Gah- Even More Changes!!!

 Well boss(present) called me today asking if I was at a point that I could break free and come have a talk with him. I said sure.

I then proceeded to pack all my personal  belongings into my Backpack because usually when you get called into the manager's office for a little chat- it rarely ends well for the "talkee". I was fully expecting to be told-"We're going to have to let you go today" and then be walked off property without being able to go back and gather my personal possessions from the office...I was fully prepared for that eventuality because I've had to execute that walk with other employees quite a few times in my career.

Well, I got to his office and turns out he just wanted to offer to let me go whenever was best for me- stated he had coverage if I wanted to make either today or next Thursday my last day on schedule instead of working out the whole two weeks notice. I declined today being the last day-, started to decline next Thursday as well just to be ornery- but then I thought to myself- "Self, Do I really want to cut off my nose to spite my face? Take the damn extra week instead of working the full notice, you dumbass."

So I did- and now I only have four days left to work instead of nine days! I contacted my future boss or my boss-in-waiting..lol. and he said that was fine- was actually glad to be getting  me a week ahead of schedule!!

So Good times!!

Changes Afoot!

 So yesterday I turned in my 2 weeks notice  at my job.

My boss was NOT expecting that.

At present I get up at 0445 to get dressed and drive 52 miles to work. Then I drive anywhere from 30-45 miles a day doing my actual job patrolling two different sites about 3 miles from each other. Gas prices plus wear and tear on my car is thru the roof for me.

At my present job, I get ZERO PTO/Vacation. Well saying that we can TAKE vacation days- but we take a hit in the wallet as it's not PAID vacation. We also don't get any help/offers on health and dental or life insurance. We are provided Uniforms, but we have to pay for our special footwear ourselves. Also, we have no help with the protective eyewear we are required to wear on the floor inside the facilities.  

One of the main reasons I'm leaving is my blood pressure has been steadily rising- and I'm ON BP medication and it's not doing a thing for it. That's the stress level I'm dealing with at the moment. Mainly that's because of a damn AI Monitor they have on the company vehicle. It hates me- and the feeling is mutual. I told my boss that it's a horrible idea because it only sees the numbers on incidents- it doesn't take into consideration human factors and it doesn't show rear views of vehicles hauling ass down the road behind you and almost rearending me because I'm slowing down to the seven mile an hour required for "approved cornering".  I told my family if I got killed while making a turn in that damn car that was grounds for a lawsuit. I don't approve of those monitors in vehicles- THEY are more distracting than anything else. heck- when I was wearing my compression glove for my arthritis in my wrist- every time I put my hand near my face the monitor screamed bloody murder that I was "DISTRACTED DRIVING!!!" because the glove was black it was reading it as a phone and phone usage in the company vehicle is a definite no-no and a fireable offense. I swear I get flagged at least a dozen times a week- one day a couple weeks ago I got flagged 6x in one DAY!!! And you get orange flagged for the distracted driving which includes eating, drinking, talking on a phone, seat belt unbuckled, looking at something outside the vehicle for more than two seconds-... I havent been flagged for the eating or drinking yet- I only do that when I'm fully stopped and in park, but the others I get flagged on regularly- even tho I dont do any of them!!!!! When she screams about the seatbelt one(at least twice a week, I just grab it at my shoulder and put it in FRONT of the damn camera so they can see that CLEARLY it IS ON correctly- then I mouth "effing idiot AI..." and look directly into the camera when doing so. 

The powers than send these clips to my boss have told him many times that mine are the most entertaining flags they get to watch. I'm glad someone is getting enjoyment out of them.... 

(Think GomerGober Pyle yelling Citizen's arrest!!! Citizen's Arrest!!! at Barney Fife and you have got how annoying getting flagged is....and when it screams at you in a dead silent car it scares the crap out of me.)

Any who- I'm going off on a tangent again- soz......

The new company is half the distance between where I live and where I WANT to move to soon as we can find affordable housing. It also offers PTO, All the insurances I mentioned (not sure about the footwear and vision stuff tho. But just gas and oil and wear and tear on my auto will more than make up for that.) I'm coming out better in the end. I'm moving from first shift to second shift but that's going to be a plus for reasons I can't explain on here at this time. LOL.... 

I am going to miss most of my peeps at the place I'm working now. There's a handful of special friends I've made too. 

There will be tears when I leave on the 13th. But we can stay in touch thru social media or phone. Right???

I'm actually quite excited about this next phase of my life. Quite Excited Indeed!!!

It's Happening!!!!

 Turned in my 2 weeks notice at work today!!

Changes are afoot...(but no- unfortunately I did NOT win the lottery.) 

Deets soon!!!!

Dedicated to Clay-

 I've been debating posting this life story from my memoirs...

It has to do with one of my sons (Clay)when he was around two and a half or three, and he's passed away almost twenty years ago so no one can rag on him about it. I don't think he would mind anyway as he had a great sense of humor and would always be telling stories to make you howl with laughter.  It's one of those stories that we can laugh about now as adults, but it wasn't a laughing matter in any way shape or form when it happened.... 

His Angelversary is coming up next month and he's been on my mind quite a bit, so Son, this one is dedicated to your uncanny ability to make us all laugh no matter what the situation was...

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

Back in the day, when parents decided to have an adult summer get together, we normal people had it at home, in the backyard or in the house after the kiddos were tucked away in bed for the night or conversely, we sent them to le Grandparents house for the night.

Well, Husband #2 and I decided to host one of those parties, and there were three stories from it that became legendary.  Le Grandparents had plans that night, so the kiddos got to stay home and was tucked away in bed for the night as our guests started arriving. There were the usual snacks and dips and such plus a huge cooler of PJ we had made up that morning. It was a simple party- just for gathering our friends together and creating some memories together. 

Now we were all enjoying ourselves, there was much storytelling and a bit of underlying shenanigans going on (that's a story for another time tho) and after darkness started descending, most of us went inside the house for the continuing fun. (Skeeters are HUGE and will try to tote you off into the woods for a feast of their own if you stay outside too long after dark here)...We were all about feeling the effects of the PJ by that time.

I periodically checked on the kiddos every half hour or so and they were always sound asleep, but when we moved inside when I checked on them, it roused Clay up enough that he wanted a drink of juice. I went and got it for him and then got him tucked back in bed.

Now Mind you- we had about 40 people in our home that night- and most of us were inside. So about 10 minutes after tucking him back in bed, I'm sitting on the sofa talking to our guests, and we hear a scream and the pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway heading to the living room with him wailing in pain- it was one of those screams that you KNOW as a parent.

He comes running into the living room, training pants down to the bottom of his butt cheeks and clenching his penis. All the Boy-Moms know immediately what has happened. He immediately spots me and runs over and sobbing and yelling "Mama, it HURTSSSSSS, Kiss it and make it better!!!!" and just keeps repeating it over and over while I'm trying in front of 40 guests to pick him up and comfort him whilst trying to explain to him that this is one Boo-boo Mama can't kiss and make better.

I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain what happened, but just in case, Clay was just over getting potty trained and new to using a regular sized toilet. He had gotten up to pee, raised the seat but not pushed it back all the way and then laid his little man part on the rim of the toilet in totally the WRONG spot. The seat was just far enough "not back all the way" to fall forward at the slightest bump and the little round spacer part that keeps the seat from touching the rim and stabilizes it fell directly ON said man part.  I wince now just thinking about it.

For their part- the guests were all quiet during this exchange- The men understood with sympathetic pain the gravity of the situation for Clay, the women understood my pain as well of having used the age old mama fix for boo-boos and having a child believe it was "mama magic" but not being able to use it on probably the greatest pain he had experienced in his short life. He wouldn't understand for years why mama just wouldn't use mama magic, but yes- he laughed about it a few years later.

So...

Moral of the story is: 

Think Before Starting the "Kissing the Boo-boo to make it all better" magic. Turns out that magic is very site specific.

SMH..... Kids.

(It wasn't too inappropriate, was it?)

Coffeeeeeeeee- In All It's Glory!!!

 Friday is my "treat" day.

If I can afford it, I usually stop at McD's and grab me a large Caramel Coffee-Extra Caramel please. (I want the 62 oz Big Gulp cup but McD's doesnt Supersize that big anymore. No, I dont like Starbucks- to me it tastes....plastic- too artificial. I do like Coyote Coffee but alas- there is not one close to me anywhere along my route- and I'm not paying that kind of money for a coffee anyway at any place. Maybe on a date or something, but seriously, give me McD's anyday. I'm a simple pleasures kinda girl.

Anyway, for the last two Fridays I've stopped at the McD's closest to my job and IDK what the deal is, but they haven't had it. Hot coffee yes- Iced Coffee no. ( I feel shades of ice cream machine coming on there...) So today I was NOT taking the chance. (I get MEAN when I dont have my REWARD for putting up with the Drudgery and Tomfoolery of Monday- Thursday- ask anyone who knows me) I stopped at the one in the little town of Belton and got it there. I may start making that my regular stop on Fridays instead of the one closest to my job because- well- the employees there must have found the secret recipe while other places seem to just throw different amounts in theirs because depending on who makes it- it can be too coffee-ish, (bitter tasting) or not enough creamer in it-(watery and bitter) or weak and sweet- too much ice, very little coffee and creamer- and WAYYYYY too much caramel syrup.

Belton McD's it doesnt matter who makes it- it has the purrrrr-fect amount of everything that blends together to make a large cup of Heaven.  Oh the JOY!!!!!

The only plus to grabbing it closer to work is I don't have time to drink it all before I get started on patrol. It last me all the way thru lunchtime when I finish it off at my desk and pat myself on the back for making it thru the week without ending up in CC Orange. 

If I ever win the lottery- I think I might start handing a $20 tip to the employees who make my iced coffee perfectly- and it will still be a Friday Treat.

LOL- I hope yall have a great weekend!! I hope we ALL do!!!

Are We a Different Breed?

 So speaking of online shenanigans and stuff...

