It's Official

I am now the ML for Evansville NaNoWriMo. Wow!

Um...now what?

Moanday Passed Me UP

I must say that Moanday missed me for the most part and by the time
you read this so did Tuesday. I didn't feel great when I got up Monday
but neither was I miserable. The day was blessedly uneventful.

Carolyn was back at work on Monday also, but was so busy we hardly saw
one another. I was glad she was back but I've got myself in a routine
that I am in my chair until I'm hungry and then go to lunch which is
much later than she likes to go. We did go a bit later but not as late
as I would have liked. I like lunch around 1 p.m. What I discovered
during this time was that I work better in the mornings than the
afternoons. So, I may have to start going to lunch alone more often as
my days seem more productive and I don't get as stressed once the work
is out of the way.

I was very depressed most of the weekend. It rained endlessly but I
like rain for the most part. I had no desire to do more than read the
blogs this weekend and I think I left a few comments. I still have the
panorama feature and can just click down the list and read them. I
also  worked on Sarah's skirts - there are two, and started a second
baby shawl, this one for my neice, Alicia.

I don't know Alicia very well. I've only seen the child maybe half
dozen times in her life. She's 17 and managed to get pregnant. What
can I say....my brother and Alicia's mother are divorced and have been
a while. They have four children all of who are absolutely wilder than
elephants. I don't know the others at all....well, I've seen the boys
three times at family gatherings. They were well behaved during those
times. but I think on a daily basis they have issues. They've been in
foster care a couple of times. The youngest is probably learning
disabled and has kidney problems. The twins (middle children)are ....
a problem. Alicia, the oldest, is also a problem. My sister was foster
parent for Alicia and the youngest for awhile. She refused the twins
because they tend to act violently at times. Alicia was constantly
sneaking out and going wild. She was finally sent to a group home,
which she promptly ran away from and was placed with my mother... do
not know the moron who thought that was a good idea!  Eventually, she
was sent away from there. Only the younger child stayed with my sister
for a short time. To be fair to those children, they had the most
atrocious parents and it is like raising dogs. If they aren't treated
well, loved and nurtured, they become vicious creatures with a desire
to devour everyone they meet. They are all, except Alicia, back with
their mother who is one of two reasons they are messed up. I'm not
being mean... I only speak the facts.

So, I did a shawl for Kayla's baby. I felt that I should at least do
one for Alicia's baby. God knows the kid will need all the help she
can get. It is different in pattern and color from Kayla's but is is
really lovely. I don't know if she will care for it or not. I hate to
think all this beautiful work will be dropped on the floor somewhere
and walked on. I've been tempted to just buy her a nice gift because I
am falling in love with this shawl and don't want to think of it being
discarded. But it seems wrong to do that. I may reconsider and give
this as a gift to someone else and buy her something I'm not
emotionally vested in. I'm still debating. Anyway, I'll post photos
soon of all of it.

I totally forgot this post and now it is Wednesday and busy as the
last two days. I don't mind busy. It goes faster. I'm getting ready to
go to lunch in a bit with Inmate Loraine. We're meeting at Panera
Bread. The salad is good and it is a nice place to meet.

Weather is cool and very cloudy with patches of blue here and there.
Not enough blue for me. Yesterday was beautiful outside and I longed
to be out there.

I'm going to get my house refinanced if I can. I decided this week. It
will lower my payments considerable since the interest rates are so
low. It will lessen some of my worries, in fact, after I talked to the
bank yesterday I felt so much better just considering it. I haven't
got the deal wrapped up yet. I still have to do the application and
they have to approve it. I was having a hard time deciding if I wanted
to do it. I finally decided if this is the right decision the
everything will go through without a hitch.

Heat will be installed tomorrow morning. I went with the cheaper unit
even though I'm a bit leary of it. I just don't want to spend a huge
amount of money right now. I'll purchase a warranty for it and if
anything goes wrong, that will cover it. In fact, I'm going to get a
home owners warranty. My sister had that and when her water heater
went out they replaced it at no charge to her! So, home warranty on
all appliances soon. Most are new but you never can tell what will
happen.

Next... pain levels are nearly around a 2 or 3 on a scale of 10. I'm
wearing that patch they gave me for my knees on my lower right back!
The pain in my leg has radically diminished, although I still get
shooting pains and some cramps. I just take a acetaminophen for it.
I'm using the liquid on my knees because it works as well as the patch
if I do it three or four times a day. It did not work on my back as
well. Not sure why. I've started putting it in my neck the last few
days to see if it helps with that pain. I think it does. So, I've been
getting some much better sleep and can turn over more often.

The bad news...I probably have severe arthritis in all those locations
and they are major joint locations that affect my mobility.

