Scribblings

thoughts in my head tonight

Ah the misery of menopause! Technically, I am not there yet. I'm just surfing the hormonal tides. I remember this happening aons ago, when I began to get my period. Little did I know that these tsunamis strike more than once in a lifetime ... in adolescence, in pregnancy, in menopause (or right before). Oh well.

I saw pictures of flag draped coffins of soldiers killed in Iraq a few days ago. It was a totally tasteful and respectful picture and I felt sad that there were so many. But then, I remembered all the body bags coming back from Viet Nam. I remembered seeing the images on TV and so I wasn't too surprised. What did surprise me was the outcry about the pictures. The newspaper and the photographer got into big trouble and the Bush administration made a big deal about the families' right to privacy.

What?

There weren't name tags on the flag draped caskets. Of course the burial services and interment should be private or according to the families' wishes. But censor a newspaper for showing a picture of the reality of war? Please.
I think it's because this is an unpopular war and the picture reminds us that it is taking its toll on our young people.

Blogger Seeds:

Are you a brand name shopper, or do you bargain shop?

I’m not one to go with brand names unless one is recommended over the other by Consumer Digest. When it comes to clothes, I look for durability (how long it’ll last) and price. It’s almost like that with food. I’ll get a store name brand because lots of times it tastes as good (sometimes better) than the name brand. Everything is so expensive now so I need to look for the bargains.

What’s On … Right Now?

What's On your shopping list Right Now?

Milk, Parkay margarine, bananas, strawberries, & cereal

Accident

This has not been such a great week. I got another sinus infection and felt really terrible since the weekend.

I started working on an entry this morning that had to do with the movie, Sixth Sense but I didn't finish. I figured I would get back to it later. Well, how does that saying go? Something like, best made plans of mice & men oft go gangly?

Things sure went gangly today.

The biggest thing that went gangly was Kristin fell outside and turned her ankle. We needed to take her to the emergency room to have her ankle Xrayed. We were praying it wasn't broken and we lucked out there. The doctor gave Kristin an air cast to wear and crutches to use. Now she's hobbling around trying to get used to the crutches.

She was really upset that we had to go to the ER, not because of her foot but because she hates hospitals now. She remembers when Rich was hospitalized for a week April, 2001 and then he died and it just brings it all back.

Well, I'm not up to going any further right now so I'll stop trying to think and just post memes I hadn't gotten around to yet.

Blogger Seeds:

What's your favorite thing to do on a lazy rainy day?

Plain and simple: my favorite thing to do on a lazy rainy day is sleep. After that, my favorite activities are playing on the computer, reading, and things I can’t talk about here but TB knows what they are ;-)

In Other Words:

We rarely quote nowadays to appeal to authority ... though we quote sometimes to display our sapience and erudition. Some authors we quote against. Some we quote not at all, offering them our scrupulous avoidance, and so make them part of our white mythology. Other authors we constantly invoke, chanting their names in cerebral rituals of propitiation or ancestor worship.
 Ihab Hassan, U.S. critic. repr. In The Right Promethean Fire (1980).

Er … what?

After reading the quote over and over again, the speaker seems to be saying he quotes to show off, isn’t consistent about the use of quotes, and is very selective. But it still sounds like nonsense to me!

Tuesday Iffers:

If you had a third eye, where would you put it and why?

I would put it in the back of my head, like the scary aliens from an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. I don’t remember what the aliens were called cuz it was so long ago (1960s, ancient history eh?) but I do remember Danny Thomas was a guest star and played one of the aliens. Oh … and they loved walnuts. Anyway, I would put the eye there to see what’s going on behind me, of course, so I can catch the expressions on people’s faces or see what they’re doing.

Tuesday Twosome

Sleep:

1. Side of the bed: Left or Right?

Left

2. Sleep with or without covers?

With, unless it’s a very hot night

3. Sleep with or without night light?

With … so I can find my way into our bathroom without falling over stuff

4. Deep or light sleeper?

deep

5. More annoying to be awoken by: alarm or phone call?

Phone call! At least I can shut my alarm off quickly! A phone call, I have to answer it, find out who’s calling and is it important enough for me to pay attention to it.

Monday Madness:

Using the letters in the word 'blogger' describe your blog for us.

B_______ bold – ha, not. More like bland

L_______ lively

O_______ odds & ends

G_______ great (yay!)

G_______ groovy (ha, couldn’t resist that one!)