Evan and I were commenting we were glad that we grew up in a world where not everything was recorded online for all and sundry to see. Being young you can make some serious misjudgements that could haunt you for the rest of your life- not that we did anything that horrifying- but it was a different time I guess.

Are we a different breed? Would we have cared more and been less... "rambunctious/mischievous" than we were if we had had every moment/thing put it out there online? I would have cared- and been way more discreet or less "troublesome" than I was. Even now I care what is known about me and how much everyone knows- to a sacred FEW- you know more about me that I would ever let out and you know who you are..... but today's kids - I don't think THEY actually care what is put out there what they do and what they say is beyond belief(in most cases). 

I think most of them these days do attention grabbing stuff just  for that reason- they want to be thought of as extreme or unique- The more extreme the better, that's the way I see them acting.

And so it continues....

 So I need some paperwork that has been sent to my email. Only my email wont let me forward it to another address to be printed out. 

That sux. I got one last day- today- to respond and get this paperwork to the powers that be. 

Wish me luck. I'm going to try taking my phone in with me to get it taken care of- maybe some tech savvy 6 year old can conjure it off the phone and onto paper.

LMBO.

SMDH.....

So- A Bit of Drama...

A bit of drama that may make you chuckle or you may choose not to peruse at all.... I usually don't succumb to drama at the office, it's water on a ducks back to me 99.9% of the time- but this just hit me the wrong way so I'm indulging....

 There's an ongoing battle at work between me and another anonymous officer..... (I honestly don't know (nor care tbh)which officer it is and have a handful to choose from)

Someone on weekend shift  is trying to be bossy about the shared computer. 

They wrote a nasty little passive aggressive note saying 

"DONT TOUCH(arrow to volume icon) ...

The Volume is PERFECT...little hearts all over the perfect part. then in parenthesis  (I will find you.)"

I'm sorry but no- I wrote back- 

"It's a SHARED computer- adjust as you need to. :) "

To which they replied

"This isn't simply a preference. No Passive-Aggressive Smiley Faces, Veda. " ( They can't even spell my name correctly.)

 I wrote back "It's VADA. :) "

I know- childish of me, but it is what it is.

THEN they wrote a whole thing about how it's bad for the computer and it's irritating to have to "fix the system." (For volume adjustment?- if the system is THAT delicate I don't think it needs to be used tbh)

 I just wrote back that 70% is too damn loud for a shared office space on first shift. 

I'm so damn sick of having a battle with these juvenile snowflakes(30+ y/o ones at that.)

It's a moot point tho- 

I'm just going to ride this one out to the end of my stay here which hopefully will end soon.

I'm not going quietly tho- I'm going to choose this battle to die on, so to speak. I've had enough mollycoddling grown ass humans.

A/C or Window?

 I'm taking auto, yall.

My dad used to refuse to use the A/C in our cars because he swore it made them use more fuel.

I think it's the exact opposite- I think having the windows down creates drag and the car is less streamlined, therefore THAT combination makes a car less fuel efficient. 

Or is it equally so for both?

What say Ye? 

(I know I could probably "GIGGLE" the science and get an answer- but I like human interaction.)

Finally!!

 This weekend was just perfect for me... well, 99% anyway.

I didnt do but 2 productive things all weekend. I cooked supper on Saturday and I put up a clothesline in the backyard. And when I say put up a clothesline I mean I got some cording and strung it between two trees. It's a temp fix and because it's nylon cord will have to be tightened up ever so often- but I'm going to have fresh air clean bed linens again if it kills me. 

The rest of the weekend was devoted to sitting and talking with my son, daughter, and granddaughter.

When it was bedtime for granddaughter, I went to my room and played RANCH SIMULATOR with my sister until we got tired enough to go to bed. My son usually went to the basement to work on his go-cart rebuild and chatted with his buddy who is temp staying with us a couple weeks til his new place is ready, and my daughter sometimes watched a few videos or played with me and Sis on the game. We make a hella team!! 

I was tempted a few times to clean my room, but I kept reminding myself I needed a work free weekend.

I honestly didnt realise how hard it would be to NOT do anything productive - especially Friday afternoon and Saturday.

By Sunday I was pretty much into the work free mindset and enjoying the heck out of it!! 

Maybe I need to set one weekend a month as a Production Free Weekend for some good old R & R.... 

Most Heartbreaking Scene...

 For some it's the scene from Bambi. For others the scene where Old Yeller dies. And for others- it's the scene from Grey's Anatomy when they realize who 007 is- or when Derek dies.

For me- it will always be the scene from M.A.S.H. when Radar comes into the operating theatre and reads the telegram about Henry Blake's homebound plane.

"Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. 

There were no survivors."

I still sob when I even just THINK about that scene. 

Powerful and Heartbreaking.

Road Trips- #4

  Are road-trips a thing of the past? 

And how long must a road  trip be to be classified as a true Road Trip?

I've never been on more than a day long one myself. I don't think the idea of sitting in a car for days on end is something I would particularly enjoy. I do day long ones tho occasionally and four stand out in my memories more than others I might have taken.

Again, me and Paul- this time we invited Frank, my eldest son to go with us.

We took off towards the blue Ridge Parkway, grabbed some snacks and a drink and just had a grand time chatting about everything and nothing specific.  We stopped at some of the lookouts and took photos,  listened to songs and sang along, and just general had a great time together. Once it started getting  up in the elevations, it started getting a bit sketchy as some really weird clouds started rolling in. The sky kept getting darker and darker and the clouds more ominous. By this time we had bought - no PAUL had bought some sort of GPS type thing so he opened it  and was looking at the road. It had gotten horribly foggy all the sudden and there were sheer drop offs on both sides of the road. We literally couldn't see 10 feet in front of us and was having to drive by the device. Needless to say we were only going about 5 miles per hour - if that. We seemed to be the only one out there as well- until we saw flashing hazard lights of a park ranger on the road in front of us.We followed him about 5 miles down until we came out of it- but about two minutes after we found the ranger- it started snowing!!!!  It was middle of MAY yall!!!! That was terrifying.

When we came out of the fog the ranger was just GONE- we was going to thank him for the guidance, but he was nowhere to be found. Just out of the fog and vanished. And we was literally almost bumper to bumper. I was absolutely terrified to be driving, but I would have had a panic attack if I wasnt in control behind the wheel of my car.

there's more to this road trip- but I'll save it for later. Duty Calls- again.... 

Road Trips. #3

  Are road-trips a thing of the past? 

And how long must a road  trip be to be classified as a true Road Trip?

I've never been on more than a day long one myself. I don't think the idea of sitting in a car for days on end is something I would particularly enjoy. I do day long ones tho occasionally and four stand out in my memories more than others I might have taken.

Me and Paul on some random Saturday.

Paul and I were bored so we decided to just go on a drive. We(as usual) headed up towards the mountains, and we got talking so wasnt really watching where we were going. I drove because Paul hated driving at all-and after a few hours it started looking familiar. Hmmm....so we drove about 2 more hours trying to figure out where we was at.

Finally I saw a sign saying WELCOME TO BREVARD!!!

Now my dad is from that area- and we had been there many many times, but then DAD was driving and I tried to zone out when we went because my parents ALWAYS got into the worst arguments when we went to the mountains and I - all us kids- learned to bring something to distract us from the spat so I had an idea where we were- but didnt have a dang CLUE how to get back to home. Good thing I had gas money tho and gas prices weren't nearly as high as todays are.(Also it was just the very beginning of Garmins and GPS services so of course we didnt have either.) So rather than drive around and get worse lost or run out of gas money, I did the best thing I could have possibly done.

I called Dad.  

"Hey Dad... got a quick question for you. Hypothetical, of course..."

Of course he knew me and started chucking...."Of Course, Baby Girl... what's the hypothetical question?"

"Well, say a person was in Brevard- and had been there a hundred times, but really wasnt paying attention...If this person was, say, near the high school, how would they get back to-ohhh... let's say they were from Greenville?"

He actually started laughing and asked if I was joking. 

"Dad- I said hypothetically..."

He, still chuckling, cleared his throat and gave me "hypothetical" directions.

End ot the call he said- "Yall be careful- yall got gas money?" I said "Yes sir- we are fine and will be careful- Thank you Dad."

He said" I love you and if you need me to come get you or lead you home, just call. Hypothetically, of course". 

We made it without having to make that second call, thank goodness.

I never lived that one down tho.- I'd never not been able to find my way back before then.  

We all have our moments.

Road Trip. #2

 Are road-trips a thing of the past? 

And how long must a road  trip be to be classified as a true Road Trip?

I've never been on more than a day long one myself. I don't think the idea of sitting in a car for days on end is something I would particularly enjoy. I do day long ones tho occasionally and four stand out in my memories more than others I might have taken.

So on to #2...

Me and my Daughter Julie. I used to own a lil sports car... you may know what a MGB is. It was little, black and silver convertible. One owner before me and they did diddly squat in maintenance to it so when I bought it off the car lot, just as the warranty ran out on it- it started having issues. It was drive it three days,  something on it needed fixing and then it be down for six weeks because everything on it was special order. Anyway, during one of the drivable times, I picked up my daughter, again for lunch, only we couldn't decide where we wanted to eat. So I said we'd just drive around til we saw something that suited our fancy. We drove and drove and drove- top down, sunglasses on and wind in our hair until the sun went down. Then we stopped for dinner before heading back home.

We talked about anything and nothing- just enjoying the countryside and each other's company Just my precious Baby Girl and Me.

Road Trips. #1

 Are road-trips a thing of the past? 

And how long must a road  trip be to be classified as a true Road Trip?

I've never been on more than a day long one myself. I don't think the idea of sitting in a car for days on end is something I would particularly enjoy. I do day long ones tho occasionally and a handful stand out in my memories more than others I might have taken.

