Construction Woes

In this part of the country we have two seasons: winter and construction! Right now we are smack dab in the middle of construction season. Usually I don't mind the construction very much--it doesn't affect me unless we are doing a road trip. This all has changed this year. And the story goes like this:

We live on a dead-end street. The city decided that the sewer, water, and storm sewer pipes had to be upgraded on the main street we turn onto when we need to get ANYWHERE. Now, I agree this is something that needs to be done--in other parts of town they discovered WOOD "pipes" when they upgraded! (Not the case in this section, but the pipes are still OLD.) For someone not living on a dead-end, this would prove to be an inconvenience--for me, it is being trapped with no way out. It has to be understood, the intersection at the top of the street has not been completely closed off except for short periods of time, but that does me no good. Example: The other day I had an appointment and (thankfully) K. was on night shift, so he was home and offered to drive me. As we were told, the road WAS passable, just not by me! As we were turning the corner, we had, barely, the width of the Jimmy to drive on. On the right there was a huge mound of sand, a huge mound of gravel, and a HUGE mound of the dug-up road--so, that had to be maneuvered around. FINE, but on the left side, there was a hole dug--a 20 foot deep hole that had to be avoided! I am not the world's best, or most confident, driver--not that I'm a BAD driver, just not as confident as some--so there was no way I would ever be able to drive around that corner. The only way I would have attempted that turn was if I had been driving a Hummer, and I don't have one--yet! (I KNOW Hummers are gas hogs, but there ARE some advantages to owning one.) Of course, turning the corner wasn't the last of it. We had to wait for trucks and people to move out of the way and drive on a barely drivable road, JUST to get to the detour, which takes you blocks out of your way. All-in-all, a normally 5 minute drive took 15 minutes. Such fun.

So, beyond the holes to be avoided, we have to NOT: run over any workers (DUH!), get stuck in soft sand, hit any vehicles, or get crushed by heavy equipment. And this will not be completed until some time in October. (I can't WAIT till the university begins fall classes--it will be SO much fun, as the street is a main throughway.) I have figure out one good thing about all of this--NO UNEXPECTED COMPANY DROPPING IN! Hope your summer is not inconvenienced. (Thanks for "listening" to my rant.)

Register To Use...

Some of the sites on the Web have been requiring registration before you can access all areas of the site. Newspapers online are big on requiring registration; i. e., The New York Times, New York Post, etc. A lot of people, myself included, don't feel it is necessary to register and give personal info to every site asking for it, but that means not being able to surf some sites. Well, there is a little program called BugMeNot that can help. If you are using IE, just copy the address of the site you want to enter and go to the BugMeNot website and have a login name and password generated for you to use. It is a whole lot easier to use than it is to explain. The site has a tutorial, etc., to explain how to use it. There is no download required.

There is also an extension for those who use Firefox and the whole process is even easier! All that is needed is to right click on the login box and choose "Use BugMeNot" and you are automatically logged in to the site. Just another good reason to use Firefox: ease of use!

Hopefully this will stop anyone from grumbling under their breath at me when I post a link that can't be opened without a login name! (I have the tendency to do that every so often. SORRY!) :)

New News

C. went to see the high-risk pregnancy specialist last week and it has been determined that she is having another girl. She was CERTAIN that it was boy--I don't think there is any disappointment on her part, just total surprise. They still gave her a due date of November 25, but they will never let her go that long. The doctors will be happy to have her go till the week before Thanksgiving before they induce her--they are just absolutely thrilled if she goes 35 weeks or longer! (The doctor said everything is going well with both C. and the baby.)

Our other daughter, A., let us know that she will be getting married. The only plans so far are that the wedding will be in May and will take place where she is living: eight hours from us! I don't know how much help she expects from me--or how much I can give from this distance--but I already said I would do the flowers. Now all she has to decide is colors, types of flowers, and style of wedding. Thankfully she wants silk arrangements, so I have plenty of time to do things as slowly as I want. I'm so happy Michaels just opened here!

Must See

If you haven't done so yet, you have to go to the blog PostSecret. This is a site that posts pictures of postcards people send in. The postcard is to be homemade and it is to contain a person's "secret." This could have been very trivial, but reading through the cards I am amazed at some of the things revealed. Some secrets are inspiring, some funny, some lovely, and some are plain horrifying. One minute you can be smiling and the next you are crying over another person's pain. We never know what is going on in someone else's mind or life and reading this site reminds us not to judge too severely.

I HAD To Laugh

Was reading the letters on the site TomCruiseIsNuts.com and came across this. I just found it to be hysterical!