E_______ entertaining (I hope)

R_______ reflective

Unconscious Mutterings:

I say … and you think …

1. Elastic:: stretchy

2. Intervention:: help

3. Risk:: danger

4. Junk food:: potato chips

5. Arrogance:: superiority

6. Responsibility:: take care of
   
   
7. X:: Y

8. Marshall:: Plan

9. Kill:: murder

10. Brother:: Pete
    

Keep jiggaling, Nana

Little T has gas sometimes and it's pretty painful. Linda has the most success comforting him when she puts him on one knee and jiggles her leg.

I tried it today and it worked but I kept hearing this one line from an I Love Lucy episode. It was the one in which two teenagers developed crushes on both Ricky & Lucy Ricardo. They didn't want to hurt the kids' feelings and so they decided they'd try to discourage them by acting "old". Well, they really hammed it up, coloring their hair white and pretending to have false teeth. And Ricky sat in a chair with a blanket over his lap. He needed the teenage girl to "keep jiggaling" his legs to keep the blood circulating.

Okay, so this isn't exactly what was happening but I just kept hearing that line in my head.

It amazes me how easy it is to entertain a baby. Show them a lit chandalier with little sparkly lights on it and babies are entranced. Or if you blow raspberries, their eyes widen and they become very interested to know how that happened. This isn't to say that Tomas doesn't become bored with the lights after a few minutes. It's just that it's so easy to interest him in something else totally uncomplicated.

I can't sing thanks to the laryngitis thanks to the sinus infection. The medicine I'm taking for it sounds scary. The side effects range from the unpleasant stomach cramps and diarrhea to chest pain and mood swings. Luckily, not all of them have manifested. Now I get why they say sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

I am sitting up waiting for Billy to get home. He is catching a ride with a school mate who also works at the movie theater. I could go to bed and just leave the front door unlocked but I am sure I wouldn't sleep.

That's what being a mother does to you.

Thursday Threesome:

A geek-- Hey, who handles tech support at your place? You? ...the six year old? ...or someone from outside? ...and how about in your web space? No, we're not looking for techs; we're just curious .

TB handles tech support here.

in the-- computer? Just a curiosity for the designer types: what Operating System are you running? ...and which browser? Since sites can show up differently in different browsers it's more than a casual question.

We have Windows XP and Explorer is the browser

Family-- Do any family members read your place? Do they care? Do they have a clue? ...and how about your 'off line' friends? ...or do you supply a little bit of separation there?

I think they do. I mean read and care. My offline friends and family are truly offline so they know about our website but don’t visit. Sometimes I’ve printed pages or pictures and shared it with them.

Cutest little baby face

I seem to be easily distracted from my writing. How can I resist such an adorable baby’s face? All right, I’ll be honest. I’ve been a procrastinator for the get-go and I use all kinds of excuses. Once I get involved with Little T, though, it’s like I forget almost everything else. He is growing and changing day by day. Linda says he’s got new cries she doesn’t recognize and so she’s got to figure out what he wants. I remember that part about my kids when they were babies. Just when you think you have them figured out … they change!

So TB and I stopped off at Walmart because we needed kitty litter liners and we ended up walking out with a whole lot of other stuff. I was looking for a play blanket for Tomas, something to put on the floor. All of them came with play gyms which is okay because he’s about ready for that too. So we got one from Fisher-Price and the neat thing is that the hanging toys will turn and spin periodically. That’s cool to keep a baby’s interest. It’s also a cool toy for babies because it helps them learn to connect arm and leg control with fun things happening. So T will flail his arms and hit the animals. They move and he is pop-eyed with wonder. Pretty soon he’ll make the connection: hit object with fist = object moves!

We also bought some cat toys. We’ve been buying stuff for Buddy and Little T but not for the cats. I never thought about getting toys for them because cats are so dignified and so much into a “this is beneath me” attitude. Well, we got a couple of catnip mice. One of them dangles from the top of a door. The cats have gone mental over it. They’ve been batting it around and not only that, they are pouncing onto it and then leaping in the air and hopping around. They are making spectacles of themselves. It’s great!

I put a curse on myself with my entry yesterday. My sinuses ache, I have a nasty cough that brings up the green gunk Lydia got sick of seeing, and I think I’ve got what everyone else has except for Kristin but I better shut up about that or she'll be getting it too!!

Blogger Seeds:

Are you a spring cleaner? Why or why not?

