some soft tissue damage. I just don't understand why my doctor will not let me go to a gym until I finish the physical therapy. Silly me. She did say something about getting my back in shape with therapy and doing some therapy to help my balance. At first she was concerned about why I was falling--like maybe I had scrambled my brains with the first fall?!?!-- but I assured her that the three falls were unavoidable accidents and there just happened to be three of them. I think that is when the word "clutz" was mentioned and the fact that I had been lucky that I didn't break any bones.

Just A Quick Update...

2008-09-01T10:43:00.004-04:00

Okay. I know that I have been a very delinquent blogger. I'm sorry. A lot has been going on in my life, and I have been distracted from posting.

I promised pictures from my trip to Key West. Well, I have actually been to Key West again! Both trips were amazing and great fun! One of these days I will get around to posting some pictures, but not today. As a matter of fact, I have lots of pictures that I want to post... and I will ... sometime... I promise...

So here are a few happenings in my life since I last posted...

Koko had to be put to sleep
That was very hard
I really miss him
Youngest daughter broke her engagement
I have had endless frustrations with Himself ( no need to elaborate)
I have a new roommate
She has a dog I absolutely adore
Scud Doesn't like the dog
The dog, Mia, is terrified of Scud
I closed out the fiscal year at work (YAY)
I am working on the financial report for the parish
The Pastor, Fr. Pat had to have surgery for cancer
He had breast cancer which was a shock to many of our male parishioners
He now has a clean bill of health... looks like they got it all and quick enough
He is still fighting with skin cancer on his legs
He doesn't slow down for anything
I admire his tenacity
I had some new window treatments done for the family room.
The window treatments were ordered wrong and have to be replaced
I am still waiting on the replacements
I had wood flooring put in almost every room of the house
I LOVE the wood flooring
Changing flooring requires emptying out rooms and closets
Putting things back in rooms and closets is not a lot of fun
I hate to mess up my closet floors by putting things away
I have lost over 40 pounds
I am very glad that I have lost over 40 pounds
Losing 40 pounds requires new clothes and getting rid of old clothes
I am still sorting through clothes to get down to what fits or will fit soon
I need to simplify my life by getting rid of excess stuff
Especially clothes
And probably a few pair of shoes as well
I am still very glad that I have lost over 40 pounds
I had to spend a few bucks on supplies for the hurricane season
I am glad that I have not had to use them so far this season
I hope that doesn't change
My biggest fear about putting in wood floors was water damage from a hurricane
I am very glad that I do not live in New Orleans or the Florida panhandle
I have really enjoyed my pool this summer with friends
I am a little sad that the summer will be over soon
I really want to replace the heater for the hot tub attached to the pool
Did I mention that I put in wood flooring?
Wood flooring is expensive
I need to finish paying off the wood flooring before I replace the hot tub heater
I chipped a tooth
I had my chipped tooth fixed
I re-chipped the same tooth
I am planning a trip to visit my older son when he has shoulder surgery in October
My mom has had several trips to the emergency room
My mom is now on medication supervision
I met the girlfriend of Himself
She is a very nice lady
We went out to dinner to meet
I like her
What IS she thinking???
I need lessons on how to run and maintain a generator
On my second Key West trip this year I bought myself a beautiful bracelet
I really love it
I am back on a tight budget
Youngest daughter may be getting back together with her ex-fiance
He has been very apologetic and is determined to win her back
Work is getting busier and busier with new requirements added to my job
I am now spending more time on human resources than finances
A lot more time
It is not my favorite thing and very frustrating
I am grateful for a few friends at work that keep me sane
There are a few people at work that need to retire
I had a leak in the pool and had it fixed
I am trying to be better about keeping up with my communication with friends
I have let my hair grow out so it is now longer
I am still losing weight and hope to get back down to 130
We'll see how it goes
I eat well and will not get crazy with this
I can't afford to keep buying clothes!
I guess I need to learn how to alter the clothes I have
At least for a while
I was very unhappy that I had to miss Blogstock 08
I hope there will be a Blogstock 09 or 10 or something
I really want to meet those bloggers in person
I have a new camera so I should have pictures to post soon
As soon as I figure out how to upload them from the camera to the computer
I am glad that there are a lot of "kids" around to help me figure these things out
I can't think of anything else right now
Did I mention that I have lost over 40 pounds?

Putting Off My Post About My Trip to Key West...

2008-05-17T15:44:00.005-04:00

I have been home sick for a few days with a nasty virus. The worst part of it is the sore throat... I can't swallow and it even hurts to talk. Very frustrating to say the least. I have a lot going on at work and have been trying to get the energy together to post about my wonderful trip to Key West last weekend. It will have to wait until I feel better and am done with the audit at work.

In the meantime, I am becoming a MSNBC Junkie as I lay on the couch and try to get some sleep. Hopefully I will be back into the swing of things by Monday.

2008-05-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

Have A Wonderful Easter!

2008-03-22T01:03:00.005-04:00

The kids are strewn about the country, so I will have dinner on Sunday with my mom in the dining room at her place. I hope you all have a wonderful day with your families.

Ho Hum

2008-03-03T20:05:00.005-05:00

Not a whole lot happening just now, but I thought I had better post something for all of my adoring fans...

My sister, Betsy, was here from California for a week to visit our mom and do what she could to help. Unfortunately, she got sick the night before her flight and arrived sick. So, she spent several days just hanging out at my house before she could visit Mom. It was a good visit. We rarely get time to chat together. Usually we just see each other during all of the craziness of Thanksgiving.

We ate out a lot while Betsy was here. I am not used to being tempted so frequently, so consequently, I am having to add another 5 pounds to my weight loss goal. It was worth it!

Mr. Koko is hanging in there. He continues to hang out most of the day on one of his heating pads, and he is still managing to eat a reasonable amount of food. I'm not sure how much weight he has put back on, but he is looking better. He rather enjoys all of the pampering... except for his morning medicine.

Things are still moving along with the house. I am really enjoying my new leather chair and couch. I had put up with an uncomfortable worn-out futon for so many years that having good seating in the family room seems amazing. Last weekend I visited a local kitchen remodeling store to get an updated view of what is available... next step is to get a quote... after I am revived, I will decide how much of a kitchen remodel I can afford. Then I need to check out replacing the carpeting with wood and laminate flooring. My list is way too long!

Shelfari And Koko Update

2008-01-26T20:50:00.001-05:00

I have started to keep track of the books I am reading and have read on Shelfari. My sister invited me to join first, and then another blogger. Eventually I think that I will only list my favorite books. I think it will be interesting to see what other people are reading and have read. I have just started to list my books and look forward to checking out reviews on other books I am interested in reading. Maybe it will all be a waste of time. Who knows?

I had to return Mr. Koko to the vet after he was home for one day. He is still there. $$$$$ I am hoping that the biopsy results will arrive tomorrow. Allison, Charles and I visited him yesterday and today. He is still hooked up to the IV and they have him on a heating pad and hot water bottle. Yesterday, he was still very lethargic, but he has been eating and today he was quite a bit more his usual irascible self. It's a good sign.

In the meantime, I have been doing a bit of research online about feline pancreatitis which seems to fit his symptoms. As long as his results don't show cancer I think he may get through this and be around for a few more years. The house has seemed very quiet and empty without him talking to me and purring in my ear at night.

Mr. Koko Is On Valium

2008-01-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

Poor Koko. It's tough enough being a 17 year old cat. Today though, I had to take him to the vet again. He was uncomfortable walking last night and had been complaining loudly as only a Siamese cat can. A mass showed up in his X-ray that was unusual--not like a normal tumor. The vet thought at one point that he may have swallowed something. So this afternoon Mr. Koko was in surgery.

I talked to the vet around 4:30 pm and he was still unsure about the mass after he had removed it. It is being sent for a biopsy along with liver and pancreas samples. The vet said that the liver and pancreas did not look good. So time will tell what is going on with my old cat. In the meantime, he is on Valium and an IV and will be monitored until he is ready to come home. There is something quite humorous about a Siamese cat--especially Koko--on Valium. I guess you would have to know him to get the humor. He can be quite irascible. Perhaps if you have ever read the comic strip "Get Fuzzy" you might understand a bit.

On another note... just to let you know that my life continues to throw me left curves... In the midst of the Koko issues, my dryer decided to quit working. Thanks to my good neighbors (yes, the same ones that put me up when my electric was out) I will have dry underwear to wear tomorrow. Sigh. Tomorrow is another day.

It's A New Year

2008-01-20T22:50:00.001-05:00

Well, the new year has come, and I have had a lot going on in the past couple of months so I have a lot of things that I could write about in this post. I'll highlight a few and try to get up to date.

My mom's official move-in date to the retirement complex was November 19th. It is certainly a relief to have her closer to me, but it also poses a few new problems. I have been taking her out to dinner when I can... several times a week when she first moved. I took quite a few days off without pay to get the things done that were necessary to get her settled. This involved furniture shopping, clothes shopping, appointments for new doctors, and the continuance of getting rid of things that she no longer wants, needs, or has room for in her new place. I have tried to get her used to me taking her grocery shopping on Wednesday night and out to dinner on Sunday night with another trip to the store. I actually want to continue to get her out to dinner at least twice a week.

My first challenge was to convince her that she was not going to pay for my meal every time we go out for dinner. My next challenge was to get her to realize that I cannot continually take time off from work every time she wants me to do something for her. A third challenge has been grocery shopping. I will take her one day and get a call the next day that there is something else that she needs immediately. Another challenge has been to get her to be sociable with the people around her. She has been hesitant to go out of her way to make friends. It is happening gradually, however. These have all been minor and seem to be working themselves out over time.

Driving was a bigger issue. I drove her over the same routes numerous time to see if she could learn a basic route to and from the grocery store center where there are also other shops that she would utilize. No go. Her short term memory loss made it too difficult for her, and she decided on her own to give up her car to one of the grandchildren. That puts me in the hot seat a bit more(especially when she was sick with a virus for a couple of weeks), but it is okay.

All in all the move has been good. "L" and I will continue to keep her happy with get-togethers and trips out and about, and she will hopefully make some new good friends.

I recently got the news that I will be going through another audit at work this year... probably around April. This will be the second one with an outside auditor... the last one was about three years ago. The Diocese now likes to have them done every three years. It should go well, and is only an annoyance as it takes up several days of my time.

My 17 year old Siamese cat, Koko, was sick over the holidays. At one point I thought that he was at the end of his life, but he has snapped back. He had weighed about nine pounds and had lost two of those pounds! A trip to the vet to get him hydrated and put on appetite stimulants and antibiotics did the trick. In a few weeks his weight increased by a pound. I continue to monitor his eating to make sure he is getting what he needs. This can be a challenge since the other cat, Scud, who weighs 22 pounds keeps trying to chase Koko away and steal his food. Scud needs Overeaters Anonymous for cats. He was a stray and thinks every meal is his last.

The kids were all home for Christmas, but only for a few days. The boys left early on the 27th. I was disappointed, but at least they were all home for my birthday on December 26th. It was a fun Christmas though, and we certainly had plenty to eat and a good time!

December 26th was a big day for me for another reason... It was the days we closed on the house... I bought himself out of the house so I (along with the mortgage bank) am now the proud owner of my abode!!! In the process I also paid off my car and my remaining credit card debt. It really feels good!

I have continued fixing up the place. I won't go into my disaster with paint choices... I am learning to tolerate colors other than what I chose and will repaint at a later date. The biggest issue I have now is to decide what is most important to do next. I have a limited amount of money set aside and a number of projects that add up to more that I can afford. Sooo, I am taking my time to make decisions.

In the process of all of this fixing-up, I decided it was time to re-hang the livingroom curtains... They had been sent to the cleaners a little over a year ago, and I had the sheers hanging on hangars in my closet waiting to be rehung. I had the old valance in the living room taken down as well as the curtain rods so that I could get the living room painted. The valance went into the trash and I decided not to hang the old curtains... I would just hang the sheers. The walls were painted and the curtain rod rehung... when I went to hang the sheers, I was in for a surprise. They looked like my curtains. The color was right. The width was right. Maybe the backing on the pleated top looked a bit more worn... but I had sent them to the cleaners. I just can't figure out how theygrew 9 inches in length! I tend to think that when someone got their curtains back from the cleaners a little over a year ago they were quite upset at how much they had shrunk. I will be hemming my adopted curtains.

I had great plans to get things dome over the New Year's holidays. The Christmas tree would get undecorated and taken down, Christmas decorations would get put away, I would do some movie watching, do some reading, and catch up on my blogging. I had to work on the 31st since it was the end of the calendar year and there were a few things I needed to get done. After work I went directly to my mom's apartment to pick her up and take her out to dinner. It was a scrumptous dinner and when we were done, I dropped her off back at her apartment. It was going to be a good night.

When I got home, I gathered my things out of the car, got the mail from the mailbox, and unlocked the front door. I turned the switch to turn on the light in the livingroom and nothing happened. Darn! I thought the cats had pulled out the plug again. So, I stumbled into the kitchen and turned the light on in there... oops no light! It dawned on me that the electricity was off. Rats! It is not uncommon for the electric to go off on occasion, but it usually comes right back on. I stepped back outside to see what other houses were dark and discovered that everyone else on the street had electricity. Hmmm.

