Becoming an old grump

We are midway in the stay at the SSB.  In this heat, G, in his glorious wisdom, had decreed that we will stay only as long as absolutely necessary.  That term is five days!  He must have heard me remark that he can read a book at home as easily as he can here!  And the pool is at home.

We sold the old farm truck.  We bought Rusty a number of years ago to use around here for odd jobs.  He came by his name for a good reason.  He was very rusty when we bought him, and certainly not gotten any better.  We haven't used him in several years.  In this hilly terrain, you don't want to use a vehicle that has poor to no brakes!  And we bought a Kawasaki Mule to do the chores Rusty was to do.  The Mule can go where a 1967 Ford F-100 just couldn't.

Brian is the one who sold Rusty.  The buyer is with the band he sings with, not his band.

The guy finally got headed in the right direction (GPS sent him to Austin not Mason, but at least it was the right direction),  and arrived with the family.  I really wasn't expecting a 10-month-old and about a 3-year-old!  And this is where my title of this post originated.

I must have been a very controlling mother with my kids, and even the first three grandchildren.  When we went someplace, I didn't let them just roam about.  These days, that seems to be what parents do.

I first noticed this when we went to visit one of G's aunts that lives up here.  Brian and family were here, and we all went over.  As soon as we were in the door, William and Delaney headed for another room - uninvited.  G and I  haven't been in that room in ages! But off they went!  I was mortified.  They weren't stopped by their parents.  When they came back with some items (I don't remember what they were now), I wanted to drop through the floor.  And nothing was said to them.  They were allowed to continue to play with them. Of course, William will do that everywhere.  He will open drawers, cabinet doors, etc.

As I said I wasn't expecting children yesterday.  The first thing the three-year-old did was to pick up a book from the bookshelf.  She did have to put that back, but then it was on to the dog toys.  Now, she had toys of her own, but it was the dog toys.  Then both she and the baby took to the vertical blinds.  I thought they were going to be broken for sure!  Nothing was said to them.  Then it was off to the fireplace tools.  She took the broom out and started to play with that.

I just sat with a fixed smile on my face and tried to not scream.  I guess I just don't understand parenting today.  My kids would never have been allowed to act this way.

To get my mind straight

Last night we went with the family (minus SIL and Reagan) out to dinner to celebrate my son's (Brian) 40th (!!!!!) birthday.  An aside here - I cannot believe my baby is 40!!!  I. AM. SO. OLD!

This wouldn't be cause for much discussion with the exception of my feeling ancient, but I went against something G always says.  If you go to a restaurant that specializes in something - order that something.

We went to a restaurant that I guess is Texas in origin and is only here.  It is Saltgrass Steak House.  Hence - they specialize in STEAKS.

I spent quite a while pouring over the menu.  All of their steaks were large.  I usually like the 6-8 ounce filet.  The smallest steak they had was a 10 oz something.  Too big.  I know there wasn't much of a difference, but still...

So after a long deliberation.  I saw they had a chicken breast stuffed with artichoke hearts, spinach, and mushrooms (and some other stuff).  That was my order.

We arrive at this restaurant at 6.  We got our drinks at 6:45, along with salads for those of us that ordered them.  At  7:15 the entrees came out.  There were 10 of us.  Nine got their entree.  I didn't.

The waitress said that mine came out "blue" instead of "black."  Now, I was rather shocked at BOTH colors - chicken is brown.  Anyway, it was being refired.  The manager came out and profusely apologized asking what else they could do, and he was sorry for the wait.  I started to say he could comp my meal!

By that time - I was no longer hungry, but realized that I would still be charged for the meal.  It finally arrived at 8.  I ate about half.  We got Brian a HUGE piece of carrot cake (as you can see) which should have been free anyway since it was his BD (I didn't ask G about it - I knew the bill was as huge as the cake anyway!).  We shared this cake, and the evening was over!  Now we are gearing up for his surprise party on Saturday.

Moral of the story.  When in a steak house - order steak!

This is a rant

I have deleted the words here.  I will only say "all lives matter."  This is upholding my decision to be non-political as possible here.  I am devastated by recent events.

Surprise ending

Another happening in our hotel drama today!

G just told me that he received an email from the hotel manager.

They send a note of apology for our experiences with the "neighbor" this past weekend.  The real kicker is that they comped BOTH nights for us.

This wasn't something we requested, and as far as we're concerned it was far and above what we even thought of in our wildest imagination.  It, of course, is appreciated.  Think we will push for further reunions there - you bet!  Guess they thought that 35+ people staying at their facility was important.

I DO regret this ever happened.  From the first perceived insult on, I do regret the situation.  But this lady repeatedly tried to find anything for retribution.  We both bet she is on some list somewhere for this chain.  Just sayin'.

*********************************************************************************

Unrelated to the above.  Went to the cardio doc yesterday.  I was wondering when he was going to announce his news, and it was yesterday.  He is retiring in October!  Boo!

I am beginning to feel like the Queen (I think) song - And Another One Bites the Dust.  I think at this point in time I just need to get a Primary Care Physician.  There is no reason to see a Cardiologist.  I don't have heart disease (yet!).  All he does for me is to check my blood pressure and those meds.

I am going to miss him however.  Our relationship over the last few years has become really good.

Looks like the rain will hold off for a while today, so hopefully I can finally make it to Costco!  Meal planning has been difficult because I don't have any vegetables - fresh or frozen.  No potatoes.  Sides are sparce about these parts.

Where have I been?

The answer is kind of a long story.

Of course, two weeks ago we were hunkered down at the SSB trying our best to stay cool.  After a wonderful Spring, the heat is coming fast and furious.  It still wasn't as bad as it can get up there, but it was plenty warm enough.  After the refrigerator fiasco a few months ago, I understand we have to go check on things.

The hunters are really coming along with the new hunter's cabin.  The foundation is done, sub-flooring in and walls are roughed in. I guess next will be the roof.  They want a metal roof, G doesn't want to pay that much.  I just shut up!

Before we left, I went to the Pulmonologist/Sleep Doctor for him to check the CPAP.  All that was fine, and he gave me a new script for a nasal spray.  Reading the pamphlet, it said a side effect could/would be a sore throat.  Well - I was getting a really sore throat.  Within two days, my throat was raw.  I just wanted to cry it hurt so!  Then the cough started.  So I spent 6 days suffering.  There are no doctors close.

Here we are almost two weeks later and I am still coughing.  The sore throat is gone, but I have terrible laryngitis.  For me, that's really bad.  I still haven't gone to a doctor because I don't think there is anything that can be done.  It's just going to take time, but I DO have a cardio appointment tomorrow.  Perhaps he can have some miraculous cure for me.

This past weekend was a family reunion in Dallas.  There were some rough spots, but overall it was good.  The first one had to do with Brian (son) making plans for us all to go to dinner on Friday night.  It was to a restaurant owned by one of his friends.  Steve (son-in-law) doesn't believe in waiting until anyone else heads out.  This place was 30 minutes away, and off he took.

When we got there, Steve has already arrived and gone into the restaurant and took over everything.  Brian had told the owner we were coming, and (to me obviously) should have been the one to set things up.  He was really furious.  Steve has an insecurity complex 100 miles wide.  He has to bluster his way into things so that he looks important.  And he did.  I really can't blame Brian.  This was his deal, and he was so thrilled to do it.  We knew the owner had to be in Ft Worth for a wedding, and that is a shame with the way things turned out. John would have shut Steve down in a heart beat.

G made a terrible mistake on Saturday morning, and we suffered a bit for it.  He was leaving our room.  There was a woman coming out of the room next to us, and he mistook her for one of the hotel employees.  They were dressed much alike - I would swear they bought their purple smocks at the same place.  Unfortunately the women are black.  Our "neighbor" was highly incensed about his error.

He often does let a hotel room door close rather loudly, but if you let it close on its own - they do make noise.  One time he was leaving after their initial encounter, she accosted him saying "do you always have to slam the door."  After that, we did everything possible to make sure it made NO noise at all.  Which didn't happen, but it was really quiet.

That evening, she was at the desk complaining about us.  The family met in the lobby because the meeting room was booked, and we were allowed to meet in the lobby and pool.  I heard her say that there was "an old man that slams the door."  My hearing isn't great, and we were all talking so I didn't hear it all, but my daughter said she heard her say "because I am black."

I don't talk politics here.  That is not what my blog is for, and I am going to bring it up this time and this time only.  We are liberal.  VERY liberal.  Her skin color has/had nothing to do with anything or any exchanges we had.  So her statement bothered me and still does.