I wouldn’t call it spring cleaning. It’s more like “when it needs it” cleaning. I don’t do a lot of it anymore because of my hands. TB and the kids handle most of the cleaning. I do easy stuff like the refrigerator.

Wednesday Whatevers

1. What era would you have liked to live in?

The Roaring 20s!

2. Why does history repeat itself?

Probably because people typically respond to what’s going on in predictable patterns. So we’ve got repeat wars and repeat economies. No one seems to be paying attention or learning. :P

3. Why did you choose the email username that you did?

Wishful thinking!

Allergy Attacks

I am so fortunate. I've not been overly troubled by allergies. When I was a kid, I didn't know anyone who had asthma or who had allergies ... at least, I don't think so. I ran through the neighborhood all seasons of the year, playing with the other kids. Sometimes if the pollen was especially bad, I'd get the itchy eyes and scratchy throat. Live with it every day though? Not me, lucky me!

Five of the 7 of us in this household are suffering varying degrees of allergy aggravation. Only Kristin and I seem to have escaped the ravages of springtime pollen. Everyone else is hacking, sneezing, coughing, and have differing degrees of misery.

Today, Linda and T had an appointment with the nurse practioner. When Heidi woke up with laryngitis, I managed to "persuade" the doctor's office to let me bring her along and sneak her in with the other two. Apparently Lydia has been seeing a lot of people with similar problems. She said she was getting tired of the green gunk. Yuck. I don't think Linda, T, or Heidi had any green gunk. We left with a boatload of prescriptions.

Poor TB had more awful experiences other than the allergies. He had to go to Virtua for an arthroscopy (I think that's the way it's spelled) but you'd think he went to some medieval torture chamber. The tech shaved part of his chest and then stuck him 3 times with these huge needles that apparently weren't big enough (except the last one). Then he had to lie on his right shoulder (which hurts) for 20 minutes. He had to move around after that and the tech had to help him left his arm.

I think that any tech has to experience an arthroscopy themselves before they can do it to the patients.

TB is still in pain.

I hope this is IT for all the testing and nonsense and that someone comes up with something that will really help him get well!

Blogger Seeds:

Sorry about no question yesterday, we had no power! How well or long can you survive without power?

Oh, I don’t think I’d do so well without power. For a couple of hours, maybe, and then I would start wigging out. Everything here in our house is electric. If we had a power failure, we’d be without: heat/air conditioning, water, cooking on the oven or by microwave, television and – heaven forbid! – computers. I wouldn’t be able to check my email or write on my stories. Nope, I couldn’t last very long without power!

In Other Words:

Have you ever observed that we pay much more attention to a wise passage when it is quoted than when we read it in the original author?
 Philip G. Hamerton, "The Intellectual Life"

It’s easier to take note of a passage that is taken out of the original piece. The quote is easily lost in the midst of lots of words and paragraphs.

Tuesday Twosome:

Would you rather...

1. Win the lottery or have a guarantee that your family would be together forever?

I would rather have the guarantee my family would be together forever

2. Have a makeover for yourself or for a dear friend?

I don’t make much of a fuss over myself so I’d pass in favor of my friend

3. Work out at the gym or have plastic surgery to remove the "ick"?

I’d rather exercise but I suspect I’d also need the surgery

4. If you are single or when your were single, would you rather have a blind date or go out with a someone you are friend with first?

I preferred going out with a friend first

5. Win an Extreme makeover or an Extreme Home makeover?

Even though the house is mostly how we like it, I’d take the Extreme Home makeover if it included a new heating system!

Dr. Roboto & Boob Pillows

We’re back to a routine this morning. After a week off thanks to spring break, we all slept in – ha ha – and everyone basically did their own thing. Today, though, everyone had to be in and out of the shower on time and once the kids leave for school, we’ll have a little more peace in the house. Baby Tomas is still sleeping and hopefully the worst of the teething is behind him – for now. TB has a doctor’s appointment this morning. We heard through the grapevine that the specialist he’s seeing works in “permanency” issues. I guess the insurance company is beginning to get the idea that TB might have a permanent disability.

I am supposed to be developing a writing routine. I figured that 2 hours in the morning would get me off to a good start. My thinking is a little more clear in the morning although I’m not necessarily more focused. Besides, it tends to be a little quieter. I’m hoping I can get into the habit and actually get going again.