I called himself to see if he had neglected to pay the electric bill (he had been slow paying or still had to pay some others) or if he had paid it late. He stutterd around for a minute, but the bottom line was that he had had the electric turned off. I called the electric company to find out that he had arranged on December 26th to have the electric turned off on the 31st and had neglected to tell me. He still maintains that he only tried to have the account transferred. Any way, since it was New Year's Eve the electric company could do nothing more for me than collect a $400.00 deposit which I had to pay in order to even schedule the service to be turned back on on January 2nd.

It just so happens that over the holiday we were expecting a cold front to come through and it was going to get into the thirties. I know that you "nawtheners" are laughing right now, but by Florida standards, that's more than just a bit nippy! Besides that, I had an underweight and sick Siamese cat to worry about, no heat, a refrigerator-freezer full of food, no light, and no hot water. I was not a happy camper. I called daughter Allison on my cell phone and she called her dad. Himself then came by with a couple of electric cords and plugged the refrigerator into an outlet of a helpful next door neighbor so that the food would not go bad. I did have to get rid of some things that had already melted in the freezer since the electric had been off most of the day. I spent the night with my Italian friends/neighbors, and the next day was able to take a hot shower and get cleaned up. Before the colder weather came through I built a fire in the fire place. Koko was warm, I was warm and I spent that night at home. The electric came back on about 4:00 pm on January 2nd. It was not the happiest New Years in my life, but I am grateful to have such wonderful neighbors!

Now we come to this past week...

I hesitated to post this picture, but I know a priest in Ireland who will be interested in seeing it. He reads this blog on occasion. What you are looking at is a picture on my former pastor's back. He, Fr. Aiden whom I have written about in the past, was out for his morning walk when an SUV truck did a u-turn and hit him. He survived without any broken bones, but has a huge hemotoma behind his kidney and generally looks like... he was hit by a truck! He spent this past week in the hospital and was moved to a rehab center on Friday. He is very sore, to say the least. Please keep him in your prayers.

So that is more or less the highlights of the last couple of months. Life is never dull.

Checkin In...

2008-01-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

I survived the holidays and will post something soon... just wanted to let you know I am still alive.

Yay!

2007-12-03T00:13:00.000-05:00

Yay! I'ts Advent Season! I love this time of year! I tend to walk around with a smile on my face. Add to that the following facts:

my youngest daughter is engaged and wedding plans are beginning
my mom is quite happy and getting settle into her new apartment
I have just about finished cleaning up after Thanksgiving
the street is already aglow with lights and decorations up on many of the homes
I am looking forward to picking out this year's Christmas tree
it's getting close to closing time on the house
Christmas music is delightful
my kids will all be home again for Christmas
my kids will all be home for Christmas
and finally, my kids will all be home for Christmas

Yup, I am a haaapppy camper!

A Post Revisited : STUFF

2007-11-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

Since I have been dealing with packing up Mom's house and now unpacking some of her things at my house, I thought that this post from January 2006 would be appropriate to revisit (with a few changes)!

Stuff. Yup. Stuff. We all have it. We all want it.

It is both a blessing and a burden.

It starts when we are young. We want cool stuff. We ask our parents to give us that cool stuff. We get the stuff, or at least enough stuff to leave us wanting more stuff. We even get things to carry our stuff around and things to keep our stuff in order.

When we are young adults we want even more stuff. Now we work for our stuff. The more stuff we get the more stuff we want. We start to keep track of our stuff. We never have enough stuff.

As we get older, maybe we get married. Then we really get a lot of stuff. Still this does not satisfy us. Now we know we really need more stuff. We have to get a bigger place to live to keep all of our stuff with us. The place we get has extra room, so we get more stuff to fill the empty space. Then maybe we have children, and we have to get stuff for them, too.

And now we have to do more to keep track of our stuff. We worry about losing our stuff. So we document our stuff and take out insurance on our stuff. Our kids start to demand more stuff of their own. And because we know how important stuff is in everyone's life, we get them more stuff. And we increase our insurance to cover their stuff, too.

Now a new phenomenon starts to creep into our lives...

We start to feel that we need to get away from it all... all our stuff. So now we take vacations from our stuff. We take our children with us. They spend most of the vacation bemoaning the fact they want to get back to the stuff that they have left at home.

Then one day, the kids leave home, and we look around and discover that we have too much stuff. We need to downsize and get rid of stuff that we don't need anymore. We have garage or yard sales and sell our stuff to unsuspecting people who are still in the mode of acquiring more stuff. Then we take the money we make at the sale and decide that now that we have gotten rid of some stuff, we can now buy more stuff. And we do.

And so it goes. We get rid of old stuff, and replace it with newer and better stuff. We do this and do this, until one day we are too old to do it any more. Then our children have to do it for us. Maybe they move us to a retirement home. Our stuff gets redistributed. Now our children buy us things that they think we need or would enjoy. But it is stuff that doesn't take up much room.

Yup. We all have stuff.

Sometimes irreconcilable differences put a kink in this life plan of acquisition and disposition of stuff... for a while...

When getting a divorce, you have to inventory all of your stuff and finances. Then you have to fill out forms that require all of this information. You also have to pay a lot of money for the privilege of doing this.

Then at some point, someone will look at all of this information on the forms that have been filled out and will use some sort of formula to decide how much of the stuff you get to keep and how much money you will get to help you take care of your portion of said stuff. And then you get to pay some more money so that all of this gets recorded and becomes a legal document. You then will get to add this document to your stash of stuff... a smaller stash than you had before.

What happens next? Will you get to acquire more stuff? Will a reduced income greatly impact your acquisition phase? Will your children keep you in new cool stuff as you get older. Will you rejoice in your new freedom from excessive stuff? Will you finally get all of your closets cleaned once and for all?

I suspect that not only does life go on... but stuff goes on as well.

As for me, Mom having to reduce her stuff has been an avalanche of additional stuff for me. Some of this stuff, I will pass on to my children. Some of it will go to charity. Some stuff I am really grateful to receive. However, it looks like my closets may have to wait another year or so to get cleaned...

Keepin Up With The Youngsters!

2007-11-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

My daughter's boyfriend Charles has completed his product for the Next Internet Millionaire show: www.viralvideofever.com It is actually quite useful if you want to learn how to do videos on the internet. Below is the promo for it. A music friend/contact wrote the song for the video. I'm not crazy about the title, but obviously it is aimed at a different age group! The world is changing so fast... I feel way out of step!

Mom's move date is NOvember 19th. So after this next week I hope to have some time to do a couple of posts that I have put on hold... one on my trip to Virginia to visit my son Matt and one on the ongoing kitchen project. Perhaps a few Turkey Day photos will emerge as well...

Oops! I Goofed!

2007-11-03T12:56:00.000-04:00

My duct work is done and I have a new vent into the Laundry Room. Yay! The electrician is coming on Monday to put the new panel in and complete the rest of the various electrical things that need attention. "L" is coming on Sunday to help me get the laundry room ready for the work. So today I went out to buy a new refrigerator to replace the one that quit working properly.

I was very careful to measure the width and depth of the refrigerator I now have because it is a tight fit between cabinets. I look up and decided that I did not need to get a height measurement because I could eyeball it by my own height. I looked at the cabinet over the top of the refrigerator and decided that I had plenty of leeway there. I should have used a stool or chair to check the cabinet clearance, however... like I did after I got home to unload the top of the old refrigerator. What I had thought was about eight inches was only about an inch an a half. It has been a while since I got up there to view the clearance. Uh, oh.

So how do I fix this problem? The price of the refrigerator was right. It has everything I wanted... and more. The color, width, depth and design are all good. Hmmm... Well, being the practical and sensible person that I am, I have decided that the cabinet above the refrigerator needs to be taken down! It is too high to be of much use to me anyway. No band-aid solutions for me! That cabinet has got to go... and before Monday when they deliver the new one... I think I have a few things to do... This should be good!

Things Seems To Be Coming At Me From All Directions!

2007-11-01T12:30:00.001-04:00

Things are moving along, but I have experienced some unexpected glitches in my life of late. Mom will moving into her new home on November 19th. Some of her "extra" things are getting moved to my house. That means I need to be ready to have them moved in to various spots in my house. Okay, not so bad.

I am having Thanksgiving at my house this year. It has been years since I have roasted a turkey. The kids will help, though. I will need to have the house ready very quickly after Mom's extras are moved here. I'll have more beds for people to sleep in while they are here. Okay, not so bad.

I planned on having some work done on the house. To start, I have arranged to have the back of the old garage closed in with a new ceiling and drop in an air conditioning vent so my laundry room will be nicer and cleaner. I got a good quote and noted some other things that needed to be done before the ceiling work is started. An electric panel would need to be moved and I would need to check with the A/C people to make sure that the system in that part of the house could handle another duct. With about $1,000.00 for the new ceiling, a seasonal check on the A/C when they come out to check out if I can add that duct, and the electrical panel move... Okay, not so bad.

The air conditioning guy came out and did the check for the system. Yes, I can drop in a new vent... no problem. Good! However, he did find out that some of the air circulation problems I have been having in the older part of the house are due to the fact that the metal coils in the duct work are old and rusting and some of the duct work has collapsed. He put freon in both A/C units and wrote up a quote for the duct work... $2,750.00 to replace the duct work in the old part of the house, add boosters to the vents... a redesign of the duct work system basically. Okay, not so great, but I can deal with it.

The recommended electrician came out to give me a bid on moving the second electrical panel to the inside of the house. Hmmm... it seems that some things are not up to code. We could wait on the incorrectly placed well pump for the sprinkler system to see if the inspector would let it pass even though it is situated right in front of the electric meter... a no-no. To make a long story short, in order for things to be done properly-- there have been some safety issues with that outside panel-- remove the old well pump that was never taken out when the new one was installed, move the clothes dryer hookup... well, what I thought would be around an $800.00 to $1,000.00 job has turned into a $2,500.00 job IF the inspector lets me leave the new well pump where it is. Okay, things are getting out of hand a bit here.

...In the midst of all of this, I discovered that my refrigerator/freezer decided to quit on me just after I went to the grocery store. Ouch. I have been pricing new ones. Ouch, ouch. They sure cost a lot more than the last time I bought one! Costs for one the same size as I currently have seem to run between $1,000.00 and $2,300.00 depending on the features (more features, more to go wrong, I figure!). I guess that also means more time off from work to wait on a delivery and hook-up. Let's see... missed days for A/C duct work, electrical work, numerous appointments and arrangements for Mom, refrigerator delivery... I don't even want to think about the lost wages! Okay, I think I've had enough.

Oh yeah... it's minor, but the blow dryer for my hair also quit on me a week ago, someone put a rubbing alcohol solution into my orchid spraying bottle and I thought it was still water until I had doused my orchids with it, and no one seems to be able to fix my doorbell. Sheesh.

Next year had better be a very good year!

Happy Halloween Y'All!

2007-10-31T08:36:00.001-04:00

We don't get as many children and teens as we used to a few years ago, but there are enough cuties to keep me happy! Here's hoping that all of your trick-or-treaters come by for treats instead of tricks!

I Am Still Wearing White Sandals

2007-10-27T23:07:00.001-04:00

I thought that I should post something quickly tonight so that my millions of readers would know that I am still alive. Until today, the weather has been so hot that everyone around here is still wearing white shoes and summer clothes! Today however, we finally have some nicer cool weather. Highs around 83, Lows around 70. That is getting close to heaven on earth in my book... at least in terms of the weather. I hope we get a few weeks of this at least before it gets hot again!

I have been very busy getting my mom ready to move closer to me and into a retirement/assisted living complex. We have sorted through about a gazillion of her books. Yesterday and today we worked with a moving service for the elderly marking her things that will go with her, the things that will move to my house, and the things that will go to charity. There are still a lot of junk drawers that she has to sort through. I have told her to pick one a day and that should get her done by her packing date. I really don't want to pay movers to move empty cans, jars, old pieces of sting and dozens of unknown keys... to name but a few. I also suggested that her three or four old coffee makers that are no longer working or are missing parts might possibly go into the garbage and not on the truck to Clearwater!

It has been a chore, but I can't imagine how difficult it would have been without the Welcome Home service. When she moves into her apartment her bed will be made and everything will be put away for her. They worked up a floor plan for all of her things with her, took pictures of everything, and will make sure that everything is in it's proper place when she arrives. They were absolutely wonderful!!!!

On a lighter note... I have started "eating healthier" which is the current code for going on a diet with Weight Watchers. It is my hope that future pictures of me will look a little different...

On The Rant Again...

2007-09-22T08:21:00.000-04:00

After the recent anniversary of 9/11, and news items such as football players involved in running dog fighting matches , the unending reports of vicious killings in the Middle East and Africa, and the continuous reports of senseless violence against people and animals in our own country, I thought the following quotes would be appropriate to post:

"Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives." - Albert Schweitzer

"We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature." - Rachel Carson, American Author and Marine Biologist

"Of all the creatures, man is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he's the one that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot." - Mark Twain, American Novelist

Over the past few years we have had local news reports of teenagers breaking into pens and purposely torturing pigs and horses, shooting pet cats with arrows, and beating dogs nearly to death. I shudder to think what these "kids" will be like when they are adults.