The first one was a road trip with my Bezzie, Rhonnie. I was going out to lunch with her but my car wasnt in the best of shape- and so my youngest son, Clay, offered to let me have his car for the day since he didnt have anything planned but staying in and catching up on sleep. He told me- yall go have lunch and then go do something FUN together!!  So I hopped in his little CRX, picked up Rhonnie who only lived a few blocks away and off we went. I can't for the life of me remember what restaurant we ate at- but it was on Pleasantburg Drive and the food was really good. As we came out of the restaurant, I asked her what we wanted to do since Clay insisted we do something more than lunch. She said she didnt know, so I suggested going to buy a lottery ticket. South Carolina didnt do lottery at the time so we had to drive just over the Georgia State line  in Toccoa to buy them. That was about 45 miles away- so off we toddled!!!We got down there and it was right by the Lake so we dilly-dallied for a few minutes before continuing on. After hopping back in the car, we just drove randomly,  each of us taking  turns choosing which direction to go at each intersection or turn off. We ended up in Brevard, North Carolina somehow.  Beautiful Mountain Area. So we grabbed a snack and sat by the mountain river then we continued on- same as before.... Before we knew it it was 8pm and we was in Pickens City- just a few miles from our homes in Easley. Three States in one day!! 

We still to this day reminisce about that trip and how much fun it was. I hope we can do it again before we get too feeble to do so.

One More Thing...

 I know I already posted once today but I just thought of something....

Have you ever held a belief of something and someone discussed it with you and changed your thoughts on whatever it was? 

I'm just wondering. 

Evan has actually changed my mind on a couple of things I believed to be truth- but then he offered a point of view I hadn't  considered- hadn't even entered my mind- and then I changed my mind after carefully mulling it over a while and doing some research on the matter. His aspect on it was spot on.

That RARELY happens as I try to consider all possibilities before stating my mind.

Well Done Evan. Well Done Indeed.

Worth it... and other things.

 It's been a rough month and I haven't been very consistent with my blogging, but I will try to do better in future.

Went to the lake this weekend. Stayed in the water just long enough to take a quick dip and cool off...then sat in the shade watching my two kids and my youngest granddaughter splash around until they decided to get out. Was there a grand total of about two and a half hours, and I still got crispy fried because my meds I'm on make me super sun-sensitive. Even in the shade as I found out. Even tho I'm in misery right now- it was more than worth it to just be able to create more memories with my loved ones. I'd give anything to have the same opportunity to do the same with all my grandkids before my time comes.  Plus- my daughter now wants to find a place with a pool- or us get a pool when we move to our own property. I'm 100% in agreement.

Silver Lining of the sunburn..... It looks super impressive against my brilliant white uniform shirts!!! Hahahahahaha.....

So, our  house hunt/job hunt continues. So far nothing just right has come along. It will tho. God has a plan- we just have to have patience. In the meantime, my granddaughter will start as a high school Freshman at  the high school in the county we live in now instead of the one we want her to graduate from. (Easley- it's a Family Tradition).... she's excited to be a highschooler no matter where it is. Her ADHD meds are working miracles for her. Thank God for the Blessings.

One of my Blogger friends, Spo , asked in his post today- or maybe yesterday- at what moment did you realise your adulthood? I gave him my response, but thinking on it- do we ever really actually believe we are adults- or are we perpetually children waiting for that moment to go on like a light bulb in our heads and then we have all the adult answers to all our adult problems? I know I'm adult- with adult problems that I have to solve, but in my heart of hearts I probably still be that child faking it until that light bulb goes on....Oh how I would love to go back to being a child- if only there wasnt all my little loved ones that I wouldn't be able to bring back with me.....

And speaking of aging.... 

...I just don't know about this..... So when I first moved back home I lost a load of weight and got a makeover and was told by quite a few ppl that I really looked good for my age. I've always looked younger than my actual age- up until about 10 years ago I still got carded when I would order a drink when I was out to dinner or at the ABC store to buy a bottle of wine or vodka. But in the last year I seem to have aged about 10 years. I'm not even joking. How is that even possible? Is it stress of having all the responsibility on my shoulders? That's the only thing I can think of that has changed for me.... Granted I did move 3x in the past two years, I left the man I thought I would be spending the rest of my life with because ..Reasons..... But you wouldn't think that would cause that kind of radical aging... or would it? It is what it is. I don't suppose it is logical to think staying younger looking would last forever- or until I turned 80 or 90... but I do wish I hadn't gotten looking better to have it ebb away so quickly either. That's a big ole danggggg wtheck in my book. I mean I'm defo not looking for another relationship- I don't think EVER again- but I would like to look decent just for photographs sake. LOL... Vain? Maybe- but I do have a little pride left even tho my ex-partners have tried to grind that confidence of mine down to nothing. Nice Try Guys- I'm stronger than you realise.

I'm still trying to get my schedule worked out so I can finish my books. I want to work on three of them for sure. One of them-Hunter's Revenge- I have to be in a certain state of mind to write, and I seem to have lost the biggest part of my rage for that one. I haven't worked on it for about 5 years. I've mainly been working on the story loosely based on my Daddy and on my Memoirs at this point- and hoping I get that one finished before I leave this world. If it's left unfinished, my family is gonna have a LOT of questions unanswered. LOL And that's why I started it to begin with. I wanted them to see I wasn't just Mama or Sis, I want them to know I have lived a full life, full of happiness and sadness and lots of cherished memories of them all.

I just want a simple life.... and I'm getting there. Slowly but surely.

Podcasts Are the New Novelists?

 So do you think  some of the new podcasters are the new novelists?

Everyone seems to have a podcast these days, are they replacing books in a steady creep? They all tell stories just in a different format.

Well, That's Interesting!!! And a Mystery!!!

 

Well, our family reunion was a few weeks ago and things got very interesting there.

A few of us have been thinking about/ discussing getting our DNA tested for ancestry for a couple of years now. We have a few relatives that are deep into family history/origins. Granny & PaPa had 18 children and of the 11 that survived to adulthood, we got a LOT of family diversity going on. From WAY BACK- It's not a new thing for our Clan.

From a few comments from our PaPa and Granny have given us reason to believe we have some characters in our forefathers- and Foremothers, for that fact. You wouldn't believe some of the things we have discovered......or maybe you would. LOL

So my cousin Stacy actually got hers done and the results came back just before the reunion... and what she found out makes me want to get mine done even more than ever. 

Turns out her dominate origin is African. All the rest (4 other bloodlines)are almost 9% equal parts.

Now if you knew our family, we are certainly a Matriarchal Clan. Our women are headstrong, hardworking, and go about running everything with an iron fist- there isn't a weak or quiet one of the bunch and our men don't usually dare argue with us once our mind is made up and we have laid down the law about how it's going to go. Well, except maybe Odessa- she's the quietest one of us but she can certainly get her dander up in a split second too.

We  totally understand "why" we are all characteristically the same if Stacy's results are the average for us all. And as I said- I want to have mine done more than ever. I think Maybe I'll find out if my sisters want to get ours done at the same time for Sisters Day in August.(August 2nd to be exact.)

There was a point a few years before my Daddy passed, I found a photo of me as a baby- around 1 year old- and it had some faded writing on the back of it. It took me a couple of days to decipher the writing, but what I found made me question my parents and my aunts- one in particular because the writing matched hers specifically. Even tho everyone denied I was adopted, I still to this day have my suspicions. 

But the weirdest part of it was- it was the picture of me my Daddy carried around in his wallet all those years. (No- I wasnt snooping, Daddy got a new wallet for Christmas and he was switching things over to see if it would work and I was there and saw the pic and asked him could I keep it a couple days- and I did & then gave it back to him).

I just have so many unanswered- or answered but still under investigation-questions. The thing is- would a DNA test be of any use to prove or disprove my theory/suspicions since both my mom and dad are passed and my Auntie in question  wouldn't take the DNA test to disprove anything?

Am I going to have to wait til I get to heaven to ask Jesus- or will I know the truth automatically once I get there? 

Oh- speaking of- Y'all Dads have a Very Happy Fathers Day Sunday!!! 

I.T. Guys- Modern Day Heros

 Yeah- came into the office and my computer black screened on me.

Having been married(technically still am) to an I.T. Guy, I know the drill and followed it to the letter.. then I called the company I.T. Guy and went thru the drill with him. 

*Have you turned it off and on again?(Yes sir- twice.)

*Did you check the connections on the back of the monitor? (Yes sir)

* Are you comfortable with unplugging them and plugging them back in one at a time while we are on the phone together? (Sure- no problem) takes about 3 minutes to do them one at a time with a 10 second wait  between each unplug and re connect....

Then  he said he would send a technician out today at some point before 4pm. Less than a minute later he's calling back asking can he connect remotely to try and fix it. I said sure but I have a black screen so not sure how I'm going to be able to accept the request.... somehow he managed to connect so he could see what was on my screen and he walked me thru yet another set of instructions to try and fix it. 

And Lo & Behold- it worked!!! 

I know I complain a lot about things on my blog posts, but one thing I will never complain about is the I.T. Guys from ANYWHERE. 

Those guys put up with some of the stupidest  questions ever. But then if someone knows absolutely nothing about computers, they don't know what to ask or how to troubleshoot an issue. 

I have to say I learned a good bit just listening to my husband talk about the issues he had to deal with on a daily.

His biggest complaint was people who called up thinking it could be fixed in 30 seconds or less- or the ones who thought that their problems were more important than the ones of people who had already raised a ticket for issues and were waiting on them to be fixed. Unless you are a V.I.P. and I mean a VERY HIGH UP V.I.P. you ain't getting bumped up to the top of the que. And rightly so.

After setting up my new laptop and struggling 3 days (it would have taken an I.T. Guy about  an hour and a half or two maybe) I'm quite willing to call my I.T. Guys Modern Day Heros.

Craig, Evan, and Paul.... Kudos!!!!

Another Bits and Bobs Post!!!

 What a week it has been!!!

My son was sent to the ER with Severe dehydration issues. It took 4 bags of IV fluid to get him stabilized. The doctor said my son was so dehydrated that his organs was starting to shut down. Thank God his boss realised what was happening and sent him to the hospital when he did. He's doing better now- and making a point of staying hydrated properly.- making sure WE all are too. I think it was an eye opening moment for him.