Later …

TB is worried about the visit to the doctor. I have to say I did not like that man at all. He was cold and his face was totally devoid of expression. He sat down in a chair with TB’s medical file and a note pad and barked these questions out. He asked about TB’s limitations now and after each one, he’d ask “What else?” or “Anything else?” When he felt he’d gotten enough information he stood up and told TB to take his shirt off and he’d be right back.

He came back with his receptionist/nurse/assistant. She had some kind of a packet to fill in and the doctor marched over to TB, had him stand up and then rattled off about 50 different instructions. It all sounded the same to me: do this, do that, face here, face there, put your hands like this, like that, blah blah blah. As TB complied, the doctor would snap off some number and the nurse would fill in a blank.

Finally he said, “Put your shirt on and have a safe trip home.”

Thank you?

He didn’t ask, do you have any questions. He didn’t say a single solitary word to either of us.

That’s a third party carrier doctor for you. They are there at the bidding of the insurance company and they don’t show any concern or emotion at all. It’s like we went and saw Dr. Roboto. Ugh.

I have a feeling Dr. Roboto is supposed to make some kind of recommendation about how disabled TB is. I think that’s what the measurements and numbers were for. Of course, we worry that Dr. Roboto will understate everything because he’s for the insurance company. We won’t know anything for a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow TB has an atherogram and after that, I think he goes back to the surgeon. I am hoping someone finally comes out and says, okay, he can’t work in the shop anymore … period. Let’s get all this over with already!

Tomas is still fussy and his voice is still hoarse. He doesn’t have a fever but his appetite has been about nil. Linda felt a tooth on its way through in his upper gum. I remember (it wasn’t that long ago) that a teething baby drools, is uncomfortable, cries a lot, is off the feed and just generally miserable. There are a couple of teething rings in the fridge, nice and cold, but T doesn’t seem interested in them. I don’t remember that any of my kids sounded hoarse though and so Linda has an appt for T to see the doctor tomorrow morning.

It’s kind of weird how putting T into my arms seems to help calm him down. He falls asleep within minutes. I think it’s the big boob factor. T has a nice soft, squishy pillow and his body rests on a soft plump belly. It must be like sleeping on a water bed! I’ve said to him, “I’m a nana, not a pillow” but that hasn’t convinced him yet.

That’s okay because I enjoy holding him. He is a sweet bit of perfection, downy hair and soft skin and tiny little fingers and toes. When he sees me, he starts to stick his tongue out and that really tickles me. I make faces at him and sometimes I see a smile as he tries to copy me.

It’s nice to have Linda here too. I think she just needs time and support – with counseling and having a safe place to stay – and she will eventually be able to take care of herself and T on her own – if necessary.

And so it goes.

Monday Madness:

Pick a letter; any letter.........Got one?
.....
Ok, for the following questions, each of your answers must begin with the letter you chose.......Have fun!! =)

1. If you were limited to 3 things to pack for an overnight trip, what would you pack?

Chocolate
Coffee
Coveralls

2. What 3 things would you pack in your picnic basket?

cookies
corn
cranberries

3. What are 3 things you'd rather do than go to work?

chat
canoodle
cook

4. Name 1 song.

Come On, Eileen

5. Name 1 movie.

Casablanca

getting teens to work in the sticks

I was talking to my brother today and we compared notes about working teens out in the sticks.

My niece Tricia and son Billy were born 2 weeks apart. Tricia will be 17 next week and has been driving for like a year. Billy won’t be able to get his driver’s permit until he’s 17 and I hear that he won’t get a license until he is 18. I understand about young drivers and the need for caution but, really, this stinks for parents out in the sticks.

Before Tricia got her license, my brother drove her wherever she needed to go … job, her mother’s, school, a friend … It’s the same case with us and Billy.

Billy’s gotten a nice job for himself at the Burlington Regal Cinema. He just completed 5 days of training and gets underway next weekend. He’s working Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the school year. He can work more on holidays and during school vacations. It’s a nice job because he can tend to his studies without being pressured by the boss to work more hours.

This job is good for Billy not only for the money he’ll earn. It’s also good for his self esteem to work at something that is fun, know he’s doing a good job, and that this is another step on the road to independence. There’s lots of fun “perks” too, free popcorn and movie tickets.

And the drawback is …

It’s 40 minutes one way from our house to the theatre. If Billy had his own license and could drive a car, it wouldn’t be too big a deal for him. I think most people drive at least 30 minutes to work. BUT since it’s TB or me, we’re talking about almost 90 minutes of driving twice a day. It’s especially rough when the shift ends at closing and Billy doesn’t finish until midnight or one in the morning.