There are times when killing someone or something is necessary, but I can't imagine ever being delighted over doing so. I can't begin to understand the mind of a terrorist. I will never understand how any sane person can take pleasure in murder or torture.

Long Day, Long Week

2007-09-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

I didn't get out of work until 8:30 PM tonight. It was a long day to end a very long and tedious work week. I have been working on several projects at work and had hoped to finish them all by the end of my day today. No such luck. Monday will be here soon enough.

My mom has been having some difficulty with her medications... taking medicine and poor memory don't work well together. She also has a new prescription that seems to be making her sick. She spent one evening vomiting. It is very hard to be at work and at home and get the phone calls about what is happening with her when I can't drop everything and travel for 2 1/2 hours to be there with her. With my projects at work this week, it was very frustrating!

Mom has a spot in an assisted living community that will be available for her in early November. It is close to my home so it will be easy for me to visit her and take her out once she is moved. It is a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment and big enough for her to take her looms, and baby grand piano... both very important to her... as well as much of the furniture and belongings that she currently has in her home.

So... this weekend I will be helping her go through some of her things and pack up some of the stuff that she doesn't want to keep. I figure that as the things that she doesn't want to keep are removed from the house, the easier it will be when it gets down to the harder choices. Hopefully it will make her move much easier. I still have plenty of boxes and an ample supply of tape to get started. We'll start with sorting through her books...

Speaking of books... I am about to get settled in to read my new Harry Potter book. I just need to grab a nice cold beer from the refrigerator and change from my work clothes into some comfy pajamas. You all have a wonderful weekend!

The Best Laid Plans of Mice And Men...

2007-09-12T23:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm sad to say that I am losing my roommate. It seems she and her man have decided to be just friends, so she is heading back to Georgia in the next day or so. She plans on getting a job and going back to school to study to be a nurse. She also plans on visiting in the future when she can (likely for the Florida/Georgia football match in October). So tomorrow after work we will float in the pool and enjoy some Mimosas. It has really been a lot of fun having her staying in my home.

Lately, I have been following the episodes of The Next Internet Millionaire on the internet. Mostly, I am interested in the program because my daughter Allison's boyfriend Charles is one the twelve people who made it as a finalist. I especially enjoyed watching episode 4 tonight because Charles, who won't eat fish, pork, or a lot of other things, ate 2 worms. Not only did he eat them, but the way he ate them was hysterically funny... to me any way! You can watch any of the episodes or auditions for the program by going to the following site: http://www.nextinternetmillionaire.com The first episode was a little too long and a bit boring, but sets up how the other episodes unfold. By episode two you really get to see some of the personalities (negative and positive) emerging. There is a new episode each week until the final one sometime in November. I will continue to watch to see what Charles gets to do next. But it will be difficult to top the worm-eating that debuted tonight!

I am determined to finally start reading the latest Harry Potter book. It has been sitting in its box since the first day of distribution waiting for me to open it and start reading. Everyone that I have talked to that has already read the book has given it a thumbs up. I'll let you know what I think when I am done.

Anything Could Happen

2007-09-12T23:15:00.000-04:00

I am looking forward to attending Blogstock '08 next summer. Although I know that I am going, I have yet to figure out what kind of accommodations I will be using. I'll have to ask Cliff if he is providing showers and toilets for everyone... perhaps a local motel will be my choice... with air conditioning! Knowing Cliff and Ralph, they will have everything well planned. It should be a fun time... but I am a little concerned about the toilets and showers...

Yup, I look forward to being let out of my cage! I have already used up this year's vacation days, so January will not be here soon enough! I am determined to plan better for next year's time off. I want to fit in a trip to Key West, Blogstock, a trip to somewhere I have never been before, and perhaps a short cruise. Key West can be a long weekend, but the others will take more time. I plan on taking my camera and getting lots of pictures... and lots of material for this blog. You never know... first I get dressed up as the Swedish Chef from the Muppets for "L"s house-warming-costume party... who knows what lies ahead!

2007-09-03T00:56:00.001-04:00

will

Things Have Not Been Great...

2007-09-02T23:17:00.000-04:00

...but I am still alive... and I have been trying to keep up with reading my favorite blogs even though I have not been posting.

The second baby bird died (was killed?) shortly after my last post. I found the little thing dead in the nest and mama bird no where to be seen. The next day the body had disappeared. It was sad... I had looked forward to watching the birds grow and leave the nest. Sigh.

My 82 year old mother has been having some memory problems and related health issues, so I have been trying to deal with that situation while still trying to figure out what to do about my own housing situation. Since I don't get alimony until the house sells, and the housing market does not look hopeful, it has been a bit difficult at times. I think that I may have figured a way to resolve some of that... it looks hopeful at any rate.

I now also have a roommate! Her name is Allison (same name as my youngest daughter) and she is the girlfriend of our new Youth Minister at church. I am really happy to have her here with me! She is a gem!

I am looking forward to attending Blogstock next year... I think it will be a wonderful time, and I look forward to meeting so many people in person that I have only known through blogs! Kudos to Ralph (Homespun Headlines) and Cliff Morrow(blog of the same name) for the idea and follow-through!

Things are looking brighter. I'll try to post more often so people don't forget me!

One Baby Bird

2007-07-21T22:39:00.001-04:00

Well, we are down to Mama and one baby bird. I am not sure what happened to the other baby... one morning it was just gone. Sigh. Life is not always fair. I will continue to enjoy watching the little guy that is left grow. Look how big he is already! I haven't seen the male parent, but I hear him all the time close by in a tree.

They've Arrived!

2007-07-15T14:05:00.000-04:00

Yes, we have two new baby Mourning Doves. If you look closely in the above photo, you can see one of the little heads peeking out from under Mama bird.

I have never been so close to newly hatched birds before. I am really excited! Yes, I know that probably means I lead a rather mundane existence, but it's okay for now. My next door neighbor suggested I name the mother bird, but I have not come up with anything yet. Suggestions are welcome. However, I have come up with names for the newly hatched... Heckle and Jeckle... just seems to fit.

Mama bird had gotten used to my presence until Heckle and Jeckle arrived. Now she is quite spooked about my being close to the nest. That is why I was able to get pictures of the babies. When I took the first picture, she flew from the nest and tried to do the injured-bird-to-distract-me-from-the-nest routine. I quickly closed the front door and left her alone. Hopefully, I will be able to get more pictures in a few days and as Heckle and Jeckle grow, but for now I don't want to panic Mama bird any more than is necessary to water the plant.

Convenient Birdwatching

2007-07-09T21:33:00.001-04:00

I enjoy birds and am rather pleased to have such a close-up view of this rather dumb bird's nest. The nest is in a hanging planter immediately outside of my front door. I have to be careful not to spook mother bird every time I enter or leave the house. I took the picture of the eggs when mother bird got spooked when I was startled by almost stepping on an over 2 foot black snake slithering over my front door mat. I was not wearing shoes so it was not something I wanted to touch my bare foot!

To the best of my knowledge this bird is what is called a "Mourning Dove" and there are lots of them around. They seem to be fond of nesting in hanging potted plants. I keep trying to explain to her that I need to get some water into the pot to keep her "cover" alive. I am curious to see if these eggs will actually hatch. These really are very dumb birds.

Happy July 4th!!!

2007-07-04T22:29:00.001-04:00

I hope that you have all had a wonderful holiday! We had a bit of rain, but there was still a lot of fireworks going off around here. I enjoyed dinner with my Italian neighbors and generally relaxed today. Tomorrow it is back to work!

Back At Work After A Great Trip To Austin

2007-06-01T12:51:00.001-04:00

I has a wonderful mini-vacation in Austin, Texas over the Memorial Day weekend. It was fun playing tourist in a new place and learning a lot about Texas history. Below are some of the pictures I took that actually came out...

If you are ever in Austin, this building is a must! It is 3 stories of Texas history and quite intriguing! I knew very little about Texas history before this trip and could only retain a small portion of what I saw. My tour guide is quite a history buff, so that made it even more interesting to listen to his comments along with seeing and reading the exhibits.

This is a poor representation of a beautiful floor in the main lobby. I was so enthralled with everything, I forgot to take more pictures!

On the way from the museum to the state capitol, we passed the Diocese of Austin building...

and this statue... It is hard to see, but besides the book he is also holding a set of keys in his lower hand. Guess who!?!

Approaching the state capitol which my tour guide explained is actually larger than our capitol building in Washington DC.

My great tour guide/history buff

It is amusing to see these two portraits next to each other!

I was surprised to see the legislative session in gear on a Saturday of a holiday weekend!

This picture was taken at a wonderful Bistro that served German, Hungarian, etc. foods. It was scrumptious! I had something called Jaegerschnitzel, a cucumber salad, and fresh baked apple strudel. Yummy! Here my hosts, the Young brothers, are getting ready to enjoy their meal. Bryan, on the right, also fixed some great food at his home. We had steak at one meal, Brautwurst with a mustard and onion sauce at another, and on my first night there, Bryan took me to a great Mexican restaurant where I had the best chili rellenos I have ever had!

One of the highlights of my trip was to view the emergence at sundown of the largest urban bat population that happens to reside under a bridge in Austin. This picture was taken prior to the bats leaving the bridge. I don't know what these kayakers were thinking, but at least they had the good sense to be wearing jackets and hats!

It was hard to get a picture of the bats, but here you can see some of them. Once they start coming out they just keep coming! They stick together in a long snaking "flock" and then another, etc.

The low clouds in the night sky here are actually clouds of the bats... and at the same time, more bats are still coming out from under the bridge! It is quite a sight.

So now I am back at work. I am behind, but rejuvenated. It is crunch time to get the new accounting program that has just been installed in my new computer up and running and finish the budget. I am getting it done, but it will be close! I have never been this late with the budget before, but I will have it ready shortly in both formats... the old system and the new!

I Figured Out The Problem

2007-05-22T19:29:00.000-04:00

Rats! No comments? Well, thanks to Cliff Morrow and Possum, I was alerted to the fact that readers were not being able to leave comments on my last two posts. It took me a few minutes to figure it out but you should now be able to leave comments on my posts again! Evidently I have to mark a setting with for each post to allow comments. It used to be that the general settings covered such things... not anymore. I suppose there is some logical reason for the change, but I have yet to discover it.

I May Never Get Out Of Bed Again!

2007-05-20T17:43:00.001-04:00

Yup, I definitely love the new bed. I borrowed the foot stool from the family room to make it easier to into the bed, so that has helped a lot. Both of the cats seem to agree with me since both of them have spent most of the last few days on the bed. Koko prefers being on top of the layers of pillows and pillow shams... sort of the "Prince and the pea" Siamese cat.

In case you think that I am exagerrating about the height of the bed, just look at where the top of the night stand is in comparison to the top of the bed. But it's what I wanted, and the price was right so I am a happy camper!

Only 4 1/2 days until I leave for vacation! I guess I'll get out of bed for that! <:8 )~

Smoke Got In My Eyes...

2007-05-19T17:34:00.000-04:00

but I still managed to sell some things on Ebay, buy some things on Etsy.com, work, take some computer training for some new software at work, and do some improvements on the house. The fires in Georgia and Florida have been pretty bad this year. We had one very bad day where the smoke was so this you couldn't see much more that 25 yards away. A week ago yesterday I had a layer of ash on my car. Most of that was from the fires in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Pinellas county where I live was especially bad due to the wind patterns bringing the smoke to us. Last night and this morning there was a bit of hazy smoke, but it wasn't very bad. Maybe I am just getting used to the smell of smoke.

The day lilies that I planted have sent up bloom stalks and should be blooming in a day or so. I hope that means no more trips to the chiropractor. I am planning a short vacation trip to Texas and don't want anything to interfere with my having a great time!

I found a great place for upscale used furniture on consignment in Tampa called The Missing Piece. I bought a set of table and chairs for Allison and a Rice bed for myself. I figured it was time to give up sleeping on a blow-up bed. Since I bought a bed, that meant that I needed to buy a mattress and box springs for the bed. Now I find that I need a step stool to get into the bed since the mattress level is so high. Actually, I love it that way! And where did I find a step stool? Well, on Ebay, of course! Next, I will get some of the furniture that I have in storage and don't want to keep and see if I can sell it through The Missing Piece.

I am still trying to get some things sold on Ebay, but, like I said before, it gets very time-consuming. I have missed keeping up with my favorite bloggers and reading comments on my non-existent posts. I am not sure how soon things will settle down for me. The house has still not sold, although a family that looked at it on Thursday came back today for another look. I figure that is a good sign. I have mixed feelings about it selling, of course, but at least I should be able to enjoy the pool for part of then summer. Who knows what will happen?

I will try to post again soon... I need to get back into the habit!

OK, Here We Go...

2007-04-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

You see, it all started with an innocent purchase on ebay. I love bargains. I especially love finding a bargain on something that is hard to find. Ebay has lots of bargains. Ebay also has lots of neat things that are hard to resist. So I chose not to resist some of them. That was the easy part. Now, in order to shop for those bargains as well as pay for an upcoming trip, I have decided that I need to sell things on ebay as well. That is not difficult... time consuming, but not difficult.