Yesterday, she was back at the desk.  I had no idea what she was saying this time, but after a bit when we returned to  our room to pack things up, there was a knock at the door.  With trepidation, I went to the door expecting to see the little bespectacled lady.  Nope - it was the woman from the desk.  She said that it had been reported that we were smoking in our room!  We. Don't. Smoke.  Even when G did, it was never in the house or a hotel room.

I told the desk person to come in.  There was no smoke.  I can't remember all of what I said, but apparently I alluded to the problems with this woman (who was standing in her door way observing and probably hoping this situation would get us fined and/or thrown out).  The desk person said - no that woman didn't complain, to which I replied that she had been doing nothing but complaining at the desk.

The kicker that I really loved was that she had a little yappy dog in her room.  Now - we had not heard a peep from that animal at all, but it was going nuts then.  I was able to remark about "Oh - that dog!"  Stupid woman should have shut her door to shut up that dog right then.  I kept telling the desk woman to come into the room and smell for herself that there was NO smoke.

After she left, the phone rang.  You know what I thought - it was crazy woman.  No - it was the desk apologizing AND comping us a night!

My daughter in law had thought crazy was the one hoping to get a free stay, but we did!  The desk person said it was clear, she smelled no smoke.  She was aware we had not been smoking.  I think she saw all of what had transpired the night before.  I don't know if crazy got anything comped or not, but we surely did!!

Oh and by the way - crazy woman stepped to the outside door that night.  G and Brian were outside.  Brian WAS smoking.  I think that's where she got that hair brained idea to "get us."

What a day!

I believe I have alluded to the fact that I have claimed the upstairs of my house as MY area - my crafting/sewing area.  It is two bedrooms (just one has a bed), a bath and a sitting area because when we took in the attic, the contractor couldn't figure out what else to do with that space that runs in front of the Hollywood bath and bedrooms.  So he called it the gallery.  It too is a storage area.  No one is to breach my area.  So there were some things that haven't been done - in YEARS.

One of those things was to move an old mattress under the bed that is there.  It was stored there when daughter, son-in-law, step-grand would come to visit.  Megan had to stay WITH them.  Not in the bedroom downstairs that had a twin bed.

When my son and his wife were living with her mother, the mother didn't want his cats.  So we kept them for a while.  Back in some of the earlier posts, I am sure I lamented about one of those cats - Sasha!  The took great joy in watching things commit assisted suicide.  She would get on the counter (which I also hated, but could never catch her) and tap objects, especially glass ones, until they fell off and shattered.

So I found a cat playhouse.  It was about 2x3x6.  She and Sebastian were to spend the unsupervised times in said playhouse.  It really was for outside use - so they could be getting some fresh air while safe, but for me, it was the bunkhouse.  She HATED it.  I would have to chase her down.

She loved to hide under the bed upstairs.  That room had not become the fabric/ribbon, completed projects awaiting sale room.  But that little mattress was under that bed, and it gave her perfect cover.

One night I pulled it out of the one side of the bed.  It has remained there for a long time because getting it back was not easy like it had been.  It looked horrible and took up a lot of space - that I really need for my totes.

This afternoon I tackled that mattress.  I would have had someone take it down to put in the garbage, but with our rains and garbage day being on Tuesday for this type of thing, I couldn't get one of the boys to help.  It went back into its place.  Someday, someone will have to deal with it.

But to move it, I had to take the top mattress off, the box springs off, and then pull that thing under.  There isn't that much available room for all that "stuff."  I was petrified that I would fall.  I.  Don't. Fall.  At least if I can possibly help it.  I can't get up easily.

But it is done.  Now it's quiet time to let my poor old body freeze up.  I will go back tomorrow and tackle the totes that have to be sorted and put away more properly!  But there's always tomorrow ...

Amusing

Do you get a number of solicitors and/or robo calls?  We surely do!

I have gotten to where I use my Caller ID all the time.  If I don't know the number - I do not answer.  My philosophy is and always has been that I pay for this telephone, therefore I speak to whom I wish.  If I don't answer, and it's important, there is always an answering service of some sort hooked up to that line.  Leave a message.

This attitude of mine carries over to the phone at the SSB, although it is more difficult there.  I will answer more calls than here at home.  We often have calls out to service people.  It is a difficult situation there because their attitude is that they don't want to work in the first place.  It can be done later - they are going hunting, or fishing, or ...  They are not lazy people, but life moves at a completely different pace.  That can be infuriating when the time for them to get something done is short.

I also don't answer my cell to calls that are not in my directory.  I am immensely happy that there is no longer the monthly charge PLUS a charge for each call!!  I hate that those numbers have been supplied to the solicitors!  Just this minute got one from 00000000000.  You KNOW I was going to answer that one!

I did miss an important one yesterday.  I didn't recognize the area code.  I also didn't know G had been calling people about the trip he wants to take to Hawaii.  Guess what - it was one of those returning the call.  I didn't check messages until 10pm last night!  I didn't think there was going to be a message.

Two others we got were from area codes that were strange.  The calls were even stranger, and I really need to call the police about them.  They weren't the common IRS scam calls.  They were saying that someone at this number has been charged on five criminal accounts, and they were going to "help" us get through these accusations.  One ended: "if you ignore this call, all we can do is wish you good luck."  Very legal, right?

Hello from Aqua World

Just this morning on the news, the weather guru said that our "excess" rain is in double digits, and we are good all through the summer with all the reservoirs, rivers, creeks, and bayous overflowing.  It. Can. Stop. Any. Day!  I know when it is hot and dry (at least I guess it may be) in August, we will be wanting some of this rain, but it is dangerous around here.

Last week I accompanied Daughter and Grand to Austin for a water polo tournament.  This was the day following another of our catastrophic area rain events.  This time, it was to our north.  I KNEW how bad it was between us and Austin, and frankly, I wondered why the tournament wasn't cancelled.  But off we went.

When we got to the bridge across the Brazos river, I was amazed.  G and I had gone over the river a few days before, and it was the highest I had ever seen it.  This time, it had spilled out of its banks and covered all the adjoining pasture land.

I had seen coverage of this on TV the night before, but in person, it was just horrible.  I knew there were cattle in that particular field.  The rancher couldn't get them to higher ground before the flood because it came so quickly and at night.  The cattle were swept away, many drowning.

That morning we crossed that area, there were about six large stock trailers waiting in the area for any stock that were found.  There were a few cows that had drowned in the pasture.  It was such a sad thing.

Now the river is cresting downstream, and ranchers are waiting until it is almost totally too late to move their cattle and the result is again some have drowned.  People are not leaving ahead of the crest.  They are getting stranded.  Apparently they haven't been watching what happened to the folks in Waller/Montgomery counties.  Such a shame.

But we finally made it to Austin (about an hour later than planned because of the HORRIBLE traffic in Waller County), and Katie swam in four games.  In actuality, it was a waste.  The only teams they swam against were from the same water polo club.  Which is named Viper Pigeons by the way!  What a name!

Nothing has been going on in our lives because we tend to stay in during these rain events.  For one thing, I don't like to get too far away in a heavy rain because we might not be able to get back home.  If the bayou about a half a mile away goes out of its banks, we can't get home.

The only thing new is that a friend wants me to write an article for her quilting magazine.  I.  Do.  Not. Quilt.  I know very little about it.  I am really putting her off.  There are many, many good articles out there about combining machine embroidery and quilting.  The authors of THOSE articles know what they are talking about - totally, and not just the embroidery.  I care nothing about being a published author!!!

So this has been my life.  Next week I will take the oldest grandson out to do something.  I didn't go to his "graduation exercise" from elementary to middle school (it was raining as usual), and he got his feelings hurt.  Katie keeps teasing her siblings that she is the favorite grandchild, and right now he is believing her.  I guess we will go to lunch (just the two of us) at least, perhaps a movie (I don't like his preferred genre, but...)!

From the trip to the oncologist

This was my regular check with him.  I was on 9-month recall.  The extended time periods are good - there are no apparent cancers, but bad in that you worry that there ARE cancers.  You look forward to having the appointments lengthed in frequency, and you worry that something will pop-up without being found in time.

But this was a scheduled visit.  He, of course, asked how I was.  I said I thought I was great - until my mammogram last  week.  Now the mammogram office is across the hall from his office, but he had not gotten the report yet.

I explained that there were a lot of calcifications in the left breast.  And so on.

He said I should not worry.  Go for the check at six months as I had been instructed, and NOT WORRY.

Phew!!!  (and now I am on a year recall)

Strange happenings

I know Texas and Texans have a reputation for things that make you go "huh."  Some are deserved, and some not.  But this case is one that has even this Texan wondering just what was going on.

