another quiz!!

You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Found this over at Desert Knitters place. I would link you to her, but I lost the address, ansd I got it off bloggers recent posts. I'll keep checking...

New Camera

I have a new Sony Cybershot DSC-P10 Camera. A 5.0 megapixel digital one. and It is really cool. BUT I cant figure out how to get the pictures from the mega new Memory Stick Pro 256 MB. You have to use the camera to download it to the computer, Unlike the regular memorystick that comes with the camera. I have a Sony Vaio computer, and it has a slot for memory sticks, BUT not the new ones.

So I get out the manual and read how I have to hook up the camera to the AC/cord, then the USB cord to the Camera Then to the Computer. Oh and download this program that comes with the camera. It is called Image Transfer. It looks cool enough, but then I cant figure out how to get the pictures I took from that program into MY PICTURES so that I can download them onto my blog.

Why in Hell don't they make things like this really really simple to use? Why do they assume that if you have a digital camera that you are a PC wizard? I will be able to figure this out, but I know that Phyllis never would. Donna could, but all she spouts is "Read the manual Mom, That's why they print them!" Humph!

The whole bone of contention is the new type of memory stick that I ordered to go with the camera. It came with a 36 MB stick, but with 5.0 megapixels, it only holds 12 pictures. I can make the picture less megapixels and it will hold more, but then why pay all that for the camera?

Right now I have the manual on my desk, the camera on my desk and two pair of glasses on my desk. I need my glasses to see the computer at times, and I need the readers to see the teeny tiny writing on the camera. This is gonna be fun folks until I figure all of this crap out!

I went out driving into the Skagit Valley today because it was so nice. I wanted to see the daffodil fields all in bloom and buy a big bunch of flowers. Unfortunately every body in NW Washington had the same idea. So traffic was horrendous, and there were no cut flowers to buy. I was really bummed. Every place that there was a good picture, there were thousands of people in the way, and no place to park.

I even went over Deception Pass bridge planning on getting out and taking some pictures for you, BUT the line of cars was 1/4 mile on either side of the Bridge. So much for that.

You can tell that people are ready for Spring...This was the first weekend that the tempurature was over 60 and the sun was out. Filtered, but out!

It must have been opening day today too, as you could walk across Pass Lake on all the boats!! Unually there is only three or four belly boats on the lake. Guess I had better get my tackle box cleaned out, Throw away all the old stale marshmallows. Throw away the old Potskees salmon eggs, get new hooks and line and new salmon eggs and the new bait scented marshmallows. OH GADS and dont forget the license!! I really need to get back into fishing the lakes and rivers again, I miss it. Don't even know where my hip boots are!!! They probably got commandeered by a SON!! OK< I have his pole and tackle box. HEH!!!

FIxed it..

I think...sorry 'bout that...I forgot the www. How come sometimes you have to use it and other times you don't? I know soooo little about this....

A Candle in the WIndow for Our Troops(or it WAS)

So THERE!!! I don't want to get into a political argument on who is right and who is wrong. I just wanted to show support for our Military men over seas.

So I'll just take the damned link down!!!

SPRING!!!!

It is a BEEEUUUUTIFULLL!!!! day. The sun is shining warmly through the window, the birds are chirping at the feeders, the sound of lawnmowers permeates the neighborhood. I plan on getting out and doing SOMETHING in the yard. It may be just sit and watch Bob stack wood!! (if he shows up) I really need to find my flower bed out front. It is sooo badly overgrown. One of the BAD things about living in the Pac NW is that the weather is very conducive to year-round growing. Not flowers, but WEEDS!! They THRIVE!!! So I need to get out there and get the thistles out before they take over the grass again. I almost wish I could just let it go back to nature, but then the Himalayian Blackberry bushes would Take over the house!!! They are Washington's KUDZU!! No kidding! The berries are wonderful!! But the plant is extremely invasive.

A note to any of you that may have sent me an email yesterday. Please resend!!! Sadie Bin Laden chased Loki under the desk and unplugged the computer just as I was receiving email, and I lost EVERYTHING!!! ARRRGGGHHH!! I was hoping to hear from some of you and saw that you had indeed responded, but I didn't get to read them WAH!!

SO send them again PLEASE!!!

Mother's Quilt

In 1932 when my mother was 9 years old, she lived with her older sister in Amarillo, Texas. This was during the time when most of the farmers were or going broke. Since there was no such thing as Television, Little girls had to learn to do things around the house. One of the things they all learned was needlework. My mother was excellent at any type of needlework there was. She even embroidered quilt squares on old flour sacks. Re-cycling was a necessity, not a statement. THese old Muslin squares were hidden in an old box for years until they were discovered when my Aunt died. Mother had embroidered these 20 squares, and appliqued little Sunbonnet Sues made from her own old dresses. All of the stitches were done by her little hand, no machine was used. The stitches are perfect, and even the back of the squares was perfect. I however will have mother rolling over in her plastic box at the bottom of the pacific ocean...I am using a machine!!!!



I decided that I would finish these squares, and put them into a quilt top and then into a quilt. The problem was trying to decide how to connect them together so that it didnt look too modern. All of the material I found was too bright, too new to go with the muted patterns of her old dresses. One day while wandering in an old store in Fallon, Nevada, I ran into a tiny print of calico flowers, which had all of the colors that were in The Squares. I bought it and Now I am in the process of connecting these squares to form the quilt top.



I cut all of the strips to the measurments of the squares, BUT I forgot about the centers where the strips all meet. Once I had connected them I found the "hole" in the center. OK, all is not lost, I found some material the same color as the muslin background, and I am making SQUARES to cover the HOLEs in the middle. :-) Am I not smart? I also will put a plain colored border around it all and then make the binding out of the calico flowered print. THe back is a nice soft baby flannel in the same beige color as the rest.



By next week, I will have the top finished, then all I will have left is putting the batting on and then the backing, and then the binding. After that is all done comes the really hard part!!! The quilting!!!!! I may opt out for the traditional tie in the middle of the corners, with just a simple quilt stitch around the girl.

I am really excited about finishing this. It has been over 72 years in the making, and It is so beautiful that it needs to be used and enjoyed. I remember the warm Comforting feeling I had when I was all hunkered down under an old quilt we girls had on the bed. OH WAIT!! That was Phyllis wetting the bed!!!

HELP!!!!!!

Anybody out there know how to remove a stuck floppy from your disk drive? I cant turn the 'puter off until I get this disk out!! WAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! If I call the Computer Clinic, It will cost me a minimum of 50.00!!! HELP!!!

Rants...sorry

What is a bloggie? How do you win? Why would you want to? How do you enter? Who votes? I have seen several sites where they have said they were entered and were up against So and So. But I have never seen where you would vote, or rather who the winners were. Nor the criteria for winning. Is this something new that I missed somewhere? Huh! Obviously I am not awake when I log on...

THe news last night said that there is another fisherman missing, this time it is on the next island up, in Padilla Bay. THe boat was found, going in circles with the motor still running, so obviously he hadn't been gone way too long unless he has a honking big gas tank. Another man missing over the side. THis is another example of why men need to be trained to KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!!!! I swear, Women have to hold it until we get back to the dock, why do men think that all they have to do is yank it out, stand up and pee over the side? HEY DICK!! HERE"S ANOTHER DARWIN ENTRY!!!! Why do they think that just because they CAN that they SHOULD! Why should I care? I dunno, maybe because I have a rotten back right now, and I have to pull myself up and make it to the bathroom, and figure out how to sit and then HOW TO GET UP!! Maybe I'm jealous.

I woke up in the middle of the night again last nite, I kept hearing the blood curddling screams DOnna emitted when she fell. Can Mom's get PTS Syndrome? SHe has not hurt herself like that in 36 years, why do I think she is gonna do it again? She won't I am sure, but I keep hearing that screech, and the vile words!!! and the panic!! Why can't Moms be like animal moms...shoo their kids out of their nest and forget they exist? God wouldn't that be GREAT? no worries that they will get hurt, no worries that they will make wrong life choices, no worries that they will get in trouble. Lordy the world would be much more peaceful.

I realize that I may be ranting here, and I don't do nearly as good a job of it as Ms KATrina does, but I feel oh so much better now thank you...think I'll go get another cup of coffe and then think about what I REALLY want to write about. I'll be back....(scary huh)

Late night Ramblings

I am wide awake...It is 2:15AM I can not get to sleep. so Since I finished reading my book Ske Kathleen Moody's new book Medusa, I thought I should get my ass out of bed and come in here and post something maybe squinting at the monitor will make me sleepy.

THe wind is roaring through the alders out back, and since they are in full fertility with their little catkins popping pollen all through the air, my eyes are burning like Hell. I sleep with my head practically stuck out the open window 365 nights a year. That is the only way I can breathe. I can not stand breathing warm air. SO I will just have to live with the itchy eyes until pollen is through pollening. Next come the firs and the cedars, but I dont think they bother me as much as the alders do.

On the news last night was a bit about an 80 yr old man who was over due from a fishing trip. They found his boat going in circles just off of Port Townsend, no sign of him. When they do find him, (and they eventually will find Parts of him) I will wager that his zipper is unzipped. The majority of men who die in drowning accidents in our waters do so because they fell overboard while taking a pee. He either had a heart attack bringing in a fish, or fell over board peeing.