So, what is the difficult part you ask? Well, the difficult part is trying to do any of the above when my internet cable decides not to work for more than 30 seconds on any given day... and most days of late seem to have been "given" days! This also makes it difficult to post to this blog, or for that matter, to communicate with many people in a way I that I have become accustomed to communicating. My internet cable problems are not new... they just have gotten worse this past month. Three houses on my side of the street (mine being one of the three) all go out at the same time every time. It has taken no less than twenty different repair techs to figure out the problem. This is the second day in a row that my internet is working, so I think they may have finally decided that they are tired of visiting the most pleasant people who live on my street. Neighbor Rosie got the cell phone number of the last tech so he will get a personal call if the cable internet service does not continue to work. Possibly it was the flames emerging from her eyes as she spoke to him that did the trick.

I have actually made a bit of fun money by buying and selling on ebay. I have sold some of my teapot collection (I needed to downsize), resold some extra pieces of sterling that I bought on ebay (buy in big lots, sell individual pieces, and you can pay for the original purchase!), and sold some Longaberger baskets that I decided not to use as gifts. I even went to a garage sale this past Saturday with a friend to look for some things I could resell on ebay. I got a pretty First Edition Reed and Barton silver bell for the whopping price of fifty cents! It just needed some silver polish. I am so proud of this find that I may just add it to my bell collection and not sell it after all! If you ever want to look me up on ebay to see what I am selling my ID is Peggy2292.

So what else has been going on in my life? Well, here it is in an abbreviated form...

work
ebay attempts
call for Roadrunner repair
wait for Roadrunner tech guy to show up
work
ebay attempts
call for Roadrunner repair
work
wait for Roadrunner tech guy to show up
ebay attempts
etc., etc., etc.
housecleaning madness to get ready for a showing of the house
sore back
chiropractor
work
ordered day lilies from ebay arrive
get soil and manure for planting lilies
sore back
work
follow up on items I sold on ebay
several visits to post office to mail ebay packages
work
ebay attempts
call Roadrunner repair line
plant some daylilies
really sore back
can't move
chiropractor
speak ever so politely with Roadrunner tech guy
chiropractor
work
can't move
chiropractor
finishing planting day lilies with daughter Allison's help
work
chiropractor
glare at Roadrunner tech guy
back still sore
right knee swollen from lower back being out of alignment

limp, limp, limp
chiropractor
work
housecleaning madness to get ready for a showing of the house
sore back
can't move
chiropractor
sit in meetings all day on uncomfortable chair
sore back
chiropractor
work
another set of day lilies arrive
Okay, enough. I think you get the idea. NO, I don't plant the new day lilies until tomorrow.

I promised some pictures of my pottery purchases. "L" has one of the pieces. Here are a couple of photos of some others...

Some recent Mr. Koko pictures as his commentary on life (arrived at after 16+ years), along with an appropriate Douglas Adams quote...

"There is a particular disdain with which Siamese cats regard you. Anyone who has walked in on the Queen cleaning her teeth will be familiar with the feeling." Douglas Adams

Tomorrow, daughter Allison comes over to help me plant the 50 new day lilies (Stella Doro) that arrived yesterday. This batch will go in front of and to the side of the taller ones that we previously planted. Some of them will also go in the front planter and get distributed to neighbors. Buying a lot of 50 was a real bargain!!! Well, maybe not if you figure in the possible chiropractor bills... but then Allison will be helping!

I will be trying to catch up with eveyone's blog posts over the next few days, but I will also try to get another post in tomorrow... after the day lilies are planted, but before I can't move.

New Post Coming Soon...

2007-04-02T02:07:00.000-04:00

...with lots of excuses!

Hi Ya

2007-03-21T22:55:00.000-04:00

I have been busy with budget mania at work, a stubborn back problem, and a few other non-essential activities. To bring you up you date...

The Steer candle sticks in my previous post sold for almost $50.00! Go figure. I bid on it in the beginning thinking that it would be a great gag gift for Frustrated Writer, one of my Texas blogger friends. After it went over ten dollars, I figured I would have to come up with something else for a joke. Rachel wants me to buy the frogs for Cliff Morrow, but I can't seem to find them again. Sooo sorry Cliff!

I have made a few "marvelous" purchases on E-bay recently. I found two terrific potters... one who specializes in Raku and one who does beautiful functional wheel thrown pieces. I used to do wheel thrown pottery, so I am a soft touch for good pieces. Son Matthew will benefit from one purchase for his upcoming birthday, but I am not sure that I will be able to part with the other pieces. I probably need a twelve step program for being a potteryholic, but I have yet to hit bottom. Until I do, I will fondle my wonderful new purchases. I may take some pictures so that you may ogle them with utter envy.

L and her younger sister will be over on Saturday to help their needy mom with the utility room as well as to go through the china and silver cabinet to stake their claim to some of my nicer things. L is going to take my good china as she is fond of throwing dinner parties. I only use it once or twice a year. If I need to borrow some I can always give her a call. I would much rather see her using and enjoying it than have it sitting in the china cabinet. I have some other things as well I will be giving to the girls. The boys are really not as interested in such "stuff." There will be other things for them down the road that will be of greater interest to them. Anyway, all this will insure that I have room for my pottery addiction.

Once we are done divvying up the spoils, I am going to serve the girls some tea and scones with clotted cream. L discovered clotted cream on a trip to Ireland, and I have been looking for some ever since. I found a British tea shop online and ordered some along with some Devon cream for a treat. I'll let you know how it tastes after our tea party on Saturday. I wonder if L will wear one of her hats? She'll have to wait to don it until we are done in the utility room, though.

So have you investigated E-bay for purchasing yet? You really can buy anything on E-bay! Now if someone will come up with a solution to dealing with all of this packing popcorn...

Proof That You Can Find ANYTHING On Ebay

2007-03-15T21:33:00.000-04:00

I was innocently looking at candlesticks on E-Bay...

I Have Survived!

2007-03-12T06:47:00.000-04:00

Yes! I have survived another year of "spring ahead" and I don't even have to figure out how to change my clock in my car! I refused to change it in the fall. Thanks to modern technology, my cell phone, computer and cable box clocks have magically made the change without my help. I shall not recognize the fact that I have "lost" an hour. I absolutely refuse. Who is responsible for this whole stupidity anyway?

Smarter Than The Average Beast?

2007-03-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

One of my frequent reads is Wee Little Beasties. A recent post contained an article about some new findings in rat cognitive abilities. I knew they were smart!

Risotto With Wine and Whine

2007-03-05T18:51:00.000-05:00

The other night I had a cooking lesson from my fabulous Italian friend Rosie who is a wonderful cook. I can testify to this because she and her family feed me quite often! This particular cooking lesson consisted of the proper way to prepare Italian Rissoto which is made with Italian Arborio rice. It was yummy!

Rosie and I spent a few minutes discussing all of the wonderful things you can put into this dish. This time we put in garlic, mushrooms, onion and white wine. I'm hooked, and I cannot wait to have a chance to try it on my own. Which brings me to the other topic of this post...

I woke up the other morning almost unable to get out of bed. Once I took a very long hot shower and relaxed the muscles in my back I was able to drag myself to work. The last few days have been the same, except that each day it has gotten a bit worse. Last night night I knew I was in for trouble when my right leg started aching and getting shots of pain. I guess all of the lifting and moving that I have been doing is finally catching up to me. All it took was sleeping in the wrong position and wham!

I got to meet the new young chiropractor who bought out my old chiropractor recently. I expected him to be young and probably a bit different, but I didn't expect him to look like he had just graduated from high school! Any concerns I had about his youthfulness went away quite quickly once he started working on me. He is very good.

So I spent the rest of the day today at home resting my back in hopes of a quicker recovery. I go back to the "young fellow" on Wednesday and Friday if necessary. I'm guessing Friday will be necessary as these old bones don't like to cooperate.

Beware The Idles Of March

2007-03-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, March can be a month where there is a lull in the hurried madness of reports at work. Pension reports, W2s, 1099s, etc. ,etc... are completed. This is generally a time when I can catch up on filing and routine office cleaning. We are in the midst of Lent before the preparations for Easter celebrations begin.

This year is a bit different for me. Not only do I need to reinvent-the-wheel with so many of my Excell files at work, but I am also needing to keep the house as neat as possible for any potential buyers that might possibly decide to look at the house. I also need to get some things finished on the house so when those potential buyers come through, they like what they see. It is like living in a fish bowl... especially since the livingroom sheers are still to be rehung. No more nekkid trekking in the front of the house. The neighbors can look in at night and see whether or not the kitchen table is clear, the dishes are done, and what I am doing at my desk in the family room. Can fish have curtains?

January was absolutely crazy with getting things moved to storage, throwing things out, giving things away, and coughing up both lungs. February was pretty much the same thing. Now here is March.

March things to get done ASAP:

reinvent office files
finish removing wallpaper and paint main bathroom
paint livingroom
paint 3 closets
get Himself's remaining "stuff" out of the utility room
get Himself's remaining junk out of the back and side yards
get Himself's "stuff" out of the barn in the back yard
paint utility room
fix lawn and landscaping near front door of house
replace mulch in front garden beds
get non-working doorbell replaced
get rid of extra patio furniture and clean back porch
get remaining boxes out of 4th bedroom
replace flooring in 4th bedroom
get paperwork to tax accountant
get cats to vet for annual checkups and shots
go to bed earlier
get up earlier
eat better
exercise more
lose weight
fight global warming
establish world peace
stop plate tectonics
ok, enough

I have already redone some of my Excell files and am continuing to work on the rest. In a few weeks I will need to be ready to engage the frenzy of finishing up the budget. Himsef is supposed to come by this weekend and remove his remaining "stuff" as well as mow the grass and fix the doorbell. I had lined up a couple of people to finish removing the wallpaper and to paint the livingroom and bathroom for me. They came by to get a look at what needs to be done and were supposed to call and give me an estimate. It has been two weeks and no estimate so I am looking for someone else to do that work. I am going to paint the closets myself. In my spare time. Sigh.

Yup, I had better stay on top of things this year. No time for idleness this March.

I Am NOT A Happy Camper!

2007-02-27T22:05:00.000-05:00

The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair.

Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001), "Mostly Harmless"

Yes, something has gone horribly, terribly wrong. I am not happy. In fact, I am quite definitely pissed!

The computer guy at work has been switching over to a new server and upgrading some of our programs and network. Occasionally the Parish Manager will mention to me that he will be coming in after I leave for the day to do some work on the office computer system. Monday as I was getting ready to leave, she mentioned to me that he would be coming in to work on the system that evening. No big deal, right? I wish that was true.

I had no idea that he would be transferring all of my Excell and Word files over to the newer Microsoft Office program and the new server. EVERY one of my files were messed up! I have literally hundreds and hundreds of hours put into those files... especially the Excell spreadsheets for the financial reports and budget. In fact, I had already put numerous hours into the upcoming budget for this coming fiscal year. Half of my files have totally disappeared. Most of the other half are either so corrupted as to be unrepairable and useless, or have reverted to whatever they looked like in 2003! Computer guy cannot figure out what happened nor can he find my files. NONE of those files were backed up on the old server. Luckily, I have back up copies for the General ledger and Payroll programs on CDs. The settings for my reports were messed up, but I can deal with that easily.

I have older copies of a few of the files on my computer at home. But most of the bigger files I am having to redo from scratch. Had I known that he was transferring files, I would have backed up the important ones to a CD before he tried to transfer them. Some of the other staff members had no idea that he was coming and arrived at work today to find that they could not use their computers... they were told by the Parish Manager that it may be 2 to 3 weeks! I find that hard to believe. I would think that computer guy could get them access in a day or so. Since they didn't know what was being done, they did not back up their files to a CD or disk.

So, many of my upcoming nights at home will be spent rebuilding those Excell files. I don't have time to do my regular work and rebuild the files during my regular workday. Tonight I started working on the quarterly financial report which is 4 legal pages long. I am sooooooooooo delighted.

I Am Working On A New Template...

2007-02-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope!

It's Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T01:02:00.000-05:00

Sweethearts all over the country will be gifting each other with cards, flowers, and candy. Good for them. I think I will spend my day contemplating other ways of celebrating...

Meme Bisque

2007-02-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

I got this meme from Frustrated Writer. He had deleted a couple of levels, so I have added a couple back in to the list. I've Done 109 out of 158 random things.