There are some neighborhood information sites on Facebook.  I learn a lot about happenings in the area from them,  I was reading one today that absolutely shocked me.

There was a major accident on our main highway through our neighborhoods.  It is already bad enough that there is major, major construction going on, and the traffic is almost always snarled.  You never are quite sure exactly where the lanes will be from one day to the next.  It is a total nightmare.

Last night the traffic was completely stopped in one of the worst places,  It is pretty much a bottleneck there, but it was even worse than normal.  It being a Friday evening was making it even worse.  And people really had short fuses.  They were ready to get home to start their weekend.

Someone asked one of these sites why the traffic was so bad.  The answer was an eye opener.

It seems a young man was traveling along when there was debris on the road that he had to make a quick maneuver to avoid.  That seems improbable right there.  Usually, the traffic is crawling.

Well, in this maneuver, the pistol that HE WAS HOLDING (yes you read that correctly) discharged hitting him in the head.  He completely lost control of his vehicle and went careening off the freeway.  In doing so, he ran into a concrete embankment and was seriously injured from that as well as the bullet in his head.

The comments were about what a foolish thing this was, and the details weren't clear about what really happened.  Was it road rage?

My concern is if he had that pistol in his hand, who was he planning to shoot.

I am aware that there are many other states that allow open carry of pistols.  I am not a fan of this idea.  This is one good reason for my feeling.

The idiot is still alive after being air-lifted to a hospital.  IF he survives this, I really hope there are more answers forth coming.  I really want to know why in the heck he had a gun  IN HIS HAND driving down the roadway.  (And he certainly deserves the huge bill for the helicopter!)

In the continuing winnings of granddaughter

I guess one day I will stop bragging talking about my eldest granddaughter, but the girl flat amazes me almost daily.

I have crowed about her grades, her making all-region in water polo, all-state in water polo, going to the state competition in swimming with her relay team.  Now she has made All-American in water polo!

She has done all this as a freshman in high school.  Most of these kids don't make all these things until they are Juniors or Seniors in High School.

I found that her class has some outstanding athletes.  Several of those freshmen girls lettered in their sports this year.  So many don't until their senior years.  What a group!

I still am looking forward to my grandson playing the tuba.  I think he will do well.  His perfect pitch will take him far.  The youngest (in that family) granddaughter will join the dance team when she gets to HS.  Then on to cheerleader.  She is only in third grade at this point, so it is too early to tell.  Whatever she does, she will continue to be the DIVA!

The other three will go far in music I believe.  But since they range from 4 - 8, who really knows!

But I am a proud Grannie!

Wellllll

Life certainly has ups and downs.  After so many ups, there was a devastating down yesterday.

I went to my yearly mammogram.  And this is getting it in before my follow-up with the oncologist.  I had been put on a 9-month recall,  Things were looking so positive.

The technician was great.  She took all the views, took them to the radiologist, and said they were ok and I could go.  One of the irritating things I find about getting old is having to visit the bathroom - frequently!  So I had stopped on my way out.

When I opened the door, there stood my technician.  She said the radiologist had changed his mind, and wanted more views.

That.  Is. Never. Good.

To cut to the chase, he called me back to show me the views.  I have a LOT of calcification in the left breast (the right is mostly implant).  One of those calcifications seems to be growing.  It is about 3 mm.  Very small, but....

So with my history, I get to go  back in 6 months.

I see the oncologist for my regular appointment next week.  I wonder what he is going to propose.  At least at this point, if it does turn out to be something, the surgery could probably be just a lumpectomy.

The radiologist asked if I had been having pain.  My yes!  Since the surgeries, I have a lot of pain.  I don't "do" surgeries well.  All those incisions seem to develop scar tissues that hurt.  So the pain isn't really something new.

Once again.  We will see what Dr Poison says next week.  Sigh.

Another wow!

Music has been/is what I do.  My son has followed me into music.  It is/was a second job and brought in a little extra money.  I as an organist at church(es), and he with his band (and as lead singer with another band).  My daughter - no.  It IS funny that in the days when there were piano lessons, she was the one who seemed to be more capable - to the point that I was told that I was wasting my money with Brian.

The other day, the tests for the beginning band were given to the fifth graders.  You have to show some ability to get into the beginning band.  Reagan will be heading off to sixth grade next year.  So he took that ability test.  He did very well. He tested well on several instruments and has chosen the tuba.

Needless to say, I am thrilled.

Now the downside.  Both parents are sports minded.  They have never subjected their kids to any musical experience, although I DID try with Katie.  And she was doing quite well.  She has a good ear - just didn't want to learn the notes.  BUT they kept her so busy with basketball, soccer, and more that it killed our piano time.

The real thing I have here is the Facebook post by SIL.  It basically was "darn, my kid is in the band - how do I handle this horrible turn of events."  When congratulated went on with "he is projected to be 6'6", 280, and is one of the best football players around.  (note here - G has seen him play.  He IS big and can intimidate.  But when someone gets close to him - he just falls down).

So why has this unsettled me?  His dad was nothing but sports.  Even if one of the kids got hurt playing, he would tell them to get back out there.  I had no respect for that man, and this is one reason.  Steve said he would never be like that.  Well - he surely is.

I am thrilled that Reagan will be exposed to another facet of learning.  I sincerely believe deep down Reagan isn't all that into sports.  He is a gentle giant.  AND he hates to run.  I believe he does the baseball thing because dad was supposedly so good at it, and played as an adult in some of the local leagues.  He DOES like football, but again I think he sees it as a way of getting Dad's approval - and time alone with Dad.

I am so disappointed with Steve's attitude.  Many people have blown him out of the water responding to that post, so I am not really alone. But I am so proud of Reagan.  I think he will do so well, but  not with his dad's attitude like this.

Busy weekend

Friday we set off to Texas A&M University. The state water polo finals were being held.  (Are you seeing a trend here)  There was some worry about the weather - not because of the swimming - we are such sissies we have indoor natatoriums.  There was another major storm heading this way, and we were concerned about travel in flooding conditions.

We missed the first game since we left the Houston area AFTER the game was over.  The next game was at four.  That was great timing because we couldn't check into the hotel until 3.  They lost.  12-6!  This was after their first game of a win 17-2.

That put them out of the running for first, second, third or fourth.  They ended up tied for fifth.  That tie game was so very.  It was played Saturday, and was so exciting!  It was a 6-6 score.

We didn't stay for the awards ceremony.  The trip home is only 1 1/2 hours, but we both were tired.  But during that ceremony, Katie made the State All Star First team!  That is amazing for a freshman.
It was a great weekend all in all!

Dread became fun

OK - I am a grumpy grandmother about some things.  I really do love seeing my grandchildren do their activities.  I am happy they are involved in activities.  But there are some things I really do not like to participate in for/with them.

One is baseball games.  I know, I am strange.  The American sport!  And I can't stand baseball.  I would rather watch paint dry.  So poor Reagan - I have never made one of his games.  I wanted to go to his football games last year, but it never worked out.  That was probably good because the fields where he played weren't completed.  There were no bleachers - no anything.

The other thing I really do not enjoy is the dance recital.  Granddaughter #3 had her recital on Saturday.  I had forgotten (convenient memory, I guess so) until I got a text.  Bless her heart, my daughter in law even had sent out invitations, but with our iffy mail service, mine didn't arrive.

I knew I had to go.  Those last three are sort of like the younger kids in a large family - they don't get as much attention.  They are just getting into activities, so I don't feel so badly, but I am making a real effort to attend as much as possible.  Their activities are a little harder too because they live further away (12 miles).

I attended GD #1 and GD #2's dance recitals.  The first was OK - but long, and at night.  The second was last spring, a long way away, and in a region that had just experienced its first flooding issue.  It was the cute littles interspersed with some really good dancers, but also some of the older ones who were as graceful as elephants flopping around the stage.  I.  Was. Not. Impressed.  I hated it, in fact, and couldn't wait to get out - over three hours later.

But this one was cute.  It was all littles.  It is like watching a T-ball game.  You never know what they are going to do.  I am sure some of the parents were wondering just why in the heck they spend all those dollars on the costumes when their daughter wouldn't even stay on stage, but they were absolutely precious.

One little girl was the "star" even though she never danced a step during the recital.  Her routine came up.  The curtains opened and the music began and she ran off-stage.  Immediately.  The second routine, she didn't even come out.

I had not planned to stay through the awards, but I did.  The ENTIRE time they were giving the girls (and one boy) their medals, certificates, and shirts, this little girl was spinning, twirling, and dancing throwing kisses to the audience.  Hysterical!