I went down to the beach today with my brand spanking new camera, and took shots of where this man fell in, so you will see how vast it really is. The tide was on its way out, so more beach is showing than usual.



This is looking West across Admiralty Inlet towards Port Townsend in the far distance.



This is looking down Island towards the entrance to Puget Sound.

Needless to say I do not want to be beach combing anywhere around there until his body is found. The tide rushes through the Straight into Admiralty Inlet and circles around the Inlet and then goes back out to sea through the Straight of Juan de Fuca. So he will more than likely either wash up on this beach or hopefully over on the Kitsap Penninsula Side. With all the crabs in the water and all the fish, finding people whole is almost impossible. It aint a pretty sight at all, I think I will stay away for a few weeks.

It is a lovely beach to walk on though. You can walk for miles and miles on rocks and driftwood, No sand here.

As I left the beach I went down the spit road past the beach houses and ran into a flock of the local tame geese. THe females were rather shy, but mr Goose himself wanted his picture taken in the worst way. He really wanted some bread which I did not have with me. Sadie really wanted HIM!



These geese were turned loose by my father over 35 years ago, before this became a development. THere are fresh water ponds and a lake, and they thrived!!! They get thinned out every year by the bastards that bought their $300,000 homes right on the beach right where the geese live and poop. They think the geese are pests, and want them all destroyed. Most of us like the geese and ducks, so thinning is what happens. I think if you are dumb enough to buy your property where there are wild animals, then YOU should be the one thinned!! I LIKE the wildlife, Even the mangy old Coyote in the woods. I am responsible...I keep MY pets in the yard or the house.

another stupid quiz!!

what's your inner flower?

[c] sugardew

scrabble anyone?

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 32. What is your score? Get it here.

Punny

Stolen Shamelessly from Denny, who got it from Robert.

An Indian chief had three wives. The first gave birth to a boy. Elated,
the chief built her a teepee of deer hide. The second gave birth, also
to a boy. He built her a teepee of antelope hide. The third wife gave
birth a few days later, but the chief kept the details secret. He built
this one a two-story teepee, made of hippopotamus hide. No one could
guess what had happened. Finally, a brave guessed the third wife had
had twin boys. "Correct," said the chief. "How did you know?" Said the
warrior, "It's elementary. The value of the squaw of the hippopotamus
is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides."

Which Founding Father are you?

Oh dear, I forgot where I got this from...That's what I get for posting last. Oh well,

Which Founding Father Are You?

And How do you blog?

As I was making my daily rounds this morning, I noticed that some of you are up at the crack of dawn post your daily writings and get on with your day. Some of you are making comments before you even post on your own blog.

That is what I do. I turn on the 'puter, go make a pot of coffee click on my blog to read the comments ya'll have left then I go over to the side bart and click on Phyllis, then start reading. I click from my favorites sometimes, and click from your blog rolls the others. WHat I don't know is what is the PROPER way to do it? Am I stealing bandwidth (whatever the heck that is) by clicking on your blogroll?

Another thing I notice is that I NEVER show up on your referral lists...hmmmm, I go there, I really do...

I also notice that I have missed several of you for a few weeks. As you remember I re-arranged your names, and in so doing, I misplaced some of you. So I am playing with names again. I have you all listed in my favorites and that is what I use to blogwalk. Now somehow I hit a button which arranged all of my favaorites in alphabetical order. thus I lost some of you. Not LOST just misplaced. Now I think I have every body back to where they are sposed to be, and If I dont show up on your blog for awhile let me know....

I also have blogs I only read once a week or so, because that is how often they are updated. (None of yours of course)

How do you blog? do you open blogger first and then post as you go? DO you read first then post? DO you Post first then read? Do you compose on word then post ?

After a year, I have a routine, but Since it takes me almost 2 hours to read everyone, I am wondering what the best way is. Leslie seems to post comments on the entire blogsphere every day, PLUS post daily and take care of Carl. Wanda gets into all the political ones. Some of you post from work, How do you get away with it?

Just curious. I know there is no right or wrong way to do this, but there might be a BETTER way...I'm listening...

Signs of Spring...

This week has had several gorgeous spring days. Sunshine, cold, clouds scuttling by, birds chirping, Hummingbirds appearing morte and more. SOon I will have to fill all the feeders every day. No small feat this!! I will have 10 hummingbird feeders that I will have to keep fresh. I will have two feeders to fill with seed, 5 suet feeders for the woodpeckers and chickadees, two platform feeders for the doves, juncos, black-headed grosbeaks, and two more platform feeders for the ground dwellers, the spotted towhees and the quail. I have been thinking about buying grubs for the robins, and thrush, but that is a bit overboard for me.

Spring has also brought out the mice and the snakes. When ever I let Sadie in the house now, I have to stop her and open her mouth to see what pressies she is bringing MOmmie now. Today she brought me not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 dead mice...



I put them on the feeder tray for the owls or hawks. Im hoping the barred owl will come pig out on them. I love to listen to them hoot at night. The woods are full of birds of all kinds, so someone of them will probably partake of the carcasses. If they are still there tomorrow I will throw them over the fence.

As I was walking around the yard looking for more Sadie -kill, I took a few pictures of the trees getting ready to pop their blossoms. THe neighboring plum tree is in full bloom already. YUMMY, they are so sweet and good, and hang over onto MY SIDE!!! Yay!!!



My peach tree is rerady to pop open also, and the Daffodils are ready. I LOVE SPRING!! ACHOOOOOOO!!!! (sorry)
THe tree Pollen was reading dangerously high for those with allergies, but has dropped considerably now. ACHOOOOOO!!! (so they say, sorry)

Update on Chemystery's shoulder.

Donna is much better now...humble as hell...and grateful for the Lortabs. Man that must have HURT!!! even the Dr said sometimes it's easier to break it than dislocate it. She takes her arm out of the sling twice a day and does the full range of motion movement, and it isn't hurting her. She has to keep the swaddling sling on for 6 weeks though, to give the muscles time to get back into shape. I could not believe it when I saw the top of her shoulder poking up under the skin of the top of her boob! YUCKY!!!

She is left handed, and of course she hurt her left arm. Go figure. She is going to try to go back to work on Monday. driving will be a trick, but She'll be ok. Her boss sent her a bunch of flowers which really surprised her. SHe has a really good boss. And He thinks the world of her and her work, so I guess He wants to keep her happy. Too bad her husband didnt send any though. (prick that he can be). Oh did I say that?

I have not been in an emergency room with one of my Kids in many many years, and Trust me, the mothering instinct does not go away with age. I was so scared when I heard her screaming. Gut-wrenching feelings are not good for you! I am the type of person that does great during an emergency. I am calm, I joke, I can handle blood and guts. UNTIL I know that the crisis is over, and everybody is safe, and then I fall apart! I don't cry, but I shake inside and out, and need to sleep.

She is up right now trying to do some washing. I asked if she needed help and she said NO , I have to learn how to get things done. Stubborn Kid, I would have let her have today. Now Tomorrow.....

E.R.

Yesterday was such a glorious day!! The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky and I had a dentist appointment and couldn't play! Got through with the dentist and then wandered up to the Coupeville cemetery to take some Mountain pictures. Unfortunately the haze was keeping the mountains from showing up the way I wanted. I had plans for this morning...Wake up early, felt the wonderful warm sun hitting my face, breathing in icy cold air and laid there listening for the hummingbirds to buzz up to the feeders.

SON OF A BITCH!!! GOD DAMNED SHITTING ASS HELL!! FUCK!! FUCK!! FUCK!! SHIT!! SHIT!! MOTHER OF GOD DAMN IT!!
SCREAM!!

Oh says I, this does not sound good. I snapped awake, and stumbled into the Living room where the vulgarities were originating from. DONNA!! DONNA!! ARE YOU OK!!! I CANT GET MY EYES OPEN WHERE ARE YOU!!!??

Another Scream, then an I'm Ok Mom. By this time I have the eyes pried open, and see her laying on the floor, face down, with her left arm under her. She has twisted her ankle going to the door, and fell. I touch her and she screams. She says she has dis-located her shoulder.

Ok, On ER they just pull and it pops back in. NOT!!! One does Not touch Donna when she is hurting. She yells at you.

I finally realized I was not going to be able to get her up off the floor without hurting her further and myself also. So I for the first time in my life, Call 911. Nice Lady!!! My voice was croaking it's morning froggy voice, so the poor lady thinks I am hysterical. I am not, but she was very nice while she got the address. (I thought they had those automatically) And then told me to keep her comfortable until the paramedics got here.

Donna was going shocky on me so I covered her up and waited for the fire dept to get here. My entire family is involved in the fire dept. (or was until they all retired) so We know everybody.

15 minutes later Joe shows up and followed by the engine and three more medics then the ambulance.

Now I have to tell you, that I stopped by Leslie's blog first before I posted this, hoping to get some calming, relaxing information, only to find out Carl has fallen and is hurt. Leslie said that Carl managed to keep his sense of humor through it all. A different cut of cloth is my daughter. PAIN means I AM A BITCH STAY AWAY!! I warned them all!! She does not suffer fools gladly, and does not see the need to ask the same questions over and over again, and proceeded to tell them so. I warned them again, and said that she was normally a really nice person. They don't believe me.