But I'm thankful for any relief at this point that allows me to get some sleep.

I'm going now. Work is rudely screaming my name.

Nearly There!

The weekend beckons! I'm at Thursday and running full tilt to Friday. I have been so busy this week that I have not blogged since Monday! I've gone home every night and watched t.v.! All my shows popped up on HULU at one time and I'm playing catch-up. I don't think they will be online more than a couple of weeks and there were 25 on my watch list last night. LOL, veggie time.

Thirty-two years ago today the most exciting thing in my life happened. Michael Courtney Maddox arrived at 5:09 a..m. He weighed in at 7 lb 14 oz and was 21 in. long.

It has been my greatest privilege to have spent my life with Michael. No matter how difficult the journey has been for both of us, Michael has continued to smile through it all. When my life blew apart, Mike was there to hold me up and help me through the long months of gathering up the pieces. He may think he's a failure at many things but his greatest success has been as a son.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

My sister is having surgery to remove that stint as we speak. I am out of days so I couldn't take off but my aunt and uncle are at the hospital with her. This is supposed to be a same day surgery so we are expecting her to be released this evening.

Sarah came over last night for a few hours to visit with her Poppy and Uncle Dale.She absolutely adores my aunt and uncle. To clarify, she calls my uncle Dale, Poppy. But she calls my aunt Phillis, Uncle Dale. This is confusing and highly amusing to everyone but she's done this since she was probably two. She got them confused and we've never dared try and correct her. She's corrected me a few times! Uncle Dale (aunt Phillis) would be furious if we did, she loves it. The story behind this is that on a visit Sarah was asked to identify people, I believe around the table. She named them all until we got to my aunt. Then she said, "I don't know what they call her but I call her Uncle Dale." And Uncle Dale is it.

Moan Day, Not So Much

The day started rather blandly and ended up wet. Poured down most of the afternoon. The week is supposed to turn cooler and I have no heat yet. I have two estimate and believe it or not, the higher one I'm inclined to go with. Only because the product is a better grade. I can't mess around with an item so costly to replace. In 15 years I suspect it will cost $7000 to replace.

Work was rather uneventful and probably because my boss was out. Lots less running for everyone. Tomorrow I suspect he'll be back and the day won't go as well.

I've spend the evening sewing on a skirt for Sarah. I'm not pleased with it. Must get my act together and do better. It is cute but the waist band is not what I planned and I'm annoyed. I got in a hurry. Still, it will do.

I'm off to bed now for some much needed sleep. The last several nights I don't feel as if I slept well. It felt as if I was just dozing. Does that make sense? Not a deep sleep, but one of those just beneath the surface sleeps that leaving you feeling cheated. Morpheus is a fickle devil.

Omissions

My appointment as pastor coincided with the church's appeal for aid for victims of a hurricane.

Unfortunately, on my first Sunday in the parish, the center page of the church bulletin was accidentally omitted. So members of the congregation read from the bottom of the second page to the top of the last page:

"Welcome to the Rev. Andrew Jensen and his family ... the worst disaster to hit the area in this century. The full extent of the tragedy is not yet known."

A Better End to Moan Day

You know.... that's is such a good pun! Moan Day. The first day of the week and everyone of us gets up moaning and I spend a good portion of the day moaning. 


Believe it or not I don't actually like being that person. I kind of get sick of it, as I'm sure do most of those around me or reading me. Too much like my mother, something I have never desired to be. I've realized that I'm not a terribly happy person and probably won't ever be again. No very optimistic of me, I know. But honest. With myself. I have several names for me but since I try not to make a habit of name calling I won't share them. I really don't like who I am now and have been for a long time... say at least 7 years. Life got tough, I got wimpy. 


I had Sarah after work tonight. We had a nice time in the back yard. She played in her sandbox and then caught fireflies. As it grew dark she didn't like it anymore. When I was a kid I loved it when it got dark outside. I could stay out for hours. I usually was with siblings or friends but even alone I was never afraid of it. I'm still not too much. I was for a time after Jerry died. Wouldn't sit out there at all. I've gotten better but the bugs have,  too. 


We came in and she insisted I read the Bible to her. She does that now and it is very odd to me. She's just turned five but for over a year she has asked to have the Bible read to her. Not a children's Bible story book or a child's Bible. The grownup version. Becca says she asks her to read to her, too. I've had two children, 6 siblings, two younger cousins that were like siblings, about a half dozen assorted nieces and nephews. I've read hundreds of books upon request. I once read Treasure Island, the long version, not a kids book, to my cousins (about 5 & 7 at the time & I was 15) and did pirate voices. Took a couple of weeks! Not once in all my life have I ever been asked by a 5 year old to read the Bible to them. It is not their first choice. Nor their last!