All in all, it was totally enjoyable.  Granddaughter was really good.  She seems to have a natural talent for dance.  Of course, now she wants to do gymnastics - forget dancing!!!

What a week!

Last Sunday night/early Monday morning was the worst flooding our area has ever had  Of course, like Memorial Day, we were at the SSB.  I am so thankful for all the social media AND the fact that I do have the internet in the sticks.

While I constantly read the posts on the local Next Door site, I followed the progression of the flood waters in our little village outside the city limits of Houston.  One of my friends chronicled the rising waters as he witnessed him home flooding - for the FOURTH time.

I followed the link to the meter on the bayou that runs three blocks from our house (and two blocks from our rental house that had flooded before).  That meter keeps a record of the depth of the bayou as well as the amount of rain that falls.  Mikes house began taking on water about 1 a.m. and the rain continued to fall.  To cut to the chase - there were 11+ inches in that part of the storm.

Between the SSB and home, there was also what was to be 15 inches total of rain falling  Water was covering highways.  We were supposed to come home on that Monday.  I had my eye injection appointment and G also has a doctor's appointment.

As I was learning more about the Village's flooding, I knew we couldn't get to our house.  While we haven't flooded before (hope I am not jinxing here), the streets around us become impassable.  Then we were hearing about the highways coming in.  So our return was set for Tuesday

As I drive around  the neighborhood, it makes my heart hurt to see all the drywall, carpet, and furniture stacked at the curb waiting for the insurance adjusters to come by to chronicle it.  For the first time, we had looting.  Not coming into the houses as far as I know, but taking all the things that had been flood damaged that needed to be out there for the adjusters.

I was so incredibly proud of our Police Department.   They immediately closed the flooded streets to through traffic.  It was a dangerous situation to begin with.  The streets were basically strangled with cars that were damaged, vehicles from those helping to demolish damages, and the companies who were in to begin the drying out process.  There was one lane - possibly + to get through  Then they manned checkpoints to determine where people were going (and did they belong).  Good job guys!!

The school traffic should be interesting tomorrow should be something else.  We have a high school and an elementary.  One of the flooded streets is a main street for the traffic.  Will they be detoured to our street??  I guess we will see,

Me again Ifinally)

I don't know where the time goes, but it certainly flies by.  Seems like one day becomes the next before I know it.  Couple that with having a Ph.D. in procrastination ...  Well - you know what happens.

I had a profound thought this morning while sitting in church.  I should have been listening more attentively to the sermon I suppose, but I was thinking of what a relative said about our AIM (Assistant in Ministry)  who gave a sermon on Easter.  We kindly let our seats go to the C and E members (you know - they attend on Christmas and Easter), and stayed home.  So we missed that sermon.  A family member made a statement about the sermon.

The statement was brought to mind this morning because she was preaching again this morning.  The statement all centered around one small word.  That word is "but."

Long ago I heard a statement that when that word is used in a sentence the real meaning of the sentence follows that word.  This person said "I love ______, BUT ( and there it is!) she read the sermon, and I was bored by that.

Innocent enough, right.  Nope - not by a long shot.  This person doesn't love _____ because this person was rebuffed by _____ because this person didn't want to follow the rules to join the church.  This person feels above rules a lot of the time.

It did get me to thinking though.  Our AIM delivers very thought provocating sermons.  She hasn't been to formal seminary.  She has had training, but certainly not in sermon writing and presentation.  Even so, she does a great job.  I know I would have to depend heavily on "reading."  Our beloved previous pastor (whom this relative "loved and respected") read his sermons to a certain degree.

Excuse me for a second - gotta put the soap box away.

I finally downloaded the pictures of the tool of terror that used to reside in my catch all utensil drawer.  BTW - the finger is still a bit tender.  Thought I would share.  Actually there are two (with a third somewhere - and that scares me a lot).  So here are the two.  One a bit longer than the other.  Nice little curved, SHARP pieces of metal for turning steaks and chops - and slicing tender fingers

See those curled pieces with the sharp point!!! Sorry about the cutting board that was branded with a hot iron skillet lid!

A closer look of the instruments of doom.  The bottom isn't  focused well because it sticks up so far.

Lesson learned - the hard way

I have complained about having satellite internet here at the SSB since I first had it installed.  It is slow as molasses in January.  I upgraded a few months ago.  It was a higher speed and more gigs per month.  And they were per month rather than per day.  That was appealing to me because we aren't here for a month solid - just a week.

The "new and improved" is a bit better.  It does go faster.  Google loads well and all.  So where am I going with this pitiful story?  Back in the day, I was still teaching.  That was when the infamous OJ Simpson trial was going on.  I had a small black and white television in my storage room at school.  I would usually eat in my classroom at lunch (the whole, whopping 23 minutes of it).  You get in far less trouble if you stay out of the teachers lounge, and I didn't care to join the kiddos in the cafeteria! But I digress.  I would haul the set out to watch the trial at lunch.  I soon had quite a large gathering joining me for "lunch with the trial."

With the series that is on ( The People vs OJ), I have been interested in it.  It is well acted and closely follows the events.  I record it at home.  I wanted to watch it here, so I went to the On Demand section of Direct Tv and began my download of the show.  I never thought of where the show would come from.

That download ate up my remaining internet time.  When we leave now, I unplug the router.  I turn off the satellite box.  When I began using the computer, I noticed that I had something like 80% of my remaining gigs.  There must have been downloading going on.  The download I chose got rid of the rest of it - overnight!  So now I am "Smart Browsing" on my Bonus bytes -whatever that means.  I DO know it means I am back to a snail's pace trying to navigate the internet!!!

I don't think OJ is/was worth it!

This and that

Here we are again at the SSB.  After the last trip, I see the importance of being here frequently, even though I would much rather be at home.  I just think of how badly the house would smell if that refrigerator had gone out completely.  Of course, that makes me think of what will happen when we are no longer able to make the trip.  Our children manage one trip a year.  This place that we have worked so hard on (and poured so much money into) is going to flat fall apart.  Most of what we have done were to make them happy.  Much bigger house than we first thought of and all.  Oh well.  Can't do anything about it.


Katie and Krissi spent last weekend in California for the Olympic Development Program championship games.  Katie didn't go on, but she was actually happy about not making the team.  The next camp will be when the state championship games will be going on.  She is more excited about that experience.  She was approached by many colleges while there, however.  So there was good that came from the time she was there.  I guess she will go back to Junior Olympics this July.

I was going to add a picture of the "instruments of terror" also known as the meat turner that turned my finger into a blood fountain.  I took pictures with the intent of posting them when I posted here.  My mind wasn't into packing however.  Shadow somehow got the idea he was going to be put in the carrier for the trip and disappeared.  I was more worried about him and didn't think of the camera - so the pictures will have to wait

The man who is supposed to spray to kill off the prickly pear cactus hasn't done it yet.  The winds have been too strong.  He said perhaps it would happen today or tomorrow.  I doubt it.  The weather is turning off to be bad again.  I think there are too many clouds.  And if he sprays the herbicide today, I don't think it will do the job it is supposed to do.

Have a great St Patrick's day.  It's my brother-in-law's birthday.  His name is (wait for it)

PATRICK!!!

Where have I been?

This past week, I have been nursing a cut finger.

Last Saturday night, I was looking in my utensil "junk drawer."  These are the little odds and ends that don't belong to any specific grouping of things.  I thought I knew what was in there, but I had a BIG surprise.

I was looking for the pizza cutter that should have been on the top and in front.  It wasn't.  As I was moving things, I had a problem.  So I reached far into the back of the drawer to pull things to the front.

What I didn't know was G (since he does the dishes) had put a meat turner in that drawer.  It doesn't belong there - at all.  It is a long thing that has a curled end resembling a pig's tail and is VERY sharp.

As I drug my hand forward, my ring finger hit that sharp tip, and it pierced the pad from the tip to the joint.  It bled like "a stuck pig!"

It took forever to get the bleeding to stop.  I bandaged it as well as I could.  The bleeding finally stopped sometime in the night.

I have been afraid to remove the bandage until yesterday.  It seems to be OK.  But it is still sore.  SO typing has not been an easy thing to do.

But I am back.  And I have thoroughly checked that drawer and secured all sharps.  I never got an acknowledgement that he messed up however.

Reality hit

The other night, I was watching the late news when a story came on about an "elderly lady leading police on a 100-mile chase."

The story was amusing.  I was thinking of a fragile little old lady - perhaps in her late 80's leading police about the highways.  I could just see her peeking over the steering wheel - the image I have of an elderly woman.  My mind always sees a short, fragile woman.

Then they gave her age.  She was 74.  That's not elderly!  I am 70 - nearly that old, and I am not elderly.  That shook me to my core.