I get her in the ambulance and I follow over in Bobs truck because he is taking a friend to Seattle in My car. I have never driven his new truck. It just would not go...Kept stalling at the stops. It is a stick shift which I can drive no problem, But it also had a little lite on the dash saying BRAKE! Where? I cant see where? It isn't there. I drive for 5 miles and then I reach under the dash thinking that I will either flip the hood open or release a brake.

It is amazing how easy the truck drives when the brakes are all off. DUH!!

Back to the emergency room...Get there and she is cussing a blue streak at the admitting clerks. 2 Nurses are looking at me and rolling their eyes...OH! Too late. I explained her vocabulary and said that once she was no longer in pain she would be really nice. They didn't believe me either.

Had problems getting an IV in her, Had problems finding a vein, could not sedate her until they found a vein, needed X-rays, and she is in horrible pain through all of this.

Finally got the Vein, and sedatives, got the xrays, no broken bones but her shoulder was poking out her boob in front. EEEOOOOOO!!!! The Dr then ordered the conscious sedation, and when she was no longer in pain, he took her arm and pulled it up and in, did not take 10 seconds to fix. I was so disappointed!! I was expecting a big POP...CRACK ahhhh
nope, just went right back in. She did not feel a thing, and was immediately the nice sweet young thing I knew she could be. Her husband called, and asked if she was sedated yet, and when I said yes, he said oh good then she isn't yelling at them any more huh? We all laughed.

So now my nice warm sunshiny day is clouding over, my dear darling daughter is now sleeping soundly with her swaddling sling wrapped around her body keeping her immobile, and drugs! Nice Knock you out drugs,. She is quiet. She is safe now, she is pain free now, and her mommie is now a wreck!!!

So now it is time to go blog walking and see how all my friends are. I need to see how Merikate is doing after her surgery, and make sure her granny is ok, I need to go back and apologize to Leslie for laughing. I need to make sure CJ is ok, and then I can go visit the rest of my friends and get lost in their worlds for awhile.

Been a hell of a day...

another dumb quiz!!!

Dern ol' CJ posted this quiz today... Since it was about cats I had to do it.


The Cheshire Cat! You're a sly cat who grins on the
outside, but schemes on the inside. Even your
best friends don't realize that you may
actually be their worst enemy!


What kind of cat are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Obviously she did not float away in all the rain.

Beating Leslie!!

LOLOL Everytime I see a cute picture come up I save it into a file, and when I am having brain farts (eating those beans of Kats) I will pull one up and post it. This morning Leslie once again beat me to the punch and posted one of my ace in the holes. So now I am posting this one, even though I don't really have anything to say about it. (TEEHEE)

Quacker Factory

Ok ladies, I am now a stay-at-home-Mom and I get to watch TV while I blog. In the past 20 years or so, my wardrobe has consisted of silk blouses, Pendelton WOol suits, and panty hose and heels. Once I retired I went into sweat shirts advertising the different plays I was doing and Jeans.

Well now I need clothes. QVC has had some lady selling Quacker factory clothing that seems really cute. It could be casual or not, and I was wondering if any of you have tried her line on? I do not know if they run large, small or right on. I hate to buy clothes, and I never ever send them back if they dont fit, and I never try them on either. (Phyllis is tearing her hair out and screaming right now, I can hear here 8 miles away!!!) I HATE to shop....HATE IT!!!

So...Is there any body out there who has some Quacker Factory clothing? Is it good quality? Is it generous? Whatcha think?

GET A GRIP!!!!

I opened my email this morning, and the following email was f rom some person called Pricess alana. Now if you have read Kat's blog lately you know how I feel about people who feel like they are victims of this that or what ever. Now some dumbass has the bloody nerve to write this and ask for MONEY? PHHFFFFTTTTTT Get a grip People!!! Get a fucking job like the rest of us had to. Quit thinking that we are all STUPID!!

But then my Horoscope said that Early March was the best time for a windfall! Could this be legit?

SLAP! Mary Lou...wake up!!!
SLAP! Ok!!!! just a thought.

don't you just love all the mispelled words and typo's?

Do people really get taken in by this crap? How STUPID do you have to be?



Good day and compliment,
A CRY FOR HELP,I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the wish Of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and Reward you abundantly. My family and I are true Christians and worship's God truthfully. I got Your contact through Internet during my research on some one who could Help us. I am a female student Of University of Nigeria, Lagos. I am 22 yrs old. My fathers died earlier two months ago and left my Mother I and my brother behind. He Was a king, which our town citizens titled him before his death I was a Princess to him and I and my brother are the only people who Can take Care of his wealth now because my mother is not literate enough To know all my fathers wealth behind. He left up to USD 27.350 000.000.00 million dollars with a security Company, and I dont know how and what I will do to invest this money Som! ewhere in abroad, so that my fathers kindred will not take over what Belongs to my father and our family, which they were planning to do Without my present because I am a female as stated by our culture in the Town. That is why I felt happy when I saw your contact which I strongly believe that by the grace of God, you will help me secure And invest this money. I thereby need your help in bringing the box Containing the money out from the security company, based on your reply I Will furnish you with more details on how we can proceed. I am ready to pay 10% of the total amount to you if you help us in Securing this money and another 10% interest of Annual Income to you, for investing this money for us, which you will strongly have absolute Control Over. If you can handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me In lifting this fund, kindly reach me and I will let you know the next Step to take towards actualizing this transaction as quickly as Possible. Please, no! te that this transaction is 100% risk free. I look forward hearing fro m you soonest. Yours sincerely,
Princess and family

LOLA'S BACK!!!!

I am laying there this morning, the alarm had gone off at 7:00, and I could not get my eyes to open. They were all watery and burny... I sat up coughed and layed back down. I kept trying to get those eyes all the way open, but could not. As I was laying there listening to the doves cooing, and the chickadees twittering, I heard a CHIT CHIT CHIT!!! LOLA!!!!!!!!!!

Lola for those of you new to this site is a Douglas squirrel. Actually there are several, but unless I see them more than one at a time, they are all called LOLA! If I see two then the first is Lola and the second is Rita, then there is Sal, which can be either a he or a she as befits the backside of said squirrel.

This is Sadie's first Spring, so she chases Lola away from the feeder. She chases the birds away too, but they have caught on that she cant reach them so they come right back. Lola hasn't quite figured that out yet. Lola was running back and forth on the neighbors wooden fence just a chattering....

I picked up the binoculars and could not see a thing My eyes are so fuzzy right now. Pisses me off! I tried to rub the floaters away and just made them sting even more. I finally got a good look at Lola, and she looks nice and fat and healthy! Her coat looks full and colorful, and her tail was fluffy. I was worried about her since I have not seen her since the first of the year.

Must have been living off the nuts she squirreled away this last fall. I have corn cobs stuck into the fence about every 20 feet to entice her closer to the feeder. Hope it works. Sadie will be the kicker though. If she continues to chase her away she may not come back. Gotta figure this out...

The Woodpeckers and the Hummers aren't flocking like they did last year either. NOTHING scares the hummers, but I have only seen one or two of them this year. BOO!!! Must be the weather down south. California is getting hammered with rain and wind, so maybe that is keeping them down there.

HERE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE!!

PFFFFFHHHHHTTTTTTTT!!!!

I am in such a deep blue FUNK this week. I feel unloved unwanted, unuseful, un-funny! I may blog about it later, but right now I feel that if I did I would either be royally pissed or whine so much that you all would be turned off. SO I won't write today about it.

INSTEAD if you want to learn about differing life-styles, customs etc. Be sure to go to Robert Brady He has a whole week of posts on there about FIREWALKERS. THere are five installments complete with pictures. It is great!!! I read him every evening. His Love for his Family comes through so much, and his love for his new country does also. I say new, but he has been an ex-patriot in Japan for about 25 years now. I love reading his blog.

Another one to research is JoelHe has a wonderful way of writing, that just pulls you in. He links quite a bit, which I don't like, because I have such a difficult time downloading with our antique phone lines out here. (Still dial-up!) But he also writes about topics that get you thinking.

A great essay writer to go to and read once in awhile is USS CLUELESS He was one of the first blogs I read, when I first started blogging. I will admit some of what he writes I do not read. Most of what he writes is so far over my head, that I don't understand it, but every once in awhile he gives you another reason to re-think your stand on certain topics. He is all writing, and takes no comments.

I have to leave you with a funny that I have been saving for a rainy day...beleive me it is one today, both emotional and actual.

The Middle Wife...

How would you like to be this teacher? (A grammar school teacher from
Miami, remembers this Oscar-worthy birth tableau from one of her
students)

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two children
myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own
first-grade classroom a few years back. When I was a child, I loved
show-and-tell.

So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get
over
shyness and experience a little public speaking. And it gives me a
break
and some guaranteed entertainment.

Usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Children bring in pet turtles,
model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And,
never, ever
place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it
to
school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing
child,
takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow
stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant.
"This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his
birthday. First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and
then
Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate
for
nine months through an umbrella cord."

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not
to
laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The children are
watching
her in amazement.

"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, "Oh,
oh,
oh!'" Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked
around
the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!'"

Now the child is doing this hysterical duck walk; holding her back
and
groaning. "My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she
doesn't have
a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in
bed
like this." Erica lies down with her back against the wall.