I was listening to NPR this morning and heard about our illustrious leader's 80th Birthday bash on the White House lawn. Seriously? I can totally understand the want of a blowout birthday for your 80th- but FFS- he really had to do it on the White House property? At this point I've just lost all respect for the man and I don't think anything he does from here on out would surprise me.

Got a lead on a house for rent(again with the renting but it is what it is, I suppose)- turned out to be yet another scammer - just for the Application Fees. I don't know where these people drug themselves out of- swamp, tar pits, under a rock, deepest darkest pit of hell- but they are EVERYWHERE now- Just for the fee to see if you qualify for  the residence. Now I ask you- how in the HELL do you know which are legit and which are scammers? PLEASE tell me if you know because my area is eaten up with the Non-Legit kind!!!

GNATS!! OMG they are in full blown over-drive breeding mode here. Are they like this all over or just in the Southern States?

One last thing- if anyone has found a big bag(or envelope) of money(I'm not picky)- There's a possibility that it may be the one I've been praying for, so let me know and I'll come pick it up. I have a reward in mind for you. Hahahahahahaha.....

I want to go to the lake- or river- on a fishing trip. If I ever get my Ford Ranger running I'm putting the camper cover back on it and putting a mattress in the back of it and installing a fishing rod rack- (kinda like a gun rack)  and I'm gonna go fishing for a few days. Maybe just me and Jesus. Maybe me and my sister....maybe me and one of my cousins - as long as they dont wanna bring a truckload of equipment and are quiet.

I don't wanna hear no mobile phones ringing or pinging or nothing- just the sounds of nature and my breathing....maybe a fire crackling for an hour or so before I go to bed... maybe not. 

I just need quiet.... and peace for a few days.

Taking the Plunge.

 Ever make a decision and then stress that it's the wrong one?

Me either. I'm usually fed up with the entire deal when I finally give up. I try to exhaust every possibility before throwing in the towel - in EVERY situation.

I like to give it time to change, to let nature do it's thing, to let people see the error of their ways and at least TRY to do better. But situations sometimes just go more and more off the rail until there's nothing left to do but jump clear and try to save yourself- or your sanity.

I've taken this approach many times in my sixty odd levels on this earth and it's worked a charm every time- so far.

Say a prayer it works for me one more time now.

We Shall See....

Cum 'si- Cum 'sa...

 Wellll... at this point my expectations for relaxation need to be lowered considerably.

I wrote in my earlier post what my weekend was supposed to be. Fun-filled relaxation with my two besties.

Some so-so-.... and some not.

I got off work a bit early on Friday to go get a BP check and have a lil once over about my wrist and shoulder. MEH- Of course my BP was still thru the roof and my shoulder and wrist are just my carpal tunnel and a bit of arthritis thrown in just for good measure. Just typical aging ...I'm already wearing a support brace on the wrist and babying the shoulder so I'm doing all that can be done for it without surgery(which is NOT going to happen anytime soon.)

So I drove to Bestie R's house after work. But first-Of ALL the things to forget to bring- I forgot my civvie shoes. Sooo on the way there I had to stop at like five different discount stores because I have about eight pair of civvie shoes at home(not counting boots) and I wasnt about to spend more than ten dollars on a pair of shoes I was going to wear just out to lunch on Saturday and then them go right back off when we got home.  I got lucky at the fifth store and found a pair of(get this) GREEN suede sneakers with white laces that matched EXACTLY my green and white tie-dye romper outfit I had chosen to wear to lunch with the girls!!! A $3 SCORE!!!!!! Only all that running around set me back time wise and I got there about a half hour past the time I normally get home(Rhonnies) from work going straight there. SMH laughing....

So anyway- I got there and she had gnats in her apartment- I mean it was COVERED. If it hadn't been such a big deal weekend I would have turned around and went straight back home to Starr. I'm allergic to gnat and mosquito bites- they leave HUGE knots wherever I'm bitten. I most certainly didnt want to be miserable and sick for the next few days- so I had to leave and rethink my battleplan.

So I went and got something to eat and a nice cool drink and sat in my car in the shade of a huge water oak for about an hour and then I drove back to Rhonni's. (She hadn't wanted to ride with me when I left) I put on long sleeves and stayed in my work clothes and I gathered up as much of the culprits as I could and then I made up some traps and sprayed a bit and we went out and sat on her front porch people watching and gossiping as old ladies are often seen doing. 

Eventually we got all sweaty... I mean Glisteny... and decided to go back inside. The  critters had pretty much died by then so I showered and then I swept and mopped and then we watched a movie and settled down for the night.

The next morning, disaster struck.  Rhonni came down with a bad tummy upset and she didnt want to chance going out. So I called my sister and invited her to meet me and Joanie at the restaurant and Joanie invited her daughter as well. I couldn't not go as it was Joanie's birthday celebration as well and she has been looking even more forward to it than Rhonni had been.

Now mind you, Joanie and Rhonni and myself have been friends for almost 6 decades (My baby sister grew up with us as well- and Joanie and my other sister were married to the same guy- (sis first then Rhonni and I introduced Joanie and my ex-br-in-law to each other and in less than 6 months they had gotten married and stayed married until he passed away a few years ago- match made in heaven)- we got up to a LOT of shenanigans when we were younger...still do but that's stories for another time.... And as we all sat in the restaurant, Tabitha  kept getting embarrassed everytime we would say something- we was being extremely obnoxious- for some reason we seem to automatically revert to being about fifteen when we get together. My sis just joined in and everyone was laughing at poor Tabby....  She kept saying she wanted to hear the story behind some of the references we were making, but her mom(Joanie) said not in a million years. 

I told Tabby to wait til we all had passed and I would have a copy of my memoirs sent to her as it's alllll in there. Hahahahaha.

Anyway, Joanie loved her paintings -one a  landscape I redid from a painting Joanie had bought but couldn't stand to look at on the wall for more than an hour because it depressed her so badly even tho she loved the colours in it. It was a lovely silhouette of a lady in a form-fitting gown standing by a window looking down- it gave the eerie feeling of loneliness and hopelessness. I had it over 6 months before I finally figured out that if I changed the viewpoint/orientation from Portrait to Landscape I could easily  duplicate the lovely colours and turn it into a pretty well known Southwestern mesa arch with a lovely sunset and a bit of a river in front of it. She loved the outcome. And the other was one I had commissioned just for her- I know an artist who painted a lovely portrait of Janis Joplin who is Joanie's Fav Music Artist. 

For Rhonni I painted two white with shaded of victorian pink florals for her bedroom and a Fearfully Created Piece of Art to be framed and hung in her home-where to be decided later.

All was a hit.

So after Lunch, we parted ways and I went back to Rhonnis for the rest of the weekend, and for the past at least year she's been trying to rearrange her living room. We've discussed it to death to be honest- and this time I just got up and started moving things around.  Her floors are slick as the proverbial Owl-Poop, so it only took a light touch to move into place and no further harming of the shoulder or wrist came to be.

At first she wasnt sure about it- but I told her to trust the process- it always looks like a cyclone hit the place right before it came together. And it did... In the end- she loved it-only  I'm not so keen. the sofa is slightly curved on the backside and it overlaps the edge of the fireplace by about 4 inches and I do-not-like. I'm going to let her live with it for a couple of weeks, but I would put money on her seeing for herself it's slightly off and wanting to change it again. (at least I hope so or it's going to bug the crap out of me til she does.)

Sunday Morning bright and early, she was sleeping soundly and I got up around 6:30am... I grabbed a iced coffee from her fridge and went out to her front porch where I proceeded to transfer her tomato plants from the seedling cups to the huge container she had planned to put out front  for them. Then I watered it.

Then I filled the other matching container and mounded it high in the center and sprinkled her wildflower seeds all over the top and gave it a good soaking as well.

So now she is good to go on her little front garden- if she can remember to go out and give them a drink of water on the days it's doesnt rain.

So then she woke up and I stayed for about an hour more letting her get used to the idea of me heading out- then I loaded up and headed for home. 

I didnt get the relaxing weekend I had envisioned, but I did get a bit of relaxing activities in which I was grateful for. 

And Rhonni and I are planning to surprise Joanie on her birthday by just showing up at the place she usually goes during the week- ON her birthday!! 

What is it they say about the best laid plans??? LOL- we shall see!!!

Finally Friday!!!!

 I hope y'all have as safe & fabulous weekend as I plan on having! I'm sure I'll come back with a few stories to tell about the shenanigans .....

HAPPY FRIYAY!!!!!!!

Cant Wait Until Tomorrow

A Weekend Away. From Friday 3pm until 3pm Sunday afternoon. No Stress- no worries- just playtime with my childhood friends.

No Computers- I love being on mine- but every once in a while I take a whole weekend away from it. 

No Phones- however I will answer EMERGENCY CALLS.*

*How will I know if it's an emergency call you might ask? I have a hard and fast rule- If I don't answer and you know it's an electronic free weekend- hang up and IMMEDIATELY call back. I know it's an emergency then and will answer.

Just going to sit on my butt with my two 50+ year besties( that's how long we been friends- not their ages- that's a few years more than that) and chill- watch movies, eat ice cream for breakfast and stay in our Jim-Jams all day if we want to(easier to nap if you are already in your Jim-Jams, eh?), reminisce about when we were younger....I'm SOOOO glad there was no internet and social media in our days!!!! If it rains we might go out and walk in the rain like when we was little too. See who can make the biggest highest splash in the puddles. I aint carrying no stupid umbrella either. I need to ground myself. I haven't went barefoot and walked in the grass in ages!!! 

So if you're out and about and see three elderly(ish) women acting a fool in the rain in their Jim-Jams- happily splashing around and giggling like 6 year olds.... Either give us a wave.... mind your biddness... or even better- Join Us!!!! :D

I'm counting down the minutes....no- the SECONDS!!!!!

I'm Not Ready...

 So on the drive in to work this morning I heard a advert about E-Cars.

They said E Cars run an average of 42 miles on a charge and that's more than the average person drives in a day- you can drop the kids at school, go to work, pick up groceries on the way to pick up the kids after school- and still have enough to visit the in-laws in the next county.