Random Things I Have Done:
Level 1
(x) Smoked A Cigarette
( ) Smoked A Cigar
(x) Smoked Weed (it was one time a VERY long time ago and I think I did inhale!)
(x) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex (family members)
(x) Drank Alcohol

Level 2
(x) Are / Have Been In Love
(x) Been Dumped
( ) Shoplifted
(x) Been Fired (assuming "layed off" counts)
( ) Been In A Fist Fight

Level 3
( ) Snuck Out Of A Parent's House
(x) Had Feelings For Someone Who Didn't Have Them Back
( ) Been Arrested
(x) Made Out With A Stranger
(x) Gone Out On A Blind Date

Level 4
(x) Had A Crush On An Older Person (4 years older than me)
( ) Skipped School
(x) Slept With A Fellow Student (I married a fellow student!)
(x) Seen Someone / Something Die
(x) Said a bad word

Level 5
( ) Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Facebook Friends (Don't use Facebook)
( ) Been To Paris
( ) Been To Spain
(x) Been On A Plane
(x) Thrown Up From Drinking

Level 6
(x) Eaten Sushi
( ) Been Snowboarding
( ) Met Someone BECAUSE Of Facebook (Again, don't use facebook)
( ) Been in a Mosh Pit
(x) Been on a road trip

Level 7
(x) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(x) Taken Pain Killers
(x) Love/Like Loved/Liked Someone Who You Cant Have
(x) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel

Level 8
(x) Had A Tea Party
(x) Flown A Kite
(x) Built A Sand Castle
( ) Gone Mudding/Offroading
(x) Played Dress Up

Level 9
(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(x) Gone Sledding
(x) Cheated While Playing A Game
(x) Been Lonely
( ) Fallen Asleep At Work / School

Level 10
(x) Watched The Sun Set
( ) Felt An Earthquake
(x) Killed A Snake
( ) Been in a fire
( ) Been in a hurricane

Level 11
(x) Been Tickled
(x) Been Robbed / Vandalized
(x) Stolen something
(x) Been Misunderstood
( ) Been in a Tornado

Level 12
(x) Won A Contest
( ) Been Suspended From School
( ) Had Detention
(x) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident
(x) Watched fireworks on the water

Level 13
(x) Had / Have Braces
(x) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) Danced in the moonlight
(x) Ran in the rain
(x) Screamed at the top of your lungs

Level 14
(x) Hated The Way You Looked
(x) Witnessed A Crime
( ) Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
( ) Been obsessed with post-it-notes

Level 15
(x) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(x) Been Lost
(x) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World (Is Yugoslavia far enough?)
(x) Swam In The Ocean
(x) Felt Like You Were Dying

Level 16
(x) Cried Yourself To Sleep
( ) Played Cops And Robbers
(x) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
( ) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

Level 17
(x) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't
( ) Made Prank Phone Calls
(x) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
(x) Kissed In The Rain
(x) Played Ping-pong

Level 18
( ) Written A Letter To Santa Claus
(x) Been Kissed Under A Mistletoe
(x) Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care / Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
(x) Made A Bonfire On The Beach or Anywhere

Level 19
( ) Crashed A Party
(x) Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
(x) Gone Rollerskating / Blading
(x) Had A Wish Come True
( ) Been Humped By A Monkey (WHAT?)

Level 20
(x) Worn Pearls
(x) Jumped Off A Bridge
( ) Swam With Dolphins
( ) Rode a Camel

Level 21
(x) Eaten a dog biscuit
(x) Paddled in a Kayak
(x) Tubed on a river
(x) Stayed up all night watching TV
(x) Touched a Stingray

Level 22
(x) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/Ice Cube
( ) Kissed A Fish
(x) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
(x) Sat On A Roof Top
( ) Kissed A Worm

Level 23
(x) Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
( ) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
( ) Recently Pulled An All-Nighter
(x) Ridden a Ferriswheel

Level 24
(x) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
(x) Had / Been In A Tree House
( ) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone
(x) Peed in your pants

Level 25
( ) Believed In Ghosts
(x) Have had More Than 30 Pairs Of Shoes
( ) Gone Streaking
(x) Visited Jail
(x) Scared of the dark

Level 26
( ) Played Chicken
(x) Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(x) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
(x) Broken A Bone
(x) Been Easily Amused

Level 27
(x) Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
( ) Made A Porn Video/Got Asked To Make One
(x) Caught A Butterfly
(x) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(x) Cried So Hard You Laughed

Level 28
( ) Mooned / Flashed Someone
(x) Had Someone Moon / Flash You
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
(x) French Braided Someones Hair
( ) Been Kicked Out Of Your House

Level 29
(x) Rode A Roller Coaster
(x) Went Scuba-Diving / Snorkeling
(x) Had A Cavity
( ) Black-Mailed Someone
( ) Been Black Mailed

Level 30
(x) Been cheated on in a relationship
( ) Cheated in a relationship
(x) Camped in a tent in below freezing weather
(x) Seen a flash flood
( ) Eaten an insect

Level 31
(x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
( ) Licked A Cat
(x) Bitten Someone
(x) Licked Someone

Level 32
( ) Been Shot At/Held At Gunpoint
( ) Had Sex In The Rain
( ) Flattened Someone's Tires
(x) Rode your car/truck until the gas light came on
(x) Got five dollars or less worth of gas

Cream Of Meme Soup

2007-02-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

I am working on answering the questions to a couple of different memes. Tonight I will post the first of the two which is the one that I "borrowed" from The Rat Squeaks. When I finish the other one I will post it as well. Sometimes they are interesting, sometimes they are not.

1. FIRST NAME?
Margaret (nick name - Peggy)
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes, there were Margarets on my dad's side of the tree, and my middle name comes from my mother's sister.
3. BETTER TALKER OR LISTENER?
Listener
4. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
About 2 weeks ago
5. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
When I am not writing in a hurry, yes
6. WHAT IS YOU FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Ham
7. KIDS?
4 - 2 boys, 2 girls
8. WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes
9. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Yes
10. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
I try to avoid it
11. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes
12. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Nope
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Nut Cheerioes
14. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes, but I tend to avoid shoes that tie.
15. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Mentally yes, physically no
16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Peppermint
17. SHOE SIZE?
9 1/2
18. RED OR PINK?
Pink
19. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My abdomen
20. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My dad
21. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
It would be interesting
22. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING?
Blue jeans and bare feet
23. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Tuna and noodles
24. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
TV
25. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Pink
26. FAVORITE SMELL?
Roses
27. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My Sister-in-Law, Laura
28. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Their eyes
29. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
No one sent this to me. I "borrowed" from The Rat Squeaks and made a few changes.
30. FAVORITE DRINK?
Mamosa
31. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Football
32. HAIR COLOR?
Brown
33. EYE COLOR?
Brown
34. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No
35. FAVORITE FOOD?
Porterhouse steak, rare to medium rare
37. FAVORITE HYMN?
Breathe
38. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue
39. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?
Yes
40. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs
41. FAVORITE MOVIE?
Pride and Prejudice
42. WINTER OR SUMMER OLYMPICS?
Winter
43. SUMMER OR WINTER WEATHER?
Winter
44. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
From Maintenance to Mission
45. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A picture of my cat and stuffed mouse... and my mouse, of course!
46. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Heroes
47. FAVORITE HOBBY?
Basket weaving or Potter's wheel... not currently doing either, but still enjoy looking. I hope to get back to one of them in the future.
48. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
49. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME?
Yugoslavia
50. FAVORITE STORE?
Macys
51. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
December 26th in Newark, NJ (I apologize for the location, but I had no say in the matter... I did most of my growing up in St. Petersburg, FL)
52. SIBLINGS?
1 sister
53. HEELS OR FLATS?
flip flops
54. SWEET OR UNSWEET TEA?
Usually unsweetened, but I also like sweet tea.
55. SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?
Un poco

Slip Slidin Away

2007-02-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

Yup, that was this years theme for the Superbowl. The field was a giant Slip 'n Slide. The ball was a greased pig. But it was a great game and the Colts won! Favorite commercial??? Why the Blockbuster commercial with the rodents, of course!

It's That Time Again!

2007-02-04T01:29:00.000-05:00

Later today I will be camped out in front of the TV with millions of other Americans to watch the Superbowl being played in Miami. Some years I really don't care who wins. This year however, I am rooting for the Colts. Below is a picture of the two main reasons that the Colts are my choice.

Tony Dungy is still a favorite in the Tampa Bay area from his years of coaching the Bucs. He really is a class act. He and Peyton Manning deserve this. I'm sorry if you are pulling for the Bears... I hope they play well but lose!

Saved By A Hop, Skip, And A Jump

2007-02-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

You have probably seen on the news that the weather has not been good to Central Florida the past few days. The night before the worst of the early morning tornadoes hit and devastated numerous central communities, I heard on the weather that there was a tornado in Crystal River making a beeline for Dunnellon where my mother lives. It was after 11:15 pm so I chose not to call and frighten her and continued to keep up on the weather data. Luckily for the residents of Dunnellon the tornadoes either dissipated or skipped over their small town only to reemerge on the ground and create havoc in other communities. My mom slept through the whole thing! She didn't even know about it until she watched the news the next morning!

At least with this go-round the local and state authorities, as well as FEMA, seem to have their act together. So many of the people hit were retirees who will have a difficult time adjusting to the adversity of their current situation. Also, I don't think that we have the final death toll. There is still much sifting through of houses and many mobile homes to be done. For some reason tornadoes seem to be attracted to mobile home communities. Weather people say that is not true. Maybe it is because there are so many of them? No, I think tornadoes are attracted to them for some reason!

Since my mom is fairly remote, I have asked her to get a weather emergency radio that will wake her up in a weather emergency. She used to keep one at the lake in Minnesota, but has not had one for her place in Dunnellon. Thankfully, that will now change. I can't control the weather, but at least I can reduce my worry-level knowing that she will at least have ample warning if we have any more nasty spring storms. Central Florida is know as the lightning capitol of the world for good reason. Our storms can get pretty ferocious, even though our tornadoes are usually short lived and usually only F-1. This event was obviously an anomaly!

We will continue to have cruddy weather this weekend. This coming week will be cooler, but hopefully the sun will shine and we will get a break from the gloomy clouds. Not that I want to encourage hot weather... I would just prefer cool and sunny! I think the people with no roofs or roof damage and no electrcity would prefer that as well.

Poem

2007-02-03T16:18:00.000-05:00

I came across this poem today while looking for something else on the internet. It was a favorite of mine as a child. I used to have a book of poems that I avidly read in elementary school (and after) that it was in along with a few other favorites.

Mice
by Rose Fyleman

I think mice are nice.

Their tails are long
Their faces small,
They haven't any
Chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run about
The house at night.
They nibble things
They shouldn't touch
And no one seems
To like them much.

But I think mice
Are nice

February 2nd

2007-02-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, Groundhog Day is here again. I think I know what the little fellow will decide tomorrow...

Since the weather here has been a little less than desirable this week, and we are expecting another few days of yucky weather, perhaps Phil should consider Hawaii. However, we are still better off than poor Ralph and his never-ending snow shoveling!

LOL

2007-01-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

I just read a hilarious post that I highly recommend you read. It is called Urban Legend and was posted on January 27th. The author lives in Colorado. I have provided a link below to further encourage you to read the post:

Homespun Headlines

Don't forget to leave Ralph a comment when you finish laughing!

Not Quite Chestnuts Roasting...

2007-01-27T16:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, the weather has changed a bit. I have actually been able to have a couple of cozy fires in the fireplace. I love it! The weather has dipped down into the lower forties at night... and maybe a bit lower this next week. I am a happy camper... and I am still able to wear my flip flops in the house.

The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank

2007-01-20T23:24:00.001-05:00

I have been reading some other bloggers' post about the nasty weather being experienced in some parts of the country. In particular I note poor Ralph of Homespun Headlines who had to purchase a new snow shovel due to the fact that he had worn out his old one. I have never had to use a snow shovel.

On the other hand, if you live in Florida you experience supersonic grown rate of all types of grass and weeds during the summer months and rainy season. There was a time when it was my responsibility to mow our grass. This came about because Himself was too busy to get to it often enough, and by the time I would try to do it, the grass over the septic tank was so thick and high that I couldn't get the lawnmower through it.

Given the choice, I guess I would chose the grass over the snow. You can always hire a lawn service to keep up with it. Snow is not as predictable. When it comes you either shovel it, blow it, or you are stuck.

Just to rub it in a bit, I will tell you that I am still sporting my flip-flops. Yes, it is still flip-flop weather around here, but pleasantly so. The temperature has been in the upper 70s which is wonderful. I am waiting for another cool spell so I can pretend that it is winter... maybe even get a small fire going in the fireplace. I did get one in with a chilly spell we had a few weeks ago. Then it got hot again.

So shovel your snow, and I will continue to wish for some cooler weather. Maybe one of these days I will get to visit up north where I can play in the snow a bit again. I just don't want to have to deal with it on a daily basis. I can drive in heavy rainstorms, but I doubt that I would do that well in snow. The grass is always greener and the snow is always whiter.

Mystery Solved

2007-01-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well the joke is on me! It seems that my comment settings were mysteriously changed to comment moderation. I had "L" try to leave a comment to see if there was a problem... yup, there was! She let me know about the message that she got when she left a comment... mystery solved. I couldn't figure out why everyone had stopped leaving comments. Guess I'm still loved a little.

Looking Back at 2006

2007-01-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

First I think that I will take a look at how I did with last January's New Year Resolutions....

Take the higher road. It was a struggle but there were some significant times when I was successful with this one... but there is still room for improvement!

Limit my blogging absences to shorter periods of time. Hmmm... I think I did about the same as the previous year.

Go on at least one cruise, two if I can manage it. Took one cruise!

Make a new financial plan and stick to it. I did pretty good with this one!

Visit my son in Hartford. Did it!

Set up storage, but only put into it things that are important to keep... NO junk! (unless, of course, there is some significant sentimental reason for keeping it) Well, storage was set up, but as I watched the movers move some of my furniture into the unit, I realized that I really did not want to keep a lot of that furniture!

Take nights out with friends once or twice a week. The first part of the year I did twice a week, the second half of the year has been mostly once a week.

Avoid office gossip. It is difficult to avoid, but I did have some improvement in this area. At least I was able to reduce participation in it if not the hearing end of it. I am learning to politely walk away.

Visit a new place at least once a quarter. I was successful in two quarters out of four.