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case
he
got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like
psshhheew!"
This child is sitting on the floor with her little hands miming water
flowing away. "Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push, and
breathe, breathe." They started counting, but never even got past
ten."
"Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky
stuff. They said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot
of stuff
inside there for him to do "

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her
seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, if it's
show-and-tell
day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another Erica comes along.
Life is meant to be lived .. enjoy.

Maps

All of my life I have had a fascination with maps. Road maps, Atlases, National Geographic Maps, topography maps, National Park Maps, all of them. When we were young, Dad would get orders from San Diego to Washington, or San Diego to Hawaii, or Hawaii to Washington, etc. In order to get there we all piled into our usually old beater car, and head North or South as the case may be. Phyllis Ann and I would have to fight over the backseat, and we each staked out our territory and the other was NEVER to cross the line. Dad would drive and Mom would read the Map. “There is a town coming up, Can you stop so the girls can go to the Bathroom?”

That immediately evoked feelings of I GOTTA PEE NOW! And of course the next town would not have an open gas station with a bathroom that Mom would use. We usually ended up bouncing on the back seat holding our hands between our legs and BEGGING Daddy to stop. He finally would, usually in the wide spot on the road so we could pee on the side of the road. (I was 5-8 Phyllis Ann was 2-5) We always wondered why Dad had to go before we could stop.

As we grew older, and could read, I got to see THE MAP. I learned how to fold it, and how to hold it so that I always knew the direction we were traveling. By reading along as we went, I learned the different symbols for towns, cities, Hiways and Places of Interest. I learned where National Monuments and National Parks were. On the backs of some of the maps were interesting stories about the State that we were traveling through.

As the years passed, and the traveling with Mom and Dad ceased, the travel with Husbands began. I always stopped and got a road map every time we entered a new state. Mind you, I could NOT re-use a map! Besides, back then, Texaco and Shell Stations all gave away FREE maps. I would write on these maps the places we stopped and the sights we saw. I would also write where there was and was not services. (I was through peeing in the woods)

Out of habit, Every time I would see a map, I would read it thoroughly. I would read the towns, and the cities, look at the place names and wonder how they got there. Whiskey Dick Mountain, Screaming Woman Creek, Bald Knob, just to name a few off the top of my head.

Because of this I was usually pretty good in Geography. I could name all the countries in Africa, I could name all the State Capitals, and I could name all the capitol Cities of the Countries.

This weekend, I was watching CBC, and they were re-running the finals for the Women’s Curling Championships. They were in Red_____ Canada. I grabbed the Gazetteer, and looked for a Red______ Canada. The only one I saw was Red Deer, Alberta. So I assumed that was it? This was late at night, and before you know it I had spent over 4 hours reading the Atlas. I noticed how blank Canada is above Edmonton. I then read across to the Eastern Provinces. I have never been there and wondered if I ever will. I also looked at the Tongas National Forest and saw how very vast it was, and how soon it will be destroyed if logging is continued at the rate it is.

I will spend hours reading these maps that I get. It is one way to get to know the places your friends have lived. I have maps from Germany, and maps from Sicily , Maps of Alaska, where I followed the Iditarod and circled all of the stops for two straight years. I have maps from Nevada, where I highlighted all of the roads I explored while I was there. I have the Island County map which was printed way before development started. I even have a Map of California before Interstate 5 was built!

When I am reading a book, the map of the area is right beside me, and I use it to check on the accuracy of the author. I take these maps on Airplanes, and look down and try to figure out where we are flying over. People have collections of teacups, and teddy bears, and License Plates, I have Maps.

A strange hobby I know, But it is enjoyable, and since I will probably never have the opportunity to visit any other countries, It at least helps me know where all of you live. So in all of your Garage cleaning, or household reducing you should come across a map of the state or Country that you live in, If you would Circle where you live and send it to me I will be even more enriched. The friends I have made have enriched me, and just knowing more about your countries would please me greatly.

MV KALAKALA

One of the Many icons in Western Washington is the Washington State Ferry System. With a Huge chunk of our real Estate across Puget Sound, The major way across the waters is by Ferry. Bridges are not Cost effective due to our extremely unstable Land Mass. We are sitting on Glacial Deposits, and the waters are filling the deep valleys scoured out by these Glaciers many eons ago.

The first settlers here knew that they were gonna have to have a means to commute to all of the Islands, and they had what was then called the Mosquito Fleet…Small Boats that ferried passengers and freight from one town to the other; Sometimes on the same Island.

When Automobiles became the method of choice to get to and from town, and to and from the town to the city, The only way was to drive around the sound, which could take several days. If there was a road. And if there was a bridge!

What was a perfect work around was to have a series of Motor Vessels that could carry cars from Island to Island. Several were built and in the 20’s a fleet of these vessels were started. For the most part, These vessels are Still in use today. Of course they have been re-worked, re-built, re-done and are in need of repair once more.

During the Retro era of the 1930’s there was a reconditioned Hull out of the San Francisco Bay that had caught fire and was burned almost to the water line. The Hull was salvaged and then re-fitted with the current style that it has today. This was the beginning of the MV Kalakala.




We in The Puget Sound region, call it The Silver Slug, because it looks just like our State Animal, The Slug. It ran back and forth across the sound ferrying vehicles and passengers across to the Olympic Peninsula. When the new generation of Super Ferries was built in the 60’s and 70’s, the Kalakala was retired from the fleet and sold. Through many evolutions it was eventually brought back to the Seattle Area, Battered, Beaten, Rusted, and at one time grounded. But she still had Life.





In Late 2003 it was finally sold on E-Bay for a nominal price. It was purchased by a gentleman that has intentions to restore it back to the glamour it had in the 1930’s and turn it into a Restaurant and Museum. An admirable plan. Unfortunately the Government has gotten in the way of a simple move to another location. It was blocked by people who were afraid it would become an eyesore. It was then decided to move it to another location, and that too was thwarted.

Today, the owner of the Vessel and the owner of the moorage came to an impasse, and the Kalakala was untied and left to float on Lake Union. The Coast Guard does not want to give it permission to pass through the Ballard Locks and into the Sound, to be towed to its’ temporary location, because there is a storm coming in. Since the intended location for the Kalakala is at Neah Bay, at the Western Entrance to the Straight of Juan de Fuca, and when ever there is a storm it comes blowing right into the Straight, The US Coast Guard was afraid it would turn into a 200’metal sail and be uncontrollable. They have a good point!

The last I heard it was going to be towed to the East end of the Ship Canal, and be anchored there until it is safe to be towed on to Neah Bay.

This whole venture is an admirable one. I can only hope that the new owner really does have the financing and the where-with-all to follow through with this plan. It really would make an excellent waterfront restaurant and Museum in downtown Seattle. If done correctly, it could also be a wonderful museum and testimony to the boats and ships and vessels that have plied the waters of Puget Sound.

I hope it comes to fruition. For further History and pictures, go to the MV KALAKALA website and read all about its history, from burned out hull to fish cannery to building, back to Vessel. It really is an interesting part of our history.

Changes

I am updating links And I am putting them in with their titles not your names. I was "told" that is the proper way to do it. So now I won't know who any of you are out there. But then neither will anybody else. If I have left any one out or have inadvertantly gotten your name wrong, please let me know and I will fix it. I still had DOn on there, and we all know he is in hiding right now, and won't ever be back...and Tina moved, but I still had her old address on there and now it is a porn site!! (Tina, SHAME) It may take me a few days to get you all in there correctly, There are a lot more of you than there used to be. Tkes me almost 3 hours to visit you all everyday now. I sure am glad I am retired!!

Quarter recall

WHO-HOO!! and Dorothy just sent me one!!! Yahoo!! You don't want it back now do you Dorothy?


BULLETIN WASHINGTON, D.C. - Hang on to any of the new State of
Arkansas
quarters. If you have them, they may be worth much more than 25 cents.

The U.S. Treasury announced today that it is recalling all of the

Arkansas quarters that are part of its program featuring quarters from
each state.

"We are recalling all the new Arkansas quarters that were recently
issued," Treasury Undersecretary Jack Shackleford said Monday. "This
action is being taken after numerous reports that new quarters will
not
work in parking meters, toll booths, vending machines, pay phones, or
other coin-operated devices". The quarters were issued in the order in
which the various states joined the U.S. and have been a tremendous
success among coin collectors worldwide. "The problem lies in the
unique
design of the Arkansas quarter, which was created by a University of
Arkansas graduate," Shackleford said. "Apparently, the duct tape
holding the two dimes and the nickel together keeps jamming the
coin-operated devices."

funny!!!!

THis is so true!!! and I imagine back then it was really the truth!!!

A little old lady from North Carolina had worked in and around family
dairy farms since she was old enough to walk... with hours of hard work and
little compensation.
When canned Carnation Milk became available in grocery stores (in the
1940s)
she read an advertisement offering $5,000 for the best slogan: a rhyme
beginning with "Carnation Milk is best of all...."
She said to herself, "I know all about milk and dairy farms...I can do
this!" She sent in her entry and about a week later, a black limo drove up
in front of her house. A man got out and said, "Carnation LOVED your entry
so much, we are here to award you $1000, even though we won't be able to use
your slogan."