It’s rough but this is something we need to do until Billy can get there by driving himself

It’s rough being a teething baby! Little T has a tooth coming in and has been drooling. He’s also got some serious gas going on and he’s been fussy for the last day or two. I know how it feels to have a toothache and to have gas. It’s pretty painful and here I am an adult. What must it be like for an infant who can’t really talk or understand the pain he’s in. Hopefully that tooth will come in soon and the pain will go away.

Unconscious Mutterings:

I write … and you say …

1. Virginia:: state

2. Soft:: hard

3. Carol:: Channing

4. Vanity:: Fair

5. Feminist:: strong

6. Alias:: false

7. Coward:: scared

8. Beer:: Bud

9. Chance:: luck

10. Honest:: dishonest
    

Finally, justice

Way back in January, this nasty kid on Heidi's bus sprayed her in the face with cologne. We couldn't get any action by the school administrators. They told us to go to the police and so we did. A few weeks ago, we got a letter from the courts asking Heidi to appear April 16 at 6:30 p.m. Linda warned us that we'd probably have to wait a long time and it was a good thing she did because then we were prepared.

What is it about municipal buildings? You have to wait for a long time in a warm room that doesn't have nearly enough seats! We stood up near the door for an hour. Then Heidi and I decided to go out the door and sit on benches outside. At least it was cooler out there.

We were seventh to sign the list soon after we arrived. The hall outside the courtroom began filling up fast. Heidi spotted Tony with his father, looking very nonchalant. The father looked annoyed. Who wants to be in a municipal court on a Friday night?

There were other parents and kids milling around. The parents were giving advice to their kids: don't curse, don't roll your eyes. Across the hall from us, there were a whole gaggle of kids and possibly 2 or 3 adults. They were all strutting around, being all loud and oh so cool. TB and I talked with a man whose daughter was beaten up by a bunch of kids. These dumb kids videotaped their attack. Apparently that group of kids were the ones who beat up on the man's daughter. Yeah, they all looked like fine upstanding citizens. :P

None of us seemed familiar with the routine. Did we get called according to the order we'd signed in? Was it alphabetical? Was it lottery? Was it some other luck of the draw type thing? The man with the beat-up daughter thought it might have to do with the seriousness of the crime. Or ... maybe it was alphabetical after all. His daughter was called next, and the last name was Smith so the alphabetical theory flew out the window.

Another person explained that there was a parole officer in there listening to both sides of the story. Apparently they called the 'victim' in first and then the offender.

Oh.

Heidi was called next. TB and I went in with her. The courtroom was empty except for three people sitting behind a table. They invited us to sit down and then explained that they are a committee that hears the cases of first time offenders. They try to mediate the conflict and hopefully deflect the case away from a full hearing in front of a judge.

I think it's a great idea except for the waiting part.

The people asked Heidi to tell what happened. She did but I could tell that she was nervous. She smoothed over the rough language by saying Tony used obscenities in general to everyone on the bus. She explained that he picked on her probably because she was near him and his friends. She described what happened after Tony sprayed her with the cologne.

Although they still needed to talk to Tony, I felt a whole lot better about things. They said that if nothing else, they would issue a sort of restraining order on Tony to keep him away from Heidi. He's not supposed to talk to her or come near her and if he does, we'll call the police.

It's really too bad that the school never followed through with some kind of conference. They never even contacted Tony's father. He didn't find out about all this until he received notice in the mail from the court! If the school cooperated, all this would have been settled a lot sooner. But at least Heidi sees that there is justice. And at least now Tony will think twice before hassling another kid!

Blogger Seeds:

Yesterday was tax day! Are you one of the folks who waited until last minute to file, or were you done long before?

Actually, I didn't have to do either. My wonderful hubby worked his way through all the nasty forms and filed a couple weeks ago! Yaaaaay, TB!

Life in the car

We lived in the car today. I needed to see the doctor about that nasty pyogentic granuloma this morning. Linda noticed that Little T sounded hoarse. We were both seeing the same doctor so we managed to schedule back-to-back appointments. Just as we were leaving, the hospital called TB to arrange a time for his arthroscopy. He made the appointment for later in the afternoon.