Call my mother at least once a week. She has actually called me so often that it has been difficult to initiate many calls, but I have improved in this area.

Pray more. Sadly, I am probably in the same mode as the year before.No improvement.

Improve my level of patience. Some improvement.

Plan time with my oldest daughter at least once a month. I failed!

Celebrate with my younger son his accomplishment of receiving a Masters Degree in Engineering. The celebration was not what I had hoped :o(

Eat more peppermint ice cream. Definitely successful!

Drink more Mimosas with L. Ahhh... sadly I was horribly inadequate with this one... but 2007 is another year!

Enjoy more sunsets. Yes

Enjoy more sunrises. Yes

Keep my office neater (i.e., keep up with my filing and shredding) Fairly successful.

Finish my ironing by the end of the year. Still have ironing to do...

For 2007 I will keep nearly all of the above list!

Next... This will be a repeat of what I did last January... I will probably do this each year even if it does not turn out to be very interesting...

What was the first line from your blog
the first post of each month
in 2006?

January
I am stealing this idea from "The Peanut Queen's Lair"

February
It's Wednesday, I'm home earlier than usual, and I have time to post before I go on my nightly walk with my neighbor, Rosie.

March
This picture reminds me particularly of Useless Advice From Useless Men.

April
My best friend once said "Throw flowers with a whole lot of love And a little bit of sadness"

May
Thought for the day

June
It has been hot and muggy here... and it isn't as hot as it will be in another month!

July
Well, L at Random_Speak is finally back to posting, and her current post provides a link to The Advertising Slogan Generator.

August
Yes, my cable connection is pouting again and therefore I am without internet at home.

September
I have been a delinquent blogger, but I did tell you I would be taking a break.

October
It has been an interesting week.

November

Yippee! I can hardly wait!

December

When things were winding down after Thanksgiving and son Jason and I returned to Clearwater, we initially put our suitcases near the front door.

A Question...

2007-01-15T00:06:00.000-05:00

Do you ever respond to comments left on your blog posts? I notice that some people never do. I find that a bit odd. I don't always respond to my comments. Sometimes it is not necessary. But the interaction between bloggers through comments is certainly a fun part of the experience. I notice that especially when comments are not left on a post of mine that I expect a would elicit some responses.

Some bloggers actively respond to most of their comments... The Rat Squeaks is a good example. He can be a bit cantankerous, but his readers enjoy that, I think. Cliff Morrow also is one who is fairly consistent with responding to comments. So, how about you? Do you respond to comments or just enjoy reading them?

Still Bored...

2007-01-14T16:50:00.000-05:00

I went back for another quiz... guess I'm still bored and very glad I didn't come up as Phoebe!

You scored as Rachel. Popular and stylish you're Rachel. You can be a little vain at times but your heart is in the right place.

Rachel

60%

Monica

60%

Phoebe

50%

Ross

45%

Chandler

35%

Joey

25%

Which Friend are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

I Always New It Was True!

2007-01-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

I was bored so I took this quiz... very interesting...

You scored as Peter Pan. Your alter ego is Peter Pan. You are a child at heart. Anything you believe is possible, and you never want to grow up.

Peter Pan

63%

Goofy

63%

The Beast

56%

Cinderella

56%

Pinocchio

50%

Sleeping Beauty

50%

Cruella De Ville

44%

Ariel

44%

Snow White

38%

Donald Duck

31%

Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego?
created with QuizFarm.com

I Am Decluttered

2007-01-12T00:31:00.000-05:00

It has been a couple of days since my last post. I don't think that anyone missed the fact that I didn't post for a couple of days since no one is currently reading this blog. I guess people got tired of waiting for me to post something. Or maybe they are tired of hearing about box-packing and coughing. Well they missed a cute poem about it all, but not much else.

I have had some friends give me a hand decluttering my house. I don't know how I would have gotten ready on time for the movers without them. Mary-who-just-can't-help-herself (some of you will remember some previous blog posts about her) was quite tenacious in getting me to get rid of things. She is probably the only person on this earth who could have gotten me to get rid of the alligator head. I will not miss dusting him, but he was a fun conversation piece to have around... for a while anyway. She also brought me soup when I was quite sick and some cold medicine that helped me get some sleep AND she brought several teenagers ( nieces, daughter and son) to help with the packing and decluttering. They were a great help. I hope they can claim some service hours for their work.

The house is listed with MLS and is currently online in numerous places. Some of the pictures were taken before all of the boxes were packed and moved, but the house actually looks pretty good in the pictures. I also like the way the realtor describes the house... "elegant" being a word I have never associated with my house. I guess I should be very careful in discerning what is really meant in the descriptions I read of houses and condos I am reading about in the listings.

I keep trying to switch to the newer version of Blogger. I keep getting invitations and reminders to do so, but when I try I am informed that my blog cannot be switched as yet because of some of my posts. And then I am told to try again at a later date. So far I haven't found a date late enough to work.

I am also without Picasa and my library of rodent pictures. I miss being able to put pictures with my posts. Hopefully, once I get the computer changeover complete I will be able to do those things successfully. I enjoy the pictures. When people used to read my posts, they seemed to enjoy them as well... except for Cliff... Cliff doesn't like rodents, but he likes teasing me about them. For instance, I sent him an email with a rat in a Santa Claus hat with the message "Ho, Ho, Ho." His return email included a picture of various D-con products and the message "Hee, Hee, Hee." That made my day.

So, that is the latest from this neck of the woods. I will try to keep up with my posting, but have a huge backload of things to get done at work. Once I get the 1099s done and catch up on the bills, I will have to complete the financial reports for the Diocese and the parish. Then it will not be long before it is budget time again. If you stop by this blog, leave a comment so that I know you have been by to read or view. If you are in the middle of winter in your neck of the woods, stay warm.

The Clutter Is Disappearing

2007-01-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

I am finding out what it feels like to be clutter free. It feels very good. I still have a few more boxes to move to storage and bags still waiting for the garbage men to pick up. The house is officially on the market with the sign out front and pictures on the internet. Not much time to write tonight, but I should be posting something tomorrow night. Hope you all are healthy!

Ach, Ach

2007-01-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

Bronchitis is a thing to dread
I think I'd be much better dead
But then there are some things undone
Perhaps some time for frivolous fun
Alas, alack twill have to wait
I need to pack another plate
The movers came and hauled stuff out
I'm am trying hard not to pout
I'll miss this place, I'm very sure
But a newer place may prove a cure
A few more trips taking stuff to storage
Then for a new home I must forage
They say there are good things ahead
If only I can get out of bed!

Still Got The Bug...

2006-12-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

Still got the bug...

Still packing...

Still tired of packing...

Hoping you have a great New Year!

Whoopie

The movers are coming on January 2nd...

Got The Bug

2006-12-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Still Stuffing Boxes Into Storage

2006-12-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

1 box, 2 boxes, 3 boxes, four
stuff them and tape them
and go get some more

1 box, 2 boxes, 3 boxes, four
five boxes, six boxes
stacked on the floor

1 box, 2 boxes, 3 boxes, four
five boxes, six boxes
shove them out the door

1 box, 2 boxes, 3 boxes, four
take them all to storage
and quickly shut the door

Yes, I am still packing up boxes. I am now packing up clothes, kitchen items, and anything that I won't need over Christmas while the kids are home. I think that I will need to get another storage unit. After Christmas I will finish moving the majority of furniture out of the house. Then I will try to exist with one bed, a chair, some paper plates, and just a few kitchen things. Of course, I will leave my computer hooked up as well and maybe the TV. With a very basic wardrobe and a few basic household items, I should do fine for a bit.

I am hoping for a quick sale of the house. Hopefully, I will find a new home soon! I am mentally ready for this move even if I am not totally packed. I am ready to get this whole move thing over with! I feel like I have been packing boxes most of my life. It will be nice to have the boys home so that I can get some of the bigger pieces of furniture moved into a Pod for the duration. The "For Sale" signs go up on January 5th.

I'll bet that most of you will like me to blog about something other that packing boxes as well!

Jingling

2006-12-08T23:03:00.000-05:00

Jingle Bells, jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to see
The shoppers try to pay

Jingle bells, jingle bells
The malls are all aglow
With sparkling lights and later nights

To make the spending flow

Jingle bells, jingle bells
The season's music plays
The kids can't wait to celebrate
They're counting off the days

Jingle bells, shmingle bells
What does all this mean?
It's up to you to keep it true
Let His love be seen

I love this season. I try to have all of my shopping done before the craziness begins... that way I can enjoy the music, the decorations, advent preparations, and the joy of anticipation of what is always a special day. If I could get away with it, I would play Christmas music throughout the year (and sometimes I do). So I hope that you have allowed time for soaking up some of that joy. If you will be celebrating Hanukkah, enjoy that time with your family and friends. God gave us these celebrations to enhance our lives and bring us closer to Him. Enjoy the time and don't forget to include Him in your celebrating.

The Lost Has Been Found

2006-12-04T23:35:00.000-05:00

Well my best jeans have reappeared. I will not divulge how, but let's just say that son Jason's good name has been cleared. They will be in the next washload as we are getting some "cold" weather tonight and they will be needed. That is Florida cold weather... you know like upper 40s F. I might get to put a log in the fireplace!

One Dilemma Solved, But Uh Oh...

2006-12-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

When things were winding down after Thanksgiving and son Jason and I returned to Clearwater, we initially put our suitcases near the front door. Since Jason was returning to Hartford very early Monday morning packing was done quickly. However, when I returned from taking Jason to the airport, I discovered a pair of his jeans (brown cords) on the floor. He had evidently forgotten them. Or so I thought...

I have been searching like a mad demon for my best pair of jeans. I knew they needed to be laundered after Thanksgiving weekend, and I have been putting together things for a dark load of laundry. My jeans have been no where to be found. I thought perhaps Jason had packed them by mistake. But my jeans are blue denim, and his jeans are brown cords. His pant legs are a gazillion miles long. How could he possibly have gotten them confused? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks... Was this his way of breaking the news to me gently?

Could son Jason possibly be starting a life of cross-dressing?

I know he has often been fond of putting on hats...

Should I tell someone?

What about his beautiful girlfriend?
Should I tell her? What will she think?

Perhaps he has developed a jealously of her wardrobe
from her pageant days?

What's a mother to do?

He always seemed like a normal guy.

What will his answer be when asked this question...

Ranting Again...

2006-11-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

It has taken me longer than I had anticipated to get to composing this rant, so some of the steam may have escaped. However, I think that the main points are still intact. Here goes...

Illegal immigration woes are an often debated subject these days. Especially the problem with illegal immigrants from Mexico. I don't disagree that illegal immigration from Mexico is creating many problems here in the USA, and places many burdens on communities that try to provide health care, education, and other services for the illegal Mexicans. On the other side of the coin, these illegal immigrants are providing cheap labor force for industries that need it. Those arguments are not what I am ranting about.

I had the opportunity to chat with a very well educated, legal Mexican immigrant who has previously worked in our area as part of a faith-based organization called FAST (Faith and Action in Service Together). This group organized people to lobby local politicians to provide for community needs such as safer school bus stops. He left our area to work for a national immigration committee. My conversation with this man opened my eyes to a source of some of our illegal immigration problems.

It seems that at one time small individual or family businesses employed 90% of the work force in Mexico. Mexico has a minimum wage that was typically significantly lower than what the majority of the workers earned in these small businesses. Enter the American corporations... Small towns across our country have experienced a bit of what has happened in Mexico. WalMart, Home Depot, or similar types of superstores move into town and with lower prices, drive the smaller stores out of business. In Mexico these corporate gars generally do not pay much above the Mexican minimum wage.

Once again we see the results of corporate greed and arrogance. Fewer jobs, lower wages, and the lure of better things across the border tempt many Mexicans to risk their lives in an attempt to find work in the USA. If they make it (and many don't), they are able to send money home to Mexico to provide for family members left behind. The unlucky ones die crossing or get stuck in sweatshops or other underground jobs that treat them as slaves.

When we complain about these illegal immigrants, I think we need to consider the fact that it is some of our own corporations that are exacerbating the problems. They get to pay lower wages and make higher profits at the expense of both Mexican and American workers. Perhaps before our country spends exorbitant amounts of money on building a wall along the border, we could somehow address what could be done to reverse what our corporations have done in Mexico. If the number of illegal immigrants declines, we will be better able to deal with the smaller numbers and concentrate on those crossing that provide a security risk or are intent mainly on criminal activity.

Rant Coming Soon...

2006-11-26T16:35:00.000-05:00

Yup

In Recovery

2006-11-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

It tasted soooo good going down!

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

2006-11-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

This month has just flown by, and I find myself surprised that next week is Thanksgiving. I guess that I had better get myself organized to make my part of the big dinner! As soon as that happens I have a Rhodent Rant that I want to post! Hope you USAers are all looking forward to your Turkey Day, too!

A Quick Look At The Cruise...

2006-11-18T14:27:00.000-05:00

Caribbean Princes

St. Martin/St. Maartin

Promenade decks

View from our balcony...
at one point I saw some flying fish and several huge Dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi)

Mom's favorite pastime and spot!

Tim showing his umbilical cord attached to the machine.
This was Tim's favorite pastime.

Views and sunsets were always gorgeous from our balcony!