Her entry was:
Carnation milk is best of all,
no tits to pull, no shit to haul,
no buckets to wash,
no hay to pitch,
just poke a hole in the son-of-a-bitch!

A-YEP!!!

I fell Yucky, Oh so Yucky, It's not ducky how Yucky I feel...

Really really bad still!!! THis crap sucks like a hoover!!! My eyes are almost cleared up, which is really nice, but the Virus has gone into my lymph nodes and my throat is so damn sore!! MY sinus is running water, which tickles my throat, which makes me cough, which hurts my throat, and then makes me barf!! This royally SUCKS!!

I have not been able to swallow, so I drug myself out to town yesterday got some chloraseptic gargle,(shudder) and some Theraflu for sore throats, and some hersey kisses. (gotta eat something you know) and some Metholatum for my nose. It is so dry that it is cracking and bleeding. SWELL.

I have not been able to eat, can't swallow, so I am not taking any of my meds, and no insulin! The bottom was falling out of my glucose levels, down to 39 and 44 so I figured id best cut back on my insulin. Im back up in the safe range right now, 129. I have no more Honey, so I have to chug the THeraflu down without sweet stuff. GAK. THen when I do that, within an hour I am so sleepy that I cant keep my eyes open. I wake up feeling much better for about an hour, then it starts all over again. Need to wait for a few hours though so I can take my nite time slug, and go to sleep.

Poor little Sadie has been so darn good!! She sleeps right on top of me the whole time I am in bed. Last night, I knew she needed to go out but I could not wake up enough to let her out. She was licking my face big time. When I finally hauled myself out of bed, and went to let her out, there was a nice big present right in front of the back door. MY fault again, not hers. SHe tried, Bless her little poopy heart. I cant leave her out because she barks at ghosts, and leaves, and the wind, and the wind chimes, and the neighbors get all upset. Otherwise she would just stay out until I was well. Cant have a doggie door, because the cats would get out and they are stupid. THey would be Coyote dinner in no time.

I need a maid.

Chemystery went over the top last night to Ellensburg to spend the weekend with her husband. I think it was more, I NEED TO KEEP AWAY FROM THE GERMY ONE!! Which is probably a good thing. I do not do sick well at all. I like everyone around me when I am sick. I do not like to be left alone. Do not know why, been that way all my life. Don't necessarily want to converse with them, (hell I couldnt anyway, no voice) just want them close so I know I am loved. or hated. So it is just me the cats, Sadie and Bea.

I am out of cat food, so I had to put down IAMS dog crunchies for them. It speaks volumes when Loki looks at me, looks at it, and then tries to cover it up... He'll eat when he gets hungary enough.

Well I am starting to shiver again, which must mean my fever is coming back. So I shall go drink some more yucky stuff and crawl under the Electric Blanket to keep warm.

I need someone to cuddle with...I guess I have to make do with the pillow...

Spring?

If you are ready for spring, Go to Northwest notes She has wandered into one of my favorite sites. The Sauk River is a tributary of the Skagit River, Which runs from British Columbia down through the North Cascades into Puget Sound right at Whidbey Island!! THe Sauk is relatively un-settled, or was the last time I was up there. It is natural and wild and gorgeous! And smack FULL of wild Steelhead!!! Great Fishing!!! You have not fished until you have had a wild steelhead hit your line, and then fought that sucker all the way into the net. They are big, about 5-10 lbs and OH MY GAWD they are good to eat!! THey basically are Sea-run trout but taste like Salmon!!

I got carried away, Sorry Fran!! Her blog is really a good indicater of the weather and the seasons and the country side around here. The Chilly Hilly that she refers to is a sponsored bike ride on Bainbridge Island that idiots ride in every year. It is usually COLD, WET and VERY HILLY!! THese guys get on the ferry and collapse!!! I guess it is sposed to be fun?

Check her out!

Yankee or Dixie?

I was surfing and found a blog called Sweetea, and decided to look. She has a quiz on there that tells you if your speak yankee or if you speak Dixie. I have been raised predominately in the Western Us and the South Pacific. I rated 50% Yankee...must be my Mother coming through...

CHITTERS

I was reading, or trying to, Leslie's post this morning and Started to write about vibrating patches of fur, and decided that is what I would post about today. Chitters is one of my 4 cats. I had come to this house with 1 cat, Rudy, who was the love of my life. My sister registered me with WAIF The local no-kill animal shelter. Bless her heart.

I was called to foster parent a momma cat and her kitties. I did, and decided that I would NOT get attached to any of the kittens. It was hard because kittens are my most favorite things in the whole wide world. Kittens from birth to grown. I love them when they are still wet and wiggley from the placenta. I love to pick them up and kiss them. I would be the happiest person in the world to just raise kittens. Alas, I always keep one!!

THis time even though I loved little Gordo, I did not keep him, He would ride on my shoulder all day and purr like mad. I did not need another cat so I told myself from the git-go that I would NOT KEEP ONE!

The day came to return them all to the shelter. I took them all back and put them in the litter cage, and walked away. I suddenly was stopped, by a little paw with claws in it grabbing onto my pant leg. I looked down and there in the bottom cage was the cutest litter of kittens I had ever seen!! Grey long haired tabby kittens. The Male kitten had ahold of my pant leg and would not let go. I asked to hold him, and I was hooked!!! He was purring as I picked him up, and was so loving, and SOFT. I picked up his sister and put her on my other shoulder and had stereo purr kitties!! they were both so fat and sodt and loving, that I had to take one home. So I took the Male. (they make better lovers)

I never name my cats until I have had a chance to see how their personalities work out. This one was a terror!! He would get into the trash and bring me all sorts of goodies. It was not unusual to wake up with a dirty meat diaper on my pillow. or a chicken bone, or a catfood can lid. He was something. I could not think of a proper name for him so I just called him you little SHIT!! for over 6 months, that was what he heard. YOU LITTLE SHIT!! When my Dad moved in with me, he thought that was a terrible name for such a sweet kitty so he shortened it to shitters, and then to Chitters. That became his name. Chitters, derived from YOU LITTLE SHIT. Looks better at the vets office too.

Chitters is a lover. He sits beside me at the computer every day, and usually positions his tummy over the mouse hand so he can get scratched. Chitters is the outcast from the others. He just stays by himself except when there is a fire in the stove. He can usually be found right beside me where ever I am, purring quietly. He is comforting when I am not feeling good. He is also the one who mourned with me when I had to have Rudy put to sleep. I came home devasted and sobbed, and sobbed, Chitters would hear me and come running right up to my face and pat his little paws on my cheeks as if to say. It's ok mommie, I'm still here.

He's not a little shit anymore!!

Virus

I have a nasty virus in my eyes which is causing my vision to blur badly. Since I am not the greatest typist in the world, I have to look at the keys so my nose is on the keyboeard looking at the keys, and It is very difficult to write. SO I'm begging off for a few days unti I can see again. Be back soon I hope.



And here is a post of the clan hogging the wood stove



And yes Loki sleeps like that all the time. Sadie and Lint were outside.

Penis's

So in one of those rare MOther/Daughter moments of bonding, Chemystery and I were talking about funny things and I said, "oh! you have to read Kat today." She is talking about Penis's! Chemystery said well I must confess, that of all your blogger friends, I like hers the best, and I read her quite often.

My Daughter marches to a different drummer and has all of her life. She refused to be miscarried when I was young and single and PG! She grabbed on and hung on for 101/2 months. Yep, that too was different. 6 weeks late she was! and THEN she didn't wanna come out...took me three days in the labor room to pop her out. She has been an independant little cuss ever since. If I said it must be this way, she would do it that way! Needless to say, I do not read many of HER blog friends. Belle dujour, clean sheets etc. She also writes erotica. Has a blurb on her blog that says DONT GO THERE MOM! I dont. There are some things a Mom just does not want to know.

ANYWAY, she is reading Kat's post about Penis's and laughing, and then we talked or I did anyway about only seeing two in my life and they were both the same. She cracked up and laughed at me. When I said that was pretty Normal I thought, she hooted and said no Mother it isn't. Well beings as how I am 58 I thought it was for someone my age. She laughed and said, "NO! you've been single for how long now? 20 years... LOLOLOLOLOLL" "Mom. That is sooo pathetic!"

Like I said, there are some things a Mother just.does.not.want.to.know!! She walked out still hooting at me!! So of those of you that are close to my age, How many have YOU seen?

Spring is Here!

GOD!! I woke up this morning with my eyes sealed SHUT!! yesterday they started itching rally bad, and leaking tears like mad! I was up about 3 times in the night rinsing them out with warm water. I look like I have been on a three day crying jag!! FROG EYES! All puffy and crusty and red!! yuck. Mr RIght surely woun't want me now!!

Jeff Rener on KING 5 weather said that tree pollen was very high yesterday...guess what is 60 feet out my bedroom window? ALDERS!! Lots of 'em! G R E A T !!!!!! Maybe I'll see you later and maybe I'll just FEEL you later!! ACHOO!!! sorry!! SNIFF!!! sorry....

one more funny...

An old man was sitting on a bench at the mall. A young man walked up to the bench and sat down. He had spike hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, blue, and yellow. The old man just stared. Every time the young man looked, the old man was staring. The young man finally said sarcastically. "What's the matter old timer, never done anything wild in your life?" Without batting an eye, the old man replied, "Got drunk once and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son."

