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.
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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.

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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.
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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.
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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!