Little T turned out just fine, a little congested and we were all relieved. He’s starting to use his fingers a bit, grabbing onto my collar sometimes. It won’t be long before his fingers open straight all the time and he starts picking up objects. He’s making cute gurgly sounds and when I hold him, he remembers me by sticking his tongue out at me. Okay, that sounds goofy but it started with me showing him how to stick out my tongue. He was delighted with that and got to copying me. So now when he sees me, naturally he sticks out his tongue.

The doctor cauterized my finger again. That’s always fun. He said he was tempted to just cut the thing off and I agreed. He decided not to because so much of it is “vascular” and it would bleed a lot. Great. So he wrapped a bandaid around my finger and off we went. We got home in time to have some lunch and hang out for an hour before we had to go out for the next appointment.

TB’s doctor wanted him to have this procedure because his shoulder isn’t getting better. He says that it hurts the same way it did before the second surgery and I thought to myself that maybe the tear ruptured again. What a horrible thought! So this test was supposed to show whether or not there was a tear again. It turned out to be the doctor visit from the hot place.

We got there on time, 45 minutes before the procedure, like we were supposed to. We weren’t waiting all that long before someone brought us back to radiology. The nurse showed me to a waiting room and took TB back with her. I sat down to wait and watched CNN.

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld was having a press conference. All the reporters wanted to know why the troops were having their deployment extended another 3 – 6 months. Rumsfeld obviously wasn’t enjoying himself and kept asking if the reporters had working hearing aids (because he had to keep repeating himself). I am annoyed because after all the money and people we’ve invested, practically the whole world is still mad at us. The Iraqi rebels are taking hostages, killing some of them, and creating havoc. Bin Laden is sending messages to European countries promising not to attack them if they stop supporting the U.S.

I’m tired of our people getting killed. I think we need to take our guns and soldiers and go home. Let everyone else try to take care of themselves and see what happens to them then. :P

Anyway, a lot of time passed. I asked someone for the time and found out I’d been waiting here over an hour. Then I saw TB walk by with a nurse and I felt relieved. He was probably almost done. But then when he walked back he said they hadn’t even begun the procedure.

I went back with him to his “holding tank” which had a hospital gurney, two chairs and very little else. They just sort of stuck him there because he had to use a special table and it was being used and no one knew how long it would be tied up.

Well, that was just the pits. There is nothing like upsetting your day to come to something put together at the last minute and then just sit there waiting to put down root. Maybe it would have been less aggravating if nothing else was on the to do list. As it was, I needed to get Billy to his job training and time was running out fast. Both my feet were tapping with tension.

We waited a while longer and then TB had enough. It was a relief to get out of that hot hospital.

When we got home, we had about a 1 hour break and then Billy needed to go to work. The day is not over even yet as we have to pick him up again at 11.
Then we won’t have to drive anymore until tomorrow!

I called to find out how much it would cost to get car insurance for Billy. Ouch! The first quote was like $3000. Luckily he is a good student ($800 discount) and if he takes behind-the-wheel driver’s ed then he’ll get another $200 discount. He’d need to kick in $38 per week to pay his share of the insurance. So it’s a good thing he’s got a job! Welcome to the real world, Billy!

Tomorrow is Friday. It’s gotta be a better day!

Not so busy

It was nice to have a much quieter day! I got some writing done on my story and I felt really good about that. It was a relief not to have the whole day booked with places to go and things to do. Later, Linda, Heidi, Kristin, T & I went to the mall and did a little shopping while Billy was at his training class. He got a job to work the concession stand at the movie theater. I think it's a great starting job for him! Anyway, "Girls Night Out" was a success, we all had a nice time!

Catch up

Two things have been constant in my life lately: busy-ness and rain.

I like rain when we don’t have it pouring in buckets day after day. I know we need rain. It can be enjoyable, like if I’m walking on the boardwalk by the beach. This rain, though, is nothing other than miserable. It’s cold and damp and very depressing. The rain comes down in sheets sometimes. This afternoon I slept like 3 hours because I felt so exhausted … from the sound of it.

Can a dog have sleep apnea? I’m listening to Buddy cut wood and he is actually much louder than the rain on the roof. That’s saying a lot because the rain on the roof is louder than the TV sometimes!

The days are just filled … exactly what, well, it’s mostly things that need to be done. I keep meaning to get on the computer and just write … anything … for 2 hours to get back into the habit. Okay, so it didn’t work again today, but the sun’ll come out tomorrow – no, it won’t. It’s supposed to rain all week! But I will try to get my 2 hours in anyway!