My Blogging anniversary!!

One year ago today I went to my boss and said “I QUIT”! actually it was a little better said, but the jist was I am retiring, I am taking your money and heading out of Dodge!! Effective March 1st. I came home from that meeting and started writing in my Blog. I had no idea what I was gonna do, or how this was going to affect me emotionally. I had spent over 37 years working for the Navy Exchange, and it had always come first, before my family, my health or anything else.

I knew I was going to be embarking on a journey that would change me forever, and I did not know where it was going to lead me, nor what condition it was going to leave me in. I was to say the least, Scared Shitless!! I had always used the excuse “I cant afford to retire, too many bills” But NEXCOM came out with an offer company wide that the first 500 associates that qualified would get full retirement, benefits, and 25,000 in cash if they retired early and within the next 3 months. They called my bluff. I thought, and I cried, And I agonized, but then I added up all that I owed except my Mortgage, and All that I would need to live on and then plugged in what I would be getting from the buy out, and my retirement. OHMIGAWD!!! I can pay off EVERYTHING, buy a few items and still have enough to live on!!

I then started writing …I did not know what direction this blog would take, as I had seen several, but did not have anyone to “blog” with. I did not know if I wanted it to be a confessional, out there where everyone in cyberspace could see it, or if I wanted to keep it just a daily itemized diary so that I would know what I had done with my life after retirement.

The evolution that has transpired amazes even me sometimes. I am not completely a computer idiot, nor am I a Geek, but I can usually figure things out with time. What I did not know was the 4 letters HTML I learned, really quickly! I started the first week or so with a plain template from blogger, and as I walked around and saw all that was out there I of course got hungry for more!

I had just purchased a baby bunny and had no idea how to take care of it, so I goggled for info, and found a blog about Bunnies…only it was a war blog. I read her daily, and she did have some links to rabbit sites. Through her blog links I found Leslie, and through her, the rest of my friends, one way or another. All of this encouraged me to write more, link more, play more, blogwalk more, and to experiment more. I have changed my blog 3 times since then, and still have a few tweaks to do, but for the most part, I have taken the original blog template and dinked with it until it appeared the way it has. I still have not figured out how to get my 100 things from dreamweaver to my Blog. I have it all ready, just can’t get it out there. Thought about just starting another blog entitled “My 100 things” and just linking to it, but thought that was the chickens’ way out.

I have met so many people out there that have helped me fill the void. For the most part they are honest, forthright people who care about my blog and me. A few of them I am sure are using aliases for one reason or another, but I don’t care. They are who they say they are in my book. They don’t know that I am really who I say I am either, but those that care enough know.

This past year has been one of absolute wonder!! I did not know that there was such a thing as a stress free Holiday season!!! It really is wonderful!!! I went to the town Christmas Parade, and actually got to see it, I was not working the late shift at the store!!

I did not miss the store, well, yes I did, but not to the extent that I thought I would. I think I saw the handwriting on the wall a few years back, and decided that I needed to go. We were undergoing a hostile take over, without any one acknowledging it. The old people that grew up in the system were leaving like rats deserting a sinking ship and they were being replaced not from promotion within, but with outsiders…management people from The May Company, and Kohl’s and Carter Hawley Hale, people that for one reason or another were no longer working for these civilian companies. People that had no clue how the military worked or how to interface with the people that were left.

Change is good. I was not one of the troglodytes that resisted the changes, because I saw that most of them were good changes. When I started to worry was when promises made were not kept, and the people that had been working hard for the company were being sent to outposts to die, or were passed over for promotion.

I was sent to Fallon, Nevada as General Manager of the store. Good position. Good money, SHIT location. I was there for 2 ½ years and I was promised only 2 and a transfer back to the Pac NW. None of that happened. It took a family emergency and a serious downgrade to get me back home. That was when I knew that my time was done. When A company that you have given your all for will not go to the wall for you and keep promises that were made, then you know that the ones coming in from the outside are the chosen few.

I felt I had much more to contribute, but my family and my well-being took first place for the first time in my career, and with the offering in hand, I Retired!!

I have kept very busy with my hobbies, and my Theater, and do not regret my decision at all. There are more things that I could have done with more income, but I’m secure for a while, and I can continue to live here until taxes go up too high. My Car is fairly new, I love it and it is paid for also. The only hang up is my Health insurance, which is not the best, but still a lot better than having nothing. I can deal with it.

I do not have any extra money, so travel is out, unless it is fairly close, and I camp. I feel that I am very lucky to have been given this chance. I also feel that I am very lucky in finding all the Blog friends that I have all over the world. I travel to South Africa every Night, and Japan, and Scotland, and England. I travel to Canada twice a day and I go all over the US every afternoon. I enjoy the honesty and the humor that I find in all my blog friends. I feel like they are a part of my family now, even though I have not met them, and I laugh and cry with their daily posts.

I have learned that there are some very passionate people out there, when it comes to politics. I read both Left and Right newspapers, although I tend to lean RIGHT, I allow those leaning left to their own views.

I have met new family members when they have arrived, and I have mourned those that have left us. I hold my breath when one of my friends is Ill, and I give thanks when they get well.

I guess I will continue to blog along and see what the coming year will bring. Who knows, maybe Mr. Right is out there dying to meet a fat old woman with a great sense of humor!!

What book are you?

I was doing great not getting sucked in to any more of these damn quizes, but I am a sucker for BOOKS! I had to do it!!

You're I, Robot!

by Isaac Asimov

While you have established a code of conduct for many generations to
follow, your demeanor is rather cold and calculating. Brought up to serve humans, you
have promised never to harm them, to follow orders, and to protect yourself. Living up
to this code has proved challenging and sometimes even drives you mad. If you were a
type of paper, you would be pulp.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

And I HATE Science Fiction!!

Reminiscing...

I was going through some of my old writing and found this. I was looking for the pictures that went with it, but I can only find the one I took, not the one Dad took. It is remarkable how Nature has taken over and filled in the spaces that man left behind. There are however thousands of dimples all over the tundra where tents and Quonset huts were at one time. You know just by looking that there were a lot of men living there. For the most part, the Navy has cleaned up a lot of the deserted buildings, and they have removed most of the deserted wharves except right in Adak City.

Yesterday Leslie wrote about needing a place to get in touch with herself. I used to (and still do) take a book of paper and a pen somewhere in the mountains or on the beach and just sit and write whatever popped into my head for 30 minutes. Sometimes it surprises even me. Sometimes I don’t want to keep it, and sometimes I do. This was one of those times.

Finger Bay, Adak, Alaska

Easter Sunday 1992

I’m sitting here in about the same spot as my Father stood 45 years ago, The day that he took a picture of the busy wharves and submarine docks that were once in abundance here. Now, I am looking out over a pristine finger of water; almost a fjord, and the wharves and docks are gone. Given way to age and a changing military environment. The concrete pads for the wharves are still here, and on the hill behind me are the few remaining Quonset huts that are protected by the historic register. There are a few piles of rotting timbers and rusting metal, but for the most part, this Bay has been reclaimed by nature. Signs of Man’s presence are still visible, but soon the tundra will cover them, and the winds and tides that shape these shores will eradicate any trace of the war machine that was once so present here. The quiet here is at times deafening! Broken only by the gurgling of the Raven on the high cliffs, and the splash of the sea otter as he flips to dive for his supper. Right now the remains of yesterdays’ snow is melting from the Tundra, and brown and black patches are poking through, leaving the low spots still covered with white. The water running down the cliff face has turned into giant icicles, hanging like frosting from the mountain. It isn’t really cold, only about 34 degrees, but the wind comes roaring down from the high peaks and freezes anything it touches. This land is so unforgiving. It’s harshness not readily apparent, but the tundra can be a killer in a heartbeat. It’s softness is very deceiving, for the soft covering of moss and grass can hide a deadly cavern beneath it, cut by eons of melting snow carrying abrasive volcanic ash. These islands were born of violence and are violent still. Evidenced by the almost daily earthquakes that shake us awake. Live volcanoes are a fact of life in the Aleutian chain, and within a 30-mile radius we have 3 active ones, and numerous geo-thermal vents that could erupt at any time. The term living on borrowed time really applies here, but not one of us is willing to admit that we could be vaporized in an instant...returned to the elements from whence we came.

For Don...

I was blogwalking, and one of my good friends said that he wanted to see more nude pictures on the internet. I promised him I would post a nude picture. SO forgive me dear friends, this one is for D. in NY! LOLOLOLOL





Courtesy of LINT's ass.

Yucky Day!!

Today is Bob's Birthday, SO since i KNOW that he will not use anything that I might buy him for a gift, I took him out to dinner. We went to the tacky cheap Mexican place down Island. GREAT FOOD. Dirty TOrn upholstery, walls are a mess, prices are fantastic, service is great and there is standing room only. Hole in walls are really good sometimes! Came back here watched CNN and then he left. It is too cold in here for him, and I am being a cheap skate with the heat and the wood!! I am almost out of seasoned wood, and winter is not over yet. I can always put on another pair of socks and crawl under the blanket. It is a cinch that he wont crawl under it with me, so he left for home. Bet you a buck he does not make it past the TYEE Restaurant and BAR!! i dont drink anymore, so When we go out he only has one beer, leaves early and then goes and gets tanked up. At least it isn't on my dime!!! The hangovers he can't blame on me either if he has one.