Being an only child, I spend a lot of my childhood around adults.  I was always the young one.  Many of my friends were older than I.  I was the young one.  My mind holds me in that place - the youngest around.

As I have aged, I still feel that way.  In my mind, I am the youngest in a group.  My mind LIES!

What I did this weekend (alert heavy bragging here!)

This was quite a weekend!  Here in Houston, the "social event" of the year is kicking off.  The huge Livestock Show and Rodeo has been kicked off.

It began last week with the trail rides.  There were some unfortunate things that happened on those rides.  Here is a couple that I know of - a horse on a ride that originates around here wasn't properly conditioned and died, and a woman on her horse was run over by a runaway wagon.  She broke her jaw and shoulder. The weather cooperated with the trail rides (for the most part).  Usually is it cold and rainy.  This year they only had a day and a half of rain and high winds.

Between the end of the rides and the parade, was the Bar-be-que cookoff that lasts from Thursday to Saturday.  My son and his band have played this event for ten years.  We don't usually go because it is a mad house.  Parking is difficult, and if you just do the general admission, it isn't much fun and is expensive.  It is $5 to get in, and then if you want food, you pay for that.  To be fun, you need to be associated with a cookoff tent.  Those who are competing for the best food.

They have sponsors who cover the huge costs to participate.  It also is a very expensive outing for their cooking team.  All the monies go to the education fund.  But in those tents, the food and alcohol flow freely.  And all of these tents have bands.

We got home on Thursday, and when talking to my daughter-in-law, she mentioned me (us, but knowing G wouldn't) to go with them.  Well, I did!  It was quite an experience.  We ate at a different tent because Brian knows the cookers so well.  We returned to his tent for him to entertain.  And what a great job he did.  I haven't been able to see his band in a long time.  They have really jelled into a great band.

While I was sitting there, I noticed this guy (sooooo drunk) hitting on DIL's friend/boss.  DIL saved her only for this idiot to move to her.  Toward the end of the night, he decided to move on to me!  I was stone cold sober, so I got highly amused.  His lame pick-up line was:"so who are you with here?"  I told him "my son - the singer."  When he told me his age (48), he asked how old I was.  I thought how this would send him on his happy way, and responded 70.  NO!  He stayed.  His chair was trapping my shoe, so I couldn't leave.  Finally, his wife came up to get her inappropriate husband to leave, but decided to hit on the sound man's husband (yes, gay).  That really made me laugh!

Brian is the singer, with him in this picture are just two of the band members.

After the show, we went back to the other tent.  Mainly because I really did need a cart to get back to the shuttle buses to the parking lot.  It was a good mile hike, and my back/knees had failed!  When we got there, my son pointed out a black little person.  He apparently was a well-known rapper back in the 80's.  Guess who ended up with this little man and his friend giving me all the attention.  I became the magnificent matron queen.  This lasted about thirty minutes.

I am glad this wasn't the picture with me, but this is my son, his friend and the "little rapper!"  My son is fortunately kneeling - he's 6'8".  The rapper is standing!'

This was quite an evening.  But I really did enjoy it because my son was SO good!  And we laughed a lot about it at family dinner last night.  Katie was amazed  appalled by the evening.


Saturday I was going to attend two of her high school water polo games.  After getting in at 1:30 that morning, I skipped the 9:00 game.  I knew she would understand.  I think the early game was probably was more exciting.  The competition was a little better, but our girls are magnificent.  The team I watched them play has always been very strong, but our girls beat them 12-2.  Katie was her strong self.  How I have missed water polo.  It was such fun.

And Katie is her usual go getting self!  She is going to take that ball away.  But if you notice, she is probably going to take a smack to the chin!

Phew!

The new refrigerator was delivered without a hitch of any merit.  The driver found us.  That in itself is something rare.  Most of them call us because they are lost.  I have told you we are in the sticks at the end of the world!!!

I was thinking that there wouldn't be any problem at all getting the old one out and the new one in.  When I got mine at home several years ago, the doors had to be removed, and even then I still have gouges in my door frames from pushing it in.  My brother-in-law had a problem getting their new one in a couple of years ago up here.  I thought it was because it had to come through a "regular" door, and we have a sliding glass door to come in.

Well - I was wrong.  The door still is only about 30 inches.  The refrigerators these days begin at a 32+inch  width and 34-inch depth.  So with both units, the doors had to be removed.

I wasn't sure I would really like the new one.  In the store, it was OK.  It fit the size requirement.  There is no way in the world I could have gone with one of the French door models.  Not only from price but size as well.  I have a cabinet on the side, above, and a wall next to the space allowed for it.

I thought I wouldn't have as much space inside. When I began putting things back (and that was so wonderful - everything I needed in the refrigerator rather than in a fourth of the freezer where it was kept at 34 degrees or in an ice chest or an outside refrigerator), I discovered it has a lot of space.  I think it will even be spacious enough when the kids come and bring all their perishables.

So today is laundry and cleaning (ugh).  We head back home tomorrow where it will probably be laundry and cleaning again!

Usually at least one surprise

I guess I need to stop grousing about coming to the SSB once a month.  This month the surprise awaiting us was not a good one!  Had we not come when we did, it would have been a horrible surprise, though.

Our 13-year-old refrigerator was/is going out.  When we went to get ice from the ice maker, there was almost none.  The ice maker is always turned off when we leave because it malfunctioned once while (THANKFULLY) we were here.  We had an ice sheet covering the front of the refrigerator (it is a side-by-side).  And fortunately, our hunter who owns his own appliance repair company was here!  So no harm, no foul.

I originally thought that perhaps the ice maker was broken.  But then I remembered the ordeal my son and DIL went through.  It was the same thing.  Their ice maker wouldn't work.  Then the freezer wouldn't freeze things.  Well, guess whose freezer wouldn't freeze either.

We took most everything out of the refrigerator that we wouldn't need immediately - like salad dressings and the like.  We have access to three other refrigerators on the property.  We have one for overflow during the hunting season in the "barn/garage."  The hunters have one in the cabin and one on the porch.  So we are in good shape for cold space, but not convenient.

Yesterday we had to go into Fredericksburg for groceries anyway, so it included a nice "cheap" trip to the only place in town to get a replacement.  The problem is we can't get it until Tuesday.  And at a delivery charge of $250!  But you just do it when you are at the end of the earth and you want a refrigerator!

I am just thankful that we got here at the crucial time.  I would hate to come home to a refrigerator full of rotten items.  Eech!  Not the way I want to arrive here.

How short is life!

I was reminded of this yesterday.  An old young friend (sounds strange - but she and I have been friends for a long time but she was only about 62) passed away yesterday.

I knew she was in the hospital.  I knew she wasn't doing well.  But she has had health problems akin to this before - and she pulled through.

We haven't seen each other in several years, I believe the last was 2002.  She and husband divorced, and we haven't really seen either since.  But we talked about getting together, and she always going to come to see my grands in their sports or even come to out family dinners.  Never happened.  We just assumed there was time,

There is no time.  She developed sepsis.  She couldn't fight it.



In better news, G has decided that I am the computer guru around here.  Not really, but I seem to do better than he.  He actually asked me to put the virus/firewall I have used for years on his computer.  He had called Microsoft and was told he had a major malware infection.  So I loaded the malware MY computer guru put on mine on his to clean it up.  Then I took the free (from Comcast) virus off and put the one I use on.  So far...

I live with a 72 year old toddler

You can't tell a toddler anything.  When they get "in a mood" you can't reason with them.  The best thing is to send them to their rooms, but I cannot do this with a 72-year-old.

When he was working, I am absolutely sure he caused the IT people great grief.  I am sure he shut the entire system down more than once.  And he was and is oblivious.  He thinks he is a computer wiz.  Sure that he knows all there is to know.

NOT.

I got so tired of listening to him complain about his old computer.  It was running on XP, so there was a lot of problems there trying to interface to new systems.  In fact, when we changed back to Comcast, the technician even said there would be problems.

So for Christmas, I bought him a discontinued Dell.  Its OS is Windows 8, for which I personally have a strong dislike.   I had it taken off my new (now old) laptop and 7 put back on.  But I have valiantly tried to set up his new computer.

The first issue was pop-ups.  Got that corrected, then something else he didn't like came up.  So I changed all the security settings.  I am not sure he is protected.  But I also know he doesn't like any anti-virus or malware on a computer (hence - all the failures they had at work).

I am sure his computer is eaten up with viruses and malware.

Today he tried to simply print a document.  It has come to my attention that the problem has been going on for weeks!  Will he listen to me?  NO!!!