Tuesday Twosome:

Taxes:
1. "Eek, I owe" or "Show me the money!"

A big sigh of relief this year: show us the money!

2. "Finished already" or "It isn't the 15th yet, so why rush?!"

Finished!

3. "Taxes suck" or "I don't mind because some of it goes to social causes"

They suck!

4. "1040EZ" or "How the heck does anybody understand all this crap?"

This is why someone else has always done them for me.

5. "Receipts? What are those?" or "I keep everything just in case *knock on wood*"

We keep everything but don’t know where anything is!

We had a nice quiet Easter. It was gloomy, rainy and cool this year. We'd ordered a dinner from Acme which was delicious, inexpensive and really convenient for us!

I haven't been able to focus much in the last few days and so I haven't written very much of anything recently. I've got ideas percolating again in my head, mostly to do with suggestions my online writing instructor gave me.

Happy blessed Easter!

Unconscious Mutterings:

1. Boxing:: sport

2. Lewis:: Carl

3. Bodyguard:: protector

4. Burnout:: exhausted

5. Cruising:: driving aimlessly

6. Easter:: resurrection

7. AA:: Alcoholics Anonymous

8. Research:: study

9. Redemption:: salvation

10. Snickers:: candy
    

Dinner Guest

The last few days have been very hectic! I haven't had time to do any journalling, never mind writing on my story. I'm hoping things will settle down eventually.

We are having dinner here tomorrow and the guest list started with TB's mom, Linda, and Little T. Linda was talking to Kennan and now he is invited too. I am of divided feelings about this.

On the one hand, it's a good thing. Kennan and Linda have serious problems with their relationship and, quite frankly, I'd like to give him a boot in the butt. But at the same time, we don't want to unleash all this hostility on him. Linda loves him and if there is a chance to salvage the relationship then it's better that we treat him civilly.

Besides, except for the way he treats Linda he is sort of a nice young man.

On the other hand, I am worried that something unpleasant might slip out of someone's mouth. Praying all goes well.

City of New Orleans

I thought I heard it this morning. A train out of Chicago derailed … and I thought I heard it was the City of New Orleans. I wondered if I’d misheard. There wasn’t really a train with that name was there?

Years and years ago, I took a guitar class in my junior year of high school. I loved it! I bought my own guitar, took Guitar II the following year and joined The Ethnomusicological Society. The teacher, a roly poly little guy who sang offkey – no lie – said the group name would look impressive on a resume and no one need know it meant folk music.

I loved folk music, especially once I learned how to do different strums and picks. One of my favorite songs of all time was City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie. Our music teacher taught us a really cool strum to play that song. I can see the finger movements in my mind but I couldn’t for the life of me explain how it’s done in words.

The song had a nostalgic feel to it. It sounded like another day of many days in a row for this train which had been going on this route for years. It sounded like it was going to be a nice, homey song until the first sight of something not entirely pleasant. There was a sadness to the song and a sense of resignation. The song seemed to say to me that the days of riding trains were going and that this route would be gone too.

It never occurred to me that the song referred to a real train!

When I heard about the train derailment, I wondered if it had been an act of terrorism. This is how things are today … something goes wrong and one of the first things we wonder is was it an act of terrorism? Amtrak thinks it might have been an accident but now the FBI is investigating. The train jumped its tracks somewhere in Mississippi. At least one was killed and many others injured.

The song, as I remember it:

What’s On … Right Now?

What's On your outside thermometer Right Now? (I realize not everyone has an outside thermometer; what's the weather like right now where you live?) What season are you in?

Oh boy! The sun is shining and there is a light, mild breeze! Right now it is around 60 degrees and it’s supposed to get a little higher this afternoon. All I know is, it ain’t rainy and cold! Yippee!

Home Work:

Quick - what's the state of your fridge right now? Anything growing in there? Or is it as fresh and clean as the new dawn? Is this typical? Snap a picture if you feel brave enough.

Actually, there just might be something growing in there! Kristin is working on a science fair project, wondering whether honey has any preservative value. So there are 4 slices of bread, two in the fridge somewhere. Other than that, the fridge is full but not terrible, not spic and span either.

Plague

Boy, it sure feels like we have it here! It's like we should hang up a "Quarantine" sign! On the up side, everyone has now had it. TB's struggling with it now, poor thing. He has a temperature and isn't able to hold anything down. The only good thing about this is it is a short duration virus.