It turned really nasty today. Windy and rainy and chilly!! THe stars are out now though. so maybe tomorrow will be sunny and warmer. It's Deck season almost. I think the Alders are starting to push out their catkins, which means that the pollen will be covering everything, and my allergies will be raging!! i do love spring though. My Pussy Willows are almost popped out, and then I will prune the bush way back and also have a good bouquet of pussy willows to dry and have on hand.

THe Iris that I transplanted last Fall are poking their new fans up also! I thought I had lost them in the cold, but apparently not! TIme to start pruning the roses too. I want to get the front of the house looking pretty this spring. It is covered in weeds, and it is time to get out there and refurbish the look. Transplant the roses to the back yard where they will get better sun, and then dig up and replant all the front beds. I think I will put annuals along there, so they can be replanted yearly as the whim hits me. Right now I am into petunias, and other sweet smelling flowers. GOtta plant Sweet Peas next week too, all around the deck.

It will probably snow next week.

My dentist called this morning and wondered why I had not been in in a while, FUNNY YOU SHOULD CALL.....So March 1st I have an appointment to get my tooth fixed, and then start on the rest of the work that needs to be done. The knee well....we'll play that one by ear. Gotta have my teeth!! I can hobble with the knee can't eat with no teeth.

Well My fingers are frozen so its time to go crawl under the electric blanket and watch tv. See ya...

Pot-Pourri

Since It has been a long while since I posted anything this will be a mish mash of "stuff" A pot-pourri of topics. I blogwalked this afternoon, and caught up on everybod's weekend. Did not comment much, wanted to get through everybody first.

At Denny's I shamelessly stole this picture. I thought it put to words my feelings on Kerry quite well.



................................................................................................................................................

I also was sitting here and chomping on those cute little Brachs candy hearts, the ones with those little sayings on them...and broke a fricking TOOTH!!! Damn! Now I will have to get a crown instead of a new knee!! That just pisses me off!!

I got home last night about 1230 after striking the set of GODSPELL!! So now I go down into the annals of history. Sold 95% of the seats. Which is a really good sell through. I worked Box office yesterday, and had to tell everyone we were SOLD OUT! YES!!

The Show was fantastic last night. Judas in the 2nd act runs off stage and out the exit door and bangs it loudly. It is down about 7 steps. He waits about 10 minutes and then comes slamming back in. (He supposedly is betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. ) Well last night he slipped and fell down those 7 steps, hit his head on the door which made the noise like he was sposed to, and just lay there. Only a very few of us saw what happened. I ran down the stairs, knee forgotten for the moment, and helped him up to the green room. We spent the next 5 minutes icing his foot and tying his lace up boots tighter. He made it back on stage for the cruxifiction scene, and was able to carry Jesus off, but there were huge tears streaming down his face from the pain. Bless his heart!! He is a Navy Corpman, and knew something was wrong, so right after curtain, we whisked him off to the hospital. THe Usher works with him and made comment about how she could not wait to see the accident report.

In the Military, any time an active duty person is injured, on duty or not, you have to fill out an accident report. We figured it would read something like this:

ACCIDENT OCCURED WHERE: Stairwell of the Pharisees temple

What WAS THE PATIENT DOING WHEN IT HAPPENED: Betryaing Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

HOW MANY DAYS OF WORK WERE MISSED? Just the last supper! Made it back for the cruxifiction.

Yeah I know...We are sick Puppies!! He laughed too.

Anyway, I am done with the Playhouse until next season. GODSPELL is over, and I have nothing welse on my calendar...NOTHING>>> NADA!!!

When I retired this time last year my sister commented as I left her house, "well now I guess all you have to do is wait to die huh?" I will NEVER forget that remark. It has festered in the back of my mind for a year. GOD you don't s'pose she's right do you?...

I can't remember If I posted this or not, but If I did it is funny enough to do it again, If not....IT'S REALLY FUNNY!!!!



Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven.

When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!"

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.

Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.

St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps.

She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on .. very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and thin.





St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.

The happy woman says, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"

The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"


LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL THe funniest clean joke I've seen in a while!!!!!

I wish the pictures had posted, but they didn't. too bad.

Heading to bed, I just got home from cast party and I am POOPED, and have to work at the Playhouse tomorrow, and then the last show and then strike the set!!! Gonna be a LOOOONNNNGGGGG Day. but then it's all over!!! WHo-WHOOO!!!!!

So much for sunshine!

I woke up this morning, bright eyed and bushy-tailed (don't go there Don) and early!! The sky was just turning a pretty pink. Since I sleep with my head out the open window, I exhaled and saw my breath. It was 28 degrees out there, and the Doves were feeding at the feeders. I watched the morning come alive, and the birds all wake up. I heard the mystery bird again this morning. I think it is some kind of Warbler or Thrush. I cant tell. I spent a few hours on enature.com listening to bird songs, still can't find it. Dang!!! Any Way Back to the sunshine. I went out on the deck and drank a cup of coffee, and just soaked up the warmth and enjoyed the birds. Sadie was right there beside me the whole time.

The past few mornings I have been visited by a female Downy woodpecker. Last year there were the males, both Downy and Hairy, but no females. and this year I have not seen either Harry or Mort! They both look alike except for the size. The Downey woodpecker is 1/2 the size of the Hairy woodpecker. I have the suet feeders full now, so They will continue to come back.

What I have not seen this year though are the Squirrels. I saw Lola AROUND THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, AND NOTHING SINCE THEN. (OOOPS Caps on) sorry...I think it is because Sadie is such a sassy little bitch...She barks at everything! She may have scared Lola and the others away. I hope not. I worked so hard to get them into the yard. Mariah never barked at Lola. In fact Lola could run right over the top of her and she would just lay there.

THe sun has been hidden by the cold front that is rolling in from the Pacific. THe clouds were very high and thin this morning, but it is gray and cold out there right now. It is s'posed to rain any time now, and clear through the weekend. Swell. Ah well, I am busy this weekend anyway, so it can rain all it needs to, then it can clear up by Tuesday and start getting Warm again. 'Tis Time. It is Spring. Or should be anyway.

I will have to make it over to the Skagit Valley next week and see if the flowers are blooming yet. We grow all sorts of Spring flowering bulbs over there, So many that we Export them to Holland so that they can Import them to US! Doesn't make sense to me, but that is the way it goes folks. The fields are GORGEOUS with Daffodils and Tulips and Iris's and all sorts of bulby plants.

Gotta get ready for Friday nights Sell-out!! See ya!

Oh What a BEEEUUUUTIFUL MOOOORNING!!!!.......

It is one of those JEWELS of a day in the Pacific Northwest, that helps sustain us through the rest of the bleary gray winter. The sun is out, it is fairly warm, 56 degrees, and there is just a hint of a breeze. THe skies are clear, you can see the mountains all the way around. Mt. Baker to the Northeast, Garabaldi to the North, Mt Rainier to the South, the Cascades to the East, and the Olympics to the west. It is Get out and get going weather. Unfortunately, I am feeling under the weather, and can not. The birds are LOVING it too. they are chirpping, and flying and twittering like mad. The bulbs are poking their little heads through the leaves, and the grass is starting the move to take over the yard.

There is a bird out there that is singing his little heart out, I can not see it, so I have no clue what it is. I have never heard it before. Maybe because I have not been here at this time of the year before. I have the windows open so I can hear them clearly. It is driving the cats nuts. They want out sooo badly, and My kitties don't go out. I know I am thought of as a Mean Mommie, because they can't go out, but they go right over the fence, and right into the woods, where THERE BE DRAGONS THERE... If they would stay in the back yard, I would gladly let them out. That would surely take care of the Rodent problem!!!

This is the last weekend of the show. Tonight we are almost sold out and friday and Saturday's shows are already sold out!! How way cool is that!!! I will be so glad when we strike the set, and I can just relax. I say that now, but I will be absolutely at a loss. No more deadlines? ARRGGHHH! What ever shall I do then?

I will be forced to actually clean house!! ARRGGGHHHH! I will be forced to actually face the yard work!! ARRRGGGHHH!!! I will be forced to take a hard look at my health! AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Do I have the strength and will power to do all this? Probably not. WIll I? maybe! I need to get my knee and my back fixed so I can MOVE and then I can get my weight back down. I will NEVER be at my goal weight, I KNOW that. And right now, I am fine with that. But I do need to get rid of the 30+ lbs I have gained in the past two years. I would like to lose 150 lbs. That would put be below the weight charts. I am 6'1" tall, so I carry weight fairly well. It is all in my torso. WHich is NOT ideal for Health issues. I really need to get out there and walk 3 miles a day. That would help immensely. I will be getting a stipend for Directing this show, so maybe I will apply it to my Knees.

I'm happy when I'm hiking...
on the mountain trail.

I'm happy when I'm hiking...
da-da-da-da-da!

DA_Da-da-da-da-da-daaaa
da-da-da-da-da-

Good Lord! I can't remember the words to that song, and in Girl Scouts I sang it all the time.

Oh!! There's a thought!!! Maybe I can become a Scout Leader!!! Nah...I hate little girls...they are too noisey!!

Bugs...worms...viruses!