Atlantis Submarine, St. Thomas
This submarine holds 48 passengers comfortably.
I would go on this excursion again and again!
We saw sharks, Barracuda, sting rays,
2 types of sea turtles,
all kinds of brightly colored fish,
coral, sea sponges,
and even an eel!
It was terrific!

The food was all very yummy!

Teresa and Cathy watching the food coming.

Jerry, Lori, and Fr. Pat

Olson serving our soup at dinner

Sawad bringing mom another bottle of wine

Fr. Pat, me, my mom

Giovanni stopping by to say hello

Baked Alaska

Happy cruisers

Some of us got a little risque...
Jeanni's boss was happy to find out it would wear/wash off in seven days!

Waiting for Godot... aka Cruise Connection Bus

Hours later... still waiting for Godot...
(note to self: next time fly or leave from another port close by)

A little lighter than before the trip

More to come when I catch up on things...

Finally! It's Time To Pack Again!

2006-11-03T23:37:00.000-05:00

Yippee! I can hardly wait! Last summer was just the beginning. I am getting ready to head out onto the sea again.

One morning soon I will be looking out a bus window on my way to Ft. Lauderdale to board the Caribbean Princess for a cruise! I am not looking forward to the bus ride, but at least I will be with friends for the long ride. Next time I will consider flying to the port.

This ship is a bit bigger and newer than the previous one I went on last summer. It even has an outdoor movie theater! Also, this time I will have a balcony to enjoy.

The cruise is a few days longer than the last one as well, so I should have more time to do some relaxing with a book and a Mimosa or two. Obviously, I will be absent from blogging while I am gone, but I will post as soon as I return. Himself will be looking after the cats and the house for me while I am gone, so I don't have to worry about things at home. I am also caught up at work. All I have left to do is finish packing!

Hey! What is this nonsense?
Yeah! How come she gets to go again!
Not fair! Not fair!
When do we get to go?
I don't know. Do you think there will be some goodies left behind?
Hmmm... this could work out for us...
Let's go check out the kitchen as soon as she goes to bed!
Yeah! Goodies!

Tonight Is The Night

2006-10-31T18:19:00.001-05:00

You betcha! Tonight all the little ghoulies and ghosties along with a few witches, cheerleaders, NY Yankee players, black cats, and the assorted mummies will be in search of that sugary energy they crave. You may even catch a few skeletons hanging around if you pay attention!

The front porches are adorned with the everpresent Halloween carved pumpkin... not just the usual Jack-O-Lantern anymore! Since my children are grown adults on their own, I have a permanently carved pumpkin that I can pull out of the closet each year. I thought I had already put it into storage but found it while packing up some other things last night. Whew! It is best not to irritate those critters that may be slinking around outside on this night...

You never know what you might find lurking for you!

Frustration

2006-10-29T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well, my cable seems to be working consistently now, but Blogger is giving me problems. It is almost impossible to publish my posts now for some reason! After numerous attempts this morning, I finally got the previous post published. I had originally written it just after midnight last night and could not get Blogger to let me finish publishing it. Being the stubborn sort of person that I am, I redid the post this morning and tried again. It took an hour, but I finally got past the following message:

There were errors. (Details...)

001java.net.ConnectException:
Connectionrefusedblog/12/47/11/rhodent/archives/2006_10_01_rhodent
_archive.html

Eventually, if I keep signing out and coming back, each time trying to publish the post, publishing happens a bit at a time. So now I will attempt to get this post published in the same manner. I wonder how long this one will take? Yes, I am still getting the above message when I try to publish this post!

Preparations

2006-10-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

I am finally getting around to thinking about setting out the Halloween decorations. Actually, I have a lot of them in storage, but I do have a couple of things to put out... and I have purchased the obligatory bags of candy.

I have even had my first taste of candy corn for the season... probably also my last! I'm more a fan of Tootsie Roll Pops and Snickers. Normally, I would have the nut bowl out on the coffee table in the livingroom filled with nuts and nutcrackers handy. However, the livingroom is currently housing moving boxes and the coffee table is in storage.

While moving things to boxes and generally cleaning up around the house, I have been plotting and scheming. That trivia game is going to be fun! I will probably have more fun planning it than the kids will have playing, but I can live with that!

Unfortunately, my planned family post is going to have to be put off until after the holidays. I don't have pictures of some family members that I want to include. So, I will attempt to remedy that over Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the meantime, I will continue to select from the pictures that I do have the ones that I want to use. As with the trivia game, I am probably going to have more fun working on the post than you will have reading it and seeing the pictures. I can live with that as well!

Fall Back

2006-10-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

For those of you impacted by the pesky daylight savings thing each year, don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight. NOT being a morning person, it is always a difficult adjustment for me when we lose an hour. However, falling back means gaining an hour, so to speak, and that makes me a happy camper for a while... until I have to spring ahead. This rodent does no springing when I lose an hours sleep!

So fall back tonight if you are able... in the spring I will lug my weary carcass out of bed an hour earlier and curse whoever came up with the stupid idea. Why do they want to mess with our biorhythms anyway? Sheesh!

What's Going On?

2006-10-28T00:08:00.000-04:00

Where do you think she is?
Ya got me.
That must be some post she's working on since her last one.
Yeah... how big IS her family?
Do you think that cable got fixed yet?
Who knows?
Should we keep waiting?
Huh?
Well, do you think she is coming back?
Ya got me!
Aw, lets give her a couple of days. Ok?
Okay by me.
Got any snacks?

A Bit Of Fun Ahead

2006-10-19T22:53:00.000-04:00

I have decided to work on a post about my family with lots of pictures. If I had access to a scanner I could scan some of the pictures of my kids and myself from younger years. That is if I had access to the pictures... they all seem to be packed in boxes in storage at the moment. So you will have to be satisfied with some more recent photos... maybe by Saturday. Right now I am just going through the pictures that I have available to use.

While thinking about family, especially my kids, I have dreamed up a trivia game to play with them over Thanksgiving when everyone is sitting around with tummies full of turkey and pumpkin pie. Each of my offspring will have the opportunity to come up with the answers to each question asked of them. Of course they will not be easy questions. They will be little facts that may be hard to figure out. I'd give you a sample now, but I don't want to give anything away. I have some REALLY good questions for them! Yup, I am going to have a wonderful time with this!

Long Day

2006-10-17T22:30:00.000-04:00

Today was a long one for me. I was up early and didn't get home from work until after 7 o'clock tonight. I stayed busy pretty much all day, so it went quickly, but I am brain dead tonight. Therefore I am just gifting you with the above cute picture and then heading to bed. I intend to have wonderful dreams about something romantic or fun. Ta Ta for now... My blankie awaits!

Cable Problems Partially Patched... Perhaps

2006-10-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

As you may recall, I have been having serious misgivings about my cable of late. As it is frequently not working, I think I have reason to be skeptical about what happened today...

The cable guy kept the appointment and thoroughly investigated my cable set up. He fiddled with the box and cable. He went outside and fiddled with the cable out there. He checked his meter thingy at least three times in my presence. He did a lot of wrinkled brow and head-shaking mannerisms. He mumbled a bit. He told me I have an older box that I could switch out at the Roadrunner pay station not too far from here. His conclusion? Well...

...it seems that it is an "area problem" of some sort. This conjured up all sorts of images in my mind. Like digging up underground cable lines, or big trucks with cherry pickers driving around. Or perhaps multiple member crews walking up and down the streets with their nifty meter thingys checking out eveyone's amps or voltage or something. Mostly it made me realize that the problem was most likely not going to fixed today. And guess what? I was correct!

I have a temporary fix (see above illustration). The cable guy informed me that he did the best he could to "boost the signal" or something and that I should see a difference in three days by which time the "area problem" should be resolved. It's no wonder that I am often intrigued by shows on the SciFi channel... it's all real!!!

So here I sit, sort of able to have a secure internet connection. At least the outages of service are much more infrequent. I have been able to get this post done. I have been able to pay a few bills on-line. I have been able to read my email. Yes, and all of this in one sitting!

Also of interest (to me, anyway) today... I had another bone fragment finally let loose of my gums. I don't want to say that it may be the last one... don't want to get my hopes up. I figure that sooner or later I will run out of fragments-- or jaw bone.

Another Quickie

2006-10-14T21:39:00.001-04:00

You gotta be pretty quick to get something posted around here of late. The cable is still blinking on and off. The Road Runner repair person will be here Monday afternoon to hopefully fix the problem. It's a good thing, too, because I think I am beginning to twitch from the stress!

The weather has been wonderful around here of late. Fall is definitely here... Florida style. My son called me yesterday to let me know that he was lighting his first fire in his fireplace for the season. Obviously he does not live in Florida! Some of my neighbors have been in Toronto for a wedding and have had the pleasure of a few snowfalls while there. Personally, I love the snow... for a visit. I would be clueless about winterizing a home and driving in the cold, snow and ice.

I hope that you all are experiencing and enjoying some nice fall weather. Maybe this week I will start checking on prices for a replacement heater for the hot tub in the back yard. What would Christmas vacation be without some hot tub time!

Cheers!

Yet Again?

2006-10-13T15:39:00.000-04:00

Once again my Road Runner cable at home is floundering. It keeps going out intermittantly. It has been doing this for a week. I am at work, so this will be short... I will post again as soon as I can.

Quick Post

2006-10-08T23:44:00.000-04:00

Got up this am

Went to church

had brunch out

mouth still hurts

yada yada yada

watched Bucs lose
watched Cowboys lose

played games on computer

watched Desperate Housewives
watched news

read some blogs

going to bed

oops

need to wash some clothes

oh well
I'll get up earlier

Magic Sliders And Sunset Boating

2006-10-07T18:10:00.001-04:00

I really slept soundly last night and slept in a bit this morning. I think that yesterday's activities were a good prelude to sound sleep.

I started my Friday by arriving a bit early to work. After following my usual morning routine for a bit, I decided it was time to try out the "Magic Sliders" I has purchased on Wednesday to move the heavy safe in my office. They really do work! One of the maintenance men was originally going to help, but as he was busy and I didn't want to wait, I did it myself. It was really quite easy. I just tipped the safe and cabinet it was sitting on just enough to scoot the sliders under each corner with my big toe. Then I proceeded to slide the unit across the rug to where I thought I wanted it to go. I was quite pleased with myself, and made sure that everyone came into my office to see MY handiwork. Of course, I am a bit sore today, but I won't admit that to anyone at work!

One of my coworkers, Captain Mike, and his wife invited another couple and me out on their boat last night. It was absolutely beautiful! We went out for the sunset, some wine and cheese, and some good company. As the sun was setting in the West, the full moon was rising in the East. We saw huge flocks of seabirds and small schools of fish jumping about of foot or so out of the water because they were being chased by some hungry bigger fish. The weather was absolutely perfect, too. It was pleasantly cool... I didn't even need a sweater!

What a day! What a night! Tomorrow, I will think of some other things that I can move with Magic Sliders. Tonight I will dream of magic boat rides.

Hi There!

2006-10-04T20:59:00.002-04:00

The trip to the oral surgeon this morning went as expected. She is surprised at the size of the last bone fragment that surfaced and is still in the dark about why these bone fragments are popping up now. If the trend continues, she will do the surgery to look at the jawbone. She just doesn't want to rush it, so if I am still having problems after two months she will schedule the surgery.

I had dinner out with the gang tonight. Good food and good friends is always fun. We will be going out on one of the couples boat for a sunset cruise on Friday night... wine, cheese, and a beautiful sunset. And I think the weather will be perfect!

Girls' Night Out is tomorrow night. Just a quick dinner at Steak N Shake because we will be hitting the opening of the new Kohls store in town. If it is too crazy, I will head to the mall to avoid the crowds.

So, I should be able to post again on Saturday if I don't post something tomorrow night. I sure hope that you all are having a great week!

Looking Forward

2006-10-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

It has been an interesting week. The weather has changed a bit and is giving us a hint of Fall. I probably had my last swim in the pool for this year... unless we get another extended warm spell. I'll miss the pool, but I really look forward each year to the cooler weather. In addition to weather changes I am still dealing with additional bone fragments making their appearance. I figure that I will eventually run out of bone so it has to end at some point!

This past week my son Matthew was in the area for a program class for work. He extended his stay to include the weekend so that he could spend some time with family. It was good seeing him. I got to meet one of the guys he works with at Lockheed Martin in Virginia. The girls, Matt and I along with a few others got to go out for dinner one of the nights to Bern's Steak House which is always a treat. "L" outdid herself with the most expensive meal. Somehow, I think I got a lot more from my steak (at least 2 meals) that she did for her tablespoon of caviar at $65! The lady sure has expensive tastes! Sigh.

Other than that I don't have much else to post about that is new. I am still popping pain pills and penicillin and am looking forward to another visit to the oral surgeon tomorrow morning. As I indicated in my first paragraph, sooner or later I will run out of jaw bone. I will concentrate on looking forward to the fall weather, Halloween, and my next cruise.

An Interactive Post

2006-09-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

It seems that the pain in my jaw has had an impact on my brain functions. I don't normally have any difficulty in coming up with a limerick for any subject. At this time I can come up with the first four lines of a number of limericks about my dental dilemmas, but I have failed miserably in finishing them off with that one final line. So, using a bit of creative brain power that I have left, I decided that it might be fun to see if my blogger friends can come up with some interesting or funny final lines to the ones I have started. I finished a couple, but the rest are yours to complete...