Then it is temper-tantrum time.  Guess what is going on right now.  You probably guessed it.  Now it is up to me to repair his mess.

He doesn't have access to my computer.  At  all.  Any time.

Surprise

Can it be?  Karen is back for another day - in succession!  Yes, it is true.  I am actually here, again!

Tidbits today.  First, Christina (DIL) went back to her "new" OB/GYN yesterday for what is her final visit. She needed to finish up after the TWO procedures.  She will still never return to that doctor, but I can see a little more what is going on here.

I really do think this woman hasn't been in practice long enough.  She presents herself as being unsure of herself.  In other words, her bedside manner doesn't exude confidence.  She appears (at least to Christina) very nervous and unsure of herself.  She hums and haws a lot.

Yesterday, she kept saying something along the lines of "I just don't know what happened."  It is true that no fetal tissue was found in the second procedure.  There was just some infection in the second tissue when it was closely examined.  I honestly believe (with my pre-med studies - so I am a real expert here, right) that she had already miscarried before she went in for the regular appointment.  It was late, and I would have thought she would have noticed, but that would account for the fact that no fetal tissue was found.

She was clearly pregnant.  The previous ultrasounds showed a fetus, and the heartbeat was there.  She would get ultrasounds beginning early because she was considered high risk.  She has had other miscarriages, but...  Anyway, she is cleared and on her way.  She will never see this doctor again.  And they are seriously thinking of not trying or allowing another pregnancy.  You know how I feel on this.  Perhaps all will end well.
_________________________________________________________________________________

I had a strange call last week from one of my dear friends.   It scared me then because another mutual friend had a stroke the month before, and naturally I was thinking perhaps Kathy had another stroke.  But it was not that!  This friend wants me to write an article for the magazine she edits.

Well, ok.  I just wish it were something I knew more about.  I wouldn't hesitate at all, but this is going to be a bit of a challenge.  This is a quilting magazine.  I.  Do.  Not.  Quilt.  Another person submitted a quilt she had done on the embroidery machine.  Sharon and her colleagues know nothing about machine embroidery, and she knows I do it all the time.  So she wants me to extrapolate my knowledge into machine embroidery quilting.

I HAVE quilted on my machine.  It was just small pieces, but I did quilt.  I didn't really know what I was doing, but I did it.  My machine does have stitches that they claim are quilting stitches - a stippling stitch.   I have never used it.  I have other acquaintances who really do more quilting than embroidery with the same machine.

Really there is no deep, dark secret that I can see.  I am afraid that the readers would think it was an extraneous article.  I think the reaction would be something like "so what's the big deal?"  Machine embroidery is so easy once you get the hooping down.  As long as you can secure the fabric that will be embroidered or appliqued tightly, you can do almost anything you want.

But I think I will write something.  A new adventure!

Happy times!

I went to the Retinal Specialist today for my eye injection for Macular Degeneration.  The new drug is working better than any of the others.  There is no leakage, and I am put on a five-week recall rather than four.  I am thrilled.  I have waited years for this kind of news.  I told G that I felt like a kid who had been studying for a really difficult exam and got an "A."

This is especially good news because I was afraid with the new rulings from Medicare that regulate my Advantage plan I would be paying over $400 rather than over $100 for these injections.  I would certainly move some things around because my eyesight is more important than almost anything else in my budget.  I won't really know until the bill from today is submitted to the thieves that run the insurance company, but I am hopeful.  I met my deductible (no kidding!!! probably and the some), so this time, it was back to the $100 range.  I will just keep my fingers crossed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Katie had her last swim meet on Saturday, and I went.  If I had not, I would not have seen her swim at all.  Water polo begins now with her first game later this month.

Her expectations for the results were low.  Our school does not have many swimmers who can afford club sports.  So that means that they are not year around swimmers that swim every day - excluding school practice.

I watched her 200-meter butterfly.  In a field of 24, she placed 11th.  That isn't bad since she has only been swimming the fly for five months this time.  But it was the 200-meter freestyle relay the girls were placing their  hopes on.  If they placed 6th or above, that meant they would be going to regionals.  If they made regionals, they would get their letter jackets.  That is the only reason she wanted to make Varsity as a freshman - and really even the only reason she would be on the swim team.  Her love is Water Polo.  Well, they did it!  They are going to regionals this weekend, where they will get their little butts kicked.  But congrats, girls!

Katie is on the left.  Some, if not all of these girls with the exception of Katie are seniors!

Back at the SSB

Yep - here I sit with the remnants of whatever I had last time adding Cedar Fever to it.  'Tis the season for the mountain cedars (junipers) to be sending their pollen out in copious clouds to form the little seeds to spread the vile plant to and fro!  I am very allergic to this crap  stuff,  I get a little emotional around it too!

One of the favorite things to do in this country (since I suppose that's what all the old time Germans did) is to go out into the fields and cut down one of the blasted "trees" and haul it into the houses as the beloved Christmas tree.  I cannot visit those folks.  At.  All.

At this time of year, when the pollen explodes from the things, you just see a smoke like plumb lingering around the bush.  They are laughingly called trees, but really just a bush!

But I am getting some better from the bug I encountered at New Year's Eve.  Now if I can just dodge the pollen for four more days, I will be doing much better.
__________________________________________________________________________

When DIL suffered her miscarriage, she had to have a D and C to make sure all tissue was gone.  This was especially the case since the ultrasound that determined no heart beat was done and showed the fetus and amnion there.

It was done, along with some bumps in the road that weren't part of the procedure.   For example, the hospital not telling them where to wait to be called.  But two weeks after the procedure, her ob's office called her to come in.  There was no fetal tissue in the sample that was sent to the lab.  She needed to be checked again.

So they went in immediately.  Another ultrasound was done.  There was "something" there, but no one was sure what it was.  They could recognize what was probably a blood clot, but there was something else.  The technician was using a new machine that she wasn't familiar with (????) and couldn't really read the procedure.  The doctor wasn't sure at all.  (DIL doesn't like her.  Her original doctor retired, and this is a new, young, unsure one)  So they schedule another D and C.

This time, the sample was immediately sent to pathology.  And guess what - no fetal tissue again.  I really hope she changes doctors after her appointment to follow up that is scheduled for next week.  There is something grossly wrong here.  I hope she gets a good explanation.  But I think they don't want to have to face something like this.  Brian indicated he will probably "go under the knife" and that will be that.

Normality

I am getting back to normal (as normal as I could possibly be).  The coughing and all is beginning to decline, but still lingers a bit.

Yesterday was a much-needed trip to the grocery store.  On Thursday, we did go to the meat market to pick up the venison sausages (pan and link) we had made there.  Of course,  I took the opportunity to buy some various meats from them.  It is so much better than the regular grocery packaged stuff.  Included in that purchase were red snapper and shrimp.

Last night, I decided to use the shrimp and fish to make Snapper Pontchartrain.  It.  Was. Delicious.  I found the recipe from my favorite restaurant.  It was quite labor intensive, but it was fantastic last night as well as lunch from the left overs today.  I even have more of the sauce that I will use the next time we have cod or halibut.  But that exhausted me!

Today is Katie's 15th birthday.  It seems like she was just born yesterday.  Our time with this sweetheart is growing short.  She will be flying out of the nest soon.  I rejoice in her growth, and she is maturing into such a beautiful and talented woman, but I miss her as a baby!

The baby in the family, little Holden Gregory, is now 4.  Here he is with Katie, Delaney, and Reagan in the background.  He is such a sweet boy who always can make us laugh.  His family is interesting.  His brother is blonde, you can see Delaney is dark brown, and he is a red head!  I wanted to put in another picture that really shows his personality, but I have no cooperation from my computer.

And from the hospital wing

Not really, but we both are snorting, sniffling, blowing and coughing.  I hate getting anything like this because my body just loves to hold onto it!  Forever it seems.

No real news from this place.  We have almost barricaded ourselves inside.  There was no church on Sunday.  I had already made that decision.  If I still was coughing, then I would be at home.  Well, with G being sick also, there was no question.

My daughter called to see if we wanted to come to dinner.  I could see no reason to infect all of them.  I am already a little worried because Katie, her dad and sister came over Wednesday to pick up her horns that were mounted.  Karrington kept hugging me - which I loved, but I am so afraid she will pick this stuff up!

The weather has finally gotten cool enough for a fire.  The first one after cleaning the fireplace out.  This year we not only cleaned out the fireplace, we had the chimney cleaned.  So the first fire really just smoldered.  AND it was a lot of work constantly poking, adding paper, etc.  Last night we achieved a good fire.