All without buying any gas- so apparently, according to THEM, E-cars are THE way of the future.

 But- are they really?

Not in my opinion.

I'm not your "average" driver. I drive about 12 miles more than the 42 from a charge will take me and that's just ONE WAY. There also aren't NEARLY enough charging ports at my sites- one site doesnt even have ANY, let alone along the way on my trip to and from work- I cant think if a single place along my route that DOES have one to be honest.

I don't think most towns/cities/counties are nearly ready for an increase in E-traffic issues. E-cars would only be useful  and viable in big cities/States like Cali, New York- and maybe a few more progressive cities/states like...tbh- I can't even think of anyplace else except maybe- and I do mean MAYBE- Las Vegas??? 

And what about the costs? Is the cost of the electricity to charge them actually less or equal to the cost of gas- or does it exceed the cost of gas now? How about repairs on an E-Car? I can tell you right now I dont think your typical hometown garage- or backyard mechanic we rely on has the capabilities to do proper repairs on one of the E-Cars.

I know I'm not ready on a personal level for it.... but maybe that's just me?

Time For a Change- But Not What You Think

 Did I mention I have arthritis in my right side? Everything- ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and wrist. Everything hurts. I had a surgery for carpal tunnel on my right wrist years ago and that helped a bit. The arthritis seems to flare when it's storm season tho still.

Well, about 3 months ago now my left wrist has started to show the same early signs as the right one. It hurts to drive, to write, to type, to cook or clean, and most importantly- to use a keyboard to game. ;)

I've got a doc appointment to have it looked at Friday. Already wearing the wrist support brace like when it started in the right wrist.

Now I didnt start out playing on a PC- I started out on an Xbox. With a Controller. It was soooo frustrating to learn to use the controller. But I did it.

Then I got a gaming laptop and realized that  using a keyboard was so  much more straightforward than a controller. So for the past thirteen or so years I've been using a keyboard.

Well, the pain from "running" everywhere when I'm hunting in a game (Very awkward positioning of the fingers and thumb) has really become so painful I almost cry. My sister, who games with me sometimes, noticed and bought me an Xbox controller so I wouldn't be in so much pain- therefore I can game more often. I love my thoughtful sister. Only she would notice and do something like that!!!

Now, mind you, I have been playing Ranch Simulator for about  five years. Have almost 3k hours invested in this one game- it's my fav, can you tell? I've been playing since the early release days- one of the first to buy it on release day. Had a bit of input into how it was improved and what bugs it had that needed to be fixed. I got my daughter playing it about 6 months after that and now finally got my sister playing. 

I love this game. It gives me the freedom and quiet I cant find in my daily life.  In it I'm a property owner- and I can build and hunt to my heart's desire. If I'm frustrated, I can load the game and  head off to the hills to hunt bear and wolves and foxes and deer to vent my frustrations with real life. Everyone benefits from it and best part- I dont have to spend real life money to drive to do it!!! And if I want some company- I just let Baby Girl or Sis know I'm going to be on playing and I host a fun hunting party!!

Now, having played so long I pretty much know all the little tricks and tips and shortcuts. (altho the new fishing side quest has me stumped- still can't catch a fish for love nor money....YET).

Sometimes I just go hiking to see what can be seen or done. I know they keyboard commands like a pro on this game. Mainly because I don't play games like a normal person and by just going on hikes and building and such I've memorised it- It's like being blind from birth and having learned it bit by bit and I'm in control. 

But-not so much now. A TINY bit of using the controller came back as second nature, but now I'm like someone who went to bed able to see and woke up totally blind... sis has always mostly played her games with a controller. So now the roles have reversed. I'm having to ask her where is this command or that command again? Which one picks things up- and how the hell to I access my weapon quickly?.. what is the process again so I don't die when attacked by a wolf or bear..... (you learn to save everytime you pass a save station and I've adjusted my Auto-save to 5 minutes now vs 20 minutes on keyboard.)

I also don't have a comfortable desk to work from. I've been playing sitting on my bed or on the sofa. But that has got to stop. Today I plan on going and getting be a comfy supportive  gaming chair- not one exclusively made for gaming but a desk chair of some sort that works for me. I might be able to convert my old sewing machine cabinet into a small computer desk possibly.....or I could make one like I did my vanity table when I was in England with a couple of file cabinets  and a lovely piece of wood. I actually have my old round coffee table in the basement that is too big for my Living room, but cut in half with a half moon cutout might be just the thing I need for a vanity table/computer desk for my bedroom. 

I'll have to look into it.

Anyway, It's going to be fun to  re-learn controller commands.... my sister and daughter are laughing at me because I'm playing like a newb... I wont get out of the vehicles in Bear or wolf territory. LOL- I'll get over that- as soon as I can have a few days of playing around with it a bit with no pressure to HAVE to do anything.  I hope.... 

Death Count from Day One(yesterday) using the Controller- 2

The Joys of Change!!!!

It's Not Always A Migraine...

 The past week and few days, I've had a horrible migraine that I just can't seem to get rid of.

My son brought his Blood Pressure monitor with him when he came to stay his birthday weekend with me. His Birthday was Saturday and we really made a weekend of it.... or that was the plan.

He measured his sisters first, then he hooked me up to it. 

To say it wasnt good is the understatement of the year.

177/105.... The migraine was my blood pressure rising steadily. 

I was able to stop taking my meds last year and control it by diet and exercise- just like my blood sugar levels. But something(I have plenty of ideas what those somethings could be) has triggered the issues again and I need to get it all under control again . I simply do NOT want to have to go back on a dozen meds every day to keep everything regulated. I refuse.

I'm guessing the stress of my family being sick from the moldy basement the landlord is too cheap to fix, my job(several issues in that one I won't go into again because there's nothing I can do to fix them and those who can fix em wont), the long tedious commute back and forth to work every day alongside the ever-rising price of fuel, my slow  and steady weight gain that isn't being arrested no matter how careful I am with my diet and exercise, my attempts at container gardening seem to be going nowhere fast(we are in extreme drought alternating with heavy thunderstorms and its still not helping the veggies at all...) a couple of family drama issues going on aren't helping matters either..and last but not least- not having any vacation days in two years..... I'm pretty sure that is a BIG contributor right up on the list with the mold thing. 

I did do a couple of paintings this weekend for my besties birthday this coming weekend, and that really was helpful- it calmed me down a bit altho my BP numbers didnt lower but one on the bottom number.  I'm just really upset that I couldn't do more with my son on his 44th birthday because I had to stay still and quiet and comfortable to keep my BP from elevating even higher. I was already in prime Stroke territory and I most surely didnt want that disaster added to my list of Sh!+ that's going wrong.

On the upside, I have a quiet celebration up in Easley planned with my two besties this weekend for their birthdays so it's almost like a mini vacation for me.

I'm praying it's the respite I need.

    

Our Ray Of Sunshine .....

 Today I said goodbye to one of my work friends.

Her name is Barbara and she is/soon to be was/ the company nurse.

As long as I have been here, she's always been going about her business with a smile on her face and nothing but good things to say about any situation. She's been a breath of spring to all us around her. I will miss her dearly as she always brightened my day when I was struggling. 

Good Luck with your retirement Ms. Barbara. May you always feel as joyful as you made us feel!!! xxx

AI Mudslinging...

 First of all, I hate AI. 

Second of all, I hate Mudslinging, particularly in Political campaigns.

I have a hard and fast rule- play clean. If you indulge yourself in a mudslinging campaign, you will NOT get my vote. Even if I have to write in Mickey Mouse or Goofy as my choice of candidate.

If you can't win an election on your merits alone- you're not the candidate for me.

So now the hopefuls are REALLY playing dirty by using AI generated Mudslinging. 

It's already hard enough to weed out the facts and it's now doubly  difficult to judge what is REAL and what is AI nonsense.

Why do candidates think it's fair play to Mudsling at all? Now they think it's a good idea to create drama with AI as well? 

Why would I trust anyone to lead the country with that type of mentality? 

Stop it you IDIOTS! 

Rock and a Hard Place... Here or There.... Stay or Go??

 It's all about the job.

Fighting battles just to see someone else undo everything I have built up. 

No Rest for the weary and burnt out.

Something has GOT to give... and I'm done giving.

Decisions, Decisions.

Not At All The Relaxing Weekend I Had Envisioned!!

  So... this weekend wasnt as relaxing as I thought it was going to be. 

It didnt rain nearly as much as the "Weathermen"/"Meteorologists" had predicted!!! Bloody Liars. But I suppose it was okay. My sister and her friend delivered a new(to me) top loading washing machine. It works divinely!!!! Sooo happy about that!!

Then my daughter got a call from her eldest- Lexi thought she might be in actual labor and Julie had agreed to come stay with the other 3 babies so TJ and Lexi could enjoy being with and focusing on getting to know the new baby after it was born before coming home with her.

That's 4 kids under 6 years old. Mercy.

I also got to meet my sons newest addition this weekend. Levi is now 4 months old. After the visit-(he was napping so didnt get to hold him or anything...) me and my daughter got about 7 miles down the road and I said "OMG- WHYYYY did we not offer to keep Levi for them while they went to Samantha's graduation???" It was too late then tho.  Next time for sure!!!!

Then when we got home my daughter got the call to come to TJ's  and she's been there ever since.  So I tried to watch movies and veg out- but I decided  to tidy up a bit. Now anyone that knows me knows my tidying is more like a spring clean. I SWEPT the living room rug, then proceeded to sweep the rest of the house as well. And then I threw on a load of clothes into the washer to test it out while I washed the dishes and "tidied up" the kitchen.

I cleaned out the fridge, the countertops, , washed the dishes, dried the dishes, put them away and wiped down all the countertops(yes- that's two seperate things for the countertops.) and appliances- Then for good measure I wiped down all the cabinet fronts as well.  Then I noticed the boys had left their socks and a few shirts lying about in the family room so I gathered all their things up as well.  

I cleaned up the front porch when I went out for a breath of fresh air and  a bit of a "break". 

OCD much?