Poor Rhodent has been in a funk
Her spirits have rapidly sunk
One thing or another
Including her mother

_______________________

Rhodent's blogging has been very scant
She has not even posted a rant
A piece of her jaw
Has made her gums raw

________________________

Twas a piece so seemingly small
You'd think it would not hurt at all
But it caused so much pain
That it drove her insane
So the surgeon recieved a phone call

I finally have some relief
And I managed to keep all my teeth
The fragment of bone
That caused me to moan

_________________________

Twas only a fragment of bone
That refused to leave me alone
I've taken my pills
And paid a few bills
But the reason still remains quite unknown

Bonus:

Detection
Infection
Rejection
Small Section
________________

Okay then. Get those creative brain cells working. You can do it!

Poor Pitiful Pearl

2006-09-25T22:38:00.002-04:00

Yup, that's me... Poor, Pitiful Pearl. I have not been blogging of late because I have been tired of blogging about my woes. Life has been throwing me a few curve balls, but I will get through it.

To keep you up to date... I am still having problems with the bone fragments deciding to pop through my gums and cause nasty infections and a bit more pain than I care to experience on an ongoing daily basis. I went back to the oral surgeon today and had another X-ray, exam, an $85.00 bill to pay, and another appointment for a week and a half from today.

My mom has been doing fairly well physically after her brief stay at the hospital. Her mind is probably in another dimension somewhere. Currently she is on her way to Europe on a tour of the Scandinavian Capitols with a friend as part of a tour group. I made sure she got on her plane safely. I will be holding my breath for a couple of weeks until she is back in the states. I had to forego my pain pills while driving to pick her up 2 hours away, then driving another two hours to take her to the airport, and finally after getting her checked in and on her way, driving another 40 minutes home. I was not a happy camper about the pain, but I really didn't mind getting her to the airport. I would just have preferred it to be less painful!

Her friend will look after her, but the trip did not start off well. I got a frantic call on my cell phone from her friend who was supposed to meet her at the Atlanta airport. It seems she had been missing for a while. No one had seen her get off her plane and they had been looking all over for her. After an hour or so they found her sitting quietly waiting for someone to show up. I am certain that she was not a bit phased by the whole thing. I will feel like I am holding my breath, but I have faith that she will return in one piece. Her friend, on the other hand, may soon suffer from a stroke, heart attack, nervous tic or some other sort of anxiety related affliction.

Himself and I are still living in the same house even though the divorce is final. He has found a place to rent and will be moving into it in a few weeks. There has been some discussion among family about moving my mom in with me in my current home. I am still not sure that is the best plan. It also leaves me in limbo for a bit. Do I finish packing, start unpacking, or do nothing? Will I be able to afford to stay in the house? Do I want to stay in the same house?

My last paycheck was pretty sorry-looking as I had missed so much work between my mom being in the hospital and my mouth problems. The next one will not come too soon! Looks like it is a good thing that I have managed to put a bit into savings!

So that is me these days... Poor Pitiful Pearl. Now do you see why I have avoided blogging? I need to get some new material. Something a bit more pleasant. I will work on it. Right now I need to go pop another antibiotic and pain pill. Ciao!

Another Exciting Day In The Life Of Rhodent

2006-09-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

Accentuate the positive...
I had a great night's sleep last night. I got a lot done at work today. I tried a new (to me) cereal and really liked it. The cats were glad to see me come home tonight. We had a wonderful rain storm today. Looks like we will have a couple of nice days ahead. I finished my antibiotics for the infection in my mouth tonight.

Deal with the reality...
I have started to break out in hives. I have evidently developed an allergy to the antibiotic I have been taking for the infection in my mouth. I don't think I will have a great night's sleep tonight, and I have to get up extra early tomorrow morning to get ready for a repairman in to fix some windows.

Life goes on... but I am a bit itchy at the moment.

More Boring Tooth Woes

2006-09-18T23:38:00.000-04:00

I went to the oral surgeon on Friday morning. She looked in my mouth for 10 seconds, and then told me to continue rinsing my mouth with warm salt water, to finish my antibiotics, and return in two weeks. For that I had the pleasure of paying $65.00. The main reason that the endodontist sent me to her was to look at the jaw bone where he had cleaned out the infection. She didn't want to disturb the thin layer of skin covering the exposed bone.

The last time I had this problem it was in my back molar on the opposite side. I had pieces of dead bone sluffing off from when I had my wisdom teeth removed in 1971... over 30 years ago. The endodontist told me to make sure to tell her about that experience which happened within the past year. I did. She wasn't listening. For some reason she thought that the hole in my gums was from something I did to puncture my gum. I think I must have repeated the pertinent information 3 times. Evidently she had something more inportant to do and was out of the room in record time.

So I have been popping pain pills, trying to work, and trying to deal with what is going on with my mother at the current time. I am not sure that I want to go back to this same doctor for my next appointment. If I am going to waste another $65.00, I can think of much better things to do with that money!

This, by the way, is my excuse for being a negligent blogger... and I didn't even have to make it up!

If you want a good chuckle, stop by Cliff Morrow's Blog and read his post from Sunday, September 17th. He is a funny man!

Ugh

2006-09-13T23:07:00.000-04:00

Went to the endodontist this morning...

Still on pain pills...

and antibiotics...

I need more pain pills...

Appointment with the oral surgeon on Friday!

Could Things Be Sorting Themselves Out?

2006-09-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

I must have done something right and your prayers must be working because some of the confusion in my life might possibly be getting clearer. Here is what is happening...

Tomorrow morning I will go back to the endodontist so that he can decide what the next step for my infected tooth and gums will be... resolution to this is a good thing... at least something will be done even if it is to pull the tooth.

I have had a couple of good conversations with my sister in California regarding my mom. What a relief! My sister now understands better what the situation is with my mom and is willing to let me take the lead with decisions about her care since I am the one here and having to deal with everything. After the doctor visit today and the news that she cannot drive, my mom is beginning to realize that she will need to make some adjustments.

Himself was quite helpful over the past few days... including driving me up to Dunnellon and picking up my mom to take her to the doctor in Ocala since I could not drive while taking the pain meds for my mouth. He also surprised me by making a very helpful suggestion regarding housing for me and for my mom. I will not go into it just yet, but I did talk to my sister about his idea and she agrees. Once I have it all clearer in my mind I will post something about it. Hopefully it will work out, and my life will be much more sane.

So, thank you all for the prayers, and please don't stop!

My friend Rosie has been investigating the blogosphere and may soon have her own blog up and going. I will post a link to her blog as soon as I have her blog address. Right now I am off to read your blogs which I have been missing the last couple of days!

Ok, If I Yell Uncle Will It Stop?

2006-09-08T22:42:00.002-04:00

It has been a tough week so this will be a short post. My mother went into the emergency clinic on Tuesday night and was transferred to the hospital on Wednesday morning. I have been up there spending most of my time waiting to talk to doctors and trying to explain what is going on to my mother and listening to my sister in California who thinks she knows better than I do what should be done... according to her-- nothing, since everything is fine. Right.

On top of that, one of my back teeth on which I have had a root canal and gold crown work, is giving me quite a bit of pain. No nerves in the tooth so I figure it must be some sort of infection. Yay. I have missed three and a half days of work... non-paid since all my remaining vacation time is booked for the November cruise.

Now I know that there are a lot of people out there who have it worse than me. Things could be worse, but I still want sympathy. I think I have had enough to deal with over the past year. Uncle. Uncle. UNCLE! The tooth pain on top of everything else is making me crazy.

I will post more when I can get my head clear again. Have a good weekend!

D-Day Rhodent Style

2006-09-02T23:51:00.000-04:00

I have been a deliquent blogger, but I did tell you I would be taking a break. I'm back. I have news...

My divorce became final on August 30th!!!

Oh yay! Oh Yay!
But...

Something just doesn't seem quite right... WE are still living together in the same house! How did this happen? I am still looking for a place to buy. Himself just started to look for a place to rent. WE are still trying to get the house ready to put up for sale. Somehow things seem to be backwards. Oh well, at least ONE important thing got completed!

I will post again soon... probably on Monday since tomorrow I am picking my mom up at the airport and taking her home to Dunnellon. It will be a long day.

In the meantime...

I am looking for a recipe for scones.

If anyone out there has a good recipe please share!

Have a wonderful Labor Day Holiday if Monday is your holiday to celebrate!

Okay, So I Lied...

2006-08-27T16:48:00.000-04:00

I am evidently not going to be taking a break from worrying, and I couldn't resist posting this lovely picture...

If you look at the projected position for Thursday at 8:00 a.m., I live on that little finger of land right under it. I sure hope the projected path changes over the next few days. They are already evacuating the tourists from the Florida Keys.

Taking A Break

2006-08-26T19:30:00.000-04:00

I am taking a break from...

hunting for a new place to live
packing boxes
worrying
&
blogging

but I will be back soon.

This 'N That Again

2006-08-19T21:10:00.000-04:00

Tonight I am watching the Buccaneers and the Dolphins play as I am packing boxes. I am thrilled to have the Bucs back to watch on TV! I do however, need to put a short post up so that my blogger friends know I am still alive.

I did make it through mediation on Thursday afternoon. The mediator was very professional and things went very smoothly for the first half of mediation. Then things got complicated with some petty little details. Rather than give you all of the details, I am going to post a few pictures that portray the various emotions and thoughts that occurred during the afternoon of negotiating...

So that was it. No particular order for the pictures... use your imagination for what they portray. I think that overall, things went well. It was not easy, but it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Just hope you can avoid the pleasure.

Last night a friend and neighbor and her two children invited me over to their house to watch a movie. It was a "pajama party" as we were all dressed for bed. I slipped some shoes on and a bathrobe and headed down the street. We watched "failure To Launch" which was quite amusing. Terry Bradshaw was in it. He doesn't have to act. All he has to do is be his normal self. He was hilarious. He even had a nude seen. Sheesh! Anyway, we sipped some wine and laughed and then I trotted back home.

Tomorrow, the same neighbor and her kids and a next-door neighbor on the other side are coming over for a dip in the pool. We are serving frozen margaritas in plastic glasses so that we can stay cool as the pool water temperature is now 92 degrees. It is like bathwater!

It may be Tuesday or Wednesday before I get the chance to post again. Things will be hectic for the next couple of days and I need to finish up the many projects around the house so we can get the house put on the market. Since we are both stuck living here until the house sells, we are both anxious to get the house sold!

Containing Terror

2006-08-13T20:13:00.000-04:00

I was relieved the other day to hear that another terrorist plot had been discovered and stopped. Somehow though, that does not help me feel safe. It just seems to refocus my mind towards contemplating the potential for further trouble. There are probably many more plots being brewed around the world.

While I am grateful for the elimination of the captured terrorists, I am reminded of how much of the world seems bent on destruction of what they perceive the USA to be. Representatives of our country doing business and traveling overseas do not always shed the most flattering of lights on the rest of us. I cringe at the thought of what so many people around the world think of us. Some of the terrorists don't need the excuse, some see our greedy image as justification for their handiwork, and some become terrorists because of unfortunate business and government policies.

Don't get me wrong. I love this country. What I don't love is the waste and greed that seems to overshadow the good intentions of many Americans... including many of those serving overseas. But the facts still remain that there should be enough food produced around the world to prevent the widespread hunger that exists, that the US uses far more resources than most of the world, and that we have failed to produce and use new technology to reduce our dependence on resources that pay for the perpetuation of governments that suppress their own people.

The greed and corruption in foreign governments is something that we have little control over. We have failed to eliminate it in our own government. However, what exists in the US is minor compared to what exists in some countries around the world. We donate money to organizations to help fight starvation and to aid in disasters, but too often the money gets funneled into other uses. Some of the things we can do are to elect those officials who promote sound policies locally, nationally, and internationally, to support those elected officials as well as keep them accountable, and to educate ourselves about current conditions in our country and around the world.

Maybe through wiser national and international policies, if we are gradually able to eliminate the conditions that are the seeds of terrorism, it will cease to be the problem that it has become. So, when you have the chance, support education-- not only do we need to improve it here in the US, but we need to support the programs that provide for education around the world. Continue to support responsible agencies that provide aid around the world. Support US companies that have good track records overseas. Vote wisely. Do what you can. Just don't put your head in the sand while proclaiming that we are the best. We need to stop proclaiming our former glories while failing to see the needs that now exist in our own country.

We have the ability to be the best, but we are failing in too many areas. Americans have always been able to meet their challenges. How much longer will we be able to do so if we do not take a realistic look at the problems that exist in our own country and around the world, and if we continue to become more and more dependent on our federal government to take care of our every need. What has happened to the American spirit that took pride in being self-sufficient? Have we given up the dream that our country allows those who put forth the effort to excel and do great things?

I believe we still hold onto that fierce compassion for others as evidenced by our aid in disasters around the world. What we lack is a perception of our world as it really is today. We are failing to see those festering disasters that exist and don't necessarily make the daily headlines. And we are failing to educate ourselves and our children to become world-wise.

Okay, I'm done now. It has been a while since I have done a "Rhodent Rant" and I think I have rambled on enough for now. I just needed to get it out of my system tonight!