The fireplace in this house is an integral part of the heating of the house when it's cold.  For some reason, the system really isn't balanced.  We have had the entire thing changed - from the unit itself to the duct work.   The master bedroom gets sauna hot if it is set to have the den/kitchen warm.  In the summer the reverse is true, but I like a cold bedroom!

So we have squeaked through another day.  Perhaps  I will be well tomorrow!

This and that

My mind is telling me to not write today.  But I am a hard headed German.  So here I go.  Some are just statement of fact and some are what I am feeling right now, and those feelings are not shared by all.

First - the crud still hangs on.  AND I have found that the greatly promoted Mucinex (or however that stuff is spelled) does nothing for me.  In fact, I think it made me worse.  Every 4 hours for two days, I religiously swallowed the vile stuff.  I never felt any relief, in fact, I felt somewhat worse (from what I could tell!).  So yesterday I stopped it.  I did feel better.  I don't know if this is just part of the crud running its course or I really benefitted from discontinuing the med.

Second - I consider myself a rather open minded person.  If I had to be labeled politically, I would honestly say I am an independent.  I don't like the concept of political parties.

What brought this up?  We have a web service around here called "Next Door."  It can serve a good purpose.  Ours had sort of degenerated into mostly lost/found dogs and cats.  This is rather tiresome, and with my animal rescue mindset, it also distresses me.  A lot!

Some yahoo decided he would stir the pot with something he deemed important.  He brought up the Primary Election.  Now, the voting demographics of our combined neighborhoods is well known.  Why he decided to list all the candidates on one questionnaire about who would vote for whom, I cannot understand.  But he did.  That post has become a cesspool.

Just the other day, someone suggested that we begin the new year with careful thinking about what and how we post.  That suggestion has completely been ignored.  And so many there are putting things in there (and not about the candidate, but other definitions of ideologies) that are completely incorrect.

This coupled with Facebook has made me want to leave the social media altogether.  I want to write "people - say what you want.  That is your Constitutional right.  But make it factual."  That would be directed to one person especially.  She and I have had a run-in (at her doing), and I have muted her.  But then I get curious and come to the computer to look at what she says.  She. Is. An. Idiot.  Today she blatantly stated confused two forms of government. To me, it made her look really stupid.  This woman is a wolf in sheep's clothing.  She comes across as such a sweet and caring person while in truth she is a vile, hateful person.  She will attack with little provocation.  She is caring only if you meet her stupid standards.  In other words, she is a complete hypocrite.  I am so sick of hypocrites.

Sorry for the rant.  Sometimes it just feels really good to let it out.  I should simply drop that neighborhood "rag sheet."  There are sometimes redeeming qualities about it though.  I just need to consider my action about it carefully.

It hangs on

Here we are - day six of the crud.  I am beginning to believe this is allergy not cold.  For one thing, G doesn't have it.  Also, a cold would have gone away by now, and there is no infection.  There is just plenty of mucus (I know, TMI, sorry! But it is pertinent information)

I had my monthly appointment for my eye injection yesterday.  I knew this was coming - they put a mask on me.  That's ok because I would do the same thing in their position.  I contemplated changing the appointment but I really want to stay on the schedule because the liquid behind the retina has decreased.  The doctor tells me that we may be able to stretch the appointments to every 6 weeks if this new drug is successful.

And that is going to be very important.  There are new co-pays with the insurance.  Guess what - they are NOT in my favor. Because medical costs are sky-rocketing the insurance companies will only pay 80% of procedures like mine (which means the drug that is $2000 a pop) rather than the 95% they previously paid.  We are talking I now pay $422 each month to not go blind.  What a choice.

There are "co-pay assistance" programs out there.  I have tried twice previously to apply.  I will try again, but we "make too much money."  That is a laugh.  My annuity payment has not increased since 2001.  I cannot get my complete social security money because dear Mr. Tom Delay decided that teachers with an annuity (as well as some other classifications of retirees) just didn't need that additional money from Social Security.  I wonder which teacher(s) pissed him off when he was in school?  I guess his previous occupation of exterminator cooked his brain with the chemicals.  But that is neither here nor there - it is something that I now have to deal with.
*******************************************************************************
Katie is once again excelling.  Her  first semester as a Freshman in high school was good.  She managed all A's and a B in geometry.  Our school district doesn't believe in giving finals in Middle School, so her finals ate her lunch - thus the B.  But with everything else she does, I think she did so great - especially since her classes are all either the Gifted/Talented or Advanced Placement.  Good showing for a 14-year-old!

Her Varsity swimming is going well, but water polo is really going well.  She will be heading to Riverside, California again this year to compete for a place on the National Junior Olympic team again.  This competition is tough for the Texas girls.  We just don't have the coaches that the California girls have.  Last year she was so close, but "close only counts in horse shoes!"  But she is getting well known in the country.

I am off to the drug store.  I am going to stock up on drugs!!  I don't have cough syrup, nasal spray, all that great stuff.  We only had a bit here, and I didn't bring any of it back from the SSB because I surely want it to be there since we are at the end of the earth!

I. Am. Sick

I try so hard to stay away from anyone with any kind of illness.  I especially try to stay away from those with colds.  I hate colds.  I become a sniveling pile of protoplasm when I get a cold.

When we got here Monday, I knew my throat was telling me that it wasn't right.  When I get a cold or allergies, my pharynx right where the nasal passages join gets sore.  Well - it was tingling a little.

This went on for a couple days. That is until Friday.  Then it hit with a vengeance.  My nose vacillates from being completely occluded to running like a garden hose.  Yesterday I woke with a throat so sore I couldn't swallow even liquids easily.  During the night, I pulled the CPAP off after only about three hours because I couldn't breathe.  I have trouble with the stream of air causing my nose to stop up as it is, but coupled with a cold was extreme.

Yesterday I was really absolutely miserable.  I spend much of the day either under a blanket in the living room or in bed.  Last night it was almost each hour on the hour I woke with either a runny nose, a stopped up nose or a wracking cough.

Yep - I get a cold and I become a big cry baby.  I hope it is about to run its course.  I finally found a decongestant tablet (at least I am pretty sure that's what it is by the formulation on the pill packet), and it seems to be working.  I have one more for tomorrow, and then we will be back in civilization where I can find some real medicine that I need!

So I will take my sniveling self back to bed for a bit, take care of the laundry, and stop moaning to you!

Winding down

This year Christmas time has been a flurry of activities.  It is beginning to wind down, and will wind down a lot next week when I am whisked off to the SSB - the absolute stillness there.

The activities began with Krissi's birthday dinner.  I am still thinking of that buffalo tenderloin steak.  It was so good, and I was surprised at the tenderness of that thing. After all - buffalo??

So the whole family (adults) were together for that.  Then it was decided we would have family dinner on Sunday.  Gosh Friday, then Sunday.  G wanted to go to church on Christmas Eve, so that was planned. Steve said he would do dinner on Christmas Eve, and presents family-wide would be opened then.

When we got to church and parked, there was a black truck that was backing into the space next to us.  I was thinking it looked like my son's.  As they got even with us, Christina rolled down her window with the biggest grin.  What a surprise.  The other family went to the 3 pm service that was more for kids.  They didn't realize it was for LITTLE kids.  Too bad they didn't wait for the 5 pm.  But I don't know that we could have found seating for 12!

Christmas morning is traditional for us to go to Krissi's for the kids opening their presents and breakfast.  Mr Scrouge announced on Christmas Eve he wasn't going and didn't care about breakfast.  That sent the youngest of their kids (Karrington) into a tizzy.  She always has a bit of the drama queen in her, but she was tired and it upset her that tradition wasn't going to continue.

Since the kids are older, I (foolishly) expected them to sleep in.  But at 7:30 I got the call.  I hurriedly dressed to go.  Didn't bother to wake Grumpy.  It was good.  Presents were ripped open in a matter of minutes.  We had breakfast and I went home.  We were going to my DIL's mother's house for lunch/dinner at 2.  That is another tradition.  It is nice to see Ginger.  She is a very sweet person, and I enjoy her family.  This year she included Christina's brother's wife's family (lots of possessives there!).  Lovely people.

Being with the kids all these  times had my head spinning.  We have gotten away from this much family time.  But who is complaining.  Not me!

In the meantime, I was anxiously awaiting the delivery of a package for G.  His computer is old and slow.  It is running XP as an operating system, and it just won't download things as it should.  SO I found one on my favorite shopping site.  I even paid the $13 to have the shipping expedited.  That's something for me.  It is a discontinued Dell, but it will meet his needs just fine.  It was due to be delivered yesterday (Saturday).  It was supposed to be here by 12 noon.  At 11:15 I checked my email to see where it was.  It said delivered.  This was important because there have been so many deliveries stolen in this area, I surely didn't want a computer stolen.  The message said delivered at 10:50.  I went to the door, and sure enough - there it was!