"Someone told me there was a website dedicated to Tom Cruise's Nuts. I haven't been this disappointed since I saw the closing credits to the movie, The Neverending Story."

I guess you can see what types of things I find funny! (And no, I am not obsessed with this Tom Cruise thing--it's just that you can't get away from it! AND I do too much surfing.)

Being Right-handed With A Left-handed Brain

I began my life as a left-hander. I was encouraged (I won't say "forced" because I have enough to be pissed off at The Mother about) to use my right hand so as not to be "different." The trouble is, I still think left-handed in many ways. When we played baseball as children, I found it just as easy to bat left-handed as right. Whenever I pick up a guitar (I don't play), it seems more comfortable to hold it as a lefty than as a right-hander. Whenever I do any hand sewing, I seem to sew in the direction of a lefty. I am slightly ambidextrous and know I could be much better if I practiced, but I really have not had the need till now. Just another slightly interesting fact about me. :)

You Go, Girl!

Brooke Shields answered Tom Cruise today in the New York Times. (May need to login.)
You can find a shortened version of her article here.

Advice to Tom (as if he needs ME to tell him what to do!): DO NOT speak about things you know nothing about. ONLY women can know what post-partum depression is. Enough said.

Identity Theft

I received a letter from a store I frequent when we make our out-of-state trips. They regretted to inform me that my debit card number COULD HAVE been stolen. This, of course, meant I had to get in touch with my bank to ask their opinion on what I should do. Well, even though this info was stolen about 6 months ago, my bank suggested, very vigorously, that I cancel the card I have and get a new one issued. Fine--works for me. EXCEPT: I am left without a debit card for 3-10 days until I get my new one! It has been YEARS since I carried a checkbook around with me--my mind just isn't there anymore. Such problems I have in my life! :)

Getting Old Fast?

Some people are REALLY playing this thing for all it's worth! Check this out: www.petitiononline.com/Tomkat

Funny Kids

Christina (9) and Catie (6) were playing with the rubber bands that had been cut out of Catie's hair. The following conversation took place:

Christina: "Let's play 'shoot the rubber bands at Catie'."
Catie: "Okay, YOU be Catie."

Right On!

"Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans."
---John Lennon

Gossip

In the New York Daily News, Ben Widdicombe's column has this to say:

"Some engaging tidbits



So here's what I'm hearing about that relationship.


A source VERY close to the deal is saying there's a contract.


It's worth $5 million.


It's for five years.


There will be no sex.


The deal was sealed June 7.


That's what I'm hearing."

Draw your own conclusions! :) (And decide on your own WHO he is talking about.) ;)

Should've Known

I guess it's true: If you are a celebrity in California, you can get away with ANYTHING. What a sad day. Here's the story.

And I Cry

He wasn't quite 5 years old and I was still a newlywed when we first met. I fell in love immediately--his white-blonde hair, big blue eyes, and impossibly low voice were too much to resist. He just stared at me for the longest time, trying to figure out if I was worthy of his attention. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he held out his hand to me and said, "You want some candy?" When I accepted a jaw breaker, we became fast friends.

He was the sweetest boy God ever put on this earth. He always called me "Auntie," even though there wasn't any blood between us. Every time he saw me, he held his arms out and gave me a hug. I felt joy when I was around him--his smile was genuine and his sense of humor was wonderful.

I was there through his school days. I saw him graduate and I was there the day of his wedding. After getting to know his wife, I realized she was worthy of his love. I gave them my blessings. I was with them for the births of their children and the start of their business. They were there for K. and myself when we had our problems with C.--they offered help with no sense of judging us, just with pure love. Through the years we have gone lengths of time without seeing each other, but it was always as if we never parted whenever we were together again. He was "my boy."

And, now, "my boy" is a cocaine addict. He started out snorting, moved on to smoking, and is now injecting. He is slowly killing himself and there is nothing that can be done. He has lost his wife and children. He has lost his business. He is about to lose his life. And I can't do a thing for him. He has been through rehab several times and each time he goes back to the cocaine. He has to want to be clean for himself, or it won't work. I pray for him constantly and hope God intervenes before it is too late.

And I cry.

A Poem

Poetry has never been "my thing." I did, however, do the "worship of Rod McKuen" thing when I was young--I think it was required at the time. :) I completely blame my high school English teacher for my lack of enthusiasm for poetry. He never allowed us to read poetry just for pure pleasure--everything had to be analyzed to death. While I CAN appreciate good poetry, I never seek it out. So, with that in mind, I offer my only serious attempt at writing a poem. (This is several years old.)