I just got a notification from my server Galaxynet that it appeared I was trying to send an email with a virus in it. Address came from me, but it did not!!! I just ran a virus check from Microsoft.com, and Mcafee, and PC Cillin and I am clean as a whistle. Galaxynet has Phaegis which blocks all outgoing and incoming bad guys. Really good stuff there. I wish I was as smart as these guys that develop these viruses. Can you imagine being able to screw up the worlds computers as a teenager? YIKES!!! Microsoft oughta hire them and pay them Millions just to develop vaccines for these things. It is far beyond my Ken to even change the layout of my blog much less screw with someone else's 'puter!

Supposedly the subject line has the word Hi as its subject. it attaches itself inside address books and sends itself randomly disguised as someone else. WOW!! and we cant cure cancer yet...

Showers....

How to Shower Like a Woman

1. Take off clothing and place it in sectioned laundry hamper according to lights and darks.
2. Walk to bathroom wearing long dressing gown. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas
3. Look at your womanly physique in the mirror - make mental note to do more sit-ups
4. Get in the shower. Use face cloth, arm cloth, leg cloth, long loofah, wide loofah, and pumice stone.
5. Wash your hair once with cucumber and sage shampoo with 43 added vitamins.
6. Wash your hair again to make sure it's clean.
7. Condition your hair with grapefruit mint conditioner enhanced with natural avocado oil. Leave on hair for 15 minutes.
8. Wash your face with crushed apricot facial scrub for 10 minutes until red.
9. Wash entire rest of body with ginger nut and jaffa cake body wash.
10. Rinse conditioner off hair.
11. Shave armpits and legs.
12. Turn off shower.
13. Squeegee off all wet surfaces in shower. Spray mold spots with Tilex.
14. Get out of shower. Dry with towel the size of a small country. Wrap hair in super absorbent towel.
15. Check entire body for zits, tweeze hairs.
16. Return to bedroom wearing long dressing gown and towel on head.
17. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.


AND NOW .... How To Shower Like a Man

1. Take off clothes while sitting on the edge of the bed and leave them in a pile.
2. Walk naked to the bathroom. If you see wife along the way, shake wiener at her making the 'woo-woo' sound.
3. Look in the mirror, look at your wiener and scratch your ass.
4. Get in the shower.
5. Wash your face.
6. Wash your armpits.
7. Blow your nose in your hands and let the water rinse them off.
8. Make fart noises (real or artificial) and laugh at how loud they sound in the shower.
9. Spend majority of time washing privates and surrounding area.
10. Wash your butt, leaving those coarse butt hairs stuck on the soap.
11. Shampoo your hair.
12. Make a Shampoo Mohawk.
13. Pee.
14. Rinse soap off ansd get out of shower.
15. Partially dry off. Fail to notice water on floor because curtain was hanging out of tub the whole time.
16. Admire wiener size in mirror again.
17. Leave shower curtain open, wet mat on floor, light and fan on.
18. Return to bedroom with towel around your waist. If you pass wife, pull off towel, shake wiener at her and make the 'woo-woo' sound again.
19. Throw wet towel on bed.

OK...me too...

Sandals- peaceful, daydreamy, and thoughtful, you
often find yourself staring into space. When
you aren't out volunteering you are often just
dreaming away. You enjoy the company of
friends sometimes but enjoy peace and quiet.
[please vote! thank you! :)]


What Kind of Shoe Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla



cow- you are very contended with life and the way
things are. you are not often upset or
flustered. people can count on you to be
dependable and always on time. you don't like
change or trying strange things. don't let
that keep you from having a good time.


What Barnyard Animal Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

?????

Something must be happening weather wise...or should I say ABOUT to happen? The birds are fluttering around the feeders in numbers that I haven't seen in awhile. Last time was just before a big storm. Do they know something We don't?

The Goldfinch are starting their morphing already also, the males are starting to get bright yellow splotches on their heads. The females are a bright olive green . Chitters is sitting thedre in the window trying like hell to get them, and they are teasing him like mad!! They even are clinging to the window screen while he bats and scratches at the window.

I LOVE teasing my cats like that. Gives them excersise and keeps the birds safe!

Yeah I know...I'm sick....

My Right TIT

Well, Since every body else is doing it....Here is mine!!!!!



Think I'll make it to a half-time show?

Finished

Well I THINK I am finished...I think. See anything that you thinks needs to be different? I cant figure out how to change the title. I wanted to make it bigger and fancier. But guess I'll just have to stick with the way it is!!! Took me all morning long to figure out where the banner was. It was still maroon, and I wanted it yellow and blue. I finally picked some weird color, changed a number and then peeked until I found the right area, then changed it to the right color!! So how'd I do with absolutely NO TRAINING?

Now I have to remember what it is I did and where I did it to, so I can change it again someday.

Lord of the Rings, Return of the King

Jesus H. Christ in a rowboat!!! Talk about a marathon movie!!!! I still have so many questions, Elves, Dwarfs, orks, dead dudes, men, Mastadons, hobbits, trolls, and good GOD a TON of horses!!! how did they get that many horses in New Zealand!! It was so loud it hurt my ears, and 4 freaking hours for a movie is waaaaay too long. I enjoyed it, but I wish to hell I could figure it all out. Dude dies, dude comes back to life. HUH? and none of the Elves had on little red hats and green tights!! They must have had to search the world for all of that Armour too!! Guess I'll wait until the videos come out and rent them all and watch them all at once. Maybe I'll get it then!

SAdie bug is so much better tonite. She still wants her Mommie though, and licks her tummy a lot, but she is doing fine. She still leaps off the porch though, and I cant get her to hold still enough to take her down the stairs myself. I need both hands for the stairs with this knee. She has her squeeky baby and is laying on her pillow right there, waiting for me to go to bed. Guess I'd better huh?

IN the mirror

Ok, This is as good as it gets folks... no makeup, but the hair has just been washed, dried and fluffed. I am taking this into the bathroom mirror...tried holding it out and taking it but I kept just getting my tits...and they dont look like Janet's!!

Here I go...

BEAR WITH ME FOLKS, I'm Playing again....I hope I don't screw this up...Stand by CJ!!

Poor Baby....

Sadie has an Owie!!! She got Spade today, and has a hole in her tummy! I left her off at 9:00 this morning and picked her up at 3:00. She was so happy to see me, but she definately was not feeling her best. She laid on the exam table, and wagged her tail slowly, licked my hand, and peed all over it. (the table, Kat) I took her home, with instructions to keep her calm and dont let her jump or run. OH SWELL!! That's all she ever does!

I put her in her pen to let her sleep, and she laid there shivering. I keep a cold house anyway, but she was kinda shocky I thought, so I got her and pulled her into bed with me turned on the electric blanket shoved her under the covers and just laid there watching tv and holding her until she got warm. She slept about 3 hours, I slept about 1. She woke up and I took her outside and put her on the porch, which she immediately LEAPED off of. Not a good thing. She whimpered and sat down and did not move!! I went back in and got my slippers on, and then walked her all over the back yard until she went pottie.

I had to pick jer up and bring her back in. Right now she is sleeping right over there on a messed up throw rug. Not too far from me. She has not eaten yet, and is sleeping much easier. I hate it when my babies hurt! With the boys it is just a tiny little snip, snip and its all over, (even though THEY think it is major surgery) but with the girls it is Major cutting and moving their insides around and cutting out the spare parts, then stitching from the inside out. Not fun. She will get better in a few days, but I will spoil her until she is....I'm just that way...

SHORN!!

After numerous years of letting my hair grow, and letting it grow out so there is no more color in it, I had it all cut off!! I needed a new look, and I may regret this later, but right now, it is short and feels good. It is about 3 inches long all over. I wanted a blow and go look, and I got it. It's cute, and now it is only two colors, grey and brown instead of 14 different colors from the sun and the perm and mother nature. Just a touch of curl around the face, the rest is straight. I have no curl naturally, and I have really coarse hair so it just falls forward and lays there. I can get up and shower, gel, and go. Whoo-who!! Since I have absolutely nothing planned for the next few months, I can look as casual as I want to.

Stayed home from the play today with the knee. When I got up this morning, I could not even stand on it. SO...rubbed gel into it and kept it up most of the day. It feels better now. At least I can get across the room without stumbling. I will go and tell the Dr I want it fixed NOW! I want to get out and walk, and explore! I want to try and get some of this weight off, and try to get off of insulin. Maybe I won't but I wanna.

Sadie bug goes in tomorrow morning for her "operation" She is so tiny still, and such a sweetie, I don't want her to hurt!! I also don't know how I am going to keep her still until it heals!! She never walks, she runs, ANd use the steps? Nah, LEAP from the top of the porch to the ground. SHe wears me out just watching her. She even jumps on the top of the couch and onto the floor!! She thinks she's a cat!!! ANyway, I am worried, as any Mommie would be when their baby gets a hole cut into her tummy and her parts removed! And Stitches!!! Poor baby!! No dinner from now on, and nothing to drink after Midnite. :-(

She is cutting molars right now, and chewing an anything she can find. MAinly the log tote! LOVES IT!! Must be the musty smell of rotting wood that turns her on. She has chewed the back off of my sheepskin slippers! (UGGS) and was heading for my daughters Clarks when I stopped her. Guess we gotta keep them all tied to the roof for awhile...