I wanted to get more lights for the outside when they went on sale.  Mine were so old they didn't work.  We bought two strings when we put up the display, but they were at regular price (and expensive).  They are sparse.  Krissi and I set out for the sale on Christmas decorations.  She bought a whole lot.  I bought two little trees for the porch, and about 5 strings of lights including some ice cycles.

AND the most surprising thing - they want family dinner again tonight!  We have one dissenting vote - Mr. Scrooge, the Grump.

Tomorrow we head off to the SSB where we will spend a week.  I so badly want to stay home.  I am tired of spending a quarter of my time in the near wilderness.  Steve and Reagan are going for a few days.  Steve still hasn't gotten a deer (we eat what we kill - we all like venison, and there are SO many deer in Texas the herd seriously needs to be thinned some - not nearly enough vegetation for them).  I wish G would just go with them and leave me here.  But "that ain't gonna happen."  Bah Humbug.  Poor ending to what has been a really good holiday season.

Sooooo yummy

Back in August,  we went to one of our favorite restaurants.  It is a steak house (and one of the best) so we don't indulge too often (like IF we are lucky once a year).  But we thought that it would be fun to treat the family on Krissi's 42nd (GASP!) birthday.  So we made reservations for the six of us.  Love the grands, but three wouldn't eat anything there, and the other three - well let's face it this IS a great steak house.  I think you can read between the lines. It is just as well it was all adults last night because the dinner lasted two and a half hours!!  Only the nearly 15-year-old would have been able to withstand that.  But even so she had a Quinceanera to attend.  For those who are not in a Mexican infused community, this is celebrating the 15th birthday of a girl.  It marks her admission to womanhood.  It is just as fancy as a wedding - and costs as much as a wedding!

My son-in-law works for a company that makes commercial kitchen equipment.  Thus, he is expected to spend money in restaurants.  He is a VP, but these days that really doesn't necessarily mean anything, but he is.  SO last night his company provided the birthday dinner.

All of us women had something we would never have ordered had it not been for someone else picking up the check.  We had a buffalo filet with a jalapeno glace!  Talk about drop dead wonderful.

Steve also started the evening with a champagne toast.  It was delicious.  Not the cheap stuff I buy.  Then he ordered a really good wine.  We all had steaks of one kind or another. There were salads and the "complimentary" birthday dessert.  At the price of the steaks, there was nothing complimentary about anything!!!  But is was delicious.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening.  I think we all had a great time, enjoyed wonderful food, and appreciated the terrific company!

Time flies

I cannot believe my daughter has turned 42 today!  I know that's not really that old, but it seems like I just had her.  Then I got to thinking about all the milestones that we have passed.  

My dad used to tell me that time flew by as one got older.  What a sage he was.  Time is just slipping away so fast.  The grands are growing up so fast.  Things I wanted to do with them - that's over.  They don't do things like that.  They think they are grown (at least the eldest three).  Wow!

Yesterday I was really miffed.  I went to the grocery store.  Getting out of the house was a comedy of errors to begin with.  I don't carry a purse this time of year.  I have a little crossbody that I made myself where I carry the drivers license, a credit card and (of course) since I was going to the grocery) - the little card. I got all that together, was trying to get out of the door ahead of G so we didn't have to move cars, and found I forgot to put Clyde in his kennel.  

I went to the refrigertator to get his little piece hot dog (I don't say weinie anymore - the eldest grands erupt into gales of laughter) I put all the associated things I had together down.  Well in that stuff was my shopping list.  That made me rather upset with myself. I was distracted doing my shopping.  I couldn't remember what was on that blasted list, and once on the list - it is out of my mind.  Checking out, I checked cashback on the little thingy, and I certainly don't want cash back - not at those rates!  So once again, I was distracted. When I looked at my cart, I thought it looked a little skimpy.  

When I got home, I didn't unload all my bags at once.  When I began looking for all the cold stuff, I came to the realization that the roast and stew meat I purchased were NOT there.  At this time of year, after about 3 in the afternoon, I do not go back out again.  I wasn't going to fight traffic for even $25 of meat.  I would go today to rectify.

That was a fiasco!  I surf the marked down meat.  The meat I bought was from the marked down meat.  And that meat is just as good as any other by the way.  I save where I can.  Anyway, obviously MY meat was not to be found.  The butcher had no idea what to do, and to cut to the chase I ended up buying fresh meat (and a half pound more when he cut the roast) and paid an additional $16.  I really would have just preferred to have gotten my money back.  

I don't know what the moral to that story might be.  I guess not to go to the grocery by myself so that I can watch what is going on better.  Needless to say, I am not a happy camper right now.  

Today's musings

The most pressing thought is about my son and DIL.  They have lost the baby.  I am going to sound terrible here, but it is both sad and a blessing.  Any loss of a child, at any stage, is terrible.  She has had at least three miscarriages (my daughter says three, but I think more).  Brian put it well last night when he told me "it's happened before, but not this late."

She had finally told the other three kiddos, and they were going to this ultrasound with them yesterday.  But they are so young, I don't think they will fully understand what this means.  So today at 11 am she went for a DandC.  It is sad.

But at the same time, I will admit (and I will admit that it is NOT my life) that I wasn't thrilled about a new baby.   She had just begun to go back to school to become a nurse.  At the rate she was going, it was going to take a long time as it was.  She only took two classes last semester and is looking at only one this coming one.  The youngest will be 4 in February.  This means full-time school for him is just around the corner, and more serious classes could be taken.  

DIL has worked so hard on losing weight.  She is out to make additional income for the family as being a coach with this company that sells workout DVDs and nutritional supplements.  The selling could still be done, but there is always the dreaded baby weight.

I do see this as a blessing to them, but it is still sad.  I hope I don't come across as too harsh on this.  

In lighter news, my daughter's birthday is the 18th.  She doesn't know what she wants for her birthday.  I don't know what she wants for her birthday.  She, like me, buys what she wants when she wants it.  Ugh!  Gift giving gets so difficult!  

I wanted to show you the teacher's gifts.  I used my phone to take the picture, and rather than hook the phone to the computer, I emailed the picture.  So I had to finally go to that email address (not my usual) to download the picture, and so on, and so on.  But here are the hand sanitizers.  Five of them were easy-peasy.  The owl made me question my judgement!  I threw the first front part away because it was so horrible.  I loved the paisley print for them until I thought about her having two male teachers.  The paisley seemed to be too feminine, so I went back to search for other fabrics.  I came up with the brown.  I thought I had purple and I would use gold thread (school colors - purple and gold), but alas I must have gotten too organized when I "organized" the fabrics.   The owl is because one of her favorite teachers loves owls.

Quick note

And I can do a quick note thanks to my new bestie Mike!!!  Wow this thing flies.

I just wanted to help bring a little update to my friends who are like me and falling a little behind in this fast moving world of electronics and internet.

The Fire Stick is from Amazon.  It is a device that will stream video to a "smart tv" so that movies and the like can be viewed.  It required an HDMI (something else I have learned more about!!!) port on the tv - so it has to be an HD tv.  These are only about $40 at Amazon, and if you have a Prime Account there is a world of free stuff out there!!!  It is a whole new world for me anyway!

Now I am "girding my loins" to head out to Costco.  If I were in my right mind, I would NEVER venture out to a store like this at this time.  But then I live with he who is not in his right mind.  He knew we would have to be going fairly soon because we would be needing dog food, but I would not have waited until we were so close to being completely out,

Ah thus it goes around my house!!!

New and "improved"

Had the local computer guru come over today to work on my computers.  He basically pronounced the Dell as terminal, but he worked for quite a long time on this Toshiba.  Well - it at the very least will get on-line now!

While he was here, I got him to work with my Fire Stick.  I am so behind on all this stuff.  It was so easy, I am embarrassed.  It was done in three minutes.

Last Sunday was the Holiday in the Park here. It is a minor festival where snow is brought in for all these kids that reside here in Swampland. and vendors set up.   Usually I make little to no money.  This year was great!!  But when I posted the new items that I had from the show - nada.  Oh well such is life

Katie decided that some of my stuff would make great teachers' gifts, and they would.  But she asked if I had an owl in one of the things.  I didn't.  So I stupidly   gladly told her I would make a hand sanitizer holder that is an owl for that teacher.  I now have several more grey hairs.  But I managed to get that tarnated thing done along with 5 easy ones.  So I guess they went off to school this week.

And that my friends is what I have been doing.  Hopefully I will be able to access the internet more regularily now!