Anyway- the only thing I didnt do that I wanted to get done was mopping the floors. I might get to that  when I get home from work today. Or Not-

So then I tried to get on my Ranch Simulator Game to play with my sis for a couple hours. And guess what? I was BITLOCKED out!!!!! Dang update caused it and I'm gonna find out how to disable that bullshit.(Pardon the language.)

 I was NOT happy to say the least. I was dang LIVID is what I was. I tried and tried to get UNBITLOCKED but they wanted info I didnt have anymore. Yesterday my nephew Craig came over and sat for about 4 hours trying to get it unlocked to no avail. I've got a good buddy who is an I.T. Guy who would have helped me I'm sure- he's offered before, but I was NOT going to message him with IT issues on a long holiday weekend. So....... Craig ended up resetting to factory..... UGH. Then he spent another hour getting me set back up on my STEAM acct.... Bless him!!!! I love my nephew- he's more like a little brother than a nephew tbh.

Funny things is- I couldn't restore my account for love nor money when I bought my gaming laptop and did the set-up, so I had to start a whole new STEAM account. Had to buy my 4 fav games again and everything- start from scratch.

Well, when Craig set it back up after the reset- my OLD account is the one that was restored. I don't know how ... I'm not questioning it. He offered to find my other account but I told him maybe another time. He had done enough for me  after all that.

 It wouldnt let me download any of my old ranches- but its okay even tho I had a ranch that was a 7 year project...an entire community. LOL- so I'm back to starting over again. I don't care. I've got it to play.

I'm just so glad I hadn't downloaded my books I'm writing onto the laptop yet.

Thank Goodness for small miracles. Eh?

So Just NOT the relaxing weekend I had envisioned after all. Roll on "Retirement"......

Vacation Vs. Retirement

 I sincerely hope we get as much rain over the weekend as they think we are going to here in the Carolinas. It will give me a damn good reason to not do a dang thing but get in some R&R. 

I had to face the fact that I'm getting seriously burned out after working two years with virtually no vacation time.  

Over in England I got five WEEKS of paid vacation time including paid holidays- not counting sick days.

Company now? ZERO Paid Vacation Days. Oh sure- I can TAKE a week or two off, but with prices of everything these days- I can't afford to take the time off and lose the pay.  So instead of losing pay- I'm losing my sanity.

Me and the Boss had an almost two hour meeting today to discuss some issues....mostly that I'm having. 

Also tho also for him to remind me that when I reach my retirement age in February I can continue to work my 40 hours here at my job.....he said he REALLY doesnt want to lose me to retirement. I don't think that's going to be an issue with the price of living these days. However, I did tell him I WILL be taking a weeks vacation every 6 months- I don't care if it's a stay-cation and I sit on my backside on my back porch and look at the clouds or the stars roll past- I WILL be taking those two weeks every year. 

Gar-UN-Teed!!!!

In My Life- One Of The Saddest Red Letter Days EVER.

 This morning, at 8am, one of my grand's Graduation ceremony commenced. 

It was CJ- my grandson from my youngest son Clayton who passed in 2005.  I haven't got to see him since I moved back home... CJ is a very busy and ambitious young man....but I have spoke with him on the phone once. 

His Mom and Grandma completely forgot I was back in the states until last week and then they mailed me a graduation announcement and told me that they had a ticket for me if I could make it to the ceremony. I would have been there with bells on for him, but my job requires 2 weeks notice for non- emergency days off. 

I was heartbroken. I still am- but hopefully we can get together in a couple weeks or so and have a big ol catchup!! Or a few smaller ones- I'm good with whatever time he can give me!! I'll take it!!

But I am the most proud Granny ever of him. He's already signed on as a full fledge fireman with his local fire department last week. He started a couple of years ago as a cadet with the fire department. Spent every spare moment he had up there. He also had a job at McD's at the time (He's given that one up now tho). He has his entire family's work ethic... My son was a hard worker and very ambitious. So is Kathy, CJ's Mom...And his Granny on his Mom's side, And his step-dad, Thomas, and his whole family too! I am so happy that Kathy picked such a good man to step in for Clay to raise CJ and be her husband!!!...and I honestly believe Thomas and Clay would have been close friends had they met when Clay was alive. 

Our side of the family are and were people with good work ethics too... My Dad  for one- and Clayton adored his Grandad... Clay's dad  and grandfather were also hard workers as are  all his Aunts and Uncles on our side.... and I am borderline workaholic - BUT I know when it's time to take some important downtime as well.

I had a bit of a breakdown today when I was on patrol and glanced at the clock and realised that the ceremony had begun.  I've missed out of so much of my grandkids growing up when I moved to England.

It will forever be the biggest regret of my life.

But Congratulations, CJ- on becoming a wonderful man and an example for our whole family!!!

I love you and I know your daddy is looking down from Heaven just beaming with Pride.

In Response To Evan's Post

 In Response to Evan's Post about Gun Rights In America...

First of all- I like that phrase MUCH better than calling it GUN CONTROL. And I agree the two groups are having different discussions.

I don't know much about the historical part of the weapons issue- except it exists just as Evan explains it in his post.

What I DO know is that I feel much safer even if everyone around me is carrying a weapon. 

Most times I will get a side eye when I walk into a place of business carrying..... but here's the thing. I'm an expert marksman. If someone comes in and pulls a weapon and starts firing- you will be damn happy I've got my Glock. I carry with the thought of protection only. And the way I see it there is a MUCH better chance of someone NOT shooting a place up when it's an open carry- because they don't know WHO has a weapon on them or how many would be willing to take a bullet to protect  you and your loved ones should the situation arise. I am one of those people who would take the bullet gladly- but whoever is stupid enough to carry out an active shooting anywhere near me will have one damn hard time getting one in me before I take them down and I can back that up. And that's all I got to say about that.

I dont have my weapon because it's cool- or because it looks or sounds good.... I have it to protect me and mine- and you and yours, regardless of the arguments for or against people carrying or owning. And to be honest- I don't trust many of the politicians in the separate states to pass the laws governing my weapons ownership.

I only trust myself and my integrity and a handful of like minded individuals. 

That being said- I know of LOTS of people that I WOULDN'T care to see owning weapons of any sort- simply because of Irresponsibility and Lack of Integrity in other parts of their lives. 

So how do we respond to that issue and still be fair to everyone?... like Evan said- harsher punishments for weapons criminals is shutting the barn gate after the horse is long gone.  

It's a HOT Topic and will be debated to eternity.

I Hate When That Happens

 On the way to work this morning I had the most fabulous idea for my post today...I planned it out paragraph by paragraph and thought it was perfect for this Monday morning.

Then work happened and now I've a few moments to sit down and tap it out- I can't remember even the title for it- let alone any of the rest of it!

They say the memory is the first to go....I can't remember what the second thing is.....

Such Is Life, eh?

JUST WHYYYYY??????

 Okay so today is my bill paying day..... 

I went online and paid my auto insurance by talking to a real person in my local office.

No Problems at all.

Next came the power bill... It associated my phone number to my account and boom!! Done deal!!!

Both of those bills took less than 3 minutes each.

My water bill I have to pay in person- OMG seriously... they open at 8am- close at 3pm- except on Fridays when they close up at noon and are closed all weekends. And I work 6am-3pm...Monday thru Friday. And they don't let you call a payment in- it has to be in person pay or mail delivered.

 "Small town USA"...... LOL- But I aint even mad about that.

So I'll get my daughter to run that one by their office on her way to one of her doctors appointments before the due date.

I'm going to pay the Netflix bill when I get home. 

But I did try to pay the Spectrum bill by phone- and online both.  And there lies the issue.

It requires a 4 digit code  specifically linked to my account to be able to accept payment. 

Ummmm... can someone explain to me WHY I can't just pay the dang bill and be done with it? They have my name, my address, the phone number, card number and email address linked to my account- why do I need yet ANOTHER verification to GIVE them my money????? 

Is someone trying to impersonate me and pay my bills? And if so- why aren't you LETTING THEM?????

I mean if someone wants to pay any of my bills- or a portion of any one of them- for goodness sake LET THEM!!! I have Mother's Days, Birthdays, Anniversaries and Christmases coming up- that would be a GREAT surprise gift!!!

Red Tape is RIDICULOUS!!!!!

And for no good sense reason if you ask me.

Just sayin'.....

Bits & Bobs...and a Bit of a Rant....

 I haven't done one of these in a while and it perfectly reflects my current state of mind.

*Everything the past three months has been chaotic. In every part of my life.My car's performance has been spotty at best. Hopefully, I have that all fixed now -for a few months anyway. I know in the next 6 months I'm going to need tires and new brakes tho....

*One of my grandsons has been staying with me for a few weeks while he and his little family have searched for a new place. They have found a tiny home and decided to try the tiny home lifestyle while they only have the ONE child. I'm sure there will be another in the next few years and they may decide they need more than a tiny home at that point, but for now they are good with it. I think it's going to be a HUGE adjustment-for everyone. For my part- I have enjoyed having him stay with us and making life just a bit easier and more interesting!!

*My son also moved back in with us...his also is a transitional deal tho. He works out of town and stays with his girlfriend  when he has work to do down there.  When he doesnt have work scheduled, he comes home and stays with us. As with my grandson, life is easier and there is so much more laughter for us all when he is there.