Billy passed his karate test and is going to the next level. He had a job interview at the movie theater and is hopeful. The manager is going to call him in a couple of days if he's hired. She asked a lot of questions about the clubs he belongs to ... debate, drama and robotics.

Poor Little T is having a fussy time this evening. Kennan's come over to visit. Sometimes a baby just cries for no reason at all and I sort of think this is one of those times.

That gross thing on my finger has to go! The area around is is red, sore and very itchy. I'll call the doctor tomorrow to have him cauterize it again. I just wish they'd freeze and then cut the darn thing off!

Blogger Seeds:

Tuesday, April 6
April is also "Math Education Month." As a teacher I used to hear lots of kids say, "Why do we need to learn math facts? We have computers and calculators to do the work?" What are some good answers to the question?

I think it’s important to understand why and how math works. What if the lights go out and there’s no power for the computer? What if the batteries run down? How are we going to even begin to figure out the answers without knowing how to find them? I also don’t think it’s a terrific idea to put all faith and trust into machines that don’t think. In addition, there are competency tests required now for graduations. Kids are supposed to explain how they got an answer and “plugging it into the calculator” isn’t going to work!

Monday, April 5
This is "Pets are Wonderful Month!" What's the best, or most remembered pet you had?

My best, most memorable pet was my tabby, Kushna. My landlady gave her to me when she was about 2 months old. I’ll never forget finding her alongside the refrigerator. She was so scared! I am sure she missed her mother and litter mates so when I went to bed, I brought her with me and rested her on the pillow next to me. That’s where she always slept for years. She would come when I’d whistle for her. She was sweet and affectionate and the best cat I’d ever had. She was about 12 or 13 when I lost her. Right now, I love Mouse and Amber best but I remember Kushna most.

April Fool!

My whole April 1 entry went away because I couldn't upload to Scribbblings and deleted it without thinking. It went where the light goes when you turn off the switch.

I think I wrote about the best April Fools' joke I've pulled off in recent memory. I got the kids good. We were in Georgia, on our way to Orlando. I hit my head really hard on the car as I was getting in. It really hurt and I literally saw stars.
The kids were really concerned, asking "Are you okay?"

I was going to reassure them but then I remembered it was April 1 and so I turned all melodramatic, moaned and groaned and held my head and said no, I didn't think I could on. We'd have to turn around and drive back to New York.

I had the kids going! I couldn't keep a straight face anymore and said "April Fool!" Then we all started laughing.

Saturday 8:

1. i just purchased a new pet - a seal point siamese kitty. are you a 'cat person'? why or why not?

I am indeed a cat person. I love cats because of their independence and pride in themselves. They will befriend me but not fawn on me. They aren’t messy and don’t drool on me. I love the way they purr or squeeze their eyes shut when they appreciate affection

2. what is your favourite kind of pet to have, or your dream pet? cat, dog, hamster, horse, tiger, dolphin, etc.?

kitty cats

3. do you currently own any pets? if so, please tell us what they are & their names. if not, tell us why you don't own a pet.

I have 2 cats and a dog: Amber (looks like a Maine coon mix), Mouse (a tuxedo), and Buddy (ADD … a dumb dog)

4. i am thinking about naming my baby kitten 'jimmy wah' after the gay bar owner in the movie "good morning, vietnam." my kids HATE this, but i thought it was cute to have a kitty named jimmy. what is the COOLEST name you've ever heard for a pet?

My son named one of our cats (in Maryland) Paddywhack. That’s pretty cool!

5. my stbx takes his dog to a dog park, where there is a dog named "DOG" (pronounced "dee-oh-gee"). everyone and their dog makes fun of this guy. what is the most idiotic name you've ever heard for a pet?

Well, maybe not idiotic but unusual: Jehosophat & Alyosius

6. ok - seal point siamese kitten. do you have an idea for a name for me, or should i stick with 'jimmy wah'? (i also have a turtle named "suzi wong," btw)

If you like Jimmy Wah I would stick with that.

7. my almost-ex wanted a boxer dog SO badly, and i gave in and we purchased one. the dog hates me and is afraid of me because it knows i cannot stand it. would you get a dog/pet just to please your mate?

TB has turned into a cat lover! If he wanted another dog of his own I would become a dog lover too ... well, at least a dog tolerator ;)

8. would you ever consider owning a 'different' pet, like a tiger or an alligator or some weird flying monkey? why or why not?

No, they are just too weird and many are illegal to own anyway