So I did. I don't think she cares what part you read to her. I think I could read Numbers and she'd listen! 

A Day in the Weekend

I just spent the entire weekend watching Firefly and was sad when the last episode aired. I have the whole series, which was only one season. My sister has the movie and I should go and buy my own copy so I don't borrow it and give it back. It is such a great story. I get so caught up in it that I can't stop until it is over.

I didn't do much else over the weekend but start two denim skirts for Sarah and play games online. Oh, and I'm over half done with the baby shawl I'm making. I'll have to get photos for you or a video. It's been a bit challenging because I start a row and find myself doing the previous row. It is a row of shells and then the base chain to do the next row of shells. But I forget and just keep doing shells. I'm better now. Not doing that as much but still enough to frustrate me and annoy.

At the moment, I'm doing nothing. I'm tired and I think I'll just get my shower and go to bed. The day did not go as I had hoped and I'm feeling under the weather. Nose stuffy, throat scratchy, headachy. Sarah has been sick all weekend with a cold and Becca was also not well yesterday. So the season has started.

Hope you have had a better one.

Group Calls To Ban Pledge Of Allegiance At Massachusetts Schools, Citing No Educational Value | Fox News

Link

What an OMG moment this is! I'm so mad at this piece of crap I could spit nails. This moron doesn't even know what an oath of allegiance is! A pledge of allegiance is a statement made by the citizens of a country to swear loyalty to that country's law, liberties, and fellow citizens.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America AND to the Republic for which it stands, ONE nation, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE with liberty and just for all.

This is not rocket science, you idiot. Here is the idiot version just for you: I swear to be bound by the laws of this Republic and defend her without hesitation to insure all people enjoy her liberty and justice.

No educational value?

Again, what an idiot! He doesn't even know his own country's history. It is teaching our children that they are expected to honor, respect, and defend this nation and its citizens. It is an sworn OATH not a poem. Allegiance:. 1. (1) : the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government (2) : the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides

2

: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause

HELLO anyone home? OWED by the citizen or alien resident! And if teachers are not educating the children on this point, they're also idiots! I got that when I was educated... in Southern schools, by the way, which are reportedly some of the worst in the nation. Every Redneck in Dixie knows what the Pledge of Allegiance is! Wow, but they don't in Massachusetts! At least in this guy's neighborhood.

I'm still shocked that the President of the United States can't even recite it. So, I don't care what religion you are, what color you are, what your name is, or what office you hold. If you don't want to say the Pledge, I respectfully suggest you GET OUT of my country. The last thing we need is another traitor to the nation.

Frankly, if you go anywhere else, you'll be expected to swear allegiance to that country. Please go. Some loyal citizen needs your job.

Jilly's DPT: Labor Day

This is the after effects. I'm beat. I went to the picnic with Mike and Sarah.She is here with me now but I'm really tired. We left Mike at the church. He just called and he has a ride home. That will help me a lot. I am just worn out for some reason. I'll take Sarah home when he gets here. The church gave me a microwave for Dave and Becca. They have a truck of appliances they are going to sell to raise money. I asked how much it was and told them I wanted to buy it for them. Bro Phil gave it to me. So, saved some money there.

I'm just so tired. I ate too many sweets and starches. But there wasn't much else. I had green beans and some baked beans (they were Bushes Baked beans - I buy the same brand LOL) and a hot dog. I tried some chicken and dumplings but someone had forgotten to season them with black pepper and I didn't see any. Banana pudding was good but that pretty much topped my system. The only low carb on the menu was those green beans. There was a lot of pasta stuff and tons of desert. The church furnished hotdogs, hamburgers, and steak. There is always plenty for everyone so if you're not carb restricted, you're in food heaven. Unfortunately, I wasn't.

I think I wasn't expecting how depressed I was going to get. I don't want to do it again. I thought sure it would be different this time. I have avoided more and more such events for the same reason. They are no longer things I enjoy. Going to family events alone is simply not enjoyable. I do like seeing Sarah have a good time but as soon as she was done we left.

Of course, I did nothing but walk around with Sarah. She played a fishing game and got a prize. She also won the egg toss! The egg she and Libby were using just never broke. Libby is 3 and Sarah is 5 and they tossed that egg like a baseball. It hit the ground and bounced. It was weird. Not a crack.

I doubt I'll do the picnic again. It is far too depressing. I didn't know what to do with myself and there are mostly family members together. I chat with different ones but well, I don't really share a past with anyone there so there isn't much to talk about. It isn't that they aren't courteous but it pretty much socializing with strangers. I don't do it well. And I am not in any condition to play games. It was a bad idea to go because it simply served to remind me I'm a square peg in a room of round holes.