*My Granddaughter is a precious teenager who has been diagnosed with ADHD. The past couple of years have been a struggle for us all. The doctors finally have put her on a medication in hopes it will tame the ADHD. It's rare girls get it- but having had two sons, a daughter, and several grandsons with it I saw the signs early on. She's only been on the meds for about three weeks, but I could tell a difference four days in. Happily we all are all reaping the benefits of her newfound calmness.The only thing I'm not happy with in her case, is her eating ...she is picky beyond  belief...there isn't a single solitary vegetable she likes- the only way she even eats potatoes is in the form of french fries or tater-tots.She likes some meats, (if you call it that)- meaning she likes Chicken nuggets, bologna, and hot dogs. Recently tho- her mom and I made us a lovely steak seasoned with Lawry's and a splash of Teriyaki sauce, grilled to perfection(medium-rare-more rare than medium) in the airfryer with a baked potato and small salad. Granddaughter had a burger and fries.She saw how much we was relishing our treat(Ribeyes) and timidly asked if she could try it- we gladly said yes, and she asked for a bite to be cut in half, then in half again  before she would try it. We did, and the moment it touched her tongue- she was in love. Her eyes got wide as saucers and she said "OMGosh!!! Next time yall make this I want steak TOO!!!"  We created a Monster tho because now every meal she asks- Are we having STEAK???..or if asked for a dinner suggestion she says "I want Steak plz..."She doesnt know what she is missing by being a picky eater. I can say that there is one more food she loves- Cat-Head Biscuits. She and my son will eat an entire pan of those by themselves in 15 minutes. LOL.... I still struggle with her eating tho- I feel like she needs to eat more nutritional foods and less of that  other stuff.....I insist she take a multivitamin every day- it helps but it's not ideal in my eyes. She and I have went rounds because I also insist she try one spoonful/bite of everything me and her mom cooks. She's such a drama princess tho- she will take a bite of whatever I insist on and before she even closes her mouth to chew she's already gagging and running to spit it out.  The doctor says she will outgrow it.... I beg to differ.

*Work has been a trial since after my birthday in February.Every month I say well, next month will be better- not happened yet. I'm struggling- I looked into early retirement, but doing the research I realized that by the time I get all the paperwork taken care of , I'm going to already be retirement age...that's next year.  So I'm just going to wait. In the meantime, I'm still looking for that property to put my/our retirement home on- and The kids as well. One on each side of me- or a MultiGen home.  Either or. Whichever God sees fit for us. I trust Him.

*My daughter has health issues and has been fighting to get disability benefits for the past three or four years. Today is the hearing before a judge. Im praying she gets the help she so desperately needs. Every time this comes up  and she is denied, I see her spiraling further down in depression. She can't get a job because of the medical issues, she cant get any kind of help because the agencies require you to look for a job if you aren't already claiming disability benefits. She is stuck in limbo between a rock and a hard place. She feels useless and like she is a burden, I tell her that her keeping out home fires burning and overseeing what needs to be taken care of there is her job and it's just as dang important as a job that pays money. She cant do most of the physical stuff- but she can oversee the plan for everyone who lives there to fairly take part in and help out with what needs to be done. I can tell you what a blessing it is to have her there doing all the bill paying and keeping account of what we need and being there to oversee the repairs when someone comes to do them.  She is such a blessing she just doesnt realise how big of a blessing she is!!! God will see us thru this- no matter what the outcome today. I have Faith.

* The family reunion is coming up the Sunday after Mother's Day. There is a LOT of family drama going in that issue. Granny C started the tradition about 35-40 years ago. She and Papa C had 18 kids and soooo many grandkids!!! Last count(about 20 years ago- there was 167 cousins-first second and third cousins- I don't even want to get into the once/twice removed column......

There are only 3 of those 18 kids remaining... Bud(Joseph), Freddie(Jr), and Mary.  And like most families that big there is some drama.... We cousins have been trading off the hosting positions for years, but somehow since his elder siblings have passed away, has taken it upon himself to take over...not actually doing anything- but to rule on everything.

Well, he called me and(yeah- I'm airing a bit of dirty laundry, but I'm very much not happy right now. The event is a week and a half away.) and....)he told me that he's "going to make a decision"  That Sunday about whether to continue holding the reunion or whether to dissolve it. 
Say WHAT??? I told him "Honestly Uncle, respectfully, I dont think it's solely UP to you. I also asked him why does he think it needs to be dissolved. 

He said : 

1) The younger generations didnt seem to  be as interested in doing it.

ME- Who cares? Us elder cousins look forward to these get togethers- for most of us it's the only time we get to see the cousins we grew up with!!!! Let it dissolve naturally one we die off and the younger generation doesnt care.

2) He's not going to be around much longer.

ME- And? Its not like it all falls on HIS shoulders to run the event! 

He doesnt cook anything to bring. (Yes- we all still cook all our family favs from scratch this ONE EVENT and we make a LOT of it.)   He doesnt help with Clean up- He's elderly and the young uns and us elder cousins wont let him because of his health issues.  All he does is show up, crack jokes and tell whopper fishing and hunting stories, Eat, and watch over the place like Lord of the Manor. Then he shuffles off and goes home. He doesnt even collect the key to the building nor does he bring it back to them afterwards. Why in the Hell would he want to take that away from us at ANY point????

3) People aren't coming because they are mad at so and so and if they coming I ain't going. 

ME- well whoop de doo.... who cares? If  someone is mad then don't come if they gonna start trouble- just realise we are old school and whoever starts trouble at Granny's Reunion is gonna get their ass handed to them. That was Grannys one rule- Don't you come and stir up no $h@+ cause you'll get your ass whooped and booted out until next one.(Ironic huh?) Come- or not- if you do- avoid whoever you mad at- things will be back to normal by next one. Pick a corner and stay away from each other. End Of.

4) We only had 17 people there last year- we used to have 87!!!!

Bullshit- I was there the past two years and we had well over 60 ppl there both years. That 87 was ONE YEAR- I told him that not everyone can show up every year- they have work, they get sick, they live far away( what- I'm gonna get blacklisted because I didnt come for 12 of the 13 years I was living in England and couldn't make it? TRY IT!!!!  I dare you.)

Whoever shows up is whoever can make it that year- whoever can't has a reason that's enough for them to not show up.  End Of.

He said- well, we'll see Sunday. 

I was pissed and as I was driving and was getting distracted, I told him I would call him back the next day to resume our discussion. I called, but he didnt answer.... 

Honestly, we may lose the venue- but no way are we letting the tradition die just because of one grumpy old goats  "decision". 

..........Ahem...okay- sorry about the rant.

So anyway.... 

I got my baby sister playing the game me and my daughter play together for years.

Ranch Simulator. It's got two maps- a Mountain one I like to call Montana... and a Desert one I like to call Arizona. 

Me and my daughter have been playing it since it was in Beta....... We gave a lot of input into how it works and what we think should be added into it- or done away with or just modified a bit.  We can build, we can hunt, we can grow things and take care of animals. Or we can just ride around and do a whole lot of nothing. 

You can also have a pet. I've tried the dog- and the cat- and both have ran off...... never to be seen again.

there is a slight possibility that it may or may not have been because I got a bear to chase me into the horse corral(empty) and then kept it there for hours teasing it so it would roar and swipe at us.......

as I have said before- I don't play games like other(ie normal) people do- I play to keep myself entertained. And I think both Sis and Daughter like it as much as I do- and the best part is- we can invite each of the other two to either ranch and have fun together!!! Have done every day since Sis got it too!

Happy Days!!!!

P-52 or P-12... Food for thought

 Does anyone remember my P-52 Blog I used to have?

I might start another P-52 as a regular feature on this blog. I really do miss my Photo-walks every week- and there is so much more going on here to be able to photograph!!!

Even a once a month P-12 post would make me happy!!!

Gun Control...US vs THEM

 So Evan suggested a post on a few "debates" I wound up in with Brits while living over in the UK about  Weapons in the US and what we should do to "fix" our weapons issues and stop the shootings..... Oh Really?........ Well, Let this Southern Girl educate you Brits on that little issue ... but it's not just us Southerners but as I've never lived anywhere(with the exception of the UK) so I really cant speak for the rest of the country other than the South... but-

Maybe Evan will oblige for his neck of the woods in a sort of He said/She said type deal.....?

So ......when I was living in England there would be news stories about the shootings here and yonder in the States and the Brits would start spewing comments/opinions about "Gun Control", Regulating Weapons Sales, Banning Weapons. blah, blah, blah. I called BS everytime cause we all know us Southerners like nothing more than a good old fashioned bout if fisticuffs...especially when it comes to our guns.

Inevitably they(the Brits) would hear my accent and turn it on me.

And that's how the fight started.

They wanted MY opinion- they got it. 

No- you don't even think about taking an American's weapons away from them. You are going to have a whole country coming after you tooth and nail- owning/possessing a weapon  is our lifeblood- our God Given Right in our eyes.... especially in the South. 

"Gun Control" to us means having it close enough to use in the event of an emergency and making sure we have enough ammo to be useful in a siege of ANY sort- human or outer space aliens or hellish demons. It also means EDUCATING everyone in the household on proper handling of said weapons.  It's the American way- it's in our blood and one of our most basic rights. We in the South start educating our kids early. My Granddaughter started going hunting deer with her daddy at 4 years old.  She got her own 410 at age 6 and shot her first deer in the first season after. And yes- her stock on it is Pink Camo pattern- she's a girly Girl. LOL. 

"Regulating Weapons Sales"... Yeah- we HAVE that now-  You have to go to the shop, fill out the paperwork to go thru the red tape ppl.... and you wait...... and wait.... and wait. Then, when it's finally approved, you get to purchase the weapon of your choice. It's basically a cooling off period if you ask me- so you don't get pissed off at someone and go out and buy a weapon and shoot them.  Once you have your weapon after the waiting period- it changes from  heat of passion, to premeditated IMHO..... That's not how it really is, but kinda- Gray area, I think.

"Banning Weapons Completely" except for Police and Military.... OMFG... are you serious?

There will ALWAYS be a way for criminals to obtain weapons- you can get anything off the BlkMkt-so I'm told. I'm a Law Abiding Citizen and I do things the proper way. But you will NEVER take my weapons from me unless you pry them from my cold dead hands. If you ban weapons- all you would be doing is  giving all the criminals free reign... they will be the ONLY ones with weapons- and in addition, you will be turning all us Law Abiding Citizens INTO Criminals because aint no way in hell we gonna give you our weapons willingly, and if by some miracle you get them anyway- we will turn into one of the criminals who obtain our replacement weapons off the street or the BlkMkt.