TO YOU


you

HURT me

with your words

BUT

you

KILL me

with your silence

And Chicken Little Said, "Legs Are Falling From the Sky!"

"A man's severed leg--with a white Adidas sneaker still attached--plummeted from the sky onto a garage roof and bounced into the backyard of a Long Island home yesterday morning..." For more of this story go here.

Hi all, I'm back! I will write more later today or tomorrow, but I wanted to give you something interesting to read, hence the link to the story. Unbelievable!

THE MOTHER Attends a Graduation Party

I was sitting and enjoying the visit with K.'s family when I looked up and The Mother was coming into the living room. I honestly think the only reason they showed up was to see if I would be there. We said hi to each other--just as if we were acquaintances who happen to be invited to the same parties every few months. She, of course, made a big deal of fawning over my grandchildren--let everyone know how Marcus is shy with people he doesn't know. This said right after I brought him to her because he stared to cry with me. She made it clear that the kids know her much better than they know me. I don't quite remember what she said, but the message came through loud and clear. The trouble is, she doesn't ever think she does anything wrong--she REALLY doesn't see how destructive and hurtful her actions are. This is the kind of person you can't reason with--so it IS better for me to stay away from her. I only got a small glance of The Father as he walked through the kitchen.

The only real enjoyment I got was the realization that I would be raked over the coals for many days after seeing her. This was the first time she saw my tattoo since I got it--totally blew her mind, I'm sure. Of course, she is just too polite to say anything to me--at least in front of other people--but I KNOW it was a hot topic of conversation that night and will be for a long time to come. :)

Of Moose and Wolves

I know I have mentioned, in at least one post, the amount of wildlife we get to see in and around our house. Now that isn't such an incredible thing except for the fact that we live in the middle of a small city. Well, the wildlife is (are?) on the loose again! A couple of weeks ago we had a wolf about two miles from our house and the other day a moose was wandering a block from us. The police officer who saw the wolf watched it leave the area, but no one actually saw the moose leave town. I am assuming it has gone, but one never knows. I feel so sorry for the moose as it was just a baby and it probably misses its mother very much.

Of course, I never get to see any of this exciting stuff until it is shown on the local news or is in the newspaper. That is, until today. Now, it isn't QUITE as exciting as seeing it in my own backyard, but today I saw my first moose in the wild! It was grazing peacefully on the side of the road and I wouldn't have even noticed it (it was dusk and the moose blended in with the surroundings very well) but several cars had pulled over so the occupants could watch. This was an absolutely thrilling event for me! I guess that shows how exciting my life is. :) Moose are magnificent animals--very impressive.

About Shopping and a Bald Cat

We got back from our shopping expedition quite early yesterday--before 8:00 PM. I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise--after all, we left the house before 6:00 AM. The shopping went fast--we knew what we needed so there was no unnecessary meandering. I must say, though, doing that much in one day just wears me out--my feet and legs were just throbbing last night. I got to sleep earlier than usual, so it wasn't all that bad.

Now I don't know what I was thinking, but I decided to clean the upstairs room today. As if my legs weren't tired enough from yesterday, I have been up and down the stairs all evening. The cat has decided that the room is hers, so it is quite a job to keep it clean. If I don't get up there at least once a week, then it is a major bit of work to try and get it in shape. The allergist said I am only allergic to dust mites, but with all the fur I breathe in when I clean that room, I think I'm developing an allergy to cat dander! I swear, the amount of fur I vacuumed up would be enough to make three good sized cats. She should be completely bald by now!

It looks as if we will have a quiet Memorial Day weekend--which is quite all right with me. Other than the graduation party on Sunday, we have no other plans. Sunday will be busy, so I will be happy to just rest on Monday.

TP and Other Boring Stuff

There was a time when I actually could figure out just how much TP I would have to buy when I went shopping. Then when A. moved out, I had to reevaluate the situation and determined I would need much less than before. Everything was going quite well until the manufacturers decided they needed to Super-Size! Now it is a guessing game as to how much I need to purchase at a time. Charmin now comes in no fewer than 4 different size rolls. Do we really need rolls of TP so large that a holder extender has to come with each package? How much toilet paper do people use in one day? Unbelievable.

As you can tell, I really don't have much going on that is interesting. Tomorrow we will be going out of town to do some shopping. We will only be gone for the day, and that is fine with me.

On Sunday we will be going to K.'s great-nephew's graduation party. We only got one other graduation invitation this year and I don't think any more will be coming. An inexpensive year for us, thank goodness. Hopefully K. won't decide we have to stop and see The Parents while we are up there--I don't really need to see them any time soon. At least we WILL be able to see C. and the kids for a short time.