I'm going now. I am going to work on the baby blanket some more. I'm about halfway. So, at the rate I'm going I should be done with it in about two weeks. Then, I'll start on something else.

What a drag this blog is. Back to work tomorrow.

Labor Day Monday

I'm not laboring at all. I'm sitting here in the living room looking out at a dismal cloudy day. I do not want to go to the picnic since it is far cooler with no sun out. It is currently 63 F! I won't be doing any running. Had planned to sit in the shade and watch the games and crochet while chatting.

I'm going but I'm probably only going to stay for lunch. Mike will want to be there all day and I may just drop him off and come home and pick him up later. I'm going to call him.

I'm a bit annoyed. I don't get out much as it is. I was looking forward to this. I'd rather have 90 degrees and sun than 63 and clouds. This is more than likely going to set off some joint pain if I get too cool. So, not sure now what I'll do.

It is ten now so I have to decide soon. I don't know if Sarah is going or not either.

I woke up with quite a bit of pain and that has become the norm. I'm not resting well. No, there doesn't seem to be a solution since I have no idea what is causing it. I am going to talk with both doctors about a sleep study. Something is wrong when I sleep.

I'll be back later to post my Labor Day photo. Not sure what it will be. Did more reading on Boomerang. You get to do 10 free advance posts a month and if you want more, you have to subscribe and pay for it. Sooooo, I can use the 10 free. I'm not paying for it. Sorry I wasn't more clear about that. I just discovered it this morning reading on the site. I figured I better read up on all the features. It is a nice one. However, if you use Microsoft outlook, that feature is installed. But you have to go online for it to work. Window Life Mail also allows you to send later and you can use gmail with it, so I'm going to look at it. I simply use gmail online now for everything because it is just easy.

All righty, off to see what I can see. Have a nice holiday if this is your holiday. If not have a great day in the mines.

Odd Sunday

I went to church this morning with Mike and my sister, Phyllis. We had lunch at Grandy's and I came home to sit and crochet. I had an ocular migraine around 3 p.m. that freaked me out. I felt fine, no pain or warning. Then, while I was doing a crossword puzzle I began having trouble reading the clues. There were spots in the way and I couldn't see the letters clearly. Next came the weird neon lights in my right eye, around the outer edge of it. I had a flashing blue at the top of the eye and a swirling blinking one to the out edge. Joining these were a zigzag, blinking, black and white line.

I called my eye doctor, bless him the best one in the whole world. He gives his cell number and his home number on his answering machine! I felt so bad since it is a holiday calling him but he called me back in under 20 minutes. Listened to me tell him what was happening and told me it should pass off in another 20 but if it did not to call him back. He said if I had any symptoms that persisted I should go immediately to the er. He said he'd been in his office a little while today and could see me if I felt he needed to.

This is not unusual for him. He's wonderful.

It did pass of in about 20 minutes and I was fine. This is the second time I've had this kind of migraine. It terrified me then, too. I get concerned about being in the car when this kind of thing comes on. Last time I drove to his office from work and it was so scary.

After the lights went out I watched a program on Xfinity online.

Tonight I discovered I got Jilly's DPT screwed up a bit. I did Tuesday's on the third, did the third! I think I've mucked it up a bit but I'll get on track. Ran across another tonight for the end of the month. Considering this is my first time doing the DPT I figure I can mess up a bit. I've already got about half of them!

Now, I'm going to use the Boomerang feature for Gmail and send them ahead so I won't have to worry with it. One thing I discovered it it doesn't work in Firefox, although the site says it does. It works in Chrome, which is good because I'm quickly learning to like it for a lot of things. It is so fast!

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow. I'm planning on going to the church picnic with Mike. It is supposed to be sunny and in the 70's and this will be perfect weather to be outside for ball games and volleyball. I am hoping to take Sarah but she's been under the weather today. Her mother says too much cake.

Good night!

The Case of the Delayed Post

No, I'm not writing a mystery... at least not one with that title. It is a pretty good title for a Perry Mason story, though. No, I'm going to experiment on the blog with a plugin called Boomerang. I am supposedly able to send my post through my email at a later date. Since Multiply does not have a feature for this, I've had to improvise. So, here goes.

We had Sarah's birthday party tonight at her house. After the party, we went to the pool and swam for about two hours. Everyone had a great time. In attendance were me, Mike, my sister Phyllis, Dave, Becca and her parents, Sue and John. And of course, the birthday girl. If you have not already done so, you will find the video already posted... if this delayed post worked, that is. 

Also, by now there are photos in the albums. 

I'm off to bed now. I'd like to be able to go to church tomorrow. Everyone have a great Labor Day weekend if you're blessed enough to be in America. It is the last official summer holiday.