The Brits can't call the kettle black- HUGE color-check- they banned knives as well as guns except for gun clubs and Special units of Police and Military) and their knife crimes are thru the roof. That was just a transfer of dangers in my estimation. And yes- they STILL have gun crimes as well- not nearly as many- but the numbers are growing on that as well.

So in conclusion- take care of your own dirty laundry before you start trying to tell us what detergent works best for you- and we'll do the same.

Container Garden Update-UPDATE-

 I already have a few of the Yellow Summer Squash plants peeping up thru the soil!!!!

No sign yet of the tomatoes or peppers tho.

I just got some cantaloupe seeds to plant too-  Only 3 seeds- it may or may not work.... We'll see.

Gun Control Post- Coming soon....

 I'm just reminding myself... 

This week is full to the brim with Maggie's repairs (there's a post upcoming for that as well),  some family matters going on and a weekend visit with my bestie of 60 years upcoming, but Monday should be the perfect time to sit down and type it out, Tuesday at the absolute latest. Promise.

Heard It In A Country Song....

Slow go the days, Brother, fast go the years...

Tim & The Glory Boys-SLOW GO THE DAYS

So True....

Gone Fishing

 Pretty sure I'm going to go buy my fishing and hunting license today after work. Surely there is someplace that sells them on my 54 mile journey home.

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch- I finally got my  container garden started yesterday after I got home and changed out of the monkey suit and into more appropriate clothing.

I planted tomatoes on each end of a trough shaped container- and i planted bell peppers in the center section of the same container. I had two round barrel type containers that I planted yellow summer squash in.  We'll see how those do.

I've also got a couple of apple seeds and a couple of orange seeds planted in a small container(same size and method as in England that grew the lemon trees......) and we'll see how those do as well. if everything works out we may have an orchard and a garden to plant when we find our new place....yep- still looking. 

God will provide when the time is right. I have faith.

Government Red Tape

 I HATE the stuff- it's like Gorilla Glue, Duct Tape, Super Glue, Marshmallow Fluff, Pancake syrup and TAR all rolled into one!!!!

A simple little thing like checking to see the financial aspects of  my retirement benefits is impossible. 

I went thru the entire process- creating the account- verifying the ID requirements- and it's still sending me back to square one after verifying everything. WHYYYYYYYYYY??????????

I'm about to flip my batshit crazy switch. 

So much for a more relaxing day than the previous ones!!!!

Life is a Battlefield.

 But why must it always be so?

I've fought so many battles in my life. Some you couldn't begin to imagine unless you have been in that same situation. 

Relationship battles(expected seeing how I'm going out of marriage #4), battles over land, property, friendships, family, four close battles with my own near death situations, mental health, weight issues(in both directions), job issues, schedule battles, battles over money- which coincided with several of the other issues I mentioned, habits I've broken- the bad ones are a daily constant battle...... the list goes on and on.

I think I seriously need a nice vacation- even if it's a staycation- but I'd love to be able to get away for a few days just on my own....cabin in the woods, on a side of a river, creek, lake, pond, waterfall.....even a horse trough for the water aspect would be fine and sufficient. Eat when I want- nap when I want- listen to music IF I want, or not.... same with TV and I'd turn the phone off too. not screen my calls- completely turn it off.Just a few days of quiet contemplation and rest.

You know you need rest when you are looking forward to Heaven.

Following Doctors Advice & Bits and Bobs.

 I won't be doing anything of great import this weekend. Maggie is under strict doctors orders to stay off her "feet" until she undergoes her surgery on the 28th/29th. No unnecessary trips anywhere. No taking the refuse to the recycle center, no quick runs up to the grocery store, or the laundromat, No running out to grab a Lil' Caesars Pizza... So I'll be staying home doing all the things.

I need to get my tomatoes and banana peppers and yellow squash in the planters. My son drilled the bottoms of the containers for drainage last weekend,  so they are ready to be filled now. 

I'm also going to  finally "fix" the painting one of my friends asked me to do. She has a lovely kind of abstract painting of a lady in formal attire standing in a room. It's lovely, but both my friend and I start to get depressed when it's hung up for more than an hour. The more you look at it- the more depressing it becomes. The colours are lovely but it needs a serious upgrade and she told me "I don't want it back in my house until it's changed,- can you do something with it? If you can't fix it- paint something of your own over it."

So I've had it for 6 months- I try to envision it changed by some way- but I came up with nothing... Then I got the idea to change the  position of it. I've had it sideways, upside down, and upside down sideways. And I finally saw the vision of the painting I'm going to do for her.  The lady is standing with one hand propped on her hip and I can use that as a beginning of a mesa rock arch landscape. The colours are perfect for it- and with a bit of gold and terracotta added here and there it should be a lovely Sunset on the Mesa Arch. I may even add a bit of a creek or river in the foreground for some contrast to all the reddish earth tones.

I'll try to post photos of it- before and after. No promises tho- I'm still trying to get my laptop set up and haven't gotten around to  getting FB and Blogspot set up on it yet...That's going to be another thing I try to tackle this weekend- time permitting. 

I'm also going to ask my son and grandson make a churn of homemade ice cream, too. I've found that the different flavours of International Delight Coffee Creamers are FABULOUS for home churned ice cream- My favorite so far is the Reese's Flavor with broken up mini-pb cups added to it!!!  And you know it's good because up until now my LEAST favorite flavour homemade ice-cream has been chocolate.  However I love the plain Vanilla(reminds me of snow cream we make with winter 2nd snow) , Banana split-LOVE that combination together(Vanilla with pineapple, strawberry, maraschino cherries with chocolate syrup drizzled over the top when its in your bowl- and don't forget the whipped cream and nuts(if you like them). Then too, there is Peach, and Strawberry- and Orange Creamsicle. Oh My Word!!!!

Childhood memories- planting a garden and Home-made ice-cream!!!!!!  It doesn't get much better than that!!!!!

I Don't Understand Procrastination....

 I personally don't get it. 

Why do most people procrastinate? I just dont get it.

In my world- if I realise something needs doing, if I'm not doing something that needs doing MORE urgently, I do the first thing and as soon as it's done I start the second thing. 

Why put it off and take the chance of it getting forgotten about until it's too late?

I understand prioritizing things, but to know something needs to be done by a deadline(such as TAXES) ...

Just why?

You know your brakes have been screeching for two months- why do you wait until they fail on you to finally get them replaced? Like now- as soon as my clutch make the first vibration/shimmy- I was off to the mechanic(who I refer to as Maggie's Gynecologist/surgeon- Maggie is my cars name btw). And it's a good thing too- I have an appointment scheduled for an entire clutch kit to be replaced on her on the 28&29th. IF she holds out that long.  I don't know the hows or whys it started doing it- but I highly suspect that it may have something to do with the 255k miles on her. She's a 2007 and she is a doll of a car. 

I had a little toyota Celica many years ago that was a lot like her- I got both when they were up in years. I babysat two kids for a lady for an entire month in trade for the Celica. (basically I got paid $25 a week to babysit so I got her $100. She lasted for two years and I only had to replace the brakes when I first got her. But when she decided she was done- SHE WAS DONE and all the things went the same day- no warnings, no screeching, scrubbing or slipping or shimmying... She just quit. Both the Celica and Maggie(Mazda) were/are the most dependable, easy on gas cars ever. Until the Celica wasnt-  and on the last day of school for my kids before Summer break,  the brakes went out and the alternator went out along with the clutch AND transmission as I was headed home from picking them up from school...I was literally coasting her back into the driveway using the handbrake when I got home. God was looking out for us that day thank god the school was only a half mile from the house!!! At least the tires didnt blow out, right????

Hubby 2 was a mechanic and he gave me the bad news- it was going to cost more to fix her than she was actually worth. I had to be towed to the scrapyard and I CRIED the whole way.  I love the Celica- and I love Maggie equally. The only car I loved more than them was my 72 Challenger. No car will EVER replace her.

Anyway- I digress- the point is- why put off doing something you KNOW needs doing?

Even worse is putting off something you will ENJOY doing!! 

Why Procrastinate??

Not a Single Thing

 This weekend I didnt do a single solitary useful thing. I didn't get my seeds planted, didn't get Maggie detailed, didn't get my room picked up. Didn't cook, didn't do laundry, didnt drive anywhere- didn't watch a movie-(which is usually my fav thing to do on the weekends...just sitting watching a movie with my kids- or sitting on the front porch swing or on the back deck in the shade feeling the breeze on my face(I would say in my hair but I chopped that all off a couple weeks ago-LOL) and just listening to the quiet and peace of nature). I literally SLEPT all weekend.

On the way home from work Friday I got hit numerous times in the face by direct unfiltered sunlight. Bright light- be it natural OR artificial hitting my eyes equals instant migraine. It's Number 2 of my migraine triggers- closely following behind heavy cloying perfumes, colognes or body sprays. The only deodorant that has ever triggered one is the old BRUT deodorant spray. And I don't think they even make BRUT anymore - thank heaven for small miracles.

I actually had to pull the car over twice because I felt like I was going to throw up from the pain. Luckily, I made it home where I immediately took one of my prescription migraine tablets and went to bed. Those things are tiny but they pack a PUNCH- even halved they still knock me OUT for 12 or more hours.

The entire weekend I was awake long enough to eat twice and then it was straight back to bed.  I might have woken up and tried to do something on my computer- but honestly I'm not sure if I actually DID that(the computer was in the same place and off when I got up this morning) or if it was just a la-la-land dream.  That's another side effect of those tablets- crazy realistic weird dreams. They make total sense while I'm dreaming but on the rare occasion I remember them when I wake up I think "HTH did I ever think that was actually possible in my dream?????" Sometimes I wish I could remember how I did some of the things because if I could get a patent I'd be Elaine Musk RICH!!! 

Anywho- that is why I suffer thru migraines on work days. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell I could drive on Patrol  when I'm taking my migraine medication. I wouldn't even be able to sit at a desk.

What I'd do is become the Queen of the DREAM TEAM. That's what my sister and I call the on duty sleepers. 

Not My Style. Not even in my wildest Migraine Medded up dreams!!!

*I feel much better today- and am wearing my sunglasses.